One of the greatest rock bands of all time, Fleetwood Mac, was also responsible for one of the single greatest albums of all time, of really any genre: Rumours. Only the second studio album to feature perfect no-skip rock album.

Released in 1977, roughly a decade after the band's formation, Rumours went 21x platinum, and all four singles reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, giving it the certification and commercial success to back up its legendary status and place in rock history. Much of the lyricism on this album stems from tensions and fighting within Fleetwood Mac, the fallout from which they never quite recovered, but which provided fans with one of the single greatest records of all time.

11 Oh Daddy

Track 10

Christine McVie's soft and deep vocals on "Oh Daddy" are undeniably beautiful, making it almost painful to rank this song at the bottom of the list, but it really is only by default. McVie's vocals are what drive this song, but compared to the rest of the album and aside from those vocals, this track unfortunately just falls a little flat. That said, were this track featured on any other Fleetwood Mac album instead of Rumours, it's possible, even likely, that it would have held up better.

This song is certainly a gorgeous ballad in its entirety, but the way Christine McVie sings the line "Oh Daddy," repeatedly throughout the song with Lindsey Buckingham's guitar in the background is just heavenly to listen to. The bridge is equally beautiful, as McVie sings:

Why are you right when I'm so wrong

I'm so weak but you're so strong

Everything you do is just alright

And I can't walk away from you

Baby, if I tried

Clearly, the lyricism and vocals make for an absolute masterpiece of a song, but overall, "Oh Daddy" sounds more like a Christine McVie song featuring Lindsey Buckingham on guitar, rather than a complete, multi-faceted Fleetwood Mac song.

10 I Don't Want to Know

Track 9

Upbeat with an overall feel-good sound, "I Don't Want to Know" sounds exactly like a complex Fleetwood Mac hit, complete with all the elements that "Oh Daddy" may be lacking. Kicking off with a classic Buckingham guitar sequence, coupled with Mick Fleetwood's robust drum beat, John McVie's steady bassline, and Christine McVie's electric keys all complement Stevie Nicks' high-pitched vocals. Though all parts of this song noticeably shine, it's Buckingham and Nicks that lead the charge in "I Don't Want to Know," which makes sense given that the duo wrote this song prior to ing Fleetwood Mac.

Though all parts of this song noticeably shine, it's Buckingham and Nicks that lead the charge

The most notable part of this track is Buckingham's guitar intro, which, even as a simple chord progression rather than a complicated riff, is instantly recognizable. The way the progression continues after the lyrics begin almost makes it sound like a three-part harmony between Nicks, Buckingham, and his guitar. With a sort of country rock sound, the lyrics discuss ambiguity and confusion in the context of the romance between Buckingham and Nicks, rendering the harmonies and instrumental ensemble all the more poignant in the background.

9 Never Going Back Again

Track 3

Known for one of the most difficult guitar riffs in all of Fleetwood Mac's body of work, "Never Going Back Again" is the track where Lindsey Buckingham really shows off his mastery of his instrument. This song, while utterly beautiful, is credited entirely to Buckingham. The recording consists of his vocals and an impressive showing on the acoustic guitar, making this track feel slightly out of place within the album; even where other tracks may spotlight one member over the rest, this song is completely and solely credited to Buckingham.

This song is also among the more complex tracks on this album, given how well the fast-tempo, major-keyed guitar contrasts with the somber lyrics detailing the bitter end of a relationship:

She broke down and let me in

Made me see where I've been

Been down one time

Been down two time

I'm never going back again

If one didn't know better, they might have assumed the fast tempo to be for a much angrier sound, or looking at the lyrics alone, that this was a slow-tempo, minor-keyed breakup ballad. The juxtaposition between the feel-good sound of the music and the somber and sorrowful tone of the lyrics speaks to just how talented Lindsey Buckingham really is.

8 Gold Dust Woman

Track 11

The last track on the album, "Gold Dust Woman" is slower and darker than the rest of the tracks on Rumours. Exemplifying that sound, Stevie Nicks' vocals on this track are almost eerie, as she sings the chorus:

Well, did she make you cry

Make you break down

Shatter your illusions of love?

And is it over now, do you know how?

Pick up the pieces and go home

Keeping with the theme of love and loss, the lyrics to "Gold Dust Woman" act almost as a response to "Never Going Back Again" from Nicks' perspective, and add to the overall story of the album.

There has been speculation that the "gold dust" in "Gold Dust Woman" is about cocaine—speculation that Stevie Nicks has confirmed in interviews multiple times. The references to addiction issues are sprinkled throughout the lyrics, albeit requiring a bit of interpretation, but there is no shortage of metaphors in this song. On top of the vocals, this is another track in which Buckingham shines on guitar, Christine McVie crushes on the electric piano, and Mick Fleetwood goes absolutely insane on an electric harpsichord. There really couldn't be a better way to close out this album.

7 Second Hand News

Track 1

As perfect a song to close out the album as "Gold Dust Woman" is, "Second Hand News" is an equally perfect way to kick off the album. A near-opposite song, track one of the album is an upbeat, feel-good track that is pretty similar to many of the other songs on Rumours, and does a fantastic job of hyping you up for what's to come. The chorus is absolutely legendary, with Buckingham on lead vocals singing the catchy "Bow bow bow," it's impossible not to sing along.

As perfect a song to close out the album as "Gold Dust Woman" is, "Second Hand News" is an equally perfect way to kick off the album.

The vocal harmonies between Nicks, Buckingham, and Christine McVie are special on this track, primarily because they're all so distinct. Typically, what makes a harmony great is that it blends in with the lead vocals, but not in this case; Stevie Nicks is primarily responsible for the harmony while Buckingham sings the lead, but both of them can be clearly heard, and it actually adds to the listening experience. With all the moving parts working together to introduce what would become the greatest record of the band's career, this is probably the most fun song on the album.

6 Songbird

Track 6

Christine McVie's first vocal ballad on the album, "Songbird" has a much more refined and complete sound than her second vocal ballad, "Oh Daddy." Where "Never Going Back Again" is largely Lindsey Buckingham's song, "Songbird" was written by McVie, who was really the only member of the band to feature on the song as well. Buckingham's acoustic guitar can be heard on occasion throughout the song, but during the recording, he actually sat offstage, simply strumming to help keep the tempo (American Songwriter).

One of the more heartfelt and emotionally raw tracks on Rumours, the song came to McVie in the middle of the night, which one can easily tell given the sound of the piano and the lyrics:

For you, there'll be no more crying

For you, the sun will be shining

Because I feel that when I'm with you

It's alright, I know it's right

McVie both sings and plays from her soul in "Songbird," and that's evident from the first piano chord. Her velvety smooth vocals carry the listener through the song, and if it didn't have the same solo feel that "Never Going Back Again" also has, I think "Songbird" would be a strong contender for the greatest song on this album.

5 Don't Stop

Track 4

One of the only songs on the album that isn't laden with lyrics about the fighting and tension that all five were experiencing with each other, "Don't Stop" is just a positive tune about looking forward to a brighter tomorrow. It was released as the third single from the album in the US, and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart just a few months after its release. Written by Christine McVie with Lindsey Buckingham sharing the lead vocal credit, all five band are present on this track.

It's a Fleetwood Mac classic, as catchy as any other track off of Rumours, with lyrics and an overall sound that both ooze positivity. Funny enough, Christine actually wrote the song about her separation from her husband and fellow band member John McVie, but the contrast between the songs about their breakup versus the Nicks and Buckingham split is like night and day. "Don't Stop" proves just how versatile the band is with their sound, regardless of the music's subject matter.

4 The Chain

Track 7

"The Chain," on the other hand, couldn't be a more stark contrast to "Don't Stop" if the tempo was slowed down to the point of sounding like a ballad. The only song on Rumours that all five contributed to writing, "The Chain" was actually created from a montage of work that each of the five had pitched in the past, but had subsequently been rejected. The resulting track would become a staple of the band's overall sound, and a song with which they would often open their live shows.

After his melodic guitar intro and beautiful vocal harmonies alongside Nicks in the verses, it almost sounds like Buckingham is spitting the famously biting lyrics of the chorus:

And if you don't love me now

You will never love me again

I can still hear you saying

You would never break the chain (never break the chain)

In addition to the song's obvious vocal merits, another aspect that just elevates the song's overall sound is the unconventional instruments. John McVie plays a fretless bass, and Christine McVie plays an organ rather than her typical piano or keys. "The Chain" is a song that you can listen to a hundred times and still discover a new layer on the 101st listen.

3 You Make Loving Fun

Track 8

Christine McVie takes the lead vocals in "You Make Loving Fun," another upbeat song with a relatively positive lyrical message amidst an album full of lyrical turmoil. The final single released from the album, it peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, finalizing all four of the singles from Rumours as top ten hits. Personally, I think "You Make Loving Fun" might be my favorite song on the album, mainly due to the way McVie belts out the word 'believe' in the line, "I never did believe in miracles."

While McVie's vocals tie the song together, the entire musical ensemble fits together beautifully. Not only did this song reach the top of the charts in the U.S., it also peaked at number seven on the Canada Top Singles Chart and 45 on the UK singles chart. It rivals "Songbird" as far as McVie's vocals go, but "You Make Loving Fun" certainly wins out as far as a classic, collaborative, integral Fleetwood Mac song.

2 Go Your Own Way

Track 5

It's hard to say whether there is a more instantly recognizable guitar riff orchestrated by Lindsey Buckingham than the introduction to "Go Your Own Way." With his vocals jumping in to say "Loving you / Isn't the right thing to do" not long after that introduction starts, though, I'd say it's as iconic a performance of his as any. Arguably the catchiest song on the album, the lead single is Buckingham's lyrical peak with regard to his breakup with bandmate Stevie Nicks.

The vocal harmonies that Buckingham shares with Nicks are both beautiful and tragic, given the sheer emotion in both of their voices singing both with and to one another. The chorus alone makes this song a definite earworm, in the best possible way. A quintessential Fleetwood Mac track, it's no wonder "Go Your Own Way" peaked at number 10 on the U.S. charts and reached number one in both Belgium and the Netherlands. Rumours simply wouldn't be the same emotional, multi-faceted and complex hit of an album without "Go Your Own Way."