Landslide is probably Fleetwood Mac’s most popular song. It is part of their eponymous album, released in 1975, the first with Stevie Nicks on vocals and Lindsey Buckingham on guitar after they accepted to join the band. Although it was never released as a single, the lyrical strength and sentiment behind it have made it a fan favourite.
The song is cherished by Stevie Nicks herself, who still sings it during her solo shows. The last two Fleetwood Mac concerts where Nicks and Buckingham performed Landslide together took place in 2017 at New York’s Citi Field, and 2018 at Radio City Music Hall. That same year Buckingham was fired from the band and replaced by Neil Finn.
Throughout the performance it is palpable how, despite the tumultuous past, the fondness between the two musicians is still there. It is known indeed that Nicks was partially inspired by her relationship with the guitarist when writing the lyrics of the song. Landslide talks about her inner turmoil and the fear of losing everything in a moment. It is a metaphor for how growing up means becoming aware of the challenges and uncertainty about the future.
During some interviews Stevie Nicks mentioned that she wrote the song during a rough time of her life. The album recorded with Lindsey Buckingham was not as successful as she hoped, the record label dropped them and Nicks was working as a waitress and cleaning lady. Due to their financial difficulties, the pair, who were still a couple at the time, were living at a friend’s house. Nicks did not know whether to continue their relationship – both from a sentimental and working point of view.
They eventually decided to carry on, and within a couple of months they were called by Mick Fleetwood to join his band. And the rest is history. Stevie Nicks has always stood out for her ability to channel her emotions into her lyrics and music, and this provides that intimacy and authenticity that has made her the successful musician she is now.
Regarding her working relationship with Lindsey Buckingham, she declared that she would no longer work with him in the future because of personal reasons.