Stevie Nicks has revisited the story behind “Landslide,” recalling how she wrote the Fleetwood Mac classic in Aspen, Colorado, in 1973, while questioning whether she and Lindsey Buckingham should stay together.
At the time, the couple were struggling to get their music career off the ground. Their album Buckingham Nicks had failed to find an audience, and their record label had dropped them. Buckingham had taken a job touring with former Everly Brothers singer Don Everly, but that opportunity had also fallen through. Nicks was left wondering whether their musical ambitions — and their relationship — had a future.
Speaking at the City of Hope 2026 Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Spirit of Life Gala in Los Angeles on October 27, Nicks recalled the uncertainty that inspired the song.
“I wrote this song in Aspen, Colorado, when I was deciding whether or not Lindsey [Buckingham] and I should continue,” she said (via People).
The couple ultimately stayed together and joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, bringing “Landslide” with them. The song appeared on the band’s self-titled album that year and has since sold more than two million copies.
“Well, it was a long time ago and 930,000 years later, we still continued,” Nicks joked.
She also recalled the setting that inspired the song, describing how she was looking out over “the snow-covered hills in this beautiful house” in the Colorado mountains.
“I’m like, okay, because I’m so poor that just sitting in this house when you’re looking out at this view is so fantastic, I’m going to write a fantastic song,” she said.
Nicks also revealed that the acoustic guitar she had brought along wasn’t exactly an ideal songwriting instrument.
“I just happened to bring my Goya, which I could hardly play, but I thought it looked good so I wrote this song,” she said.
“Landslide” would go on to become one of Fleetwood Mac’s most enduring songs, its reflections on change and uncertainty resonating with generations of listeners.
The band’s story is also set to receive the documentary treatment with Fleetwood Mac: The Chain, which premieres on Apple TV on January 29, 2027.
Directed by Frank Marshall and produced by The Kennedy/Marshall Company and White Horse Pictures, the documentary was announced in 2024. Its official synopsis promises to take fans through the band’s highs and lows, exploring “the exceptional ingredients each member brought to the band’s uncommon alchemy.”
Buckingham offered an encouraging update on the project in August, describing the filmmaking process as “a very circular healing process for all of us.”
“Next year should be a pretty interesting year, because I think quite a few things will reveal themselves,” he added.
