Is This Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" Best Song?

[@StJMusicMan]

In 2011 my 91 year old Aunt decided she could no longer drive and she gave me her car. She left two CD’s in the car’s CD player for me, that she listened to and loved until she died in 2014: one was “Abba: Gold”, and of course the other was Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. When I was growing up she always had a great record collection, varied, eclectic, fun. I shouldn’t have been surprised to find those CD’s - what a great lady!

[@eauhomme]

Yes! Two great ones. It's too bad that so many people lumped Abba in with disco in general, and discarded them as a result. Same with the Bee Gees. They miss out on such great music that transcends genres. Mamma Mia, the movie, has corrected some of this by introducing a new generation to them. As for Fleetwood Mac, not a bad song on Rumours, and that's incredible considering the best song was left off of it ("Silver Springs").

[@MountainmommaWV3]

You had a cool mommaw

[@loontil]

awesome

[@paulawhitehead2561]

Really cool story

[@Jimbodisfan]

Cool aunt.

[@christianheidenreich3673]

Lindsey Buckingham could be an interesting interview partner for you.

[@sammydavis991]

SNL

[@christianheidenreich3673]

@@sammydavis991 I saw that but Rick is more enthusiastic but always polite.

[@billminor3712]

I love that idea!! He’s my favorite guitarist!

[@angelomorales1932]

I second this‼‼‼‼

[@carolinereidartist]

Go for it Rick Beatto

[@him050]

Go Your Own Way is a perfect song and is easily in the top five greatest songs ever. I won't be convinced otherwise

[@MrKellyHiggins]

Truly. My favorite guitar solo.

[@him050]

@@TonyLovell and then there’s the lyrics that are so heartfelt and anyone who’s been through a breakup can relate to.

[@williamlynd3052]

Me either - no contest for me which was best on this album and in their entire catalog.

[@johngreene6783]

Completely agree

[@charlesc7950]

This album ages wonderfully. It just never gets old.

[@youngscottpmu1387]

This LP is a masterpiece ...no less . "Never going back again" is a masterpiece in the masterpiece

[@maclochlainncian3]

The Chain is all about tension. That opening guitar riff never has a resolution, so it constantly has you on the edge of your seat. It truly captures the vibe of the whole record and the inner turmoil of the band. Comfortably my favourite track on an album with not a single bad track.

[@alanbeaumont4848]

@@andylindberg6243 Running into the screaming guitar play out.

[@rdrrr]

As great as the studio version is, the 1982 Mirage Tour performance of "The Chain" just takes it to another level. All the hate flying around pushes the whole band to go the extra mile with the performance. Lindsey's guitar solo at the end is _incredible_ !

[@charliemunro6058]

That slow build and tension is why the song worked so well in the capture scene in "Our Flag Means Death." My daughter saw it there and has it in her heavy rotation now.

[@samanders2676]

Listened to 'The Chain' a million times but chills everytime like I'm hearing the masterpiece for the first time. Personally, it's The Best Fleetwood Mac song.

[@kanini43]

Thank you, @maclochlainncian3, you put that in a nutshell ingeniously. 👍🏽

[@larrypower8659]

Very few people ever mention Mick Fleetwood and John McVie when talking about the greatness of this band. They are one of the top five rhythm sections of all time. After all, the band is named after them: Fleetwood Mac. Simple, tight, and always well recorded. They knew where the pocket was and what to do with it. The rhythm section is the most important thing in a band. They set the feel.

[@michaelwinters4231]

They didn't write hits, though, but without them, the layers of each song wouldn't be there. They are integral but without Christine, Stevie and Lindsay the band wouldn't have sold millions of records.

[@victorbronish1787]

​@@michaelwinters4231is

[@timothymarkonis3630]

There's a reason the band is called Fleetwood Mac, after all, instead of, say, Buckingham Nicks. Lindsay and Stevie were invited in to an already firmly reputationally established British blues band, transforming it into a British/American hybrid.

[@hollyw9566]

The older I get, the more I appreciate the rhythm sections of almost every one of my "favorite bands of all time!!!" of which there are, um, many. I was listening to the bass and drums in UFO the other day and just saying to myself, "Wow. Wow." It's easy to get overwhelmed with Schenker's incredible guitar and Phil's vocals, it's easy to just suck into that.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

@@timothymarkonis3630 Bob Welsh did that transformation years before Lindsay (and Stevie as a "sidekick" add on) were invited into the band to replace Bob when he left.

[@nostromo7928]

I never get tired of Rick's enthusiasm for music. I know nothing about music theory, I just know what I like to listen to and listening to Rick makes me happy.

[@barry_mason]

They don’t allow “space” in songs so much anymore as you mentioned. Today’s music is saturated with lyrics. The way these songs are constructed on this album is a huge part of the genius of it. You rarely hear an outro or a musical interlude anymore.

[@monicamaur3323]

Is it because a lot of songs are not instrument based? I'm not sure how to explain it. I love to analyze songs and figure out the instruments being played.

[@Car_Mo]

[A lot of] today's music is produced by producers and mastering engineers who are not a part of the band. Especially in the 70's, music was produced by the band the moment they recorded it, they had an idea and the producer was there to refine and further the idea of the band. Starting in the 80's the producers became the post production artist part of the band, trying to put "their" brand on the music with increasing amounts of effects and personal production "styles". Not all music went that way, but chances are good that if it ended up at the top of a chart, there was a "famous" producer behind it. Don't even get me started on mastering engineers and the brutal overuse of compression to satisfy the radio market ...

[@danasekundiak2604]

What i like best about Ricks videos is his excitement about music. A true musician. The reason most of us listen to great music.

[@grayfool]

Rumours is a true masterpiece. The seventies is, by a mile, the best musical decade.

[@bloxorzwizard7931]

You're living up to the last part of your handle if you think that's true lol. Need i remind you that the 60s produced a ton of the great Doo Wop songs, The Beatles, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Mamas and the Papas, The Doors, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, everybody that was at Woodstock, a lot of Elvis Presley's songs, Iron Butterfly, The British Invasion, Psychedelic Rock. Need I say more? Without the artists of tbe 60s, you'd still be listening to big band swing lol.

[@keithmadison8754]

60)70"s combined was the best

[@peerpaulin8486]

@@keithmadison8754 You left out the 80's.

[@penponds]

Absolutely right. And incredible wealth of riches from singer song writers through classic pop, ABBA, ELO, disco, punk, heavy metal, southern rock, The Eagles, Floyd, Rolling Stones in first half, the dizzying heights of Prog with Genesis, Yes, Rush. Endless explosion of creativity and virtuosic musicianship!

[@userer4579]

@@peerpaulin8486 There is a reason for that.

[@martinheath5947]

Rumours is such a human recording, so fraught, so intertwined, the various members mired in all kinds of relationship breakup betrayals, burned out, coked up and teetering at individual emotional breaking points, expressing raw feelings, viscerally, in the finest recording studio available in the midst of hostility with a job to do whilst knowing that the music they were making was capturing the essence making it real for posterity. My admiration knows no bounds, an astounding achievement and classic masterpiece for all time.

[@RandyKing314]

agreed…for all those reasons you listed, it may just be the most “rock n roll” album in existence

[@ssvr3dl1n38]

Well said, sums it up nicely!

[@tomcoon9038]

I always found it incredible and yet ironic in a way. All the best song writers know that in order to produce a truly heart felt gut wrenching song you have to let your inner emotions out. You have to write them and then work on them with your bandmates. Even though it may be your bandmates who is sponsoring these feelings. Those emotions come forth on the song and that's what makes it great. People relate and tie into that. And it is good. Yet what makes you really good at writing the music is the exact thing that rips the band apart. Fleetwood Mac could not possibly be any better at showcasing this fact.

[@iliasmess]

Couldn't have said it better my friend! The making of this record has more magic than possibly anything else in rock n roll. should be done a movie about it. Captures the best years of rock in the best way 👌

[@vanhalenrulz9474]

My favorite track from Rumours (and all-time favorite Fleetwood Mac song) is You Make Loving Fun. The chorus in that song is absolutely perfect.

[@thomaslemon3971]

I gotta agree. Out of all of them, it’s the one song on the album I can never ever skip.

[@fhowland]

Couldn’t agree more! Reminds me of my old girlfriend ❤️

[@JoeGator23]

@richardharrold9736 Wrong, especially if you are talking about music in general.

[@donwoodward7944]

​​@richardharrold9736Please explain how "Ricki Don't Lose That Number" is musically bland and lyrically inane 😆

[@amalakelshiker6461]

Stevie use to take Chris and Linds to the side and say we need to work on the chorus, vocals and harmonies. She is a TOTAL GENIUS and it shows in the vocals she did.

[@ishgumi44]

Nobody can project the deep love of music like Rick. Nobody. What a pleasurable experience it is listening to his ruminations.

[@neilweinstock4194]

Lindsay Buckingham deserves infinite praise for his work on this album (and the previous one, which is almost as good). At times understated and restrained, other times raw and emotional, always gorgeous. And his vocals are superb as well.

[@billminor3712]

Couldn’t agree more!!

[@runthenumbers9698]

Lindsey Buckingham is my inspiration for learning the guitar

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

The previous "White" album was IMO JUST as good as Rumours overall - though a bit mode peaky and it DID have what I consider to be Fleetwood Mac's best song of all time. "I'm So Afraid".

[@ChrisEdenburn-wj9ch]

Probably Skynnrd, Seet Home Alabama, or Black Sabaith Paranoid i don't know i was born in 78. Im just guessing . Led Zeppelin for sure.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

@@ChrisEdenburn-wj9ch We were talking about Fleetwood Mac, not those other great groups?

[@greatsajby9266]

"Second Hand News" needs way more love. Instant good mood, with the chorus happening only once, and the END, all building to a glorious climax with a chorus of angels underpinning it all.

[@179cpv]

Agree it’s a very underrated song and the perfect way to open the album.

[@SG_____]

I love that sweet aggressive guitar tone at the end. Love that song. Perfect way to start an album.

[@72slayer72]

You Make Loving Fun is my personal fav. I think Christine's voice is amazing on it, perfect.

[@AndrewDemack]

Always makes me smile

[@davidgratton8869]

Rumors is a great album which has held up well over time. My personal favorite song which completely grabs me every time I hear it is Never Going Back Again. It’s short, simple, and has very few lyrics, but the musicality of the song is brilliant. Nothing like this ever gets made today.

[@TimBoulette]

"You Make Loving Fun" for me. Lindsey's guitar is just so tasty throughout. And you can't beat that groove.

[@nonnayoubuzinnes1669]

Buckingham was the sole producer on Rumours according to Richard Dashut who says he and Ken Callait were actually the engineers Buckingham was way ahead of his time and such an outstanding guitarist.

[@brodymoore295]

The chain really breathes. It expands and contracts sonically and keeps you listening with moments of surprise. Masterful songwriting

[@85geoffm]

Christine McVie was the genius behind Fleetwood Mac. She was the best songwriter, best singer, and added the most soul to the band. She was an absolute treasure.

[@thewayidoit8895]

Rick, I listened to this album many many nights going to sleep in high school. 1977-1980. It relaxed me. Got me through some tough times. I had a lot going on and felt pretty alone. My parents supported my decisions but didn't offer much. Fleetwood Mac kept me going.

[@tr5947]

Whenever I watch one of Rick's vids I think about how ignorant the people who keep him from using their material are. So many young people gravitate to great music by hearing it. A whole new generation was exposed to Christine's "Everywhere" because it was used in a commercial. The song was sought out because it's great music. Rick isn't doing ads, but I bet there are kids who discover not just the artists whose music Rick features, but others who he names as their influences or contemporaries. And Christine was one of pop music's great writers. She was a treasure.

[@jenslempke7501]

I never grow tired of Fleetwood Mac. Amazing music, straight through.

[@moondog303]

Lots of love and support to Mick Fleetwood and his staff at Fleetwood’s on Front St. Maui. His bar/restaurant along with the entire town of Lahaina where it was located burnt to the ground this week.

[@andrewhobin9217]

I wondered if Fleetwood’s was spared, I guess not. Terrible loss all round.

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

The death toll keeps rising. Praying for the survivors.

[@glennhecker4422]

😢😢😢

[@carladean6117]

The vocals on 'The Chain' are phenomenal. It's almost like 'call and response'. This video is transporting me right back to 1977

[@michaeljarvis5489]

That one is just so, so good. Probably my top FM song, and I'm mostly a metal/industrial fan. Maybe that's why their angrier songs like that one and Gold Dust Woman are favorites.

[@ssia6938]

In Fleetwood Mac, the three songwriters approached songwriting very differently. Christine would come up with melody chords and an idea of a lyric theme, and make a song pretty quickly. Her demos were almost finished songs. Lindsey brought lots of pieces of guitar parts on tape, to the studio. He wrote most of his lyrics last, and in the studio. Stevie wrote poems, and then tried to sing them, taking those simple forms to the studio. The three different approaches are a masterclass in themselves. All worked in their own way.

[@cejannuzi]

It was Lindsey Buckingham who turned them all into Fleetwood Mac songs.

[@markmiwurdz202]

It's even more remarkable that Lindsey Buckingham does not read music. He has all of his input into FM inside his mind.

[@janpcs]

. @markmiwurdz202 Many great songwriters don't read music. The BeeGees come to mind.

[@simonwild9529]

You can definitely hear who was the primary song writer on each track on Rumours! 🤘

[@OldDogBronco]

And Todd Rundgren. My jaw dropped when he said so much at his commencement speech at Berklee College of Music @@janpcs

[@willrothfuss8470]

It's nice to know you love Fleetwood Mac, Rick. I never get tired of them. I never understood all the hate directed at them by "purists", only because their songs got so much radio play. Maybe the last era when you could hear really great music on the radio.

[@derekwood91]

"Go your own way" for me. I'm not any kind of musician, but that has always been my standout track from what is a standout album. Mick Fleetwood's drums, and the way the guitar threads its way through the song, always knocks me out!

[@TheLegenDacster]

That's a fab choice from that album. It exhibits all of their best attributes.

[@biscaynediver]

Imagine an album so stuffed with goodness that there wasn't room for Silver Spring.

[@thelaughingstormbornagain1297]

It's hard to imagine in this era of massive albums. Where it's more important to just have mass amounts of content instead of the integrity to just make some cuts.

[@earlgrey691]

Love Christine McKvie but the 'songbird' track always jarred with me.Bit maudlin and indulgent to a degree and jars the energy of the whole recording but Stevie's 2 killers make it for me.I would vote Gold Dust Woman as the finest on the album.

[@StevenTwoTwo]

​@@earlgrey691Disagree, Songbird is perfect on that album, it has every right to be there. Gold Dust Woman is actually my least favourite on the album, but then I've always preferred Christine to Stevie 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@autk]

"Oh Daddy", would be the maudlin one. "Gold Dust Woman" is a triumph, a literal witch's brew. Songbird is a gentle soothing song, kinda sing songy but it's got smooth Christine.

[@briancullen9575]

Silver Spring is my favorite. It’s shocking it didn’t make the album.

[@michaelgottlieb9083]

Mick Fleetwood's drumming and McVie's bass playing are so underrated.

[@byronmitchell2067]

They set the tone for so many great songs. Dreams is a great example of that.

[@amalakelshiker6461]

Totally agree Fleetwood and John McVie AWESOME

[@amalakelshiker6461]

@@byronmitchell2067 Yes the rhythm section in Dreams (and all their songs) is SUPERB. Christine also is INDISPENSABLE and contributes SO MUCH to ALL of their songs.

[@elvin38]

The band’s name says all : bass and drums sustain all the harmonic and vocal refinements

[@jamesbargar5952]

The syncopation in the verse melody of Go Your Own Way is really unique as well, and worthy of mention. You do a great job (always) of pointing out dissonances in harmony, but syncipation is rhythmic dissonance, and can be just as impactful.

[@dryter]

One thing that doesn't get mentioned enough IMO is how great Lindsey and Christine's voices sound together.

[@ln2675]

I sooooooo agree!!!!!!!👍👍👍

[@SpreadEagle6]

"Hold Me" is a great testament to this.

[@michaelgottlieb9083]

They were great....

[@carolinereidartist]

Reckoning they always were in love

[@jerrycote659]

💯 agree! When I was a kid and was exposed to the Rumours album by hearing it through my parents and my older brother playing the album basically everyday for what seemed like the entirety of my elementary school years. I always thought the opening vocal of “Don’t Stop” was Lindsey and my mind still tells me to this day it’s Lindsey, which triggers the data correction switch that was installed in my brain at the exact moment I was shocked into reality upon learning years ago it’s Christine who sings the opening “If You Wake Up And Don’t Want To Smile” NOT Lindsey. I love the way their vocals are arranged and used on “Hold Me” and “Little Lies”

[@GoVoteDemocracy]

When I was 10, every library hour I would go straight to the cassette player, get Rumours and listen to it the entire hour. The librarians finally quit asking me if I wanted to look at the books because I gave them the same answer all the time, “no, I have books at home, but I don’t have Fleetwood Mac”. The first album I ever bought was Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, and I still have it 40+ years later

[@blahblahblah742]

Just driving home from playing bass in a Fleetwood Mac tribute show to 1300 people in the UK & I have to say it's probably the most fun show I've ever done. Audiences go absolutely crazy for these songs, Every song is a BANGER!

[@ultragroove1]

Nice!!

[@prancypooch9694]

What always struck me about the Rumors album is the rich, golden, pristine closeness and clarity of the sound engineering. The presence and immediacy of sound space is stunning. Combined with the songwriting and playing, it is truly unique. But OMG the SOUND...wow! What a masterpiece of recording...from the 1970's no less.

[@prancypooch9694]

So if you were the producer, it would have been more successful right? The job is to sell albums. It stayed at the top of the Billboard 200 for 31 non-consecutive weeks, so they must have gotten something right. The record has received a Diamond Award from the Recording Industry Association of America for a 20× platinum certification or 20 million copies shipped, making it, as of 2021, tied for the eleventh highest certified album in US history. Smart move to appeal to the tasteless cloth-eared masses. @richardharrold9736

[@windyhillbomber]

Have always said Rumours is easily the most complete album ever made. Not a single low point. Not one filler song. Every tune a classic. Then there is the back story around the making of the album which makes it even more outstanding.

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

The album is amazing. It's like they took all their personal issues and mined it for all It's worth.

[@StevenCarinci]

Elvis Costello hates it, he refers to them as the mob.

[@lambchop1]

​@richardharrold9736I also revere the original FM with Peter, Jeremy and later Danny. I started out a folk and blues player and lover. You obviously don't care for the later incarnations. Not ur cuppa tea. For me it's something completely different. Separate bands altogether. I was in a band and covered some of these songs and marveled at them. Like I said, not for you obviously, but to many it was great stuff.

[@janpcs]

@richardharrold9736 I don't think many people agree with you. Peter Green's FM was a great band but so was the version with Buckingham Nicks.

[@janpcs]

They even had to omit Silver Springs because of lack of space. Silver Springs is a great song too.

[@MrEtnorb]

The song “I don’t want to know” is harmony from start to finish. I can’t think of another top song with 100% harmony. Brilliant.

[@KidFreshie]

Sound of Silence.

[@amalakelshiker6461]

Totally Agree with you. Not a song like it. LOVE IT

[@soccerdad93446]

Rick, you are doing a great service to people by helping them learn more about why they like a song and not just that they do like it.

[@diamonddog4708]

The Chain cover. 'Just a thrown together thing' ....... that sounds utterly fantastic ☺️

[@afternoonshred4866]

Every song on that album is amazing but “Go your own way” that song is exceptional, and not just because of that amazing, yet simple intro, it’s what music should be when composing, all the parts fit together flawlessly.

[@SteveC-Shaman]

The bass line to "go your own way" is great and absolutely one of the best parts of the song. The double walkdown with the high point note... just great.

[@gstlynx]

Rick, your enthusiasm and deep love of music are infectious. Add on your encyclopedic knowledge and you never fail to entertain and enlighten.

[@jamesleenelson]

My estimation of Lindsay Buckingham’s guitar playing increases with time. His fills and guitar parts are so tasty, restrained and powerful-love it❗️

[@amalakelshiker6461]

Your "estimation"??

[@carladean6117]

My dad died 3 months before this album was released, I was 16. 'Oh Daddy' will always have a very poignant meaning for me because I listened to it so much at the time.

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

❤ that’s really tough to lose your dad at such a young age..

[@carladean6117]

@@jesusislukeskywalker4294 Thank you 💕 I missed him terribly for a long long time, still do.

[@skipskiperton4992]

❤

[@macdisciple]

Oh man. I lost my pops at age 15 in 1978. I felt so lonely because I did not know anyone else whose dad died. We could of hung out. :)

[@carladean6117]

@@macdisciple Aww that's a sweet comment. Yes it's not the best at that age is it?

[@azog23]

For years I didn't know about the first half of the chain. The BBC used the second half as the theme tune for their formula 1 coverage. For the titles they sync up the green light at the start of a race with the start of Lyndsay Buckingham's guitar part. The bass part set up a load of tension before the green light and the high pitched guitars tied in nicely with the screaming engines of formula 1 cars of the time.

[@MattMcQueen1]

This. It's a very British thing.

[@chrishyde1216]

That association risks spoiling the song, but it's too good to be spoiled.

[@chrishorne4016]

The BBC picked some good music for their shows in the 70's. Whole Lotta Love, the zeppelin classic performed by CCS for top of the pops, prime time before watershed music program Elizabeth Zaroff positively blushed when she realised what the lyrics were about,

[@seanmccafferty2296]

​@@chrishorne4016I had no idea that wasn't the original

[@SK-sm9mn]

Andrew, that’s where I first discovered it but I’m glad I also then discovered the first half.

[@krisspax]

The 70s were the decade of albums. Would love for you to do more "album videos" Rick. It's like we're sitting together going over all the songs!

[@chrisbentley1150]

It's about melody. The album is overflowing with beautiful music (+ clever arrangements). One of the all-time 'must hear' albums. Something for everyone

[@Richard_Jones]

In case nobody else has mentioned it, for 20 years the bass breakdown and guitar solo was the theme tune to the BBC's Formula 1 motor racing coverage. You play a tune, add exciting visuals and do that every week for 20 years, the effects multiply.

[@s.peters2140]

My top albums of the 1970's: Fleetwood Mac: Rumours, Meatloaf: Bat Out of Hell, Supertramp: Breakfast in America, The Cars: The Cars & Candy-O. These are all albums I still listen to fairly regularly.

[@rockanne]

A factor that makes the album great as many 70s and into the 80s albums was that they were complete masterpieces meant to be listened to in their entirety and also songs individually. Just awesomeness cover to cover. As Rick said, headphone music. Completely transported into the music.

[@aceedmond8053]

Producer Ken Caillet and the mix engineers did an amazing job with those Fleetwood Mac albums... Ken has said he was never afraid to peg the EQ's.

[@MoreMeRecording]

He had to because the were OD'g so much they were scrubbing the oxide off the 24trk, which some say is a big part of the overall very warm tone ;)

[@markh4786]

John Mcvie bass fills are fantastic,he deserves more credit than he gets,, Rick, love your shows❤

[@andrewfield]

Been rocking these songs since the 70s and they just get better and better. Something magical about the 70s that no other decade can touch. And yes, The Chain is the diamond in a necklace of pearls.

[@dkimuk]

Love the verse to Go Your Own Way too. Also, on your "surprise" note, Buckingham really draws attention to the suspension with his vowel work. He really twists the "I" sound in right so you know the note is deliberate and purposeful. Great writing and intelligent performance, indicative of the quality of the whole album.

[@fooku5508]

Agreed! Break the Chain is F M's greatest song ever and the best on Rumors. Besides all its amazing bits and pieces you explain so well, the undeniably raw, palpable, emotional connection Nicks and Buckingham exude for each other in concert is powerfully moving. That's why this song is F M's most listened song anywhere. Full stop. Word.

[@rostrhamus]

Would love an interview with Lindsey Buckingham.

[@Jack-ur4in]

Yeh… that would be super cool !

[@kdavis63]

I was 14 when that was released. It was played endlessly everywhere. Those were the days of pool/pinball/Foosball halls and they album played continuously

[@williamsuesholtz5220]

I bought Rumors when it came out in '77. My favorite song was You Make Loving Fun, then some years ago I decided it is Dreams. After watching this video I played the album in its entirety, without any interruptions. A few days later I played it again. I never fully appreciated how great it really is not only in terms of the quality of the songs, but in how varied the styles of the songs are. Now my favorite song on the record is Songbird, but I have no doubt that in a year or two it'll be something else.

[@fotislagopatis5207]

The Chain is a song that you would never forget the first time you heard it.

[@semloclusa1630]

The way the 3 singers voices, Lyndsay, Christine and Stevie’s voices sounded similar but different, harmonizing, created such a strong impression on me. So unique that hasn’t been matched by any other group with 3 singers. And the melodies were infectious.

[@grilledspaghetti]

You Make Loving Fun is such an overlooked guitar song. Every note is perfection. And that first lead break? Get outta town.... So wicked.

[@loveagainstgods5116]

Mic doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a AMAZING drummer

[@recordlounge]

In my 15 years of having my record shop Fleetwood Mac Rumors has consistently sold every year . If I have 5 orig. copies or even new represses they are gone within days. The Chain will always be my fave , the sound and the feeling on that song is powerful! Great cast today Rick . I’ve been talking to customers about your show and hopefully more listeners are signing up. The best show on KZbin

[@Jerrylumdegaard]

This record was the perfect storm of musicians being fused with masterful engineering and production. The recording/engineering pushed this to a whole new level IMO- and I’m sure that worked the other way too- how could the musicians not be inspired by how good dam good this sounded?

[@seanmccafferty2296]

Remember listening to this album for the first time a few years ago (born in 1987). Still can't get over how good it is. A genuine shout for greatest album of all time

[@hawg427]

I can't pick just one sone, it is the best Fleetwood Mac album ever. Both women have fantastic vocals but there is just something sexy about Stevie's voice that sends shivers up your spine.

[@loganm15]

I can't pick a sone either

[@pdescham496]

This record is what I use to test audio systems and speakers. Dreams especially, So well put together. I don't know enough to really talk to the engeneering of this record but it really stands out more to me for a tool to test speakers then any other album I own. Gives me goosebumps every time I play Dreams.

[@charlesboucher9533]

I have this record on vinyl, cassette, and now digital. This is really the album. Despite having bought this music three times over, it still represents a tremendous value because it's all great and rewards the listener each and every time.

[@LukenUSee]

You have the most incredible ear. Love your breakdowns and how you explain details of songs we've heard millions of times and why they get stuck in our ears and become mental music

[@carladean6117]

I fell in love for the first time when this album came out. You can imagine what it means to me ❤

[@brettaccardo6940]

I am not a musician or a singer. But I love all of these videos, especially WMTSG. When you were expressing how you felt about "Go your own way" when you were young, asking why certain points of the song give you chills or evoke emotions, that is exactly why I love certain songs and play them over and over. My ears pick up these hidden sounds and combos that I can't explain musically. I just know that they are there and you explain them perfectly. Keep up the Awesome Work and GOD Bless Brother!

[@stephengreen2839]

Greatest album ever, no question !

[@Ursulauu]

I agree - ‘The Chain’ is their best song with so many layers to it, with ‘Go Your Own Way’ a close second. ❤

[@brianathern9154]

This is certainly and easily a top 5 album of the 70s. It's a fine wine that only gets better with time. Excellent video Rick, your enthusiasm is contagious

[@Star_._]

So many people contributing on each song. From Lindsey to Christine and Stevie each writing and playing music 🎶 makes for the perfect record. This is why the 70's station on Sirius is always on.. All the great albums that came out.

[@andrewmarshall5714]

Saw Fleetwood Mac live in 1977 and the performance of Go Your Own Way was extraordinary. Will remember it to my dying day.

[@janpcs]

Unique drumming on that song.

[@melmel4712]

🤩 jealous!

[@gaobeardutch5595]

According to my dad, this is the greatest album ever. Hard to argue with that honestly

[@davidletz9123]

He is right!

[@blondeguy56]

Listen to your Dad. Lol.

[@alanbeaumont4848]

Apart from Dark Side of the Moon, obviously.

[@tshouse2782]

Greatest ever is subjective and really hard to pick 1

[@deirdre108]

It's not even the best FM album which is "Future Games" obviously.

[@ScottKerr-v2j]

1. Rumours 2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 3. London calling 4. Off the Wall 5. Songs in the key of Life

[@martykott450]

Aja, Leftoverture, Night Moves, Who's Next, Rumours

[@wilbimcs]

I love Fleetwood Mac, for some reason it became an increasingly important part of my life for the past 3 years. Thank you for the video, and for all that love and respect for their music!

[@94233psu399154112333]

This was the second album I ever bought in my life (Boston’s first Album was my first, Van Halen third). I’ve heard it a thousand times. Yet somehow I just learned so much about it and nuances that I never heard before. Rick is gifted at music, explaining details, and just has a way to point out things that I didn’t know were there before. He’s become a national treasure and our national keeper of our music history.

[@ScottSherman1]

I graduated High School in 1975. My best friend had an older brother who introduced us to various bands that we became fans of. So many great bands made college more exciting and fun. Thank you for this!

[@shetlandsheep3081]

When I started at Oxford Uni, it was a damp October in the late 80s, and this album, Van Morrison, Tracey Chapman and Simon and Garfunkel along with Joan Baez were the soundtrack to my life. To this day, over 30 years later, The Chain still transports me to a cold winter night gazing out of my college window. Only the smell of beeswax has the same power; just a perfect album and perfect song, lyrically and melodically.

[@kevingross4141]

John McVie's bass on "You Make Loving Fun" totally MAKES the song!

[@fuzzydog1100]

he makes so many of their songs amazing!! and often so overlooked

[@oldwhtman]

There music was elegant and uncluttered. Tasteful arrangements.

[@CanadaMikeB]

Totally agree "The Chain" is their best song on the album and for the band. It encapsulates the internal relationship drama. It's essentially their THEME SONG.

[@theresae6071]

Would love to see an interview with Lindsay Buckingham! I agree with your top two - but I have to give the slight edge to Go Your Own Way. A truly perfect song. It gives me chills every single time I hear it. I was a little girl in the 70’s and that album is part of my life. The greatest record of the 70’s and that is saying something.

[@fraserplumbing5675]

A masterpiece Album from a time that will never be repeated . we are so lucky to have lived in that time . I am feeling blessed , to be 58 years and now living in the golden age of Guitar and KZbinrs like Rick

[@cloudbusting88]

The Chain is a phenomenal song, best on the album and makes me feel all the feels possible

[@rkaag99]

i'm 59 yo. rumours is the first album i can remember liking every song. got to see stevie in concert more than once (philadelpha spectrum, r.i.p). joe walsh opend for her for one of them. the 80s ruled

[@willip66]

My fave is ' Second Hand News'. I love the whole sound and makeup of the song. Rumours is a great album all over....

[@hellrazor2050]

Dreams and you can go your own way were powerful as they didn't hide the break up of Stevie and Lindsay The fact they could still perform together and take a swipe at each other was quite remarkable .

[@davidolie8392]

On "The Chain", the female vocals in the chorus always reach up at the end of each phrase. It's subtle, but it's there. This creates a bridge to feeling good about what is to follow.

[@vincentwright9143]

Absolutely no doubt, Fleetwood Mac’s RUMORS will continue to stand the test of time. I was fortunate to see them live during the TUSK tour! Unforgettable show!

[@robertrussell9336]

Watching your videos is one of my favorite things to do. In my mind Fleetwood Mac is " Beatle like" in that they ALL had music (feel) as their strong suit. Every one of them play with so much feel. Together it's magic.

[@danieljohnson5775]

I'm glad you brought up the versatility or diversity of this record. It's incomparable and simply incredible

[@groovefunkel]

Rick, I would love for you someday to do an episode discussing how 16/24 track (and even SMPTE) recording changed music forever. Without such technologies, we never would’ve had music that sounded like this at the time. Great episode as usual.

[@erlstone]

growing up in the 70's (high school)... this album was played at every party and is part of our collective adolescent coming of age... along with many others ofourse.. but this was a biggie (I'm same age as Rick)... and I like the "shared" talent amongst the whole group, they all play an equal and special part making up the whole... including the "male and female" aspect

[@rotaxtwin]

It was huge at the time. I was in Jr high but every chance we got to play our records on the institutional record player this came out and got played extensively.

[@autk]

Junior in High School when this was released, a glorious time to be alive, and you're right it was played everywhere at party's, lakes, the beach, it was THE cool record during the summer...spent my summertime at home and weekends at the lake in two towns that couldn't have been more different...and that album was the tie that binds and bridged a huge cultural gap.

[@dancorcoran4135]

Don’t sleep on “I don’t want to know”. Amazing tune!

[@tjcaruthers5593]

I miss my mom. I'm metal through and through but my mom influenced the other part of my music taste. The open mindness of my love for music. Thank you Rick and I love you mom.