What was Fleetwood Mac’s only US number one single?
Fleetwood Mac were always characterised by disarray, but miraculously, out of the madness, they finally achieved their first US number one single with ‘Dreams’ back in 1977. Despite continuing success and widespread popularity, the song was to be the band’s only chart-topping single.
At the time of the track’s inception, Fleetwood Mac were in the midst of making Rumours. The late 1970s were a particularly turbulent time for the band, who were plagued by internal issues, breakups, and substance abuse. 1976 saw the split of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, as well as the divorces of Christine and John Mcvie and Mick Fleetwood and his wife Jenny Boyd.
This internal turmoil would define the themes and legacy of Rumours, including the second single from the album ‘Dreams’. Nicks told The Daily Mail: “I remember the night I wrote ‘Dreams.’ I walked in and handed a cassette of the song to Lindsey. It was a rough take, just me singing solo and playing piano.”
She recalls: “Even though he was mad with me at the time, Lindsey played it and then looked up at me and smiled. What was going on between us was sad. We were couples who couldn’t make it through. But, as musicians, we still respected each other – and we got some brilliant songs out of it.” And ‘Dreams’ was particularly brilliant.
Nicks wrote the number one single in just ten minutes. It was a retaliation to Buckingham’s own breakup song ‘Go Your Own Way,’ which served as the album’s first single. Nicks told Q magazine: “It was the fairy and the gnome. I was trying to be all philosophical. And he was just mad.”
‘Dreams’ is understated in its genius, pairing Nicks’ enchanting, emotionally charged vocals with soft pop-rock instrumentals. True to its name, the material is sonically dreamy, but the deceptively warm instrumentals are underscored by biting lyrics directed at Buckingham. Calmly, Nicks sings, “Players only love you when they’re playing”. Using pedals to bend guitar tones, the single excels in its vulnerability and simplicity. Propelled to the top of the charts for its endlessly catchy melody, ‘Dreams’ went to number one in 1977 in the US and Canada, selling over a million copies.
Rumours went on to have similar success, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time and the band’s defining LP. 46 years later, ‘Dreams’ still remains well-loved and culturally relevant. Further establishing it’s position in popular culture, the song has also been featured in a number of TV shows, including The Office, Glee, Big Little Lies, and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as well as the 2010 film Eat Pray Love.
The track even re-entered the charts after it soundtracked a viral TikTok a few years ago. In 2020, TikTok user Dogg Face uploaded a video of him skateboarding while drinking cranberry juice, lip-syncing to the track. The video gained millions of views and reintroduced the track to a new generation.
Though the band were never to attain another number one spot, their reach went far beyond chart positions. Tracks like ‘The Chain’ and ‘Everywhere’ are just as familiar and well-loved as ‘Dreams’, and Fleetwood Mac have had a near-unparalleled influence on pop rock, reinventing the meaning and capabilities of the genre. Almost half a century later, their discography still sounds fresh and is still loved by modern audiences.
