RUMOURS ![]()
Another important British Invasion band, Fleetwood Mac evolved into a best-selling pop-rock band. Their 1977 album, Rumours (primarily named for the numerous personal upheavals in the lives of the two couples in the band, John McVie and Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks) became the sixth biggest selling album of all time; Wikipedia reports worldwide sales of 40 million copies, with certified sales of 26.8 million. When Bill Clinton wanted a song to replace the ancient “Happy Days are Here Again” that had been played for 60 years at Democratic Party Conventions, “Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)” from this album was his choice for the 1992 Democratic Convention following his nomination for President. (June 2014) * * * People bought more albums in the 1970’s than at any time before or since. For what it’s worth, 6 of the 10 biggest selling albums of all time were released during the 1970’s – in order, they are The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd; Bat out of Hell by Meat Loaf; Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) by the Eagles; the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack (featuring the Bee Gees and others); Rumours by Fleetwood Mac; and Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin. However you might feel about these chestnuts, it is hard to imagine a more varied group of albums. Thriller by Michael Jackson (1983) remains Number One, but I was certainly surprised to see Back in Black (1980) by AC/DC in second place. (December 2016) |