Words by Rhiannon Farr
The 1970s saw a rise in rock giants such as Pink Floyd, The Who and AC/DC, but one iconic band has had a notable resurgence in popularity in recent years. Since 2020, Fleetwood Mac’s music has re-entered the charts, with their fiftieth-anniversary album ÔÇÿDon’t Stop’ and the incredible ÔÇÿRumours’ being the third most-streamed album and third highest-selling vinyl of 2021, respectively. For rock lovers, this resurgence may come as no surprise- Fleetwood Mac’s music is held dear for millions of listeners around the world- but influences such as TV, film, social media and current charting music have all contributed to a new generation’s adoration of these rock icons.
The influence of social media cannot be denied when it comes to music revivals. In 2020, a TikTok of a man skateboarding while lip-synching to ÔÇÿDreams’ went viral, even going as far to be recognised by Mick Fleetwood, the band’s drummer and co-founder, and Stevie Nicks, the writer and vocalist of the song. This video brought ÔÇÿDreams’ back into the charts and subsequently helped the revival of Fleetwood Mac’s music. As well as social media, the TV and film industries seem to have a liking towards Rumours’ masterpiece ÔÇÿThe Chain’. In the UK, television coverage of Formula One used the song’s iconic guitar riff as a theme tune, resulting in ÔÇÿThe Chain’ entering the UK charts in 2009 and 2011. The 2017 film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 also included the song in an important turning point of the plot, eventually cementing ÔÇÿThe Chain’ as an incredible asset to film and television soundtracks. Fleetwood Mac’s impact on popular culture even gave them a whole episode of Glee dedicated to their music (aptly named ÔÇÿRumours’) in the show’s second season, with the cast performing covers of ÔÇÿSongbird’, ÔÇÿLandslide’ and ÔÇÿNever Going Back Again’, just to name a few.
Perhaps Fleetwood Mac’s unique sound is what makes them so appealing to this generation. Their lyrics come from places of love, heartbreak, joy and tragedy: reaching into your soul in ways you would never expect. Each member of the group embeds a piece of their hearts and lives into their songwriting, creating a purely individual atmosphere to every song produced. Additionally, the lyricist of a song always sings it when it comes to Fleetwood Mac, meaning the performance of these songs are incredibly heartfelt and passionate. Whether it be Christine McVie’s beautiful portrayal of heartbreak in ÔÇÿSongbird’, Lindsey Buckingham’s post-breakup anger in ÔÇÿGo Your Own Way’, or Stevie Nicks’ lamentation of growing old in ÔÇÿLandslide’, Fleetwood Mac provides an impactful musical experience for every individual and every emotion. As well as their exquisite lyricism and voices, their use of instruments contributes to their recognisable sound. As a result of every member taking their turn on the microphone, the rest of the group is able to play the backing instrumentals perfectly no matter the instrument or song. Despite the considerable number of conflicts between the members throughout the years, Fleetwood Mac performs as if they had never argued with each other- a perfect fa├ºade in perfect harmony. The amount of mass-produced music in the charts in recent years has led to a lack of individuality in the music industry, so perhaps this generation’s re-discovery of Fleetwood Mac is just as much of a breath of fresh air as it was back in the 70s.
It’s possible that Fleetwood Mac never really went out of favour: children of rock-loving parents have grown up surrounded by their music, which in turn would influence their peers to have a listen. Hopefully, their lesser-known albums such as ÔÇÿTango In The Night’ and ÔÇÿTusk’ will have as much of a resurgence in popularity as ÔÇÿRumours’ and their self-titled album in coming years- every one of Fleetwood Mac’s albums is a treasure trove of memories, passion, love and despair which deserve to be listened to and appreciated by listeners new and old. Their influence goes as far as to have a generation of daughters named Rhiannon (myself included) after Stevie Nicks’ witchy icon, a generation of new songwriters in the charts, and a generation of new listeners of rock in the 21st century.
