Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac: What Went Wrong?
Fleetwood Mac was formed in London in 1967 and has gone through a series of lineup changes, but Mick Fleetwood and John McVie stayed the course.
The early days involved inspiration from blues rock, but 1974 saw the introduction of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, who steered the band in a pop-rock direction.
During this time, albums Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, and Tusk gained critical success. The golden era of the band involved plenty of contributions from Buckingham, who wrote hits including “Tusk”, “Go Your Own Way”, and “Never Going Back Again”.
However, it all came crashing down in 2018, so let’s take a look at what went wrong.
Personal Tensions
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had a romantic relationship in the 70s, which ended turbulently. Unfortunately, this led to unrest and persistent conflict within the band.
For the most part, this often involved power struggles to become the band’s “leader” and significant creative differences. In 1987, this led Buckingham to leave the band over supposed touring conflicts. However, by 1997, Buckingham had rejoined the band and stuck with them for another 21 years.
Creative Differences
Lindsay Buckingham, who famously used Rick Turner guitars, had several creative clashes with the rest of Fleetwood Mac over the years because he was a complete perfectionist and wanted total control over the band’s direction.
The rest of the band, especially Stevie Nicks, were more open to collaboration and freedom of creative decision. Naturally, this imbalance led to serious tensions and disagreements.
One example of this is the recording of the song “Silver Springs” from the album “Rumours”. Buckingham and Nicks butted heads about including it on the album.
Buckingham wanted it to be included and Nicks didn’t because it was about their breakup. Ultimately, the song ended up becoming a B-Side to the song “Go Your Own Way”.
Greater Control
Aside from being a brilliant musician, Buckingham was known for his drive to take complete creative control of Fleetwood Mac, which was a double-edged sword.
On one side, his control allowed the band to create some of the most innovative and critically acclaimed albums of the 70s and 80s.
On the other hand, his desire for control caused conflict within the band, which led to his complete removal from the band in 2018.
Buckingham’s Departure in 2018
The reason Buckingham parted ways with Fleetwood Mac in 2018 shifts between sources. According to Stevie Nicks, he was fired from the band after asking them to postpone a 3-month tour so that he could focus on his solo career.
However, if you read Buckingham’s interview published in 2021, he felt that his creative vision wasn’t being respected and the band had become “commercialized”.
Lindsay Buckingham helped Fleetwood Mac gain critical acclaim, but the road to success wasn’t always easy when the guitarist was involved.
Regardless of which sources you believe, there’s no denying that Buckingham’s departure was a significant blow to the band. After all, he was one of their most talented musicians and songwriters.
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