The Greatest American Music: Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide"

I go through phases of what style of music I want to listen to all the time. I’ll go with hip hop for a good long time, then switch to rock. I’ll listen to the blues, then transition to folk. I’ll do some prog rock and that will shift to classic rock. Lately I’ve been on a classic rock kick.

It all started about a week ago when I decided I wanted to revisit Jimi Hendrix. He’s one of my all time favorites, and I hadn’t listened to him for quite some time. So, I have been listening to him pretty much nonstop, with some ELO, Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Band, among others, peppered in. Spotify has recognized this, and they’ve made a mix for me that is focused on this genre, or generation, of music. It’s a bit scary, because AI is definitely taking over, but also cool because it reintroduces, and sometimes, introduces me to people and songs I haven’t heard of, or heard in awhile. That very thing happened this morning.

My wife is a big Fleetwood Mac fan, and she’s turned me into somewhat of a fan. I enjoy, and respect the hell out of Lindsay Buckingham’s guitar playing. I think Stevie Nicks is a wonderful singer and I appreciate the music they made going through all the stuff they went through. Look up Fleetwood Mac’s history, it’s intense. Anyway, while on my way to run this morning the song “Landslide” came on and I was moved.

Now, this song has a whole new meaning to me since my wedding. Most people, I assume, when they get married, one of the people that got married dances with their mother, with the mother picking the song. I did this, and my mom picked “Landslide”. At the time I didn’t listen to Fleetwood Mac. I knew of them, but never listened to their music. When we danced to this song, with our family and friends watching, we were both very emotional. It was happy emotions, but I was crying, as was my mom. The lyrics moved me. The way Nicks sings is amazing. The guitar was beautiful. I immediately loved the song. I listened to it a ton on my honeymoon, and when we got home, I listened even more. I really started to indulge in Fleetwood Mac after my mom picked that song. Then I just kind of stopped listening to them. Sure, “Rumours” would be played here and there, but I didn’t hear a ton of Fleetwood Mac or “Landslide”.

Then it came on today. I turned the song up right away and let myself get lost. I returned to my wedding. I let the song totally wash over me, and it was magical. I most definitely teared up. I found myself not even singing along, just simply listening. As I said, I returned to my wedding and dancing to this song with my mom. We didn’t know it at the time, but she was going through some medical stuff, and thinking about that made me tear up as well. When Nicks sings, and it’s so simple, but so true, “children get older, and I’m getting older too”, or, “cause I’ve built my life around you, but time makes you bolder”, I mean come on, that’s moving. My mom did build her life around me and my brothers after we were born. She did it all for us. My dad did too, but I didn’t dance to “Landslide” with him. This was for my mom. I think she was trying to tell me these things through the song. Well mom, I get it now and I adore that this was the song you picked. This song is so important in my life now that, my wife and I performed it for my mom for her birthday a few years back. And yes, tears were shed again.

“Landslide” was already a great song, and now, being older, being married and having kids of my own, it means so, so much more to me. I love you mom and I thank you Fleetwood Mac for making such a meaningful song. It’s truly wonderful.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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