The timeline of Fleetwood Mac

By Marlee Card •

The iconic Stevie Nicks has done more than a dozen tours since 1981. Now at 77 years old, she is on her 2025 tour. Much of her fame comes from her work with the 1960s band Fleetwood Mac.

Many, like myself, often don’t realize who or what Fleetwood Mac was before it was mainstreamed. Fleetwood Mac was formed in London in 1967 as a blues rock band led by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood, and guitarist Jeremy Spencer.

Green first gained attention as a member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers before forming Fleetwood Mac.

His songwriting and expressive tone earned Green praise from fellow musicians, including B.B. King.

He wrote early hits such as “Black Magic Woman” and “Albatross,” which gave the band recognition before its later success in the U.S.

But when Green left the band in 1970 due to mental health issues and drug issues, the group went through several lineups, each experimenting with different sounds but maintaining a reputation in the British blues and rock scenes.

That blues and rock sound changed not too long after.

In 1974, drummer Mick Fleetwood invited guitarist Lindsey Buckingham to join the band.

Buckingham agreed, but only if his musical and romantic partner Stevie Nicks could join as well.

Nicks’ mystical stage presence and distinctive songwriting quickly became central to the band’s identity and shifted its sound toward rock and pop.

This lineup produced some of its most successful albums, including its self-titled album, “Fleetwood Mac” 1975 and “Rumours” 1977, which sold more than 40 million copies worldwide since 2023.

Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, and John McVie became known as the classic lineup and remained mostly stable through the late 1970s and early 1980s.

However, the relationship between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks soon became a focal point of the band.

In 1976, just before the production of Rumours, their relationship fell apart.

The emotional turmoil that followed fueled some of Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic songs, including “Silver Springs,” “Dreams,” “The Chain” and “Go Your Own Way.”

Throughout the years, members left and rejoined at different times. Buckingham left in 1987 but returned in 1997, and Nicks took occasional breaks for her solo work.

While other musicians filled in for tours and recordings, this core group defined the band’s signature rock and pop sound that brought them international fame.

Hits like “Dreams” and “Rhiannon” are featured on Nicks’ current tour. From Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks established a successful solo career, releasing multiple albums.

Her distinctive voice and stage presence continue to influence new generations of musicians, keeping both her and Fleetwood Mac relevant in popular culture today.