Few things can actually help soothe the pain of a broken heart, but sometimes the right song at the right moment can make all the difference. There's just something about music that can be so affirming, but that also allows you the opportunity to get lost in the moment, both of which are exactly what you need when dealing with the post-breakup blues. When it comes to songs about heartache, few bands nail it quite as powerfully as Fleetwood Mac. As for which Fleetwood Mac songs to listen to after a breakup, the answer is technically: All. Of. Them. However, there are a few that stand out from the rest.
These songs pair Stevie Nicks' endlessly aching vocals with lyrics that speak directly to your heart, so that while you might be hurting you can know that you're not in your pain alone. Perhaps even more importantly, these songs don't only embrace the heartache, but also offer a bittersweet (yet ultimately hopeful) message for how you grow and who you're going to become on the other side — because these feelings won't last forever. With that in mind, here are the Fleetwood Mac songs to add to your breakup playlist.
I know there's nothin' to say / Someone has taken my place / When times go bad/ When times go rough/ Won't you lay me down in tall grass / And let me do my stuff
The first track from “Rumours,” which is arguably the greatest breakup album of all time, really speaks to that need to just go inward and just be left alone for a little bit to process your emotions.
Like a heartbeat drives you mad / In the stillness of remembering what you had / And what you lost / And what you had / Ooh, what you lost
For when you know you’re the one that got away, but they haven’t realized it yet, “Dreams” says it all for you.
She broke down and let me in / Made me see where I've been / Been down one time / Been down two times / I’m never going back again
For those moments when you feel your resolve wavering, “Never Going Back Again” is about putting the pain and memories in the past and finding a new path to move forward.
Well, I've been 'fraid of changin' / 'Cause I've built my life around you / But time makes you bolder / Even children get older / And I'm gettin' older, too
Letting go of a relationship can sometimes be more than painful; it can be a little bit scary because it has such an impact on your life and your vision for what your life was going to be. But time moves on and you can too.
It's hard to think about what you've wanted / It's hard to think about what you've lost / This doesn't have to be the big get even / This doesn't have to be anything at all
With the pain of a breakup can come anger at the way you’ve been treated or haven't been appreciated, and it can sometimes feel good just to embrace it a little. This song gets it.
I knew him another way / I knew him another day / In some ways he'd forgotten me / In many ways he got to me / I turned away so he couldn't see / I turned away... it could never be / I never thought he could walk away / But I lost him again... yesterday
It’s OK to have a little wallow as you mourn for what could have been. In those moments, “Blue Denim” is your new anthem.
Oh there's no warning / That takes you to the promised land / Hearts made of crystal / Crumble like castles of sand
“Love is Dangerous” is another song to just let yourself get lost in while you process your feelings and the fragility of love. Sigh.
No more broken hearts / We're better off apart / Let's give it a try / Tell me, tell me, tell me lies
When you've ended a relationship with someone you know isn’t right for you, but your heart still wants what it wants, this song just hits a little different.
Listen to the wind blow / Watch the sun rise / Run in the shadows / Damn your love / Damn your lies
On an album full of breakup songs, “The Chain” may be the best of the bunch because it speaks to the pain and frustration of someone you love falling out of love with you. Plus, it’s a total banger.
Time cast a spell on you but you won't forget me / I know I could've loved you / But you would not let me
When you’re ready to put your heartbreak in the rear view, this song is about accepting it's over and moving on.
If it seems like Fleetwood Mac gets whatever you're feeling in the aftermath of a relationship, it's because they do. Throughout the band's history, its bandmates were embroiled in various relationships and breakups with one another — and it shows.
