004 – Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours

I Love That Record

It’s been too long since the release of our last episode, so we’re trying to make it up for it with this one. We talk about Fleetwood Mac’s seminal 1977 album Rumours. Odds are, you’ve heard at least half of its songs, but you may not know much about the record’s backstory or the interesting personal dynamics between band members that influenced its creation. Listen to hear Eric share lots of random bits of trivia about the band and album and Jon patiently put up with listening to them.

Throw on your bell-bottom and put on your giant headphones — it’s time to talk about Rumours!

Album Details

Album: Rumours
Band: Fleetwood Mac
Year Released: 1977
Label: Warner Bros.
Producer: Fleetwood Mac, Ken Caillat, Richard Dashut
Wikipedia Description: Rumours is the 11th studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record reached the top of both the United States Billboard chart and the United Kingdom Albums Chart. The songs “Go Your Own Way”, “Dreams”, “Don’t Stop”, and “You Make Loving Fun” were released as singles. Rumours is Fleetwood Mac’s most successful release; along with winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978, the album has sold over 45 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Rumours has received diamond certifications in several countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia.

The band wanted to expand on the commercial success of the 1975 album Fleetwood Mac, but struggled with relationship breakups before recording started. The Rumours studio sessions were marked by hedonistic behaviour and interpersonal strife among Fleetwood Mac members; these experiences shaped the album’s lyrics. Influenced by pop music, the record’s tracks were recorded using a combination of acoustic and electric instruments. The mixing process delayed the completion of Rumours, but was finished by the end of 1976. Following the album’s release in 1977, Fleetwood Mac undertook worldwide promotional tours.

Rumours garnered widespread critical acclaim. Praise centred on its production quality and harmonies, which frequently relied on the interplay among three vocalists. The record has inspired the work of musical acts in different genres. Often considered Fleetwood Mac’s best release, it has featured in several publications’ lists of the best albums of the 1970s and the best albums of all time. In 2004, Rumours was remastered and reissued with the addition of an extra track and a bonus CD of outtakes from the recording sessions. A three-CD reissue of the album was released by Warner Bros. on 29 January 2013. The set included outtakes of songs and concert tracks the band played while on tour in 1977.

Jon’s Favorite Songs

• “Secondhand News”
• “Dreams”
• “Songbird”
• “Never Going Back Again”
• “The Chain”

Jon’s Least Favorite Songs

• “You Make Lovin’ Fun”

Eric’s Favorite Songs

• “Secondhand News”
• “Go Your Own Way”
• “Silver Springs”
• “Songbird”
• “Don’t Stop”

Eric’s Honorable Mentions

• “Never Going Back Again”
• “The Chain”

Eric’s Least Favorite Songs

• “You Make Lovin’ Fun”
• “Oh Daddy”

Episode Links

• Making Rumours by producer Ken Caillat
• Album credits for Rumours
• Album credits for Taylor Swift’s 1989 album