Primarily a British blues band, Fleetwood Mac scored a UK number one with "Albatross", and had other hits such as the singles "Oh Well" and "Man of the World". All three guitarists left in succession during the early 1970s, to be replaced by guitarists Bob Welch and Bob Weston and vocalist Dave Walker. By 1974, all three of them had either departed or been dismissed, leaving the band without a male lead vocalist or guitarist. In late 1974, while Fleetwood was scouting studios in Los Angeles, he was introduced to American folk-rock duo Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Fleetwood Mac soon asked Buckingham to be their new lead guitarist, and Buckingham agreed on condition that Nicks would also join the band.
The addition of Buckingham and Nicks gave the band a more pop rock sound, and their 1975 self-titled album, Fleetwood Mac, reached No. 1 in the United States. Rumours (1977), Fleetwood Mac's second album after the arrival of Buckingham and Nicks, produced four U.S. Top 10 singles and remained at number one on the American albums chart for 31 weeks. It also reached the top spot in various countries around the world and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978. Rumours has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums in history. The band went through personal turmoil while recording the album, as both the romantic partnerships in the band (one being John and Christine McVie, and the other being Buckingham and Nicks) separated while continuing to make music together.
The band's personnel remained stable through three more studio albums, but by the late 1980s began to disintegrate. After Buckingham and Nicks each left the band, they were replaced by a number of other guitarists and vocalists. A 1993 one-off performance for the first inauguration of Bill Clinton featured the lineup of Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham back together for the first time in six years. A full reunion occurred four years later, and the group released their fourth U.S. No. 1 album, The Dance (1997), a live compilation of their hits, also marking the 20th anniversary of Rumours. Christine McVie left the band in 1998, but continued to work with the band in a session capacity. Meanwhile, the group remained together as a four-piece, releasing their most recent studio album, Say You Will, in 2003. Christine McVie rejoined the band full-time in 2014. In 2018, Buckingham was fired from the band and was replaced by Mike Campbell, formerly of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House.
Fleetwood Mac has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling bands. In 1979, the group was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1998 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Danny Kirwan, guitarist, songwriter and early member of Fleetwood Mac (1968–1972) died in London, England, on 8 June 2018, aged 68. An obituary in The New York Times said he had died in his sleep after contracting pneumonia earlier in the year. The British music magazine Mojo quoted Christine McVie as saying: "Danny Kirwan was the white English blues guy. Nobody else could play like him. He was a one-off ... Danny and Peter [Green] gelled so well together. Danny had a very precise, piercing vibrato – a unique sound ... He was a perfectionist; a fantastic musician and a fantastic writer." One of Kirwan's songs, "Tell Me All the Things You Do" from the 1970 album Kiln House, was included in the set of the 2018–19 An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour.
On 28 May 2020 Neil Finn, featuring Nicks and McVie, with Campbell on guitar, released the song “Find Your Way Back Home” for the Auckland, New Zealand homeless shelter Auckland City Mission.
Founding member Peter Green died on 25 July 2020 at the age of 73. In October 2020, Rumours again entered the Billboard top 10. The album received 30.6 million plays on streaming platforms the week of October 15, after a TikTok video of the song "Dreams" went viral.
On 30 November 2022, it was announced that band member Christine McVie died at the age of 79, after a short illness.
Never Forget
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a little close to me?
Ooh ooh ooh
Could we ever forget tonight?
Come on baby, let's take a stroll
You're feelin' warm so don't be cold
Ooh ooh ooh
What a wonderful night to be (ooh)
The stars must be my friends
To shine for me
Come on baby, now don't you be cold
Just remember that love is gold
Ooh ooh ooh
And we'd never forget tonight
Oh what a wonderful night to be (ooh)
The stars must be my friends
To shine for me
Come on baby, let's take a stroll
You're feelin' warm so don't be cold
Ooh ooh ooh
But could we ever forget tonight?
We'll never forget tonight
Oh it'll be alright
But we will never forget tonight
Oh it'll be alright
We'll never forget tonight
Oh it'll be alright
We'll never forget tonight
Oh it'll be alright
We'll never forget tonight
Oh it'll be alright
We'll never forget tonight
Oh we'll never forget tonight
We'll never forget tonight
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's song "Never Forget" express the desire for a special moment to be cherished and remembered forever. The singer invites their lover to be close to them, taking a stroll on a wonderful night. The repetition of "we'll never forget tonight" highlights the importance of the moment and the idea that it will never be forgotten.
The chorus, "what a wonderful night to be, the stars must be my friends to shine for me," showcases the beauty of the night, and how it feels like the stars are celebrating with them. The suggestion to not be cold and remember that love is gold is a sentiment inviting the listener to embrace the moment fully.
Overall, the song is an ode to the significance of love and memorable experiences. It is a reminder to always cherish those moments, hold onto them tightly, and never forget them.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on baby, could you ever be Just a little close to me?
The singer wants to be close to the person they are addressing and is asking if they feel the same way.
Could we ever forget tonight?
The singer believes that this moment is special and wants to know if it will be remembered.
Come on baby, let's take a stroll You're feelin' warm so don't be cold
The singer wants to go for a walk with the person they are addressing and is reassuring them that everything is alright.
We will never forget tonight
The artist is sure that this moment will stay with them forever.
What a wonderful night to be (ooh) The stars must be my friends To shine for me
The artist is enjoying the night and feels lucky that the stars are shining just for them.
Just remember that love is gold
The singer wants the person they are addressing to know that love is valuable and should be cherished.
But could we ever forget tonight?
The singer is still unsure if this moment will be remembered.
Oh it'll be alright
The artist is reassuring the person they are addressing that everything will be okay.
Oh we'll never forget tonight
The artist is certain that this moment will stay with them forever.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Christine McVie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Henri Hudson
on Tusk
Why don't you ask him if he's going to stay?
Why don't you ask him if he's going away?