Fleetwood Mac is a British/American rock band. More than 50 years have passed since the creation of the group. But, fortunately, the musicians still delight fans of their work with live performances. Fleetwood Mac is one of the oldest rock bands in the world.
The band members have repeatedly changed the style of the music they perform. But even more often the composition of the team changed. Despite this, until the end of the XX century. The group managed to maintain its popularity.
More than 10 musicians have been in the Fleetwood Mac band. But today the name of the group is associated with such members as:
- Mick Fleetwood;
- John McVie;
- Christine McVie;
- Stevie Nicks;
- Mike Campbell;
- Neil Finn.
According to influential critics and fans, it was these musicians who made an undeniable contribution to the development of the British-American rock band.
Fleetwood Mac: early years
The talented blues guitarist Peter Green stands at the origins of the group. Before the formation of Fleetwood Mac, the musician managed to release an album with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. The team was founded in 1967 in London.
The band was named after drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie. Interestingly, these musicians never had a significant impact on the musical direction of Fleetwood Mack.
Mick and John are the only members of Fleetwood Mac to this day. The musicians took a forced break in the early 1960s because they had problems with alcohol.
In the late 1960s, members of the Fleetwood Mac band created traditional Chicago blues. The team constantly experimented with the sound, which is perfectly audible in the ballad Black Magic Woman.
The group gained its first serious popularity thanks to the presentation of the song Albatross. In 1969, the track took the honorable 1st position in the UK music chart. According to George Harrison, the song inspired The Beatles to write the track SunKing.
In the early 1970s, the guitar-blues line-up of the British-American band ceased to exist. Guitarists Green and Denny Kirwen found signs of a mental disorder in their behavior. Most likely, they were addicted to the use of illegal drugs.
Green's last track Green Manalishi became a real hit for Judas Priest. For some time, it was believed that the group would never take the stage. The enterprising manager promoted an alternative line-up for Fleetwood Mac, which was not associated with the original.
Until the mid-1970s, the "original" band was actually led by Christina McVie (John's wife) and guitarist Bob Welch. It cannot be said that the musicians managed to keep the reputation formed around the first line-up of Fleetwood Mac.
The Fleetwood Mack Group: The American Period
Following the departure of Fleetwood and his wife McVie, guitarist Lindsay Buckingham joined the band. A little later, he invited his extravagant girlfriend Stevie Nicks to the team.
It was thanks to the new members that Fleetwood Mac changed direction towards stylish pop music. The husky female vocals added a special charm to the tracks. The Americanized band drew inspiration from The Beach Boys, after whom they settled in California.
Obviously, the change in musical direction benefited the team. In the mid-1970s, the band's discography was replenished with a new album, Fleetwood Mac. The pearl of the record was the track Rhiannon. The song opened the band to American teenagers.
Soon the band's discography was replenished with a new album, Rumours. About 19 million copies of the presented collection have been sold around the world. Must-listen songs: Dreams (1st place in America), Don't Stop (3rd place in America), Go Your Own Way (the band's best track, according to Rolling Stone magazine).
After the overwhelming success, the musicians toured a lot. At the same time, the fans learned that the group was working on the next collection. In 1979, the band's discography was replenished with the Tusk album.
The new collection was highly appreciated by music critics. However, from a commercial point of view, it turned out to be a "failure". The record is considered one of the predecessors of the so-called "new wave".
Fleetwood Mac: 1980-1990
Subsequent collections of the band evoked nostalgia. Most of the new albums were at the top of the American music charts. From among the released records, fans singled out the collections:
- Mirage;
- The Dance;
- Tango in the Night;
- Behind the Mask.
McVie's track Little Lies was considered a vivid image of the band's late work. Interestingly, even today the musicians have to play this track several times for an encore.
In the early 1990s, Stevie Nicks announced that she was leaving the band. Members of the group announced the end of creative activity. A few months later they were persuaded to reunite by Bill Clinton. Interestingly, he used the song Don't Stop as the theme song for his election campaign.
The musicians not only reunited, but also presented a new album, Time. The album was released in 1995 and was well received by fans and music critics.
The musicians toured, but were in no hurry to replenish the group's discography with fresh collections. The public saw the new album only in 2003. The record was called Say You Will.
Fleetwood Mac band today
In 2020, Fleetwood Mack is 53 years old. The musicians celebrate this date with a new tour and a new album, which consists of 50 tracks, 50 Years - Don't Stop. The collection includes hits and the main elements of each studio record.
