Fleetwood Mac
A piano used by members of Fleetwood Mac to compose classic songs such as “Sara” and “Songbird”, before later being played by Freddie Mercury, Elton John, and more, is headed to auction, giving fans a chance to own a piece of musical history.
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The piano in question, a Grand Hamilton is available for bidding via Gotta Have Rock and Roll. Bidding is open until Friday, Dec. 16 with a minimum bid of $50,000. Only a handful of bids are expected, it seems, with an estimated sale range of between $100,000 and $200,000.
The instrument is offered for sale by English singer/songwriter Robbie Patton, who first came across the piano when beginning a lifelong friendship with Stevie Nicks in 1975. “One day, I’m in the house of Stevie and she has two pianos, one of them was this black Grand Hamilton Piano where she wrote most of her songs on,” Patton explained. “She wrote everything on the piano, she really cherished it as her own.”
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Some of the songs composed on the piano include “Songbird” from the band’s 1977 classic Rumours, and “Sara”, which peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 upon its release as the second single from 1979’s Tusk. The piano hit the road that same year, with Patton serving as opening act for the band on their tour.
Christine McVie reportedly used the piano on stage between 1982 and 1983 in support of their Mirage album before it returned to Nicks’ home. The lead single from that album was “Hold Me”, which was co-written by McVie and Patton and peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100. Patton requested the instrument as payment, where it came into his possession and found some famous players in the process.
“I used to work for all the big musicians, Elton John, for four and a half years,” he explained. “John Reid managed Elton John and then Queen. Freddie Mercury even came by for a recording session and used the piano. Elton John used the piano. The people who have touched this piano are crazy!”
Though it has since been refurbished and lacquered, the listing states that the keys have never changed. It also comes with a letter of authenticity signed by Patton, Nicks, and the late McVie in 2015.
Stevie Nicks has shared a powerful performance of her most recent single, “The Lighthouse”, as part of her Election Day eve appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Appearing on the program on Monday (Nov. 4), the iconic Fleetwood Mac frontwoman’s performance was prefaced by host Jimmy Kimmel referring to the track as an “anthem for women’s […]
The tumultuous relationship between Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham has fueled rock ‘n’ roll legend for nearly half a century.
From their early days as a romantic couple to their bitter breakup and subsequent years of creative tension, the duo’s infamous “beef” has fascinated fans and inspired some of the band’s most iconic music.
Now, drummer Mick Fleetwood has expressed his hope for a long-awaited reconciliation between the estranged bandmates in a recent interview with MOJO published Jul. 9.
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“It’s no secret, it’s no tittle-tattle that there is a brick wall there emotionally,” Fleetwood shared. “Stevie’s able to speak clearly about how she feels and doesn’t feel, as does Lindsey. But I’ll say, personally, I would love to see a healing between them – and that doesn’t have to take the shape of a tour, necessarily.”
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Nicks and Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac on New Year’s Eve 1974, after performing as a duo under the name Buckingham Nicks.
Their romantic relationship ended in 1976, just before the band recorded their iconic album Rumours, yet they continued to perform together professionally for many years. They were pivotal in creating the band’s signature sound and were mainstays until 1987, when Buckingham left the group, followed by Nicks in 1990.
Both returned in 1997, only for Buckingham to be fired in 2018.
Following Buckingham’s departure in 2018, he claimed it was “all Stevie’s doing,” alleging that she gave the band an ultimatum that led to his firing.
Nicks refuted his claims: “I did not demand he be fired. Frankly, I fired myself. I proactively removed myself from the band and a situation I considered to be toxic to my well-being. I was done. If the band went on without me, so be it.”
Meanwhile, Fleetwood Mac’s future has been uncertain following the death of longtime member Christine McVie in November 2022.
Both Fleetwood and Nicks have indicated that the band is unlikely to reunite without her. Nicks told MOJO last month, “Without Christine, no can do. There is no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together in any way. Without her, it just couldn’t work.”
“Even if I thought I could work with Lindsey again, he’s had some health problems,” says Nick, referring to Buckingham’s heart surgery in 2019.
“It’s not for me to say, but I’m not sure if Lindsey could do the kind of touring that Fleetwood Mac does, where you go out for a year and half. It’s so demanding.”
Fleetwood echoed that McVie’s death signalled the end of a Fleetwood Mac revival, saying in February last year that he had drawn “a line in the sand” regarding playing with the band again but would be happy if the members continued making music in other projects.
Reflecting on the past year, he said, “It’s been a strange time for me. Losing sweet Christine was catastrophic. And then, in my world, sort of losing the band too. And I [split] with my partner as well. I just found myself sort of licking my wounds.”
Despite the uncertainties, Buckingham expressed in February that he’d rejoin the band “in a heartbeat” if given the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Nicks has been busy with her solo career and is set to headline BST Hyde Park in London on July 12, supported by artists like Baby Queen and Nina Nesbitt. This comes after the music legend was forced to postpone a slew of recent shows “due to illness“.
Fleetwood Mac’s from-the-vaults release Rumours: Live debuts at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Sept. 23). It’s the highest debut on the list for the band in more than 20 years, since the act’s last full-length studio album, Say You Will, opened at No. 2 in May 2003.
Comprised almost entirely of previously unreleased recordings, Rumours: Live captures the band’s Aug. 29, 1977, concert at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., during the act’s Rumours Tour. The trek was in support of its then-most-recent studio release Rumours, which had bowed earlier in 1977. That album would spend 31 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart – still the most weeks at No. 1 for an album by a group. The set launched four top 10-charting hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the group’s lone chart-topper, “Dreams.”
Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, new releases from Olivia Rodrigo, V, Tyler Childers and BOYNEXTDOOR all arrive, while Lauren Daigle’s self-titled album re-enters the chart straight into the top 10 after a deluxe reissue.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Rumours: Live sold a little over 10,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 14, according to Luminate. Among the songs featured on the album are such Hot 100 hits as “Dreams,” “Oh Well,” “Landslide,” “Over My Head,” “Rhiannon,” “You Make Loving Fun” and “Go Your Own Way.” Rumours: Live was available to purchase as a digital download album or in three physical iterations (a 180-gram double vinyl set, a crystal-clear colored double vinyl set sold via Walmart, and a two-CD package). Vinyl accounted for 44.5% of the album’s first-week sales.
At No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts debuts with 150,000 copies sold. Of that sum, physical sales comprise 138,000 (94,000 on vinyl, 43,000 on CD and 1,000 on cassette) and digital download sales comprise 12,000. Guts’ vinyl sales mark the seventh-largest week for a vinyl album since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991.
Guts’ first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across 13 different vinyl variants. Among the variants: a signed edition and exclusive color vinyl and picture-disc editions sold through Amazon, independent record stores, Spotify, Target, Urban Outfitters, Walmart and Rodrigo’s webstore. Guts’ sales also got a boost from four CD editions (including a signed version), a cassette tape and four deluxe boxed sets sold through Rodrigo’s webstore (each containing a CD or vinyl LP along with branded merchandise).
BTS’ V sees his debut solo studio effort Layover enter at No. 2 on Top Album Sales with 88,000 copies sold. Of its first-week sales, physical sales comprise 79,000 (all on CD) and digital download sales comprise a little over 9,000. Layover’s debut was enhanced by its availability in collectible CD offerings – 13 in total.
The set was released in three standard iterations (dubbed Layover 1, Layover 2 and Layover 3, each containing branded paper goods and merchandise specific to the iteration like photobooks, lyric books, posters, postcards and photocards, as well as randomized stickers). Each iteration was also available in variants sold exclusively through Barnes & Noble, Walmart and the Weverse store (a total of nine; and each retailer had its own exclusive photocard enclosed in the three variants). Lastly, Target carried its own exclusive version of the album (with a Target-exclusive photocard), where one of the three iterations of the album (Layover 1, 2 or 3) were sold to the customer (with online buyers randomly shipped one of the three iterations).
Tyler Childers’ Rustin’ in the Rain bows at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 25,000 copies sold. Of that sum, physical sales comprise 17,500 (with 15,000 on vinyl and 2,500 on CD) and digital album sales comprise 7,500. The album was sold in four different vinyl variants, as well as three deluxe boxed sets exclusive to his webstore (each containing a vinyl LP and branded merch).
Taylor Swift’s chart-topping Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a non-mover at No. 5 on Top Album Sales with a little over 9,000 sold (down 3%), NewJeans’ former leader 2nd EP ‘Get Up’ falls 4-8 with nearly 9,000 (down 19%), Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Sour shoots 50-7 with a little over 8,000 (up 288%), and Swift’s former No. 1 Midnights dips 7-8 with nearly 8,000 (up 1%).
Lauren Daigle’s self-titled album re-enters Top Album Sales at No. 9 (nearly 8,000 sold; up 1,255%), prompted by its deluxe reissue on Sept. 8 with additional tracks. The set initially debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the May 27-dated chart. The deluxe edition of the album was released in four vinyl variants (including exclusives for Barnes & Noble and the artist’s webstore), four CD variants (including a Target-exclusive cover variant, a zine/CD package, a signed CD and a lenticular cover version), and was available in two Fan Pack offerings (where a piece of branded merchandise was sold alongside a physical copy of the album).
Rounding out the top 10 of Top Album Sales is BOYNEXTDOOR’s debut album Why.., which starts at No. 10 with nearly 8,000 sold. The K-pop effort was available in eight collectible CD editions (including exclusive iterations sold through Barnes & Noble, Target and the Weverse store), each with a standard set of branded paper goods and merchandise items (photobooks, film photos, posters, stickers, and the like) and randomized items (including photocards and post cards).
The album was initially released to purchase as a digital download album on Sept. 4, followed by its CD release on Sept. 8. In the week ending Sept. 14, CD sales comprised 99.8% of the album’s sales, with digital downloads comprising the remaining 0.2%.
In the week ending Sept. 14, there were 1.766 million albums sold in the U.S. (up 8.3% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.437 million (up 11.6%) and digital albums comprised 328,000 (down 4.1%).
There were 649,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Sept. 14 (up 19.4% week-over-week) and 779,000 vinyl albums sold (up 6.1%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 24.475 million (up 1.5% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 32.66 million (up 20.1%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 70.597 million (up 6.7% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 57.512 million (up 11.3%) and digital album sales total 13.085 million (down 9.9%).
Following the death of Fleetwood Mac legend Christine McVie in November at age 79, her cause of death was revealed on Thursday (April 6).
The star died of a stroke, with a secondary cause of death listed as cancer, according to her death certificate obtained by People and first reported by The Blast. McVie suffered an ischemic stroke, which happens due to decreased blood flow to particular areas of the brain, according to the National Institute of Health. She also reportedly had “metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin,” which indicates that cancer cells were found in her body but medical professionals were unable to determine where the cells spread from, according to the National Cancer Institute.
McVie died on November 30 at age 79. The late icon’s family shared the news via a statement posted to Facebook, which noted that she passed away at a hospital “following a short illness.”
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“She was in the company of her family,” the statement continued. “We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally.”
Fleetwood Mac also shared a band statement, in which they wrote, “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her.”
Following news that Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie died on Wednesday (Nov. 30) at age 79, her former bandmate and longtime creative collaborator Lindsey Buckingham took to Instagram to share a touching, handwritten note mourning his friend.
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“Christine McVie’s sudden passing is profoundly heartbreaking,” he wrote. “Not only were she and I part of the magical family of Fleetwood Mac, to me Christine was a musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate and a sister. For over four decades, we helped each other create a beautiful body of work and a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today. I feel very lucky to have known her. Though she will be deeply missed, her spirit will live on through that body of work and that legacy.”
McVie’s family shared the news of her death via a statement posted to Facebook, which noted that she passed away at a hospital “following a short illness.”
Fleetwood Mac also shared a band statement, in which they wrote, “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her.”
As a duo, Buckingham and McVie worked closely, and in 2017, the two released a studio album together titled Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie, which was filled with songs originally intended for a Fleetwood Mac project. The album peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated July 1, 2017.
Late singer-songwriter Christine McVie, who died Nov. 30 at age 79, left a great impression on Billboard’s charts through the decades, thanks to her pure pop/rock sensibility that often lifted Fleetwood Mac, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band in which she was a longtime member, to incredible heights.
For most of Fleetwood Mac’s hitmaking career, McVie was one of its three primary singers and songwriters, alongside Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Notably, McVie wrote and sang lead vocals on three of the band’s top four biggest hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – including the group’s biggest song, “Hold Me.”
Billboard has exclusively compiled McVie’s top 10 biggest hits on the Hot 100 chart, based on actual performance on the weekly survey. Included were any charted songs by Fleetwood Mac that McVie wrote and on which she sang lead vocals, as well as her solo recordings outside the band.
McVie’s biggest Hot 100 hit is the 1982 Fleetwood Mac song “Hold Me,” which was released as the first single from the band’s Mirage album. It spent a staggering seven weeks at its peak of No. 4 on the weekly Hot 100 chart – a then-record for that peak rank. McVie sang lead vocals on “Hold Me,” and it was written by McVie and Robbie Patton. (Overall, “Hold Me” is Fleetwood Mac’s biggest Hot 100 hit, while the group’s No. 2 hit is its lone chart-topper on the weekly Hot 100 – 1977’s “Dreams,” penned by Nicks, who also sang its lead vocal.)
McVie’s second-biggest all-time Hot 100 hit is “Little Lies,” which was released in 1987 as the third single from Fleetwood Mac’s Tango in the Night album. McVie had lead vocal duties on the cut, and she co-wrote it with her then-husband Eddy Quintela.
Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” – which was solely written by McVie, who shared lead vocals with Buckingham – is her third-biggest Hot 100 hit. The track became one of four top 10-charting singles from the mega-successful Rumours album. The set spent 31 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – still a record for any album by a group.
Fleetwood Mac’s “Say You Love Me” and “You Make Loving Fun” (both singularly written by McVie, who sang lead) round out McVie’s top five biggest Hot 100 hits. The former was released in 1976 as the final single from the band’s self-titled album. It was also the first to feature the lineup of Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Nicks, Christine McVie and her first husband John McVie.
The Buckingham/Fleetwood/Nicks/McVie/McVie lineup would release five studio albums (from 1975’s self-titled set through 1987’s Tango In the Night) and two live albums (1980’s Live and 1997’s The Dance). All four of the act’s No. 1 albums were by that famed lineup, with the self-titled set, Rumours, Mirage and The Dance all topping the Billboard 200.
Christine McVie’s 10 Biggest Billboard Hits recap is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.
Following news that Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie died on Wednesday (Nov. 30) at age 79, her bandmate and longtime friend Stevie Nicks took to social media to mourn the loss of the musical legend.
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“A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away,” she shared in a handwritten letter posted to Twitter, alongside a tender photo of the duo. “I didn’t even know she was ill… until late Saturday night. I wanted to be in London; I wanted to get to London – but we were told to wait. So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around me in my head, over and over and over. I thought I might possibly get to sing it to her, and so, I’m singing it to her now. I always know I would need these words one day.”
Nicks then wrote out the lyrics to a verse and the chorus from Haim’s Women in Music Pt. III track, “Hallelujah,” in which Alana Haim details the feeling of finding out that her own best friend had died. “I had a best friend but she has come to pass / One I wish I could see now / You always remind me that memories will last / These arms reach out / You were there to protect me like a shield / Long hair, running with me through the field / Everywhere, you’ve been with me all along / Why me? How’d I get this hallelujah?” Nicks wrote out the lyrics.
The 74-year-old star signed off her poignant note by writing, “See you on the other side, my love. Don’t forget me.”
McVie’s family shared the news of her death via a statement posted to Facebook, which noted that she passed away at a hospital “following a short illness.”
Fleetwood Mac also shared a band statement, in which they wrote, “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her.”
See Stevie Nicks’ full tribute to Christine McVie below.
Christine McVie, beloved Fleetwood Mac musician and prolific lyricist, died on Wednesday (Nov. 30). She was 79 years old.
The late singer’s family shared the news via a statement posted to Facebook, which noted that she passed away at a hospital “following a short illness.”
“She was in the company of her family,” the statement continued. “We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally.”
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Following the sad news, McVie’s bandmates shared a joint statement to the official Fleetwood Mac Twitter page. “There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie,” the message read. “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her.”
The statement concluded, “Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed.”
McVie had an illustrious, respected career both as a soloist and as a member of Fleetwood Mac, which she joined in 1970. During her time in Fleetwood, the band had 25 Hot 100 hits, including nine top 10s and one No. 1 smash: “Dreams” in 1977.
The group also enjoyed 29 albums that charted on the Billboard 200, including seven top 10s and four No. 1s, including 1977’s Rumours, 1976’s Fleetwood Mac, 1982’s Mirage and 1997’s The Dance.
As a solo artist, McVie was known for hits such as 1984’s “Love Will Show Us How” and “Got a Hold on Me,” the latter of which peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100.
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