Since their formation over 50 years ago, Fleetwood Mac has become one of the most influential bands in rock and roll history. The Grammy Award-winning act has survived a myriad of challenges, from multiple lineup changes to tumultuous relationships between members. Amidst those incredible highs and devastating lows, they’ve become one of music’s highest-selling groups, partly thanks to their influential 1977 album, Rumours.
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The band’s captivating and often tumultuous path from its humble beginnings in London, England, to a global music sensation, has been captured in multiple must-read memoirs and biographies. Take a look at our favorite Fleetwood Mac books that every music fan should have on their reading list:
1. Play On
In many ways, this 2015 memoir from founding member Mick Fleetwood is an updated version of his 1990 book Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac. Readers are transported to the band’s early years in the 1960s and ride along through their rocky rise to fame. Fleetwood also finds the now 76-year-old owning up to his failures and reflecting on how his issues with substance abuse affected his relationships.
2. Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album
Fleetwood Mac’s eleventh studio album, Rumours, is still seen as one of the most fascinating and impactful LPs ever recorded, even 46 years after its release. This 2012 book from Ken Caillat and Steve Stiefel takes a deep dive into the album’s creation, its massive commercial success, and its lasting impact on the genre.
3. Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks
This captivating New York Times best-seller offers a detailed look at Stevie Nicks‘s important role in the band, the addiction issues that nearly ended her life, and her evolution into a solo artist. Gold Dust Woman spotlights the mystery, magic, and immeasurable talents that made Nicks a lasting pop culture icon.
4. 33 1/3rd: Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’
How do you move forward after releasing a record as successful and celebrated as Rumours? Fleetwood Mac opted to try something new with their 1979 follow-up, Tusk, which garnered mixed reviews. In this deep-dive from the ongoing 33 1/3rd series, author Rob Trucks examines why Lindsey Buckingham was determined to stretch the band creatively, even if it meant risking it all.
5. Fleetwood Mac on Fleetwood Mac: Interviews and Encounters
Released in 2016, this collection of articles and press snippets from Fleetwood Mac’s early years and commercial peak is a must-read. This curated selection of vintage and some previously unpublished interviews offer a candid and transformative look into the mindset of each band member during those formative, often chaotic years.
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