Rumours (Super Deluxe) by Fleetwood Mac runs three hours and 47 minutes in length. I know because I listen to it a lot. The original album was released in 1977, but was repackaged many times since, including the iconic 2013 Super Deluxe edition. The original album was certified as 2x Diamond, meaning that, in the United States alone, more than 20 million units were purchased or streamed. The album was even preserved within the National Recording Registry.
I think that Rumours, specifically the Super Deluxe release, is one of the greatest albums of all time, and it remains popular more than 40 years after its release. If you haven’t tried to complete an entire finals week workload while listening to this album, I’d really recommend it. While all members of Fleetwood Mac were integral to the album’s success, it’s worth noting the work of Stevie Nicks specifically.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction for the Class of 2019 was March 29. Nicks was inducted for the second time in her career. Other inductees include musical groups The Cure, Def Leppard, Radiohead, Roxy Music, The Zombies, and solo artist Janet Jackson. Inductees are recognized for at least 25 years in the professional music industry, according to the Hall of Fame. Each inductee will be inducted by a member of the music community. Notable inductors for 2019 include Janelle Monáe (inducting Jackson) and Harry Styles (inducting Nicks).
Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and now, 20 years later, Nicks is being recognized for her solo career—one that produced eight additional albums and 17 tours. There are 22 musicians who have been inducted more than once. Nicks will be the first woman to join that group.
That comparative figure is staggering. How is Nicks the first woman to be recognized for her contributions within a group and on her own? When I first heard that, I was surprised that it wasn’t accomplished before, but also that Nicks had not already been inducted for her solo career. After all, she gave us anthems like Edge of Seventeen, duets like Leather and Lace and complex tracks like Bella Donna. Known for shawls, platform heels and a magical presence, Nicks remains an icon to popular culture and music even at the age of 70.
But the Hall of Fame statistic is part of a bigger problem—women’s representation in the music industry. For context, between 2012 and 2017, women make up 22.4 percent of artists, 12.3 percent of songwriters and 2 percent of producers in the music industry, according to a study conducted by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Women make up 56 percent of Apple Music users, 44 percent of Spotify users and 59 percent of Pandora users, according to studies conducted by Verto Analytics.
Nicks has been a trailblazing artist for years and her second Hall of Fame induction is no exception to that. It’s an exciting induction this year to see Nicks return alongside another powerful woman in the industry, Janet Jackson.
While I don’t have solutions to completely restructure the music industry, I encourage music lovers to seek out more music that is written, produced or performed by women.
Leave a Reply