Lindsey Buckingham’s Top 10 Solo Songs
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Amazon Prime’s well-received miniseries Daisy Jones & the Six is adapted from the New York Times bestselling book by Taylor Jenkins Reid. On X, Stevie Nicks tweeted that it made her feel like a ghost watching her own story. Reid said she “started with the germ of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac…” While Daisy Jones gives us an indirect glimpse of the past, let’s look at some of Lindsey Buckingham’s finest work outside of Fleetwood Mac.
10. “Slow Dancing” (1984)
Inspired by new wave and synth pop, Buckingham reinvented his sound by using a LinnDrum drum machine and Fairlight CMI synthesizer, made famous by Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel. “Slow Dancing” was the second single from Go Insane.
The nighttime filled with a cold winter chill
The rain is music on my window sill
The days are short, the nights are long
So someone tell me just now where I belong
9. “Go Insane” (1984)
The title track and first single from Go Insane, Lindsey Buckingham plays most of the instruments on this new wave-influenced album. “Go Insane” peaked at No. 23 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
Two kinds of trouble in this world
Living… dying
I lost my power in this world
And the rumors are flying
8. “Did You Miss Me” (2008)
Gift of Screws is a return to rock for Buckingham and features contributions from Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. “Did You Miss Me” sounds like it could have been on a Fleetwood Mac album. The album title comes from the Emily Dickinson poem “Essential Oils—are wrung.”
Did you miss me in the morning?
Did you miss me in the evening?
When everyone is bound to dream
7. “Holiday Road” (1983)
One of Buckingham’s most popular solo songs, “Holiday Road” was written for the Chevy Chase film National Lampoon’s Vacation. The song peaked at only No. 82 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, but continued to be used for the film’s sequels. Brian Wilson’s influence can be heard in the chorus.
I found out long ago
It’s a long way down the Holiday Road
6. “Countdown” (1992)
Buckingham’s third solo album, Out of the Cradle, was his first after leaving Fleetwood Mac. Go Insane may have been a reinvention, while Out of the Cradle is a kind of rebirth. “Countdown” opens with a classic Buckingham guitar melody. The song sounds defiant and hopeful. When he sings Now the madness fades, we can only assume the tumult refers to his decision to quit one of the biggest rock bands in history.
Oh, I’ve been waiting on the countdown
Things about to turn around
And now I’m out of the lost and found
Just waiting on the countdown
[RELATED: 5 Essential Tracks Lindsey Buckingham Wrote for Fleetwood Mac]
5. “Seeds We Sow” (2011)
The Merle Travis guitar picking style in “Seeds We Sow” is reminiscent of “Never Going Back Again.” The Seeds We Sow album tied Go Insane as Buckingham’s second-highest-charting album.
Soldiers of fortune they do conceal
Everything they’re afraid to show
Everything they once gave now
They just steal
4. “Someone’s Gotta Change Your Mind” (2006)
Under the Skin is a mostly acoustic album. Its “Someone’s Gotta Change Your Mind” was written 10 years before the album’s 2006 release. The track opens with the sound of distressed children, while musically, Buckingham drives downstrokes into his acoustic guitar strings like it’s a demand for help.
Little children out in the rain
Slipping and sliding, covered in pain
Bodies broken, soaked to the bone
Little children going on home
3. “Stars Are Crazy” (2011)
Soaked in echo, the acoustic guitar arpeggio in “Stars Are Crazy” is cascading and splintering. It sounds like a desperate plea. The song could be about a broken relationship but it also feels cosmic. Buckingham anthropomorphizes the stars, placing the blame on astral objects.
Sometimes we fantasize
Wondering if we should’ve tried
Wondering if we died
Wondering if the stars are crazy
2. “Soul Drifter” (1992)
“Soul Drifter” has lyrics, but Buckingham’s guitar playing is so lyrical, it sounds as nomadic as the words. There’s a descending guitar melody over the lines My heart was broken / My part was spoken that punctuates the sentiment.
I’m a soul drifter
And I’m out of this town
Ain’t no use hangin’ around
You see?
1. “Trouble” (1981)
Lindsey Buckingham’s most popular solo song is “Trouble.” It reached No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Mick Fleetwood’s drum part was created from a four-second tape loop. The drum fills were overdubbed by Buckingham to create a “live” feel. The sound of Fleetwood’s drum kit juxtaposed with the repetition of a loop creates a sonic bridge connecting late-Seventies rock ‘n’ roll with early-Eighties new wave.
I should be saying goodnight now
Really shouldn’t stay anymore
Been so long since I held ya
Forgotten what love is for
Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM
