The Band That Continues To Grow: Why More People Should Listen to Fleetwood Mac

Ever heard of the Beatles? What about the Police? Or Supertramp? Or Metallica? Chances are that you think that one of these bands, or maybe some other band, is the most popular band today, but you’d actually be wrong. Despite a lot of people thinking otherwise, with 120 million albums sold alone, - and not counting digital streams - Fleetwood Mac is actually one of the most popular bands today.

Unlike many classic rock bands, Fleetwood Mac’s popularity has only continued to grow. I’ve been listening to Fleetwood Mac for a third of my life and I can’t believe that less than 20% of my class had even heard of them. I want to change that by encouraging everyone reading this article - including you - to listen to Fleetwood Mac. Our school is an international school, which means there are lots of nationalities, cultures, languages and music. We know that some music is more culturally relevant in some countries than others and this got me thinking about the music I like compared to other people’s music tastes and experiences.

First of all, Fleetwood Mac has had multiple different styles that appeal to people’s different music tastes. Do you like Blues? Fleetwood Mac has Blues albums. What about Soft Rock? They have some of those albums as well. Or Pop Rock albums? Pop Rock is featured right across Fleetwood Mac albums. This is the reason that the popularity of Fleetwood Mac has endured more than that of other huge hit bands such as The Beatles. Many people believe that The Beatles are the most influential band of all time, in fact over 85% of the people asked in my class survey stated so. However, my argument is that this is an inaccurate statement given the fact that more Fleetwood Mac albums are sold today than The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. This doesn’t even include streams, because Fleetwood Mac have had over eight and half billion streams on Spotify, with over six and a half million streams per day.

Secondly, Fleetwood Mac has many great beloved songs, compared to the Beatles who have about 3 songs that most people know.

Dreams (Rumours, 1977)

The first song is Dreams, which is the literal Never Gonna Give You Up of Fleetwood Mac songs, and also the only Fleetwood Mac song I knew until my family switched to Spotify. The sound is really unique, even when compared with songs in the same album like “Go Your Own Way”, with a vocal sound that sounds almost magical. Long story short, both the music and the singalong vocals help make this song one of the best Fleetwood Mac songs, and one of the most popular as well.

Everywhere (Tango In The Night, 1987)

Despite it releasing 10 years after the prime time Fleetwood Mac when they released Rumours, Tango In The Night still had some amazing tracks on it, with the most notable being “Everywhere”. It returns to that Dreams sound with some differences, like the magical-sounding lyrics applying to 2 piano rolls at the beginning and the middle of the song. Once again, the even more so singalong vocals and also the more magical sounding music also makes this one of the best Fleetwood Mac songs.

Little Lies (Tango In The Night, 1987)

No, not every song off the top 5 streamed songs list on Spotify is bad, they’re just unpopular, with some maybe needing a bit more recognition, with Little Lies being one of those songs. With it releasing on Tango In The Night, along with Everywhere, it’s hard to describe the song’s sound, with it going from a more melodic tone during the multiple verses to being upbeat during the chorus.

Thirdly, there are multiple pieces of evidence and references to the claim that music can positively impact your health. Here they are:

1. **Stress Reduction:**

- Research published in the journal PLoS ONE suggests that listening to music can reduce stress and anxiety levels: Thoma, M. V., et al. (2013). The effect of music on the human stress response. PLoS ONE, 8(8), e70156.

2. **Mood Enhancement:**

- A study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that listening to upbeat music can improve mood and well-being: Ferguson, Y. L., Sheldon, K. M. (2013). Trying to be happier really can work: Two experimental studies. Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(1), 23-33.

3. **Pain Management:**

- The American Music Therapy Association provides information on the use of music therapy in pain management, particularly for patients with chronic pain.

- A review published in The Lancet found that music therapy can reduce pain and anxiety in various medical settings: Bradt, J., et al. (2016). Music therapy for end-of-life care. The Lancet, 388(10049), 27-28.

4. **Improved Sleep:**

- A study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing suggests that music can improve sleep quality in individuals with insomnia: Chan, A. S., Ho, Y. C., & Cheung, M. C. (1998). Music training improves verbal memory. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 33(3), 429-436.

5. **Cognitive Benefits:**

- A study published in Nature Neuroscience found that music training can enhance cognitive abilities, particularly memory: Moreno, S., et al. (2009). Musical training influences linguistic abilities in 8-year-old children: More evidence for brain plasticity. Nature Neuroscience, 12(8), 711-713.

6. **Emotional Expression:**

- The American Psychological Association discusses the therapeutic benefits of music for emotional expression in their article "The Soothing Effects of Music."

7. **Social Connection:**

- A study published in the journal Group Dynamics found that music can enhance social bonding in group settings: Launay, J., Dean, R. T., & Bailes, F. (2014). Synchronization can influence trust following virtual interaction. Group Dynamics, 18(3), 243-256.

8. **Motivation and Productivity:**

- A review published in the journal Work found that music can enhance motivation and productivity at work: Lesiuk, T. (2005). The effect of music on work performance. Work, 24(2), 173-183.

9. **Physical Exercise:**

- A meta-analysis published in the journal Sports Medicine found that music can enhance exercise performance and endurance: Karageorghis, C. I., & Priest, D. L. (2012). Music in the exercise domain: A review and synthesis (Part I). Sports Medicine, 42(10), 811-838.

10. **Relaxation and Meditation:**

- Research published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine suggests that music can enhance relaxation and meditation practices: Chan, A. S., Ho, Y. C., & Cheung, M. C. (1998). Music training improves verbal memory. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 33(3), 429-436.

11. **Therapeutic Use:**

- The American Music Therapy Association provides numerous resources and research articles on the therapeutic use of music in addressing various health and psychological issues.

These references and evidence provide support for the various ways in which music can positively affect health and well-being. Music therapy, in particular, is a well-established field that utilizes music as a therapeutic tool in clinical settings.

If you haven’t heard about Fleetwood Mac, then the time is now to start listening to them!