I LOVE Fleetwood Mac but I would not call them “classic rock.” They are in the rock genre to be sure but I would say they are, by FAR, the best pop-rock band ever. Bar none. But not classic rock.
ETA: Beatles are close.
Tell that to the Classic Rock format radio stations.
You’re arguing that they don’t belong in my second paragraph. Which they do not appear in.
I would argue they are barely “rock and roll” at all. They barely fit in that except in a very broad sense.
It’s like saying “classical music.” What defines that? It’s more than when it was made.
Of course, rock-and-roll is a vague, nebulous term. Fleetwood Mac is not rock-and-roll to me is the best I can say. They are pop (maybe “pop-rock” is better). Outstanding pop…but pop and not really rock-and-roll.
Sit them next to Led Zeppelin and ask people which one is rock-and-roll. I think the answer is obvious.
Well…they were more than one thing. Lots of different eras to Fleetwood Mac, even if the Buckingham/Nicks period is the best known.
Kinda reminds me of Jefferson Airplane/Starship. They covered a lot of musical ground and I was sad they got into pop at the end. “We Built This City” was catchy but a loooong way from “White Rabbit.”
Those songs you linked are great! Certainly have more of the Bluesy vibe of rock-and-roll. I am amazed I had not heard them before. Thanks for turning me on to that music! (really)
Well, now you’re just spouting nonsense.
The band that did Black Magic Woman is ‘barely “rock and roll” at all’? The other one, if pulled, will have bells on.
False dilemma. They are both rock-and-roll by any classification you choose, whether it be instrumentation, musical chops, lyrical subject matter…
As was noted above, there are some very, very different flavors of Fleetwood Mac.
Rumours, their best selling album by FAR, is not that.
Sure.
Which is what makes saying they’re not rock-and-roll nonsense.
What is that term for when you assign an argument to your debate opponent, argue against that, and then declare victory when you tear it apart like some kind of hay-filled practice dummy? It’s on the tip of my tongue, man.
Did I mention Rumours at all?
Jefferson Airplane is also unquestionably a rock band. What they also became is a non sequitur.
But you felt free to decide on what FM are or are not…
You have substantially different bands, with different members and different music but you want to rest your argument on that they all had the same band name so, therefore, should be judged as one band doing music that is defined as one thing?
I wouldn’t begin to try that. We’ll be here forever.
You seem to be a proponent of some kind of one-drop-of-pop rule for rock bands.
I’m not down with rockism, and would not continue arguing with someone who was, especially from a position of ignorance, as you’ve just admitted to. So no, we wouldn’t be here forever, as I’m out as of right now.
99% of people when asked to name a Fleetwood Mac song would probably pick one from Rumours. And if not Rumours then something from the eponymous Fleetwood Mac album (probably Rhiannon or Landslide or Say You Love me). How weird for people to think the Fleetwood Mac album wasn’t the first “Fleetwwod Mac” album. Why? Because they were basically a different band musically (and some members) with the same name.
Very few would pick “Oh Well, Pt. 1” as emblematic of Fleetwood Mac. Indeed, it is not emblematic of them at all (even if it is good).
ETA: This seems to be a sort of “Ship of Theseus” argument. When is the ship not the original ship?
Even the Buckingham/Nicks lineup could rock harder than you might think.
Moderating: To all, I hope you realize that back and forth was a full-on hijack of the original thread. But I moved it out so you can continue.
If you are responding to something in a thread that is basically off-topic or likely to lead to a hijack, try this:
How to Reply as a linked Topic:
Click Reply, in the upper left corner of the reply window is the reply type button, looks like a curving arrow point to the right.
Choose Reply as linked topic and it starts a new thread. As an example, you can choose GD, IMHO or The Pit for it.
That is actually the best method.
For a non-classic rock band, the Fleetwood Mac lineup has certainly had a lot of great rock guitarists over the years.
You can go down a deep rabbit hole defining what is or is not “Classic Rock.” I have no issue with Fleetwood Mac, as their music was played on Album Rock radio when it was current. Just because a lot of their songs became Top 40 hits doesn’t disqualify them from being a Rock band. “Rock” isn’t one thing. It has many shades.
One group I’ve never understand why they are played on Classic Rock radio stations is the Guess Who. They had a couple of songs that could be classified as Rock, the dreadful (IMO) “American Woman” most prominent. But they were at their core a light Pop/Rock band, never played on Album Rock stations during their heyday, and were never taken seriously among Rock aficiandos.
I would not put Lindsey Buckingham as the best guitarist ever but I think he is not given the credit he is due. He’s up there and should be talked about when discussing the greats (I think).
For what it’s worth: this article from Guitar World lists their “Top 100 greatest guitarists,” and they rank Buckingham at #22, in between Pete Townshend and Steve Howe.
Brian May is #1? I love the guy, he’s amazing more than being a guitarist…but #1?
I thought the list a bust because it missed a few obvious ones but then I see they break it out (so Stevie Ray Vaughn is on the top 100 Blues guitarists). Seems a fudge to me though but ok.
I’d have to think whether Buckingham is better than May. Tough call. (they are both great…only nitpicking at this point…I’d be happy for either to play my next birthday party)
Boy, howdy, did they ever.
I’ve seen them in concert with Lindsey a couple of times. He plays rock guitar without question.
I didn’t get to see the earlier bands. I’m still a huge fan of Bob Welch (“Future Games” - rock; Sentimental Lady" - not rock ), Danny Kirwin (“Sunny Side of Heaven” - not rock), and Peter Green (“Black Magic Woman” - rock; “Oh, Well, Part 1” - rock).
None of the incarnations of the Mac played hard rock. After their blues beginning, they were Beatle-ish, varying from soft to hard and pulling in influences from outside the genre. They were a giant band in the UK before they became popular in the US. I’m pretty sure that phase is as classic rock as The Kinks and more so than Pink Floyd. (Or maybe vice versa.)
Classic rock includes the pop that was made and sold alongside the rock. Ed Ward did a two-volume history of Rock and Rock. The first volume covered 1920 - 1963, the second 1964 - 1977. He stuffs a huge range of genres into those pages, in both volumes. I have to agree that Classic Rock is 1964 - 1977, and everything this side of Frank Sinatra earns the label.
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