I never got the mass appeal. I was born in 1973. By the time I was a teenager 70’s music was already classic rock but I went through a huge Zeppelin phase, a Pink Floyd phase, a Beatles obsession etc etc. Even if i’m sick of the music of that era, I remember the appeal before I was burnt out.
But I never got Fleetwood Mac. Why did Rumours sell a gazillion copies? What emotion did it touch in people? I dont even hate them, I just find it incredibly boring.
It was my era and I had the album. Nothing too mysterious about it. It was a really good pop album.
They also had some very nice music videos that even I (who don’t follow the pop scene very much) saw and liked.
I’m not sure what answers you expect people to be able to give to this sort of question. People just enjoyed (and enjoy) the songs. If you don’t that’s fine of course. I suppose I could say that I like the melodies. The lyrics are, to me, touching and sung in a way that seems heartfelt. The arrangements are interesting and well produced at least to me. I like the quality of both Christie McVie and Stevie Nicks’ voices (more the former, for me, although lots of people seem to rave about the latter). Not sure what else I can say.
I don’t find their music “incredibly boring”. It’s mostly OK, I guess.
However, I think that Rhiannon is one of the greatest songs from that decade.
Because awesome, that’s why. Many people loved the music they were putting out, and rather a lot of it was popular in a fairly short period of time. Their 1975 self-titled album, and 1977’s “Rumors” each contained many songs people still want to hear today. If you don’t like it, you’ll just have to understand that others do. If you’re unfamiliar with it, perhaps you should remedy that. Check out a few videos on Youtube from the late 90’s DVD, “The Dance.” I particularly like “I’m so Afraid” and “Silver Springs.” Really, do it.
I was a kid when the 70’s came to a close, and Fleetwood Mac was always part of the background of my life. Not necessarily by choice - they were just ubiquitous, and as a child I took them for granted. It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that I opened my ears and REALLY heard their music, as opposed to just letting it be background noise.
As for a specific set of reasons why they’re popular. . . well, Lindsey Buckingham is one of my favorite guitarists. I hope I get to see him live one day. The harmonies of Lindsey, Stevie and Christine are fantastic, and multiple people in the band could pen a great tune. Those are some of my reasons why I enjoy them.
Now, I’m on the record of really not liking that era of Fleetwood Mac, but that’s mostly in contrast to the band they were before.
Considering that, I’d say they were a generally attractive band that put out well-written songs which reflected a certain southern Californian lifestyle that caught the imagination of of the public at the time, they generally exhibited great musicianship and generally avoided being confrontational with the audience.
How could they have failed?
Lots of ways they could have failed. But you can’t explain popularity; something about them appealed to listeners at the time.
I wasn’t a big fan, but they created a particular sound when they broke through and their other songs followed through on that sound.
And it didn’t hurt that they had a real cutie as the ‘face’ of the band–although she was neither a Fleetwood nor a Mac(Vie).
They weren’t disco.
Why as Adele’s 21 such a blockbuster a couple of years ago?
I love it and don’t change the channel when the songs come on - like I often do with the Eagles, for instance.
Because they recorded some great music. Go Your Own Way is still one of my favorite songs and Rumors was a hell of a good album.
I was never a Fleetwood Mac fan (except for Oh Well) but I can probably name 7 or 8 tunes from that album. They were well written, catchy pieces and the band had a certain chemistry. As previously mentioned, it probably helped a little being part of the California scene at the time (along with The Eagles, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, etc.).
Silly question. Fleetwood Mac and Rumours were two of the most finely crafted, beautifully sung, gorgeously produced pop albums of all time. Everything worked.
A fantastic pop album where every song was a hit. You can’t get much better than that in the music business.
I agree with your second sentence, but the OP is not asking a silly question, IMHO. Music that is woven into the very fabric of our cultural zeitgeist is often just thought of as a background soundtrack by folks who come afterwards. Exactly how it ended up in the “soundtrack of our lives” can be missed and is worthy of dusting off every now and then…
Let us not discount a rock-solid rhythm section, three songwriters at the peak of their craft, three distinct vocalists, and tons of touring.
I suppose I should take into account that the OP is a young pup, still wet behind the ears. 
I was only 12. I couldn’t do much about it.
As Quercus alba says, they weren’t disco.
Rumours got lots of airplay the summer I turned 15. It was the soundtrack of my summer that year. Hearing “Dreams” still takes me back the beach, laying with my new girlfriend and smelling Hawaiian Tropic sun tan oil.
By the way, I actually just saw them in concert a few months back and was amazed at Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar work. I had no idea he was so talented. He picks at the strings with his fingers and does a hell of a job of it.