5 Reasons Why Fleetwood Mac Is Considered One Of The Greatest Bands Of All Time
“They made what most believe is the greatest album ever created.”
Growing up, the music I was accustomed to listening to was of course circled around 2000’s Hip-hop, R&B, Pop, and a couple of other popular genres.
But unlike the traditional way most kids are raised, I was raised by my grandma and grandpa.
So a different sound of music was added to my listening experience growing up.
A whole era of probably the best music ever created.
My grandma and grandpa played all sorts of music they grew up to.
- The Supremes, The Temptations, Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Four Tops, The Spinners and Fleetwood Mac. Just to name a few off the top of my head.
Since the beginning of 2023, it's all I've listened to. Everything from the 1950s to the late 1980s.
All the music I remember them playing and then more.
We would make road trips from where we lived in southern California to northern Nevada quite often to see family.
During these long road trips, we had a dedicated and reliable CD to play throughout those hours.
Those songs on that CD are implanted into my memories. Very positive memories are associated with that combination of music.
There was one song, in particular, I remember from these road trips that I absolutely love and reminds me of my grandma a lot.
Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.
Anyone who knows anything about Fleetwood Mac knows that this song is such a classic. The slowed-down pace combined with the drums from Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nick's voice is something special.
I recommend playing this on a road trip when the mood has chilled. We all know that mood does come.
What’s So Special About Fleetwood Mac?
Well, there's a lot. But what I feel sets Fleetwood Mac apart from the crowd and puts them up for debate as one of the greatest bands of all time is their emotional honesty.
And that's tough for me to say for one reason.
I love production. It's always been my first, second, and third reasons why I love and appreciate music. Almost to the point where I just zone out the lyrics and just listen to the song as just a combination of amazing sound waves flowing through my ears.
Fleetwood Mac's musical production is out of this world. But for this story, I want to prioritize their emotional honesty.
Here are the 5 Reasons Fleetwood Mac Is One Of The Greatest Bands Of All Time
1. Expressive Songwriting
I've listened to their whole discography. Finished a couple of weeks ago. They will definitely be my Spotify #1 most listened-to artist(s) of the year when December comes. And it's only February.
Their expressive songwriting highly contributes to their emotional honesty. They take deep dives into exploring themes such as love, heartbreak, and personal growth.
Like with the song Dreams.
- They get into the complexities of love and relationships. The focal points are around both the joys and pains that come with them.
Another one would be The Chain.
- They symbolize the complexities of relationships, resilience, and strength it takes to be adaptable to adversity.
With their very effective songwriting skills, they can truly relate to a wide audience. Which directly contributes to them being so loved and renowned.
2. Rumours — Album That Was Released In 1977
This album right here was a massive achievement and something a lot of people consider one of the greatest albums ever released.
It's second on my list.
They really put their emotional honesty on display in this one. Mainly due to the timing of its release.
Around the release of this album, there were intense personal difficulties and relationship breakdowns within the band.
The result? A raw and intimate exploration of those experiences.
Songs like Go Your Own Way and Dreams get into those experiences.
People having rough spots in relationships is normal and their music helped people feel like they were not alone.
It's important to relate, but not for too long. You would still want to change and grow into the best version of yourself. This is a music story, not a self-development one. But I do write those too. My recent one is 4 Ways To Let Go Of Anxiety. It's a great read.
3. Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks is most people's reason for falling in love with Fleetwood Mac. As one of the lead vocalists, she displayed her emotions in ways that you can feel in your soul.
Her unique raspy voice added strong layers to their music. I feel it was a perfect fit for the genre(s) they were in.
Her ability to voice her personal experiences was something special.
There was one song where she was able to really express herself.
Its called Sara
From their 1979 Tusk album.
It is 6 minutes and 30 seconds long. Which I love.
Long movies and long songs are my favorite.
I see them as a piece of art that I want to experience for as long as I can.
If a movie isn't at least 2 hours then what are we even doing?
Just kidding. Theres plenty of movies under 2 hours that are great. But you know what I mean.
Sara by Fleetwood Mac right now my favorite. The pace is very patient. Her vocals are amazing. The production also complements her vocals perfectly. Well, the production always does.
For obvious reasons, I think she is the most important reason I listen to them. In the bulk of songs I enjoy from Fleetwood Mac, she ends up being the main vocalist behind them.
Now, let's get to another important piece of Fleetwood Mac's success.
4. Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey was a very important piece to Fleetwood Mac’s success.
He was not only one of the lead vocalists but he was a songwriter and guitarist for a ton of their music.
There’s one massive reason that contributes to the emotional honesty that Fleetwood Mac was so good at portraying.
Lindsey and Stevie had a relationship together.
It was unique, to say the least.
Both of them got invited to join Fleetwood Mac and the rest is history as far as musical success, but as far as their relationship, things got complicated.
They were together when they joined but separated and still continued making music within Fleetwood Mac.
This added deep levels of authenticity and a relatable dimension to their music.
Drama is compelling.
Which definitely added to the fire or their success.
Both are right.
All and all, the aspects of their relationship created this important presence of emotional honesty. They were wide open with their feelings and expressed them through musical production, songwriting, and live performances.
I brought up both Stevie and Lindsay. This only leaves probably the most important aspect of the success and greatness of Fleetwood Mac.
5. Mick Fleetwood
You can probably tell by his last name that he's the founder of Fleetwood Mac. Which he is.
He is also the drummer.
All those memorable drums from all those classics, that was him.
He was the main building block in shaping the music for Fleetwood Mac. Shaping the group's sound, image, and overall success.
How is Mick Fleetwood tied to this emotional honesty concept I'm talking about?
Well, he was the glue that held the band together through all those years.
He made sure the group stayed focused on the creative process at hand so they could accomplish the success they did even through all those interpersonal conflicts.
Mick was a drummer, a damn good one, but there are a few important things about him that allowed their success.
- He was a leader
- He was a mentor
- He was business manager(for Fleetwood Mac)
- And an artistic visionary.
If I were to have a conversation with someone and they told me straight up that they think Fleetwood Mac is the greatest band of all time, I would agree.
I know we have bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, The Eagles, U2, Nirvana, and The Beach Boys.
But music is subjective.
That is what makes it beautiful.
Based on every person's way of growing up and their way of changing they are able to experience music in a way no one else can relate to. At least perfectly.
This just shows why music is so diverse in its creation and deliverability.
Fleetwood Mac is very special to me. For reasons I expressed at the beginning of this story.
Having my grandma and grandpa raising me allowed me to really take an open approach to this music now that I'm older.
I am going to continue navigating and enjoying my musical journey with the eras that existed from the 1950s to the late 1980s. And I will continue writing about my experiences with doing that. Until my next piece!
Best, Bucho Abina III
