Fleetwood Mac
London, July 1967 marked the birth of a new group when Peter Green left John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers to form his own band. He chose the name Fleetwood Mac by combining the surnames of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie. These two men would remain the only constant members throughout the band's entire history. The debut album arrived in February 1968 under the Blue Horizon label. It reached number four on UK charts but released no singles initially. Later that year, the single Black Magic Woman became a top-forty hit in Britain before Santana covered it into a massive global success. The instrumental track Albatross climbed to number one in the UK during November 1968. This achievement relied heavily on Danny Kirwan's slide guitar work alongside Green. Green later stated that without Kirwan, he never would have had a number-one record. The band recorded live at Chess Records Studio in Chicago during January 1969 with blues legends like Willie Dixon and Buddy Guy. These sessions represented their final all-blues recordings before shifting toward rock styles. By April 1970, Green's mental state deteriorated following an acid trip in Munich. He quit the band after their European tour ended on the 20th of May 1970.
Mick Fleetwood found himself scouting studios in Los Angeles during autumn 1974 when house engineer Keith Olsen played him a track called Frozen Love. That song came from the American folk-rock duo Buckingham Nicks featuring Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Fleetwood asked Buckingham to join his group, and Buckingham agreed only if Nicks could also become members. They officially joined on New Year's Eve 1974. Bob Welch departed for a solo career shortly afterward. Their self-titled tenth studio album released in 1975 became a massive hit reaching number one in the US. It sold over seven million copies and spawned hits like Rhiannon by Stevie Nicks and Over My Head by Christine McVie. The album marked a complete shift from British blues to pop rock. This new sound brought global superstardom to the group. The next album Rumours arrived in February 1977 while relationships within the band were crumbling. John and Christine McVie divorced while Lindsey and Stevie broke up. Mick Fleetwood was divorcing his wife Jenny and began an affair with Stevie Nicks. Despite this turmoil, the album won Album of the Year at the Grammys in 1978. By 2003 it had sold forty million copies worldwide.
The eleventh studio album Rumours laid bare emotional chaos during its creation in early 1977. Band members recorded songs about their broken relationships directly into the studio microphones. Go Your Own Way reflected Lindsey Buckingham's anger toward Stevie Nicks after their split. Dreams became Stevie Nicks' only number-one single in the United States. Don't Stop and You Make Loving Fun came from Christine McVie's perspective on her own marriage ending. The Chain remained the only song written collectively by all five members. Sales figures reached over nineteen million copies in the US alone by 2003. The RIAA certified it as a diamond album for exceeding ten million shipments. Critics praised the raw honesty woven into every track. A lucrative tour followed the release to support the record. The pressure to follow up such success combined with newfound wealth created intense creative tensions. High consumption of drugs and alcohol allegedly fueled these personal conflicts. The band faced severe stress while trying to maintain professional standards amidst private disasters. Their ability to turn heartbreak into art defined this era. The album remains one of the best-selling records ever made globally.
Clifford Davis claimed ownership of the name Fleetwood Mac after the real group temporarily disbanded in Nebraska during late 1973. He recruited musicians from another band called Legs to perform under the title New Fleetwood Mac starting the 16th of January 1974 at Pittsburgh's Syria Mosque. Audiences initially loved the show but soon learned they were not seeing the authentic lineup. Hostile crowds began throwing bottles at stages during concerts in Edmonton. Promoters pulled dates due to growing anger among fans. The legal battle lasted four years before settling out of court. Meanwhile Bob Welch stayed in Los Angeles negotiating with Warner Bros Records. They agreed to let the original members resume using the name Fleetwood Mac again. This period saw multiple guitarist changes including Jeremy Spencer joining a religious group without returning. Danny Kirwan suffered an alcohol-fueled breakdown leading to his firing in August 1972. Bob Weston was dismissed after an affair with Mick Fleetwood's wife Jenny Boyd. Dave Walker left following poor vocal performances. The band recorded Mystery to Me and Penguin albums during these chaotic transitions. By 1987 tensions reached a physical altercation between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks at Christine McVie's house on the 7th of August. Buckingham departed immediately after that meeting. Billy Burnette and Rick Vito joined as replacements without auditions. Rick Vito later quit along with Stevie Nicks in 1990.
President Bill Clinton requested a one-off performance by the classic 1974, 1987 lineup for his first Inaugural Ball in January 1993. The group had not played together publicly in six years. A full-scale reunion occurred four years later when they released The Dance live album in 1997. This record marked both the twentieth anniversary of Rumours and thirty years since formation. It brought them back to number one on US charts for the first time in a decade. Five million units were certified by the RIAA. Christine McVie officially left after completing the tour in 1998 but rejoined in 2014 for On With the Show Tour. The final studio album Say You Will arrived in 2003 debuting at number three on Billboard 200. That tour grossed over twenty-seven million dollars ranking twenty-first among top tours of 2004. Lindsey Buckingham was fired in April 2018 following disagreements about setlist direction. Mike Campbell from Tom Petty's band and Neil Finn of Crowded House replaced him immediately. They launched An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour starting the 21st of September 2018 at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena. Stevie Nicks stated in 2024 that she believed the band would end without Christine McVie who died the 30th of November 2022 at age seventy-nine.
Fleetwood Mac received a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6608 Hollywood Boulevard on the 10th of October 1979. Induction into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame occurred in 1998 honoring both early members like Peter Green and later stars including Stevie Nicks. They won Outstanding Contribution to Music award from Brit Awards same year. MusiCares honored them as Person of Year in January 2018 for artistic achievement and philanthropy. The group sold more than one hundred twenty million records worldwide making them among best-selling musical acts ever. Rumours re-entered Billboard Top Ten charts multiple times due to viral memes featuring Dreams song. A Glee episode titled Rumours aired the 3rd of May 2011 causing sales spikes exceeding nineteen hundred percent increase. The album climbed back to number eleven on Billboard 200 chart during that week. Sales figures showed music downloads accounted for ninety-one percent of total transactions. Peter Green died the 25th of July 2020 at age seventy-three after contracting pneumonia earlier that year. Danny Kirwan passed away the 8th of June 2018 following similar illness. Bob Welch committed suicide the 7th of June 2012 at age sixty-six leaving behind depression struggles. Christine McVie's death marked another chapter closure for the surviving members who now focus on other projects.
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Common questions
When was Fleetwood Mac formed and who chose the name?
Fleetwood Mac was formed in London during July 1967 when Peter Green left John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. He named the group by combining the surnames of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie.
What happened to Peter Green in 1970 and why did he leave Fleetwood Mac?
Peter Green quit the band after their European tour ended on the 20th of May 1970 following a mental state deterioration caused by an acid trip in Munich. His departure marked the end of the band's early all-blues era before they shifted toward rock styles.
How many copies of the Rumours album have been sold worldwide as of 2003?
The Rumours album had sold forty million copies worldwide by 2003 according to sales figures cited in the text. It also achieved diamond certification from the RIAA for exceeding ten million shipments within the United States alone.
Who claimed ownership of the Fleetwood Mac name during the legal battle starting in 1974?
Clifford Davis claimed ownership of the name Fleetwood Mac after recruiting musicians from another band called Legs to perform under the title New Fleetwood Mac. The legal dispute lasted four years before settling out of court allowing original members to resume using the name again.
When did Stevie Nicks die and what was her age at death?
Stevie Nicks died on the 30th of November 2022 at age seventy-nine. Her passing led her to believe that the band would end without Christine McVie who had already passed away earlier.