Is there any musical act that changed musical styles with each personnel change more often than Fleetwood Mac? I think not.

If you were to peruse their entire catalog, the band’s music shifted constantly, with each change bearing almost no resemblance to the previous lineup, so it is interesting that the most dysfunctional version of the band was also the most successful…by a long shot.

In an environment where each of the band’s two couples were breaking up with each other, and Fleetwood’s marriage became tenuous, everyone was on edge, yet they somehow stitched together a nearly perfect collection of lyrically complex songs about resentment, distrust and alienation. Being the seventies, the overall theme was perfect for the times, and the soft-pop rock structure provided the perfect zeitgeist for the sexual revolution era of ‘open’ relationships, key parties and ‘free’ love.

Generally speaking, the lyrics tend to be pessimistic, with Christine McVie as the only songwriter somehow providing a positive perspective amidst the tension, but the musical arrangements are tightly structured and addictive. It was ‘soft rock with a heavy theme’ in a cultural era when the message resounded. At a time when sexual awareness exposed itself and the divorce rated skyrocketed, the world had an album they could turn to.

Deservedly, “Rumours” became one of the most popular albums of all time. For those who missed it, this is what the ‘70s sounded like, and also what it felt like.

Featured Tracks:

I Don't Want To Know

Dreams

Never Going Back Again

Don't Stop

Go Your Own Way

Songbird

The Chain

You Make Loving Fun

Second Hand News

Oh Daddy

Gold Dust Women

February 1977 - Billboard Charted #1