The List

The Most Overlooked Song on Every 70s Fleetwood Mac Album (Including Deep Cuts You Forgot About)

Fleetwood Mac has quite the massive discography, especially when it comes to their 70s releases. And with so much good music packed into one bandโ€™s legacy, more than a few genuinely great tracks slip through the cracks. Letโ€™s look at what I believe are the most underrated and overlooked songs on each of Fleetwood Macโ€™s 1970s studio LPs.

โ€˜Kiln Houseโ€™ (1970) โ€” โ€œMission Bellโ€

The whole of this album was a step in a new direction for the band that some fans were wary of, considering it was their first without Peter Green. But โ€œMission Bellโ€, in particular, has such a unique, psychedelic pop sound to it that deserves more love.

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โ€˜Future Gamesโ€™ (1971) โ€” โ€œMorning Rainโ€

Youโ€™ll see a lot of Christine McVie-penned tunes on this list, because I really think her songwriting in Fleetwood Mac was quite underrated during her tenure. โ€œMorning Rainโ€ is just one of many early McVie songs that really deserve more attention.

โ€˜Bare Treesโ€™ (1972) โ€” โ€œSpare Me A Little Of Your Loveโ€

McVie takes on lead vocal on this track, which she also penned, and it became something of a go-to for the bandโ€™s setlists during live performances. And yet, the song itself never got a proper single release. Thatโ€™s wild considering Mick Fleetwood himself said that โ€œSpare Me A Little Of Your Loveโ€ was one of his favorite tracks.

โ€˜Penguinโ€™ (1973) โ€” โ€œThe Derelictโ€

This little gem was written by Humble Pieโ€™s Dave Walker during his short stint with Fleetwood Mac. This harmonica-led track has a Southern rock vibe to it that weirdly worked beautifully as a FM song.

โ€˜Mystery To Meโ€™ (1973) โ€” โ€œThe Way I Feelโ€

I donโ€™t think Iโ€™ve ever heard anyone say a single thing about this deep cut from Mystery To Me, or much about Mystery To Me in general. Thatโ€™s a crying shame, because the album is solid, and this McView contribution is gorgeous.

โ€˜Heroes Are Hard To Findโ€™ (1974) โ€” โ€œSheโ€™s Changin Meโ€

Heroes Are Hard To Find was the album that saw Fleetwood Mac really take off, and Iโ€™m surprised that โ€œSheโ€™s Changing Meโ€ from Bob Welch didnโ€™t get more attention. That pedal steel, those devastating lyrics. This heartbreaker is a sorely underrated delight.

โ€˜Fleetwood Macโ€™ (1975) โ€” โ€œIโ€™m So Afraidโ€

This Lindsey Buckingham treat has one of the most killer guitar solos in Fleetwood Mac history, Iโ€™d say. And the emotional energy throughout โ€œIโ€™m So Afraidโ€ is chilling.

โ€˜Rumoursโ€™ (1977) โ€” โ€œYou Make Loving Funโ€

Alright, nothing on Rumours is underrated, letโ€™s get that out of the way. But this gem, which did become a hit in the end, doesnโ€™t get quite as much love as โ€œDreamsโ€ and other hit singles from the album. It certainly deserves it, though.

โ€˜Tuskโ€™ (1979) โ€” โ€œBrown Eyesโ€

โ€œBrown Eyesโ€ is one of my favorite Christine McVie songs. And while it isnโ€™t massively underrated (is any song from Rumours or Tusk truly underrated?), itโ€™s still a bit of a deep cut with such a pretty sound that still gives me goosebumps today.

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