Sometimes a random song is all it takes to send you down a rabbit hole. That’s exactly what happened this week — I was just jamming through some tunes when a Fleetwood Mac track came on and stopped me in my tracks. It hit me that we hadn’t taken a proper deep dive into Fleetwood Mac in a while, and considering how many incarnations this band has had, it was long overdue. So this week, Rolling with Scissors takes a curated journey through one of rock’s most fascinating evolutions — from raw British blues to polished, California-tinged perfection.
Fleetwood Mac didn’t start as the soft-rock juggernaut most people remember. Back in 1967, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie — all veterans of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers — formed a straight-up blues outfit in London. Their early sound was gritty and rooted in the traditions of the Delta, but with a uniquely British edge. Albums like Then Play On (1969) capture that raw, exploratory energy. You can hear Green’s guitar singing one minute and growling the next, balancing emotion and chaos in a way that foreshadowed the turbulence that would define Fleetwood Mac’s story.
After Green’s departure and a few lineup shifts, the band entered its Kiln House era — a transitional period led by Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer that kept one foot in the blues but reached toward pop and rock textures. It’s a fascinating bridge between worlds, and tonight’s second hour captures that moment when Fleetwood Mac was still searching for its new identity.
Everything changed in 1975 when Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined. That lineup — with Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie — became the iconic version of Fleetwood Mac that would conquer the world. The self-titled Fleetwood Mac (1975) reinvented the band’s sound with melodic hooks, layered harmonies, and a warmth that defined a decade. Then came Rumours (1977) — one of the best-selling and most emotionally charged albums ever made. The songs were confessions set to perfect production: heartbreak, ego, lust, and love all wrapped up in some of the tightest pop-rock ever recorded.
Now, let’s be honest — there’s absolutely no way to cover everything Fleetwood Mac ever did in one night. Their catalog spans decades, countless lineup changes, and enough creative phases to fill an encyclopedia. So instead of trying to play it all, I cherry-picked a set that captures the heart of their evolution — the moments that show how they got from the smoky blues clubs of London to the top of the California charts. It’s not comprehensive, but it’s a hell of a ride.
Fleetwood Mac’s story is one of reinvention, resilience, and raw creative chemistry. For more than fifty years, they’ve been a reminder that great music often comes from beautiful disasters.
Hour 1
Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label – Year
Fleetwood Mac – Coming Your Way – 03:47 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Closing My Eyes – 04:55 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Show-Biz Blues – 03:54 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – My Dream – 03:33 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Underway – 02:54 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Oh Well – 09:02 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Although The Sun Is Shining – 02:25 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Rattlesnake Shake – 03:30 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Searching For Madge – 06:58 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Fighting For Madge – 02:48 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – When You Say – 04:32 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Like Crying – 02:24 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Fleetwood Mac – Before The Beginning – 03:26 – Then Play On – Warner Bros / Wea – 1969
Hour 2
Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label – Year
Fleetwood Mac – This Is the Rock – 02:51 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Station Man – 05:51 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Blood on the Floor – 02:47 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Hi Ho Silver – 03:08 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Jewel Eyed Judy – 03:19 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Buddy’s Song – 02:12 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Earl Gray – 04:04 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – One Together – 03:27 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Tell Me All the Things You Do – 04:15 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Mission Bell – 02:33 – Kiln House – Reprise Records – 1970
Fleetwood Mac – Monday Morning – 02:49 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Warm Ways – 03:53 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Blue Letter – 02:41 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Rhiannon – 04:10 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Over My Head – 03:38 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Crystal – 05:12 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Hour 3
Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label – Year
Fleetwood Mac – Say You Love Me – 04:10 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Landslide – 03:19 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – World Turning – 04:24 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Sugar Daddy – 04:09 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – I’m So Afraid – 04:30 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Jam #2 – 05:42 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Say You Love Me (Single Version) – 04:03 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win) (Single Version) – 03:48 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Over My Head (Single Version) – 03:09 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Blue Letter (Single Version) – 02:43 – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records – 1975
Fleetwood Mac – Second Hand News – 02:43 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams – 04:15 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – Never Going Back Again – 02:15 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way – 03:40 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – Songbird – 03:12 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – The Chain – 04:26 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – You Make Loving Fun – 03:34 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – I Don’t Want To Know – 03:11 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – Oh Daddy – 03:53 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977
Fleetwood Mac – Gold Dust Woman – 03:11 – Rumours – Warner Bros. Records – 1977 [fade out]
Rolling with Scissors airs live every Tuesday from 2–5 AM on 89.9 FM in Madison and streams at wortfm.org. Missed it? You can catch the episode for two weeks after broadcast at archive.wortfm.org or at rws.osmondtech.com/.
While the audio disappears after two weeks, the episode notes and playlists don’t. Every deep dive, rant, and full album breakdown stays right here — so you can revisit the details any time.
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