Tango in the Night cover art

  Studio Album · No. 14

Tango in the Night Songwriting Credits by Fleetwood Mac

1987 Warner Bros. 12 tracks 44 min

Produced by Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut  ·  Engineered by Greg Droman

Warner Bros. Pop RockSoft Rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Fleetwood Mac carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
12 trackswritten by Fleetwood Mac 0 tracksoutside writers
Fleetwood Mac's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
6
Lyricists
2
Producers
15 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1987
Released
Data Insight

Tango in the Night was the last album by the classic Buckingham, Nicks, and McVie lineup, written by those three with Lindsey Buckingham producing and shaping its polished, layered pop sound. It became one of the band's biggest sellers, second only to Rumours.

Tango in the Night is the fourteenth studio album by Fleetwood Mac, released in April 1987 on Warner Bros. Records and produced by Buckingham and Richard Dashut. It was recorded almost entirely in Buckingham's home studio over an 18-month period, and was the final album to feature the full classic five-member lineup before Buckingham's acrimonious departure from the band in 1987. The album was the band's most successful UK release, spending two years on the UK Albums Chart and selling over 4 million copies in the UK alone; while it did not match Rumours' US dominance, it reached number seven on the Billboard 200 and generated three top-twenty singles. Buckingham, Nicks, and McVie each contributed songs; Buckingham's 'Big Love' (recorded with a detailed fingerpicking guitar arrangement as the rhythmic foundation) and 'Little Lies' (Christine McVie's catchy synth-pop composition) were the principal singles, with 'Everywhere' and 'Seven Wonders' also reaching top-twenty positions in the UK and US. The album's recording circumstances were shaped by Nicks's declining health (she was struggling with substance abuse throughout the sessions) and Buckingham's increasing frustration with what he perceived as the band's creative stagnation, resulting in his resignation shortly after the album's completion and before the promotional tour could begin. Tango in the Night is the commercial and creative peak of the band's second decade and the last great document of the classic Buckingham/Nicks/McVie creative partnership.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Big Love #5
Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
2
Seven Wonders #19
Stevie NicksSandy Stewart Stevie NicksSandy Stewart Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Stevie Nicks (Vocals)Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
3
Everywhere #14
Christine McVie Christine McVie Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
4
Caroline
Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
5
Tango in the Night
Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
6
Mystified
Lindsey BuckinghamChristine McVie Lindsey BuckinghamChristine McVie Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
7
Little Lies #4
Christine McVieEddy Quintela Christine McVieEddy Quintela Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
8
Family Man
Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
9
Welcome to the Room...Sara
Stevie Nicks Stevie Nicks Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Stevie Nicks (Vocals)Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
10
Isn't It Midnight
Christine McVieEddy QuintelaLindsey Buckingham Christine McVieEddy QuintelaLindsey Buckingham Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
11
When I See You Again
Stevie Nicks Stevie Nicks Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)
12
You and I, Part II
Lindsey BuckinghamChristine McVie Lindsey BuckinghamChristine McVie Lindsey BuckinghamRichard Dashut Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar, Vocals)Stevie Nicks (Vocals)Christine McVie (Keyboards, Vocals)John McVie (Bass)Mick Fleetwood (Drums)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 8 contributors

More from Fleetwood Mac

Frequently Asked Questions Tango in the Night

Who wrote the songs on Tango in the Night?
The album was written by the band's three songwriters, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, and Stevie Nicks, with some co-writing from Eddy Quintela and Sandy Stewart.
Was Tango in the Night the last studio album by the classic Fleetwood Mac lineup?
Yes. Tango in the Night was the final studio album by the famous Buckingham, Nicks, and McVie lineup before Buckingham left the band.
What were the hit singles from Tango in the Night?
Little Lies reached number four, Big Love number five, Everywhere number 14, and Seven Wonders number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
How well did Tango in the Night sell?
It sold over 15 million copies worldwide, making it the band's second best-selling album after Rumours, and is certified three times platinum in the US.
Who produced Tango in the Night?
Lindsey Buckingham produced it with Richard Dashut, building its detailed, heavily layered sound largely in Buckingham's home studio.
Why did Lindsey Buckingham leave after Tango in the Night?
Buckingham declined to tour behind Tango in the Night and left the band in 1987, ending the classic lineup's studio run.

Sources