Singer Stevie Nicks of British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac in a recording studio in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, October 1975. (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images)
There is hardly a more iconic 70’s and 80’s rockstar than Stevie Nicks. The wildly successful career of this enigmatic songwriter garnered her eight Grammies, a myriad of multiplatinum hits, and the honored privilege of being the first woman to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
With a list of accolades like that it is easy to admire the singer and what better day than her birthday in which to celebrate the decorated rocker. Here are the seven most iconic songs on Nicks’ career:
Stevie Nicks – Edge of Seventeen
Nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, “Edge of Seventeen” is arguably one of Nicks’s most recognizable songs. The lasting power of the song is made even more impressive in hindsight as it marked the first solo attempt from already highly successful Fleetwood Mac’s frontwoman. Nick’s first solo record Bella Dona would be released in 1981 to critical acclaim and would go on to go quadruple-platinum.
Fleetwood Mac – Gypsy
With her flowing skirts, shawls, and overall bohemian style it’s no wonder that she has an amazing song about being a gypsy. Nicks’ mystical stage presence is put on full display in the iconic music video where she is seen daydreaming about dancing carefree in the rain and through a magic forest. The song’s lyrics in fact pay homage to the place where Nicks’ style was said to be born, in the “Velvet Underground.” This San Francisco icon was also made famous for its other rocker customers Janis Joplin and Grace Slick.
Stevie Nicks – Stand Back
From the 1983 album The Wild Heart, “Stand Back” marked Nicks’ second foray into her solo career, a move that was met very well by fans and critics alike. The album went on to go double platinum and even featured Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on the track “I Will Run to You.” The record was also a personal milestone for Nicks as it marked the passing of her close friend, which allowed her a new and reinvigorated look at life.
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
There’s not much to say here that hasn’t already been said about this song. “Dreams” was the band’s only number-one single and certainly helped propel the record Rumours to the iconic place it is today. Rumours is the eighth best-selling album of all time will well over 27 million copies sold. “Dreams,” as we all remember, also became an iconic part of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown as TikTok star Nathan Apodaca rode into all of our hearts on his longboard mouthing the iconic song and sipping cranberry juice. This viral video single-handedly made the song chart again for the first time in decades.
Stevie Nicks – Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around
In a legendary duet, Nicks and Petty marked her solo career in a huge way with this classic slow and hard rock anthem. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” would stand next to “Edge of Seventeen” and her other duet with Don Henley of the Eagles, “Leather and Lace” on her debut solo album Bella Dona. The record would start a trend with Nicks to call upon her musician friends to do session work for her albums. Bella Dona featured 20 guest musicians, including the backing vocalists Sharon Celani and Lori Perry who she uses to this day.
Fleetwood Mac – Seven Wonders
From the 1987 album Tango In The Night, “Seven Wonders” was one of the driving forces of the band’s second-best-selling record. The song charted at 19 on Billboard’s top 100 and was the second single from the band’s fourteenth studio album. The music video puts Nicks’s square in the middle of actual wonders of the world in a fun, but quite literal, visualization.
Fleetwood Mac – Landslide
There are few songs that are as visceral and emotional as Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide. The slow and deep tone of Nicks’ voice tacitly communicates the pain and anguish of the song. Inspired by the scenery of Aspen, Colorado, and her slowly deteriorating relationship with then-partner Lindsey Buckingham, the song resulted in one of the most iconic musical moments of the modern era.
