Band

Fleetwood Mac

Active1967-2023
OriginLondon, England
Albums17
Tracks208

Most frequent collaborator: Richard Dashut  ·  55 tracks

Soft RockPop RockBlues RockHard RockClassic Rock
88%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 182 of 208 tracks

Did Fleetwood Mac write their own songs?

Yes, and unusually they had three separate songwriters. Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie each wrote and sang their own material, so nearly every song is credited to a band member. Nicks wrote 'Dreams' and 'Rhiannon,' Buckingham wrote 'Go Your Own Way,' and Christine McVie wrote 'Don't Stop.'

By the Numbers

17
Studio Albums
208
Tracks Credited
88%
Self-Written
120M+
Records Sold
56
Years Active
56
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 182 / 208 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 208 tracks: how many Fleetwood Mac wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Fleetwood Mac has a writing credit88%
72%
15%
13%
Sole author150tracks72%
Co-written32tracks15%
Outside writers26tracks13%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Fleetwood Mac's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 208 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)87%
Composer (music)88%
Producer88%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 208 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Stevie Nicks 1975-1991, 1997-2023
15%
15%
0%
40%
Lindsey Buckingham Former 1975-1987, 1997-2018
18%
18%
21%
40%
Christine McVie Died November 30, 2022 1970-1998, 2014-2022
24%
24%
5%
68%
John McVie 1967-2023
3%
3%
0%
31%
Mick Fleetwood 1967-2023
2%
2%
0%
31%
Peter Green Former 1967-1970
8%
8%
0%
18%
Danny Kirwan Former 1968-1972
10%
10%
0%
20%
Jeremy Spencer Former 1967-1971
5%
5%
0%
17%
Bob Welch Former 1971-1974
11%
11%
5%
24%
Dave Walker Former 1972-1973
0%
0%
0%
0%
Bob Weston Former 1973
1%
1%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Fleetwood Mac's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 88%
67%
75%
100%
70%
100%
90%
89%
92%
100%
91%
100%
100%
100%
100%
62%
46%
100%
1968Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
1968Mr. Wonderful
1969Then Play On
1970Kiln House
1971Future Games
1972Bare Trees
1973Penguin
1973Mystery to Me
1974Heroes Are Hard to Find
1975Fleetwood Mac
1977Rumours
1979Tusk
1982Mirage
1987Tango in the Night
1990Behind the Mask
1995Time
2003Say You Will
Early · 83% written
Mid · 96% written
Late · 82% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

82%
1960s
Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Mr. Wonderful +1 more
93%
1970s
Kiln House, Future Games +7 more
100%
1980s
Mirage, Tango in the Night
54%
1990s
Behind the Mask, Time
100%
2000s
Say You Will

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Fleetwood Mac sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Fleetwood Mac
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Celine Dion2%
Backstreet Boys25%
Eric Clapton40%
Michael Jackson51%
Santana59%
The Rolling Stones75%
Journey99%
88%Fleetwood Mac
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Rhiannon
Fleetwood Mac
Written by Stevie Nicks
Wrote it
Say You Love Me
Fleetwood Mac
Written by Christine McVie
Wrote it
Over My Head
Fleetwood Mac
Written by Christine McVie
Wrote it
Dreams
Rumours
Written by Stevie Nicks
Wrote it
Don't Stop
Rumours
Written by Christine McVie
Wrote it
You Make Loving Fun
Rumours
Written by Christine McVie
Wrote it
Go Your Own Way
Rumours
Written by Lindsey Buckingham
Wrote it
Tusk
Tusk
Written by Lindsey Buckingham
Wrote it
Sara
Tusk
Written by Stevie Nicks
Wrote it
Hold Me
Mirage
Written by Christine McVie, Robbie Patton
Co-wrote
Gypsy
Mirage
Written by Stevie Nicks
Wrote it
Love in Store
Mirage
Written by Christine McVie, Jim Recor
Co-wrote
Little Lies
Tango in the Night
Written by Christine McVie, Eddy Quintela
Co-wrote
Big Love
Tango in the Night
Written by Lindsey Buckingham
Wrote it
Everywhere
Tango in the Night
Written by Christine McVie
Wrote it
Seven Wonders
Tango in the Night
Written by Stevie Nicks, Sandy Stewart
Co-wrote
Save Me
Behind the Mask
Written by Christine McVie, Eddy Quintela
Co-wrote
Peacekeeper
Say You Will
Written by Lindsey Buckingham
Wrote it

Discography 17 albums

Covers all 17 studio albums.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Fleetwood Mac208 tracks
RD55 KC43 MV24 MB21 RC18 BB16

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. RD Richard Dashut · KC Ken Caillat · MV Mike Vernon · MB Martin Birch · RC Rob Cavallo · BB Billy Burnette

The Writers & Producers Behind Fleetwood Mac 6 key collaborators

RD
Richard Dashut
Producer
Rumours / Tusk / Mirage / Tango in the Night55 tracks
KC
Ken Caillat
Producer
Rumours / Tusk / Mirage43 tracks
MV
Mike Vernon
Producer
Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac / Mr. Wonderful24 tracks
MB
Martin Birch
Producer
Penguin / Mystery to Me21 tracks
RC
Rob Cavallo
Producer
Say You Will18 tracks
BB
Billy Burnette
Songwriter & Performer
Behind the Mask / Time16 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Fleetwood Mac's member credit table reveals something almost unique in rock: three completely independent songwriters (Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Christine McVie) each contributing substantial but wholly distinct catalogs within the same band. Nicks's column lights up for her songs, Buckingham's for his, McVie's for hers, while John McVie and Mick Fleetwood's composer columns are nearly blank. The data makes the creative architecture of the band visible at a glance: a confederation of solo artists who happened to record together, not a collaborative songwriting unit.

Quick Facts

  • Classic lineupBuckingham, Nicks, C. McVie, Fleetwood, J. McVie
  • Three songwritersBuckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie each wrote hits
  • RumoursAround 40 million copies, one of the best-selling albums ever
  • GrammysAlbum of the Year for Rumours (1978)
  • Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998)

Creative Fingerprint

A band with three separate hit-writers: Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie each wrote their own songs, so the catalogue is almost entirely self-written across three distinct voices.

The Story

Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band formed in London in 1967. Founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood, and bassist John McVie, the band began as a British blues outfit before evolving through several lineups into one of the best-selling musical acts of all time. The 1975 arrival of singer-songwriters Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham transformed the band into a pop-rock powerhouse, joining keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie to create an extraordinary three-songwriter dynamic. Their 1977 album Rumours, recorded amid personal turmoil between band members, became one of the best-selling albums in history.

Awards & Recognition

Over 120 million records sold, one of the best-selling musical acts of all time
Rumours (1977) won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and has sold around 40 million copies worldwide
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998
Rumours is certified Diamond in the US, with over 19 million copies sold there, and ranks among the ten best-selling albums in history

Frequently Asked Questions Fleetwood Mac

Did Fleetwood Mac write their own songs?
Yes, and unusually they had three separate songwriters. Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie each wrote and sang their own material, so nearly every song is credited to a band member. Nicks wrote 'Dreams' and 'Rhiannon,' Buckingham wrote 'Go Your Own Way,' and Christine McVie wrote 'Don't Stop.'
Who wrote the songs on Rumours?
The band's three songwriters split them. Stevie Nicks wrote 'Dreams,' Lindsey Buckingham wrote 'Go Your Own Way,' Christine McVie wrote 'Don't Stop' and 'You Make Loving Fun,' and 'The Chain' is credited to all five members.
Who wrote 'Dreams'?
Stevie Nicks wrote 'Dreams' (Rumours, 1977), one of the band's signature songs and a defining track of the album.
Who wrote 'Go Your Own Way'?
Lindsey Buckingham wrote 'Go Your Own Way' (Rumours, 1977), widely read as being aimed at his relationship with Stevie Nicks during the album's turbulent recording.
Who wrote 'Don't Stop'?
Christine McVie wrote 'Don't Stop' (Rumours, 1977), which became one of the band's most enduring and widely used songs.
How many records has Fleetwood Mac sold?
More than 120 million worldwide, making them one of the best-selling musical acts of all time.
How many albums has Fleetwood Mac released?
This catalogue covers 17 studio albums, from Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (1968) through the early blues years to the Buckingham-Nicks era and beyond.
Did Fleetwood Mac win a Grammy?
Yes. Rumours won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, presented in 1978. The band was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Is Rumours one of the best-selling albums ever?
Yes. Rumours has sold around 40 million copies worldwide and is certified Diamond in the US, ranking among the ten best-selling albums in history.
Why did Fleetwood Mac have three songwriters?
The 1975 lineup brought together three established writers: Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, who joined as a duo, and Christine McVie, already in the band. Each kept writing and singing their own songs, which gave the group an unusually deep and varied catalogue.

Sources

Wikipedia: Fleetwood Mac Wikipedia: Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (album) Wikipedia: Then Play On Wikipedia: Fleetwood Mac (album) Wikipedia: Rumours Wikipedia: Tusk (album) Wikipedia: Mirage (Fleetwood Mac album) Wikipedia: Tango in the Night Wikipedia: Say You Will