Classic Albums Live: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Since 2003, Classic Albums Live has taken the greatest albums of all time and recreated them, live, on stage, note for note, cut for cut, using only the best musicians available. Craig Martin, founder of Classic Albums Live, spelled out his goals for each performance. “The audience should think of them as recitals,” he said. “These albums are historic and stand the test of time. We don’t dress up or wear any sort of costume. We just stand there and play. All of our energy is put into the music. We want this performance to sound exactly like the album.”

Rumours was the 11th studio album by Fleetwood Mac and the band’s most successful. Released in 1977, it reached the top of both the U.S. Billboard 200 and the U.K. Albums Chart and won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Several songs, including “Don’t Stop” and “Go Your Own Way” were released as singles and reached the U.S. Top 10. The album went on to sell more than 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry as “culturally, historically or artistically significant” by the Library of Congress.

Classic Albums Live puts on more than 100 shows a year across North America. Martin has his own theory about the reason for the program’s success. “We created something that endures and connects,” he said. “These albums are sacred to people. We deliver exactly what we promote: note for note and cut for cut accuracy. It’s this type of accountability that works for the series.”

In a retrospective look at the album, reviewer Stephen Erlewine said that “each tune, each phrase, regains its raw immediate emotional power. That is why it touched a nerve upon its 1977 release and has since transcended its era to be one of the greatest, most compelling pop albums of all time.”

You can hear it live. Think about tomorrow and get your tickets now.