Good pop never goes away.
Today in 1977 Fleetwood Mac released “Rumours.” It was the follow up to the “Fleetwood Mac” album of 1975, the first with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.
That was 45 years ago today.
Last week, “Rumours” sold 15,900 copies and was in the top 40 on all albums charts. This week looks about the same.
“Dreams,” one of the singles from “Rumours” is still on the charts as well. Last year it went top 5 again thanks to a TikTok video.
The other singles from the album, “Go Your Own Way” and “Don’t Stop,” remain top hits on oldies radio. Worldwide, “Rumours” has sold 40 million copies, putting it not far behind “Thriller” and “The Eagles Greatest Hits.”
It was the pinnacle for the Mac, which subsequently released the much admired but lower selling “Tusk” and a couple more albums before breaking up and regrouping several times.
Me? I prefer the ’75 album. When “Rumours” was released in 1977, it was right in the middle of New Wave and punk. Fleetwood Mac was the epitome of corporate rock gone crazy. No album would equal its sales or importance in mainstream pop until Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” in 1979.
But in ’77, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Blondie, the Ramones and Steely Dan’s “Aja” were far more interesting to me. And now, 45 years later, they’ve all lasted.
I guess the lesson is, Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow.
