50 years ago music - 286 - Fleetwood Mac change lineup, change genre, and become superstars - - Varese News

Among the groups that emerged from the English 60s, a story as strange as that of Fleetwood Mac is difficult to find. A blues group born as a spin-off of John Mayall's band, the continuous changes in the lineup saw many excellent musicians take part: from the great Peter Green, later victim of mental problems, to Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan.

But the group's name was given, and in a certain sense its continuity, by the rhythmic base formed by Mick Fleetwood and John McVie : it was normal then that by changing the front line, the music also changed, as happened in 1975 when they recruited a new guitarist and singer, the American Lindsey Buckingham, who also wanted to bring his partner Stevie Nicks. The two had already recorded an album as a couple, but despite their very pleasant appearance, they were not "just another pretty face", and together with the keyboardist Christine McVie, John's wife, they made the group turn towards a pop rock of fine workmanship.

Their record-breaking album – one of the biggest-selling albums in rock history – came two years later, but even though it took a year, it still reached number one in America, making them superstars.

Fun fact: Landslide was written by Stevie Nicks at a time when she was financially supporting the couple with Buckingham, since Polydor had broken their contract due to the failure of their first album. She worked as a waitress and a cleaner: in just over a year she would become very rich.

The column 50 years ago music