The artist Stevie Nicks said “would have been much happier” born in another era
No matter which way you look at it, Stevie Nicks is truly one of a kind. Beyond her musical achievements, she has also managed to sustain relevance as one of the biggest legacy acts of all time, despite the iterations of scrutiny she has endured from both the media and her peers. In the 1970s, for instance, some factions tried to usher her aside as a somewhat occultist enabler, completely disregarding her talent in the process.
Nicks’ witchy aesthetic is treated in a far more lighthearted manner today, and some even become more endeared to her because of it, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, when she began to gain more fame in Fleetwood Mac and attention suddenly focussed on her appearance and demeanour, the label came from a place of cynicism, with people wanting to ostracise her on account of being a negative influence.
“In the beginning of my career, the whole idea that some wacky, creepy people were writing, ‘You’re a witch, you’re a witch!’ was so arresting,” she once reflected. “And there I am like, ‘No, I’m not! I just wear black because it makes me look thinner, you idiots’.” While she later embraced the concept, Nicks was never immune to such basic misogynistic treatment, no matter the excellence of her artistic vision.
Living through these eras of immense scrutiny only made Nicks stronger and more privy to how the industry seeks to break women down. Today, there’s no denying her legendary status, but she has had to earn such a title over decades of hard graft, knowing that, had she been a man, she would likely have gotten there much sooner. This experience also enabled her to pick out others who have had a far less smooth sailing trajectory, like Sheryl Crow, who she honoured in her song ‘Silver Girl’.
While this is the case, many of its lyrics mirror Nicks’ own experiences, like being a “golden girl” who is “lost in a high tech world” and who would have “preferred the last generation”. In Nicks’ eyes, Crow rising to fame when she did never worked in her favour, and she would have thrived more easily and with more impact had she existed at the same time as she did.
As she explained to Interview Magazine in 2003: “In many ways [she] would have been much happier being part of that musical generation from 1965 to 1975. That song is sort of saying that it’s harder to hold on to your integrity today.” Continuing, “Sheryl’s amazing. She never wanted to be judged on how she looked or what she wore, but she’s been pulled into that–she’s had no choice. And luckily she’s gorgeous, because otherwise it would have been hard for her.”
Nicks always recognised the hardships Crow faced throughout her career, which is also why, when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an achievement that usually takes longer for a woman than a man, she took to Instagram to share her views, calling it “a very elite club for us women”. It seems Crow was just as shocked, even more so given the frequent difficulties trying to gain such recognition as a woman in a male-dominated industry.
Still, while appreciation takes longer to catch up to women than men, figures like Nicks are crucial in pushing these idle fantasies along. As a constant champion of women in the industry, and as someone who knows exactly why these discrepancies exist, there’s no denying the significance of Nicks’ lasting impact and what it means for women from all over.
