The 5 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs Without Stevie Nicks
When Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac at the end of 1974, the group set off on a path that made them one of the most commercially successful bands in the world. Nicks and Buckingham’s influence on the group cannot be understated. Their songwriting, vocals, and overall musical talent fit in with the band but also transformed it. It’s hard to imagine the band without them.
Still, Fleetwood Mac existed for years without them. Here are five of the band’s best songs that don’t feature Nicks. Most came out before she joined the band, but one is a classic from Rumours.
‘Need Your Love So Bad’
Before Fleetwood Mac released bright, California-cool songs, they were a blues band. Their 1968 single “Need Your Love So Bad” is one of the best examples of the band playing traditional blues.
“Need Your Love So Bad” is a cover of a song by American artist Little Willie John. Fleetwood Mac’s version features vocals and guitar by founding member Peter Green. It also includes sweeping orchestral backing to deepen emotion. The song is a solid showcase of Green’s talent.
‘Black Magic Woman’
While many people may be better acquainted with Santana’s version of “Black Magic Woman,” it originally appeared on a Fleetwood Mac album. Green also wrote and sang on the song.
The band liked it so much that they continued performing it live after Green left the band. They reportedly only stopped because founding member John McVie believed the song had too strong a link to Santana.
‘Albatross’
The 1968 song “Albatross” was one of Fleetwood Mac’s earliest hits. The instrumental song features a smooth, breezy guitar solo by Green and cymbals from Mick Fleetwood that sound like waves breaking against the shore. Listening to the song is as peaceful as sitting by the ocean.
The song also has the distinct honor of inspiring The Beatles. According to George Harrison, listening to “Albatross” inspired the sound of The Beatles’ “Sun King.”
‘Man of the World’
Though Green helped found Fleetwood Mac, he exited the group in 1970. He grew increasingly concerned about the money the band was making, and he seemed, according to his bandmates, more fragile after using LSD.
According to Fleetwood, this tender, reflective song gave insight into Green’s mental state. “Man of the World” is a beautiful song but, given the context, a sad one.
“It’s a very prophetic song,” Fleetwood told Rolling Stone. “When he made those songs, we had no idea that he was suffering internally as much as he was. But if you listen to the words, it’s crucifyingly obvious what was going on. But a beautiful song. A poignant song.”
‘Songbird’
The Christine McVie-penned “Songbird” was on the band’s magnum opus, Rumours. Nicks featured heavily on the album — her breakup with Buckingham inspired a good portion of the songs — but she is not on “Songbird.”
McVie said she wrote the song in just 30 minutes late at night. She stunned producers with the song’s beauty, and they decided to keep the album’s version simple. She performed the song on the piano at the Zellerbach Auditorium. Buckingham also appears in the song, playing acoustic guitar.
