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Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

1977

Buy At Rough Trade
Rumours
Album Summary

Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. Largely recorded in California in 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut. The band wanted to expand on the commercial success of their self-titled 1975 album. The group recorded the album in the aftermath of relationship breakups among its members and heavy drug use, both of which shaped the album's lyrics. Recorded with the intention of making "a pop album", the album's music included considerable pop rock sounds, characterized by accented rhythms and electric keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes and Hammond B3 organ. The album was postponed by delays in the mixing process. Following the album's release, Fleetwood Mac undertook worldwide promotional tours. Rumours became the band's first number-one album on the UK Albums Chart and also topped the US Billboard 200. The songs "Go Your Own Way", "Dreams", "Don't Stop", and "You Make Loving Fun" were released as singles, all of which reached the US top 10, with "Dreams" reaching number one. Rumours was an instant commercial success, selling over 10 million copies worldwide within just a month of its release. It garnered widespread acclaim from critics, with praise centred on its production quality and harmonies, which frequently relied on the interplay among three vocalists and has inspired the work of musical acts in different genres. It won Album of the Year at the 1977 Grammy Awards. It has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Domestically, it has received Diamond certifications in several countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia, and has been certified 20× platinum in the US. Often considered Fleetwood Mac's magnum opus, Rumours has frequently been cited as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2004, Rumours was remastered and reissued with the addition of "Silver Springs", which had been excluded from the original, and a bonus CD of outtakes from the recording sessions. In 2003, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry, being deemed "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" by the Library of Congress. In 2020, Rumours was rated the seventh-greatest album of all time in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Wikipedia

Rating

4.43

Votes

12672
Genres
Rock

Reviews

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Tue Mar 09 2021
5

The album is obviously full of hits - even the deeper cuts feel like they would be a lead single for a different band - but what sets it apart is that you feel like you're on the front row for a beautifully intimate slow-motion car crash. Nearly every member of the band was involved in some kind of break-up while recording (some of the separations were with each other), and they each handled it in Their Own Way, making for a diverse and yet unified look at heartbreak. Best track: Go Your Own Way

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Fri Jul 02 2021
5

I wish I hadn’t known that this was the number one highest rated album on 1001albumsgenerator because that has really messed with me. Giving it five stars seemed unfair. I didn’t want to go with the crowd. But giving it less than five seemed worse. It’s really, really, REALLY great. Ultimately, I think it gets four stars for Dreams by itself. Truly one of the greatest songs of the last fifty years. So the question becomes: is the rest of the album worth one more star? And the answer is an easy yes. I cannot stop listening to this.

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Mon Mar 01 2021
2

English middle class “I have a personality” passport

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Fri Dec 10 2021
3

Cocaine and Adultery: the album.

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Mon Jul 12 2021
5

Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands that I’ve always been peripherally aware of but never really listened to. I have heard most of the songs on this album at one time or another. This album is packed with good songs. The experience was as if the album tracks were each audience members and Oprah is on stage, “You are a hit song! You are a hit song! You are a hit song! Every track is a hit song!!!!!” This album is a prime example of human beings’ ability to excel while drowning in dysfunction in their lives. The fact that this exemplary art was created with a divorce, an on-again-off-again strained relationship, and an extramarital affair going on is impressive. What is incredible is that most of the dysfunction was not elsewhere in their lives, but rather mostly amongst the artists in the studio. How does one even come into the studio to work with people you despise and create this? It’s likely that the dysfunction actually helped create some of the beauty on the album. The emotional compartmentalization required to do so is spectacular. You know what else helped? Copious amounts of cocaine, reportedly. When the emotional toll was too much, cocaine helped dull the pain. The ability of the band members to stand broadside into the hurricane of negative emotions and create this magnificent album is truly remarkable.

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Tue Aug 10 2021
5

One of my favorite parts of this album club is seeing an album pop up that I know and love, getting whiplash imagining how hard I’m gonna five-star it the next day. This is one of those times. It's crazy just how many of Fleetwood Mac’s all-time hits are on one album. So much impressive variety of sound on here, a perfect way to follow up that early Beatles album that was just as bland as possible. Great guitar work, great vocal harmonies and variety (hard to beat three lead vocalists), and fantastic drumming. What could I possibly say about this that hasn't been said already? When people talk about "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" usually they're thinking of the Stones or whatever but this album was quite literally made by a bunch of rockstars doing cocaine and having sex with each other. No one could do this better. Favorite tracks: Dreams, The Chain, Silver Springs (bonus joint), Go Your Own Way, Gold Dust Woman, Never Going Back Again, Second Hand News. Album art: Undeniably iconic. The font is perfect, and the contrast between that picture and the background is also amazing. I always forget about the balls, what a great touch. I can't imagine what it would be like to see this album over and over and not know what sounds it possesses. 5/5

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Wed Dec 29 2021
2

Slightly better than Lee Mack, no where near as good as mac and cheese. Most overrated band of all time? Probably.

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Thu Apr 15 2021
5

Hey, you can't just give me a perfect album as the first thing to review! Thats cheating!!

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Fri Dec 10 2021
5

This album is the mount olympus of music. Soaring highs, crushing lows, and the depth of human connection birthed from the most totured of circumstances.

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Fri Nov 20 2020
4

I wondered when I'd get to this one. Every "best of" list seems to have this record on it, for some reason. I remember listening to this as a kid on my dad's record player. I actually have not one but TWO copies of this on vinyl for some reason. And yet, I could never understand why people love this record so much. I can't quite wrap my mind around the cult of Rumors. That remains true this listen-through however, because I've been doing this project which has forced me to listen to records with an open mind, I am finding more to like about this record than I have in the past. Songs like, "Go Your Own Way" and "The Chain" are great tracks, no question. The thing is, they're separated by "Songbird" which is a turd of a song. There's a lot of that on this record. Killer tracks separated by duds. Ah well, maybe it's just because of the separation in time between release and now.

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Sat Mar 27 2021
2

The Chain. That is the only song worth hearing on this album. I never really got the Fleetwood Mac thing. The only reason I like that song is because it was the theme tune to F1 racing for years. The rest is all too mellow and nice, it has no passion in it.

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Tue Mar 23 2021
5

By 1977, Fleetwood Mac had left their roots as a blues outfit long behind, opting for Lindsey Buckingham's sunny California pop. It's hard to imagine now, but at the time, most of the songs on Rumors were inescapable on the radio. For me, it was a cultural phenomenon, so the songs on Rumors are a bit difficult for me to assess as music. Adding to the difficulty is that I don't especially enjoy Fleetwood Mac; straight-up pop not being my thing. That said, it's easy to see why Rumors was such a massive success. Fleetwood Mac avoids the wretched synthesizers that ruined many a record of the period; Fleetwood Mac uses them judiciously and tastefully. Their arrangements are tight, only as detailed as they need to be, transparent, and succint, leaving plenty of room for the songs to breathe. There are tons of hooks. Fleetwood Mac never repeat themselves on Rumors--every song is different; there's a wide range of styles and tempos, and there are no real duds. The playing is competent, never ostentatious, and always in the service of the tunes. And it's all so middle of the road, AM radio friendly it hurts. So, how to rate? It's easy to dismiss this kind of music because it sounds so simple, like anyone could do it. But if making a 20x Platinum record was easy, everyone WOULD do it, for the money and fame, if nothing else. I can't deny the artistry and craftsmanship involved. Fleetwood Mac set out to make a state of the art mainstream pop record and they succeeded wildly. 4.5 out of 5 and I'm only docking this half a star because I would never listen to this record out of choice.

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Mon Jul 12 2021
5

"Second Hand News" must feel terrible about itself. Everything else on this album was a massive hit. Like getting picked last for dodgeball teams. Or being the one sibling in a big family that doesn't get good grades. (Ok so I actually didn't know "I Don't Want to Know" or "Oh Daddy" either, but that's only 3 out of 11.) Really, it's ridiculous. I don't know what other album has had such a collection of incredibly well-known songs. I was curious, so I looked through the top 50 albums on Rolling Stone's greatest albums list, trying to find something that comes close. Only "Thriller" seems to be in contention. How much of this is due to my particular musical exposure? I'm pretty sure I've never listened to "Rumors" as an album before. Most of this has gotta be through rock, classic rock, and pop radio. A lot of crossover potential from the songs might've gotten them played across a wider range of stations? I would guess I heard them as a kid in the 80s and 90s on both the classic rock station and "Mix 101.5 - for the best mix of the 70s, 80s, and today!" But I'm pretty sure radio is my only experience with Fleetwood Mac. (Oh, and Hole's cover of "Gold Dust Woman" from the Crow 2 soundtrack! Maybe the best thing Hole did... but I digress...) Of course, much more could be said about the actual music here, or the drama behind the scenes during the recording of the album, but at its core "Rumors" is just an amazing collection of songs, without a dud or a misstep in the bunch.

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Fri Jan 07 2022
5

Que dire de cet album si ce n'est qu'il était attendu au tournant depuis le début du générateur. Les vieux de la vieille se souviennent d'ailleurs qu'il dominait le classement de l'onglet Global Stats pendant des lustres avant d'être détrôné par le très consensuel Abbey Road. D'un point de vue musical, c'est un sans-faute pour Rumours. D'un point de vue idéologique, en revanche, c'est une autre histoire. L'album entier est en effet articulé sur l'idée que la femme ne peut rien faire sans l'homme, point de vue que je ne partage évidemment pas et que je m'attache à dénoncer au quotidien. L'idée du projet est pourtant celle-ci. On nous présente pour ce faire deux personnages. L'un est un homme, chante admirablement bien, joue de la guitare comme un dieu, parle plusieurs langues, est diplômé d'Harvard et entretient son corps au jour le jour. L'autre est une femme, ne transmet aucune émotion par sa voix, a les mains pleines de boue, le dos bossu, parle un vieux patois incompréhensible, roule les "r" et dispose d'une hygiène corporelle exécrable. La thèse est défendue de la façon suivante : nos deux personnages chantent ensemble des morceaux d'une immense qualité puis l'homme se retire pour que la femme se prenne seule les pieds dans le tapis. L'homme revient ensuite, l'aide à chanter un futur succès commercial puis repart, laissant la femme dans la panade et ainsi de suite. Cette vision inégalitaire des deux sexes m'a vraiment surpris et déçu, pour tout vous dire. À côté de ça, vous avez sans doute aperçu mon nom de robchevalière dans le journal cette semaine puisque Robert m'a décoré à la suite de l'écoute. En effet, lorsque celui-ci a envoyé l'album phare du générateur ce jeudi, j'avais au matin pas moins de quatre albums de retard. Rumours était donc le parfait prétexte pour mettre ma fidélité à l'épreuve. J'écoutai donc en ce jeudi les cinq albums d'une traite et Robert me fit en soirée Chevalier de l'Ordre du Générateur.

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Fri Jan 07 2022
4

9 mois, c'est le temps qu'il nous aura fallu avant de découvrir le tant attendu Rumours de Fleetwood Mac. Laissez moi vous expliquer le déroulé des opérations. Alors que mon camarade d'écoute robvernières et moi n'étions encore que de jeunes auditeurs du générateur, nous nous dirigâmes pour la première fois vers le classement global du générateur (à l'époque composé uniquement des 15 meilleurs albums du générateur, les plus anciens s'en souviendront). Et là, quelle ne fût pas notre stupeur. Au milieu des noms légendaires connus de tous tels les Beatles, les Pink Floyd (nul), Led Zeppelin et autres Nirvana, on pouvait retrouver le nom de Fleetwood Mac. Plus fort encore, ce nom figurait bel et bien en tête du classement. Or, mon rob et moi-même n'avions absolument jamais entendu parler de ce groupe. Nous prîmes alors la décision de nous diriger vers la page spotify du groupe pour en savoir plus, et la ce fut le choc: le groupe était extrêmement connu, avec une ribambelle de hits à disposition. Aucun ne nous semblait familier. C'est alors que cette aventure pris une toute autre tournure. Il faut savoir que rob et moi avons prêté serment d'allégance à Robert avant même de démarrer l'aventure générateurienne. Ce serment comporte plusieurs promesses, comme celle de toujours se tenir à disposition de Robert, mais une de ces promesses, peut-être la plus dure de toute se définit comme ceci: "Tu n'écouteras point les albums n'ayant été généré, et ce même si ces albums tu connaitras déjà". Cette promesse, dans un français parfait, peut paraître difficile à comprendre, laissez moi donc vous donner un exemple très concret: je suis un très grand fan des Red Hot. Les Red Hot n'ont pas été généré par Robert pour le moment. Cela fait donc plus de 9 mois que je n'ai pu écouter ces derniers, étant donné qu'ils sont pour le moment tenus en ôtage par Robert. Maintenant que vous avez bien compris, rappelez vous: nous ne connaissons pas Fleetwood Mac, et ne pouvons les écouter tant que ces derniers ne sont pas générés par Robert. A partir de ce moment là, Fleetwood Mac va devenir omniprésent dans nos vies. Sur les stories Instagram de nos amis, Dreams est choisi en musique de fond pour nous pousser à la faute. Sur les vidéos Youtube, l'album Rumours est placé en arrière plan de nos youtubeurs musique preféré. Plus fou encore, sur l'une de mes playlists Spotify figure The Chain. Je n'ai pourtant pas la moindre idée de ce à quoi cette chanson ressemble. Le mystère est entier. Mais après des mois d'embûches, de bâtons dans les roues de nos détracteurs, Robert nous offre enfin l'écoute de Rumours, en ce jeudi 6 Janvier 2022 synonyme d'épiphanie. Et là, quel ne fût pas notre choc. Cet album représente en effet une course entre les deux chanteurs de Fleetwood Mac, l'un de sexe masculin, l'autre de sexe feminin. Seulement, la femme est beaucoup moins à l'aise que son compère masculin, à la voix superbe et au rythme impeccable. Pendant tout l'album, elle tentera de refaire son retard lors de chanson solitaires, qui lui furent accordé afin de se remettre à niveau. Malheureusement, le cycle sera sans fin. A chaque retour du fabuleux chanteur masculin, il surclassera en tout point cette pauvre femme, prennant une avance considérable que cette dernière ne parviendra jamais à combler, se prennant régulièrement les pieds dans le tapis. Elle ne sera jamais capable de ne serait-ce accompagner ce merveilleux chanteur, dôté qui plus est d'une magnifique chevelure, se retrouvant même ne retard sur les refreins. Ici s'achève le mystère Fleetwood Mac.

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Wed May 05 2021
5

To go along with the general consensus; this album transcends genres and tastes. Full of melody, musicianship and emotion. Quite rightly lauded as one of the best!

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Mon Jul 12 2021
5

Embarrassing truth, I have never listened to this album before, I have never even actively chosen to listen to Fleetwood Mac…and yet I knew all but 3 songs. A testament to the song writing that every song was such a big hit that I knew them anyway. This album is pervasive in our culture’s collective consciousness for a reason.

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Mon Oct 04 2021
5

I feel a certain obligation to give this a thoughtful review. It is after all one of my absolute favorite albums, and apparently is for a large number of reviewers on this site as well. But at the same time, I feel wholly ill-equipped to say anything about Rumours that hasn’t been said by a ton of other people. What can I say. It's Rumours, hands down one of the best albums ever made, not to mention one of the most beloved albums ever. It's a perfect production, full of perfect songs, perfectly executed. The songwriting... perfect. The vocals... perfect. The musicianship... damn perfect. Half of these songs have taken up real estate in our collective consciousness over the past 40+ years and they aren't moving out anytime soon. This album is Music 101: How to Make a Perfect Record, *but better*. What keeps this music from getting lost in the shuffle of run of the mill 1970s pop-rock is the stellar quality of the musical performances, plus three songwriter-vocalists who are each powerful enough to have led their own bands, had they chosen to do so. This is deeply rare in music, something just a few other bands have been able to accomplish. This is upper echelon rock music for the gods, delivered without a need for bombast or musical excess. The personal excess, well that's another story. Another reviewer made a comment that they cannot stop listening, and my god, if that’s not it. I have listened to this album I don’t know, hundreds of times in my life, and I’ve never tired of it. My feelings on it haven’t substantially changed, except it’s safe to say I like it a little bit more every time I hear it. How is that even possible? Individual songs, sure. Some of them have been overplayed on radio. So overplayed. If “You Make Loving Fun” or “Don’t Stop” comes up on the radio I don’t usually stick around for it. But as a collection, the full body of work? I will play the whole thing all the way through, front to back, no skipping. Individually these songs are beautiful, but as a group, they’re a freaking masterpiece. It’s funny, on an average day, if you asked me my favorite songs on Rumours, I would go for the same songs… Go Your Own Way, Dreams, maybe Second Hand News. But today, I’m really loving “Gold Dust Woman” and “Songbird.” See, that’s why you listen to them all together. For every juggernaut hit you have heard dozens of times, there is a “Never Going Back Again” hiding in the wings, waiting to come and charm you. I don’t think I can make the case for Rumours against the current #1 album on this site. I think #2 is correct though. You can’t beat this album… unless you’re the Beatles. Fave Songs: Never Going Back Again, Dreams, Go Your Own Way, Songbird, Second Hand News

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Mon Feb 28 2022
5

One evening in the summer of 1977 my parents took two of my California cousins and their new husbands out to dinner when they were visiting our home for a week. They came home with Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album, having stopped off at Gibsons’ department store to pick it up the album because the California folks were insisting they had to hear it. My 9 year old self sat in the living room with them listening to Rumours unfold and was the first time I recall ever sharing a true moment of mutual wonder and discovery with my parents. Since that time Rumours has been a constant presence in my life. This may be the first time I realized what a unique and special album this is to me. It’s a perfect album. I know every note, yet listening to it today I still feel a rush of discovery I first experienced 45 years ago. I love every song deeply. Any one of them could be one of the best songs I have ever heard. Rumours defines timeless classic for me and is possibly the greatest album I will ever hear.

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Wed Mar 02 2022
5

One of my favorite things about one of my favorite albums involves a song that somehow didn't make the album. The song's exclusion instead adds to both Rumours and Fleetwood Mac's legacy. There are at least four reasons why the Stevie Nicks penned "Silver Springs" wasn't included on Rumours: 1. There wasn't enough room on the vinyl pressing, a common problem in the '70's. 2. "Oh Daddy", the song that supposedly was chosen over "Silver Springs", was written by Christine McVie about founding member and drummer Mick Fleetwood, and he really wanted it on the album. 3. The consensus among the band members (or more specifically, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham) was that the album "felt" like it needed another lead vocal from Christine McVie instead of another spotlight for Stevie. 4. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had just ended their romantic relationship. Lindsey knew that "Silver Springs" meant the world to his ex-girlfriend, and in one final kiss-off, refused to allow it on the album (in another interesting twist, "Silver Springs" was the B-side for the Lindsey penned "Go Your Own Way"). All four of these reasons are true, but they mostly stem from reason number 4, as the lyrics for a lot of these songs suggest (especially "Go Your Own Way"). As it stands, the album has so many bangers from top to bottom that it doesn't ultimately matter that "Silver Springs" didn't make it. And if you listen to the Deluxe versions of Rumours, "Silver Springs" is included, right after "Gold Dust Woman". Stevie Nicks got the last laugh. She still got two signature songs on this album (including "Dreams", which is Fleetwood Mac's only Billboard Top 100 number one song and somehow re-charted in the top ten 40 years after it was initially released). And when the Mac reunited the classic lineup in 1997, "Silver Springs" was included in their MTV Video and live album "The Dance". Stevie's performance of her forgotten classic in The Dance is incendiary. Towards the end, she sings the "Never get away" part while staring DIRECTLY at Lindsey Buckingham. The fierce emotion of her face, coupled with Lindsey's frightened look, not only spoke to millions of Stevie devotees, but further defined the couple's relationship. Seriously, go watch that performance if you've never seen it. After Fleetwood Mac finishes the song, Stevie thanks the adoring audience by saying, "Silver Springs is a great old song". Which is sort of like saying Rumours is a great album. Both are true, but they're also huge understatements.

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Tue Jan 30 2024
5

The album that compelled Fleetwood Mac to successfully queer heterosexuality. They were all drugged up to the eyeballs and fucking each other six way from sunday (except John McVie, poor sod, he had to play bass on all Christine's songs about him) and holed up in a studio with next to no windows and still produced a stone cold top 3 album of all time instead of systematically killing each other for sport. Any song on here would be an apex mountain pinnacle for any other band not called The Beatles, take your pick. In fact it's CRIMINAL that they left Stevie Nicks beautiful "Silver Springs" off the track listing (thank you to The Dance and deluxe editions for restoring it), and I like to sometimes think that somewhere, in a CVS, Lindsey Buckingham is at this moment waiting for his quarter mile long receipt to print while the store PA plays "Silver Springs" and all he hears is "you'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you" They never could get away from that sound... 50 stars if they would allow it.

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Wed Nov 11 2020
5

Connor: we spent a long time thinking about how to word our review of this album. We didn't really come up with anything suitably impressive.

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Sun Jan 17 2021
5

A classic album Track 1 is a foot stompin good time Dreams is overplayed but still good Track 3 giving me Led Zeppelin instrumental vibes and I like it Go Your Own Way and The Chain still bang I love Gold Dust Woman, what a perfect last track. Didn’t someone in the 90s cover this song? So many hits on this album, so many songs I’ve heard 1000 times, it makes me appreciate the lesser known ones Stevie isn’t full Stevie-vibrato on this album(and that’s why I like it) Fleetwood Mac doesn’t not = Stevie nicks, love that this album features them all

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Wed Jul 21 2021
5

An album from my Yoot. I hadn’t heard this in years. I totally forgot that they had an earlier album with Rhiannon and Landslide. My memory said they were all on one album. As a teenager, this album (and the prior one) were played at every party and, in general, everywhere. It’s one of the albums that the girls liked and the boys were also OK with. Stevie Nicks was the most popular band member at the time but my SO-phisticated taste in music preferred Christine McVie’s songs. They made a good pop album but these brothers also knew how to play. e.g. Buckingham’s guitar work on Go Your Own Way. Listening to this was a wonderful trip down memory lane.

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Thu Dec 09 2021
5

Gold plated classic. Charming, singalong, fantastic pop with great vocals and harmonies, superb musicianship and guitar work. It's one of the most popular albums of all time for a good reason.

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Fri Mar 03 2023
5

To me, this is one of the greatest albums of all time. The quality of the sound, the songs, lyrics, melodies, and harmonies, is on an entirely different level. The train wreck that was going on behind the scenes made this not just a great album but pure and raw emotion translated into music.

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Sun Oct 29 2023
5

Wonderful bittersweet anthems.

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Sat Dec 24 2022
3

1001 Albums To Never Hear Again Before You Die Chapter 2 (You know they were all fucking each other, right?) Crack open a bottle of Ocean Spray and bang your bandmate’s spouse…it’s Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours! What am I going to tell you about this record that you don’t already know? This thing is ubiquitous. It’s a literal meme at this point. A few years down the road, people are going to start having Pavlovian responses to this record: Dreams will come on and all of a sudden they’ll have a hankering for cranberry juice. It’s a record that you’re just supposed to like, or at least agree that it’s one of the greatest of all time. When you buy record player in 2022, you buy this record and Sgt. Peppers and the King Crimson record along with it. It’s just what people do. Voila! Instant good taste in music. Is it a good record? Sure, only a fool would argue that it’s terrible. It’s a little front loaded with hits, but the songs throughout are all decent to great. …but fucking beige was the perfect color choice for this record cover. Holy fuck, is this thing the perfect encapsulation of MOR in the 70’s, or what? It’s only really the backstory that makes this record a “classic”. If some normal band that wasn’t falling apart due to affairs and cocaine made this record, it wouldn’t be held in such high regard. You’ll never change my mind on that.

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Wed Jul 28 2021
2

Not for me , for middle aged men who wear jeans and brown shoes...

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Wed Dec 29 2021
2

I know everyone creams their knickers about this, but I'm just not hearing it to be honest. It's alright, nothing more. It's getting marked down because it's currently 2nd overall and that is fucking mental.

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Fri Mar 05 2021
5

Brilliant album. Unlike some, the continued familiarity with most tracks doesn’t dull them. The phrase ‘timeless classic’ couldn’t be more apt.

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Wed Apr 21 2021
5

Gave this a 5 faster than fleetwood macs inner relationships broke down

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Fri Nov 12 2021
5

What can you say about this album. It's the perfect storm in its conception, context, and execution. As everything is falling apart for the band, they produce this cocaine-fueled miracle. The album is a greatest hits collection interspersed with other songs that fit perfectly. The harmonies, the lyrics, the instruments, the arrangements, the production, everything just works on this album 5/5

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Wed Dec 15 2021
5

A big personal favourite. Not only as a sonic masterpiece as an album, but each song can stand on its own. I can't think of another group with 3 different lead vocalists that works so well. It's endured for over 40 years as one of the GOATs and remains endearing to each subsequent generation. What more could you ask for? Picking a favourite song is absolutely impossible, there are so many moods represented. If I'm looking for motivation - The Chain. Reading before bed - Songbird. Having a peaceful sunny weekend - Dreams, Never Going Back Again.

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Tue Feb 01 2022
5

The push and pull, yin and yang sound of a band falling apart whilst keeping it together. There’s not an ounce of fat or filler to any of the proceedings, and with its universal themes of love, loss and redemption, coupled with superb songs and performances, ‘Rumours’ remains loved by almost everyone and will continue to be for generations to come.

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Mon Feb 28 2022
5

This album certainly evokes a very specific time period for me. These songs were everywhere in 1977 and listening to them brought up memories of particular places and feelings. There's not a dud on the album. Every song is terrific. It helps that the band contains (more than) three great song-writers and vocalists, each with their own style. But these distinct voices can also blend into something sublime. Glad to have this opportunity to be reminded of it in its entirety.

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Mon Mar 28 2022
5

This is a ubiquitous record in a way that sets it apart from most on this list. This is a record that music nerds, musicians, casual listeners, and everyone in-between, love. I'm not sure that it's my favorite Fleetwood Mac record, but its up there. Their self-titled record that precedes this has some more interesting songs. But this one is their classic. And it deserves the accolades.

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Thu Apr 07 2022
5

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977) What makes a great pop/rock album great? 1. Solid foundation, with drum- and bass- playing that give evidence of a long history of experience in blues and rock. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie bring that in spades on this album, including (from 1970) keyboards/vocalist Christine McVie—having graduated from a solid British blues/rock career (1967-1974) to the hugely successful 1975 ‘second iteration’ of the band, when they added (Americans!) guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and vocalist Stevie Nicks, giving us literally the best of both worlds. The musical maturity on this album is superb. 2. Sultry lead vocals by Stevie Nicks (“Dreams”) and Christine McVie (whose “Songbird” brings a tear even without knowing the backstory), both of whose dynamism and discipline make for a perfect synthesis with musical settings; 3. Excellent mixing, with plenty of bass and drums, yet leaving plenty of space for well arranged guitar riffs and for C. McVie on this, the swansong of the Fender Rhodes (this was the last album on which that instrument sounded good); 4. Sensitive, intricate, and colorful backing vocals. C. McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham are all masters at backing each other (and themselves on well restrained overdubs), especially on the backing choral sections of “The Chain”, “You Make Loving Fun”, and “I Don’t Want to Know”. Youth choir directors should play this for the youngsters to show how it’s done (I know; I’ve done it and it works wonders); 5. Versatile guitar work by Lindsey Buckingham. From folk finger picking (“Never Going Back Again”) to driving rock (“Go Your Own Way” and “The Chain”) to haunting dobro (“The Chain”) to wailing electric solos (“The Chain”,“You Make Loving Fun”), he’s a master of many styles. 6. Top-rate songwriting. There’s not a weak song on this album, with solo songwriting credits going to C. McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham each contributing fine songs to the collection; 7. State of the art studio work, with plenty of time, thought, cooperation, and support from Warner Bros. Records (This was not produced on the cheap); 8. A sense of drama. Listen starting at 3:01 on “The Chain” and tell me if you don’t feel John McVie’s fretless bass crawl up your spine to the nape of your neck, before handing your scalp to Buckingham’s harrowing, screaming electric guitar solo. Or hear the development of the backing vocals on “Oh Daddy” starting almost imperceptibly at 1:20. These are stories in sound; 9. A boldly experimental approach, as in Mick Fleetwood’s numerous percussive treats on “Oh Daddy” and in the closing track “Gold Dust Woman”, including sound effects, electronic harpsichord, castanets, gong, and (wouldn’t you know it?) cowbell; 10. Clever and technically well executed cover art. This classic album can teach a serious listener how to listen better. Ignore it to your musical poverty. 5/5

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Thu May 19 2022
5

5.0 + Stunning, front to back. Also an awkward testament to our parents’ once very vivid and tumultuous sex lives.

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Thu Jun 15 2023
5

i don't know what i can say about this album that hasn't been said before. i will say that "silver springs" has to be included when considering this album, and i won't be taking no for an answer. this album is a wonderful mix of songs. emotional songs that tear at your heart, but there's plenty of fun songs so you aren't weighed down too much. "you make loving fun" might be the purest, happiest song on the album while recollecting the joy of love. you've got an acoustic song, "never going back again," and a piano only song (and a little acoustic guitar), "songbird." most songs aren't as minimal, so they stand out more. "the chain" has such an intense beat in comparison. the reverberating bass before the big finish--wow. the album is well balanced. the songwriting is absolutely exquisite here. each member of fleetwood mac contributed, to the album's gain. the different perspectives amid the relationship drama, again, only help the album. the album title makes sense, huh? if i may request readers' patience, the juxtaposition of all of these lyrics: "i know there's nothin' to say/someone has taken my place" from "second hand news", "for you, the sun will be shining/and i feel that when i'm with you" from "songbird", "and if you don't love me now/you will never love me again" from "the chain", and "now here you go again, you say you want your freedom/well, who am i to keep you down?" from "dreams". i love it all so much! the voices of christine mcvie and stevie nicks absolutely ruin me. the minimal accompaniment to "songbird" allows mcvie's voice to be center stage. what a beautiful and captivating voice--and the same for nicks, too. while, no offense, i don't find lindsey buckingham's voice as interesting, he doesn't have a bad voice--and it's perfect for a song like "second hand news." but there's something about nicks and buckingham singing together. there isn't a bad song on this album. it's a perfect album and i have no notes. i don't hesitate in my vote.

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Mon Jul 17 2023
5

"Rumours" is the 11th studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. The album was largely recordered in California in the aftermath of several bandmember relationship breakups (all members involved in a breakup) and infamously with an influence of heavy drug (cocaine) use. It was produced by Fleetwood Mac, Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and the intent was a more "pop" album after the succes of their 1975 album. The music was a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments and accented rhythms, guitars and keyboards. The lyrics were about personal and troubled relationships. It was critically acclaimed especially for its production and vocal harmonization. The album was a massive success hitting #1 in the UK and US and selling ten million copies in its first month of its release. It won the 1978 Grammy for album of the year and in 2017 was selected for the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its artistic significance. A great description of the album is "the quintessence of the counter-culture mindset lured into coke-fueled hedoism." Yeah, well, it worked to a very higher level. Four audio tracks of electronic guitars and a chair percussion to create Celtic rock build up the opener "Second Hand News." Inspired by the Bee Gees "Jive Talkin'" and you can really hear that. Great vocal harmonies here and throughout. Buckingham is Nicks' second hand news. Lindsey does give a searing guitar end. Stevie has a much more optimistic and hopeful tale of the break-up in "Dreams." The drum beat and dreamy music. A repeating two note bass. Iconic lyrics throughout: "Thunder only happens when it's raining." Christine McVie offers more hope and optimism to her ex-husband bassist John McVie on "Don't Stop." Piano and drums come in. Underlying guitar. A good song to hum to. The first single and another more pessimistic Buckingham take on the Nick's breakup is "Go Your Own Way." More rockin with the guitar and drums. I love the way this song sounds like it wants to take off and then eventually does. More great harmonies. "The Chain" was written by all members and is a combination of four songs. All three taking turns as lead singer. Buckingham on the dobro. This song always reminds me of a western movie for some reason. Christine McVie offers the good times again in "You Make Loving Fun," a song about her current boyfriend. A definite Stevie Wonder vibe. The album ends with the haunting "Gold Dust Woman." Cowbell, harpsichord, glass breaking and Stevie's weary voice. A story about a LA woman in bad relationship, doing drugs and trying to live. Autobiographical? This album still sounds fantastic. Hit after hit. Tremendous harmonies. Catchy music. Very creative construction of music pieced together. Dynamic with the rotating lead singers. It's interesting with just the different tones of the lead singers' lyrics alone. A classic in every sense of the word.

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Tue Jul 25 2023
5

This album really is perfect. Every song offers variety and has its own character yet still ties in to the overall feel of the album. The lyrics are perfect, the choruses are perfect, the harmonies are perfect, the playing is perfect, the production is perfect and the album doesn’t outstay its welcome. My favourite track will always be The Chain, the bass part at the end is iconic and is one many examples of genius moments in the album.

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Sat Jan 20 2024
5

One of the all time great albums. The production quality and the vocal harmonies are top notch and it's a very consistent album which makes it close to perfect as a whole.

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Mon Jan 22 2024
5

"Dreams" from Fleetwood Mac is definitely ICONIC. I previously have heard the songs on this album in other media (movies, shows, social media, in the background music of department stores, etc.) but never knew the origin of the songs or what band produced the album for that matter. I recall hearing it on TikTok, which sparked my interest and led me to purchase a copy of the record on vinyl when I visited Mobius Records, a record store in Fairfax, VA. I picked up a used 1977 US Press copy for $22, which I am currently spinning to listen to the album once again...

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Sat Feb 24 2024
5

Nr. 138/1001 Second Hand News 5/5 Dreams 5/5 Never Going Back Again 5/5 Don't Stop 5/5 Go Your Own Way 5/5 Songbird 4/5 The Chain 5/5 You Make Loving Fun 4/5 I Don't Want To Know 4/5 Oh Daddy 4/5 Gold Dust Woman 4/5 Average: 4,55 Excellent first half with banger after banger. Falls off a little bit towards the second half.

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Tue Mar 05 2024
5

A classic, that I completely missed until I migrated to Radio 2 in my late 30s

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Fri Mar 22 2024
5

banger after banger, incredible! [edit: It's so weird how some hairy blues bores suddenly decided to become backing for the early-'70's Dollar and, somehow, spit out a ton of all-time classics. Is there any band with remotely similar history to the two phases of Fleetwood Mac?]

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Fri Mar 22 2024
5

While this album is a life tenant in my skull, I’m not sure I had ever listened to it all the way through in one go as I did today, which was magic, twice. To the library of panegyrics, I’ll just add that today I noticed how Buckingham’s solo at the end of Go Your Own Way, with its economy of notes insistent through repetition, is a blazing row put to metre, right through to the final, growling, had-too-many-angry-whiskies muttering at the end. A poetic intelligence is running the frets.

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Thu Nov 19 2020
4

Amazing with so much internal drama they were able to write a record with so many fucking incredible songs. "The Chain" is one of the best rock songs ever written. Favorite tracks: "The Chain", "Gold Dust Woman"

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Tue Feb 09 2021
4

Change of pace from Fleetwood Mac with the American connection bringing a poppier stance and the sound of a band falling apart spectacularly, yet staying together.

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Mon Apr 19 2021
4

Great album. Love the cover of the F1 theme tune

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Sun Aug 29 2021
4

Catchy, toe-tapping soft rock made all the more spicy by the behind the scenes drama. A fascinating blend of artists, writers and style, unconventional, idiosyncratic but it works. Steve Nicks sounds glorious.

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Wed Mar 20 2024
4

Never going back is just such a fun little ditty x

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Mon Apr 03 2023
3

September 2014. A field in Sussex. 2am. Some dick is STILL playing Fleetwood Mac loudly around their camp fire on the other side of the camp site. I don't know if it was just Rumours they were playing, but I have a tricky relationship with this band as a result. I did listen to this. It's got the tunes everyone knows and which I heard on loop on that September night. It's also got some other quite nice tunes. It's OK. But, 2am has scarred me. I don't actively object to Fleetwood Mac, but I tend not to seek them out.

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Fri Mar 31 2023
1

Everyone fucking everyone: the soundtrack! I feel like I've never actually listened to this and yet know ever second of this! Not my cup of tea but people seem to enjoy it

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Wed Sep 16 2020
5

One of my personal favorites.

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Thu Oct 15 2020
5

Classic, harmonies off the chain, true classic

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Mon Sep 14 2020
5

I have grown up with this album and always absolutely loved it

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Wed Sep 16 2020
5

It's Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. There's not much else to say

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Mon Nov 16 2020
5

Amazing album, never gets old. From the first notes (that make my 1 year old cheer and dance) to the last, Rumours is a sonic gift.

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Wed Jul 21 2021
5

Phenomenal album from top to bottom. One of the best bands of the 70s at the top of their game.

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Tue Nov 24 2020
5

Simply one of the best rock albums of all time

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Fri Dec 25 2020
5

This is a timeless record that deserves the accolades for it's impact on future iterations of rock / folk music in song structure, arrangements, and harmonies. Nearly every song is a single that stands on it's own merits (only Songbird and Oh Daddy have aged as misses on the album), with multiple songs becoming the standard bearers for defining 'classic rock'. Notable Songs: Dreams, Never Going Back Again, I Don't Want to Know, Gold Dust Woman

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Tue Dec 15 2020
5

Pure foot tapping excellence. This is music. I find it hard to give anything 5 stars because this suggests absolute perfection but, if not this album, what else would be worthy? 5/5.

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Mon Feb 15 2021
5

One of my favourites of all time.

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Thu May 06 2021
5

Good album from start to finish. I like every songs of this album.

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Thu May 06 2021
5

Lots of classic from Fleetwood and the rest is good, 5 for you!

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Sat Jan 16 2021
5

I could listen to this again and again.

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Tue Feb 02 2021
5

One of the most played albums in my regular rotation, with good reason of course!

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Wed Jan 20 2021
5

One of the best albums I've ever heard

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Fri Jan 15 2021
5

Classic, had previously listened in full.

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Wed Jan 13 2021
5

Nearly every song is 'good'. So many classics- I did not realize how many of these I knew

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Fri Feb 26 2021
5

Yesssssssss! Probably my favorite album of all time!!

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Fri Jun 04 2021
5

How could you not 5-star this one?

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Mon Feb 01 2021
5

Absolute classic. So many gems on one album. Just great songwriting in general.

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Mon Apr 12 2021
5

Classic rock is classic but DAMN some albums SLAP.

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Wed Jan 13 2021
5

Great callback to my youth. This album was good when I was eight but it is great as an adult

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Thu Jan 14 2021
5

Amazing. So many hits. Love this album.

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