Thanks to my dad's eclectic taste in music, I became a proponent of nearly all music from the '70s and '80s at a young age. I quickly fell for Fleetwood Mac's dramatic repertoire of angry, sappy love songs, all dedicated to each other at one point or another. This obsession has continued into adulthood. A few years ago I saw Fleetwood Mac live in their most famous and commercially successful line-up, 15 years after Christine McVie said she would never return to the stage with Fleetwood Mac. As a huge fan and an aspiring groupie, familiarizing myself with their broad discography was a task I considered essential to my full appreciation of the band. Compiling a list of their greatest underrated tunes seems to be the next step in that obsession—sharing my knowledge with the up-and-coming fans who may be resting on the tip of Fleetwood Mac's musical iceberg, naïve to all the gems that lie below.
10. "Sugar Daddy" - Fleetwood Mac, 1975
Christine McVie on lead vocals, lively piano and a great head-nodding tune. This song is great for passionate performances in front of a mirror while you adjusting an outfit, driving to the beach or grocery shopping with headphones in.
9. "Second Hand News" - Rumors, 1977
Fast paced, catchy scat-ish chorus is so fun to sing along to. Good for people who like to play the air guitar. Is amazing to see live. Seriously, look up some live performances on YouTube and prepare to be blown away by Lindsey Buckingham.
8. "Blue Letter" - Fleetwood Mac, 1975
Up-tempo, memorable lyrics and a blast to sing along to. Long dragged-out notes to hold and repetitive lyrics to memorize and belt out. Can be performed as a tag team duet or as a frantic solo. Another air guitar favorite.
7. "Everywhere" - Tango In The Night, 1987
Sparkling intro makes you feel like a character in one of Stevie's dreams. Christine on lead vocals, such good lyrics and a blast to sing along to no matter where you are. It's a classic, and while it is one of their hits, it falls low on most people's favorites. Listen to it more often.
6. "Tusk" - Tusk, 1979
Freaky instrumentals, menacing drums, scary vocals. Bonus: on the version they recorded for their 1997 live album "The Dance," they hired the USC marching band to play instrumentals with them. It is one of the coolest things I have ever heard and is a testament to how over-the-top these five can be.
5. "Over My Head" - Fleetwood Mac, 1975
So well written. Lyrics that can be deep if you want them to be. Or it can just be a fun, cheeky little song to sing along to while doing chores on a Sunday. You may have noticed by now—I am a sucker for songs featuring Christine on lead vocals. Stevie may be the face and songstress of the band but Christine's songs are the best.
4. "The Chain" - Rumors, 1977
Dramatic. Loud. Moody. Perfect for the kind of day where you're angry and need to know other people are too. This song epitomized the concept of turning pain into something productive. In this song and on "Rumors" as a whole, Fleetwood Mac made angry art in the face of break-ups, addiction and arguments.
3. "Seven Wonders" - Tango In The Night, 1987
What isn't to love on this song? Lyrics, back track, breathy throaty bits... Stevie's on lead vocals sounding distant and sad. What a weird but amazing song. Can listen to it on repeat without breaking.
2. "Hold Me" - Mirage, 1982
The way this song goes...it's impossible not to sing along. Impossible not to groove to it, not to boogie in your desk chair at work, not to tap your foot while waiting for the bus to make your stop, impossible not to mumble the unforgettable lyrics under your breath even in an overcrowded DMV office. Lindsey wailing on the guitar makes this for sure one of their best songs.
1. "Silver Springs" - The Dance, 1997
Sadly romantic lyrics, clearly heartfelt and poignant for Stevie when performed. Light-hearted, almost fragile sounding piano and triangle-ish twinkling sound throughout, sort of like the sound translation of what it feels like to think about a painful memory. Makes your heart sting and your eyes well up with tears. The country-sounding guitar in the background isn't doing your broken heart any favors. This song sounds like a page ripped out of a diary- personal, confessional, raw, angry and private. Absolutely some of the most under-appreciated lyrics by Stevie. Turn off "Landslide" and put on this haunting song for a dose of true pain.
