1977 Hit Ranked Among 'Greatest Albums of All Time' Topped Charts 49 Years Ago Today
On April 2, 1977, Fleetwood Mac reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their legendary rock album Rumors.
The record has since been ranked among the greatest albums ever recorded by publications such as Rolling Stone, who placed it at No. 7 on their compilation of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
'Rumours' Was A Game-Changing Rock Album
Fleetwood Mac had already been around for many years by the time Rumours was released (it was actually their eleventh studio album), but it's fair to say this was the project that finally catapulted them to worldwide fame.
Their second self-titled album had been released two years prior, which saw American vocalists and guitarists Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham join the band's existing lineup. Their contributions helped transform the band from a relatively successful rock and roll group into a global rock sensation within just a few years.
That album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 just over a year after its release, with lead singles "Over My Head", "Rhiannon", and "Say You Love Me" all charting comfortably in the Top 20. It was the beginning of a new era of commercial success for Fleetwood Mac, and Rumours was just the next stop of that journey.
Rumours was another No. 1 hit on the Billboard 200 — and the band's first No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom. All four lead singles ("Dreams", "Go Your Own Way", "Don't Stop", and "You Make Loving Fun") charted in the Top 10, with "Dreams" holding onto the No. 1 position for several weeks.
In addition to the huge commercial success, Rumours was a critical juggernaut. It won the 1978 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and has since appaered on countless rankings of the best albums ever recorded. Rolling Stone placed it at No. 7, while Apple Music named it No. 11 and Consequence of Sound cemented it at No. 2 — just behind Prince's Purple Rain.
Rumours has also recieved five-star reviews from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The Independent, Uncut, and Blender.