10 Classic Rock Albums to Listen to if You Love Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Album of All Time

The Timeless Sound of Classic Rock: From Fleetwood Mac to Steely Dan

You might not usually like listening to music that’s many decades old, but even if that’s the case, there’s a not bad chance you make an exception for Fleetwood Mac. If not, that’s okay, but that guess/assumption is made because Fleetwood Mac feels particularly approachable for a pop/rock band of their era (when they were at their peak, in other words), and some of the band’s music is pretty close to timeless.

Aja: Steely Dan’s Mellow Sound

10 ‘Aja’ (1977) Steely Dan

Steely Dan is a strange band, much of that coming about because they epitomize a genre that is genuinely called “yacht rock,” and because they’re literally called Steely Dan. Who calls a band Steely Dan? It turns out, there is a reason, or a source of that name, but if you go digging trying to find out, you might regret it. It’s a possible case of “the less you know, the better.” Aja is being included here because it is a mellow sort of rock that you kind of just put on and zone out to.

The Nightfly: Donald Fagen’s Solo Album

9 ‘The Nightfly’ (1982) Donald Fagen

Hopefully not too much of a hot take, but Donald Fagen’s solo album, The Nightfly, might be better than any of the other albums he did as part of Steely Dan. There’s even more of a lean toward pop here, over rock (rock of the yacht variety or otherwise), and it’s all almost a bit too smooth. Yet The Nightfly makes it work, or maybe it’s just that the shortcomings are easier to overlook when you’ve got a song as great as “I.G.Y.” kicking the whole thing off.

Tusk: Fleetwood Mac’s Double Album

8 ‘Tusk’ (1979) Fleetwood Mac

Two years on from Rumours, Fleetwood Mac kept the momentum going to some extent, with Tusk, as there are songs here that are appealing in similar ways to many of the songs from Rumours, though it’s also a bit rougher and more intense at other times. It’s a double album, running for nearly 74 minutes, and with 20 tracks all up, so there are, pretty much literally, twice as many opportunities to play around and experiment a bit.

Graceland: Paul Simon’s Musical Masterpiece

7 ‘Graceland’ (1986) Paul Simon

Very mellow as a rock album, and probably more pop, all the while also having other influences from a wide variety of genres, here’s Graceland, which could well be the best album Paul Simon was involved with (and that does include those he did while part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel). It’s musically creative and then lyrically, Graceland also tackles a whole bunch of topics, with some songs being socially conscious, and others being a little more introspective.

Tapestry: Carole King’s Introspective Sound

6 ‘Tapestry’ (1971) Carole King

The softness of the rock here is so soft it might well be a marshmallow, yet it’s still a classic and probably the kind of thing most people who like Fleetwood Mac would also like, so here’s Tapestry, by Carole King. It leans more toward the singer-songwriter side of things, with soft rock being a secondary genre, and it is quite mellow and gentle in sound, while having introspective and sometimes bittersweet lyrics that aren’t afraid to get emotional.

After the Gold Rush: Neil Young’s Folk Rock

5 ‘After the Gold Rush’ (1970) Neil Young

It was difficult here, as with Neil Young, After the Gold Rush does not feel as rock-focused as some of his other classic albums (like the kinda-sorta live album that is Rust Never Sleeps), though there is still some rock here. It’s folk rock, and occasionally harder rock, and often downbeat. Still counts, though.

And it is indeed a gentle album and an oftentimes moving one as well. Further, After the Gold Rush is an amazing album.

Hats: The Blue Nile’s Sophisti-Pop

4 ‘Hats’ (1989) The Blue Nile

It’s hard to know what to say about Hats by The Blue Nile beyond being all, “Damn, this thing was really ahead of its time and stuff,” which isn’t very meaningful ary, but it doesn’t make it wrong. It’s ahead of its time in some ways while also feeling very in line with certain traits associated with music in the 1980s, just in a unique way and with a certain atmosphere that sets it apart from its contemporaries.

Layla: Derek and The Dominos’ Rock Classic

3 ‘Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs’ (1970) Derek and The Dominos

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs rocks the hardest of all the albums featured here, and so, yes, it probably qualifies most as “classic rock” in the traditional sense, and to a greater extent than Rumours. If the sound isn’t too Rumours, why include it, then? Well, lyrically, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is almost aggressively about love and its hardships (it’s in the album’s title and all), and so it works as a possible break-up album in a comparable way to Rumours.

Hounds of Love: Kate Bush’s Creative Masterpiece

2 ‘Hounds of Love’ (1985) Kate Bush

It feels a little silly trying to tie Kate Bush to any genre, though if you really want to argue that Hounds of Love is too far removed from rock (like, any kind), then you’re welcome to. But it’s here because it’s a moving and creative album that’s very easy to appreciate and enjoy, even when it’s being kind of unusual and even borderline-challenging (see the album’s second half, for example). Hounds of Love also has some absolute all-timer tracks on it, with “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” being the inevitable standout.

Steve McQueen: Prefab Sprout’s Sophisti-Pop Gem

1 ‘Steve McQueen’ (1985) Prefab Sprout

Back to the sophisti-pop genre, with emotions being unapologetically broad and big, here’s Steve McQueen (don’t mix it up with that actor guy, nor the filmmaker of the same name), which is a bit more rock-focused than Hats. It’s got a bit of energy in some of its tracks, while also having mellower ones too, and the balance here is pulled off incredibly well.