On This Day in 1975: Fleetwood Mac Releases First Album With Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham

A New Era for Fleetwood Mac

On July 11, 1975, Fleetwood Mac released their self-titled album Fleetwood Mac. It marked a turning point for the band as they introduced two new members: Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The group, originally formed in the UK in 1967, had already been through several lineup changes by the time they started recording this album in the United States.

By this point, only drummer Mick Fleetwood and married couple John and Christine McVie remained from earlier versions of the band. Buckingham and Nicks, who had performed as the duo Buckingham Nicks, joined after being discovered by Fleetwood. The addition gave the band a fresh sound and a new look, which helped shape the direction of their future music.

 

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Two Albums, Same Name

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time the band released an album called Fleetwood Mac. Their debut album from 1968 carried the same name. That version featured original guitarist Peter Green and was blues-based. The 1975 release was the tenth studio album, but it represented a new beginning.

This version of Fleetwood Mac took over a year to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band toured heavily to build momentum. “We just played everywhere and we sold that record. We kicked that album in the ass,” Nicks later told Uncut magazine.

Radio Success and Fan Favorites

The album produced three Billboard Top 20 hits: “Rhiannon,” written by Nicks, and Christine McVie’s “Say You Love Me” and “Over My Head.” While Rumours is often seen as the band’s biggest success, it only added one more radio hit to that total. Songs like “Landslide” and “Monday Morning” from Fleetwood Mac later became classics too.

The album’s cover showed Mick Fleetwood and John McVie in a strange pose. Fleetwood stood holding a crystal ball while McVie’s legs looked oddly shortened. Some fans saw symbolism in the image, perhaps representing uncertainty or change.

On the cover of Rumours, released in 1977, Fleetwood again appeared—this time with Nicks. They both held a crystal ball, fueling more fan speculation about band tensions and relationships.

Legal Trouble Behind the Scenes

Producer Keith Olsen introduced the band to Buckingham and Nicks after playing a few songs from their earlier album. When Fleetwood Mac became a success, Olsen sued the band for unpaid royalties. The outcome of the lawsuit was never shared publicly.