Second appointment dedicated to Fleetwood Mac: today we talk about “Rumours”.

Released in February 1977, "Rumours" is the definitive masterpiece of Fleetwood Mac. What makes it so is the perfect concatenation of its elements, from the personal and incisive lyrics of Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie, to the refined arrangements for guitar and keyboards and the impeccable melodies and vocal harmonies, all enhanced in its beauty by a brilliant production that manages to surpass the standard of the Spectorian wall-of-sound. But the creation of this album takes place in a far from relaxed atmosphere among the group members: Christine and John McVie decide to divorce, ending an eight-year marriage, the relationship between Buckingham and Nicks survives through ups and downs, and Fleetwood has to deal with his wife's betrayal with his best friend. Completing the album costs its members enormous sacrifices, who, after the studio sessions in Sausalito (California), struggle to socialize with each other and spend sleepless nights using drugs. As if that weren't enough, there are also press speculations about their private lives. But according to Nicks and Buckingham, it is perhaps precisely thanks to this state of collective ferment that the album's success is owed. As can be easily inferred, the central themes of the album's tracks are breakups, difficult relationships, and emotional turmoil. This is evident right from the album's opening with "Second Hand News," inspired by Buckingham's attempts to find comfort in other women after separating from Nicks, which begins with "I know there's nothing to say/Someone has taken my place." It is followed by "Dreams," written and sung by Stevie Nicks, which in its magical interplay between guitar and voice represents one of the band's most iconic tracks. In a similarly enchanting atmosphere is "Songbird," a piano ballad by Christine McVie, who showcases her contralto range to deliver a dreamy and romantic performance. Of a completely different nature is the raw "Go Your Own Way," where Buckingham brings out all his grit to tell his lady that she can "take her own way," as well as in "The Chain," an energetic anthem with country and blues sounds. The album concludes with "Gold Dust Woman," with Stevie Nicks' compassionate gaze, as she herself explained, resting on a woman trying to survive a difficult relationship by using drugs ("Gold Dust" refers to cocaine). Despite delays in publication due to hitches in the mixing process, the final product is incredibly fluid and quickly reaches the number one spot on the best-selling album charts in both America and the United Kingdom. All singles from the album, "Go Your Own Way," "Dreams," "Don't Stop," and "You Make Loving Fun," reach the top 10, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Critics praised "Rumours" at the time of its release, calling it a more coherent and impactful project compared to the previous "Fleetwood Mac," and in addition to influencing countless artists from its release to today, the album was ranked seventh by Rolling Stones in the list of the 500 greatest albums in music history. 

We suggest listening to "Dreams" today, which, thanks to a simple video on the social network TikTok, has reignited interest in Fleetwood Mac even among the younger generation, demonstrating how this band still sounds extraordinarily contemporary.