On this day (August 7) in 1987, Lindsey Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac to pursue his solo career. At the time, he had already released a pair of solo albums and had done other work outside the band. However, his blossoming solo career wasn’t the only reason he exited the band. He had felt tension within the group since his breakup from Stevie Nicks, which inspired many legendary songs from the classic 1977 album, Rumours.
The time in which Fleetwood Mac recorded Rumours is the stuff of rock and roll legend. Everyone in the band was going through a breakup. Much of the heartbreak and anger they felt went into lyrics penned for the album. The band moved forward. However, the tension never truly faded. This is especially true for Buckingham and Nicks. Despite that, they were able to continue for another decade before Buckingham decided to leave.
Fleetwood Mac released their most successful album since Rumours, Tango in the Night, in 1987. It was also the end of the road for Buckingham. He penned most of the album’s material, and it started as his third solo record. Then, it became a Fleetwood Mac album.
Why Lindsey Buckingham Left Fleetwood Mac
At the end of the day, Lindsey Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac because he and the other members of the band wanted different things. At the same time, he felt he needed to get away from Stevie Nicks and finally heal after their breakup.
“I needed to get some separation from Stevie, especially because I don’t think I’d ever quite gotten closure on our relationship,” he explained. “I need to get on with the next phase of my creative growth and my emotional growth. When you break up with someone and then for the next 10 years, you have to be around them and do for them and watch them move away from you, it’s not easy,” he added.
Fleetwood Mac replaced Buckingham with Billy Burnette and Rick Vito.
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