"Gold Dust Woman"'s fab 15

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'Gold Dust Woman': Stevie Nicks' fab 15

What is it about Stevie Nicks that people find so enchanting?

You got an hour?

The spellbinding Fleetwood Mac songstress returns to Salt Lake City -- where she actually lived from 1961-64 when she was in junior high and just into high school -- on Saturday night when she brings her solo "24 Karat Gold" tour to Vivint Smart Home Arena. Tickets range from $49 to $147, and The Pretenders will open the show, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Nicks broke onto the national scene in a big way when she and then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975. Two of her songs from that first album -- "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" -- became big hits for the band and are certainly emblematic of her lyrical prowess and ability to weave tales and moods, not just with her words but also with her haunting and somewhat husky vocals. Her stage attire, complete with long flowing dresses and skirts, shawls, platform heel boots and the occasional tophat also added to her stage allure.

Her hits, both in Fleetwood Mac and during successful side stints as a solo performer, kept coming through the years, with tunes like "The Edge of Seventeen," "Stand Back," "Dreams," "Silver Springs," "Gypsy," "I Can't Wait," "Gold Dust Woman" and many more all fitting the Nicks mold and furthering her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career.

In honor of her concert Saturday, and to give fans an invigorating playlist to run through in preparation for the show, we have ranked our 15 favorite Nicks songs (including both her solo and Fleetwood Mac highlights).

Enjoy!


15 -- "If Anyone Falls"

This synth-driven single came off Nicks' second solo album, 1983's "The Wild Heart." It rose to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and hit No. 8 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts.


14 -- "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You"

This heartfelt ballad has an intriguing backstory. During a time when she was romantically involved with Joe Walsh, the Eagles guitarist took her to a park in Colorado where he had a drinking fountain installed and a plaque inscribed to his daughter Emma, who had died in 1974 at the age of 3 as the result of injuries from a traffic accident. According to the liner notes for her "Timespace" greatest hits album in 1991, Nicks said she had been complaining about things in general a little too much and that Walsh brought her to this park, telling her that the only thing his daughter ever complained about was not being able to reach the drinking fountain. Walsh wrote a song for his daughter ("Song For Emma" on 1974's "So What"), and Nicks in turn wrote this for him. "So he wrote a song for her, and I wrote a song for him," Nicks said in the liner notes. "'This is your song,' I said to the people ... but it was Joe's song. Thank you, Joe, for the most committed song I ever wrote. ... But more than that, thank you for inspiring me in so many ways. Nothing in my life ever seems as dark anymore, since we took that drive."


13 -- "Gold Dust Woman"

The closing track on Fleetwood Mac's monster 1977 "Rumours" album, "Gold Dust Woman" was actually released as the B side to hit "Don't Stop." In recent years, Nicks has said she's not quite entirely sure what the song is about, but thinks cocaine was clearly involved, as well as drawing on someone getting out of a bad relationship and trying to make it. Of course, that was the primary theme for most of the "Rumours" album as both Nicks and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, as well as married band members Christine and John McVie were all going through prolonged breakups at the time.


12 -- "Rooms on Fire"

"Rooms on Fire" was the lead single for Nicks' 1989 solo endeavor, "The Other Side of the Mirror." It hit No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock charts.


11 -- "Talk to Me"

One of two singles from Nicks' 1985 solo album, "Rock a Little," this catchy tune didn't quite catch on with radio listeners -- only making it to No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100. That fact notwithstanding, it's still a great tune.


10 -- "Gypsy"

This song is vintage Nicks lyrical imagery. It was written in 1979 at the height of Fleetwood Mac's fame, but takes its theme from a simpler time, when Nicks and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham shared an apartment, but were so without wealth that they slept on a mattress on the floor that Nicks decorated with lace. Nicks has said that whenever she feels a need to reconnect with her roots, she will take her mattress and put it on the floor for a while. "Gypsy" was the second single off Fleetwood Mac's "Mirage" album in 1982. It peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.


9 -- "Leather and Lace"

Ironically, Nicks wrote this song for a Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter duets album -- but it didn't make the cut. Instead, she cut it with one of the best rock voices ever put to record, Eagles drummer and vocalist Don Henley. The song, appearing on Nicks' debut solo record, "Bella Donna," was released in late 1981 and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January of 1982.


8 -- "Silver Springs"

This song actually has quite the history in Fleetwood Mac lore. Written about Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, the song was originally recorded to be part of the band's epic "Rumours" album -- where it would have been a perfect thematic fit with all the inner-band romantic turmoil. Where it didn't fit, however, was in the time restrictions of vinyl records in that day. Because of the length of the song, and all the other strong material, "Silver Springs" was a last-minute cut from the album, a fact which didn't sit well with Nicks. Instead, it appeared as the B side to "Go Your Own Way." The song led to further band discord when Nicks wanted to include it on her "Timespace" album in 1991 -- but Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood refused, which in turn led to Nicks leaving the band outright for a spell. Fleetwood Mac eventually included the song in a 1992 box set and it also appeared in 1997's live album, "The Dance," which marked the return of both Buckingham and Nicks to the band.


7 -- "I Can't Wait"

Also coming from 1985's "Rock a Little" album -- this track actually does rock, a lot. The upbeat track hit a high of No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. It rose to No. 6 on the Mainstream Rock charts.


6 -- "Dreams"

As the legend goes, Nicks said she wrote this song off by herself in about 10 minutes during the sessions for the "Rumours" album. She came back to the main studio and shared it with the rest of the band, who were not all that enamored with it in the beginning. Naturally, it went on to be the band's highest-charting -- and only No. 1 -- single.


5 -- "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"

The lead single of the "Bella Donna" album, this track introduced the world to Nicks as a solo artist. Ironically, she had nothing to do with writing it. It was a finished track by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, that they instead offered to her because it was felt the lyrics were primarily delivered from the female perspective. The track features some signature drumming by Stan Lynch and same tasty, melodic lead guitar by Michael Campbell. The vocal back and forth between Nicks and Petty in this duet proved perfect for the song's subject matter. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around' vaulted to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was instrumental -- along with the album's subsequent three singles, "The Edge of Seventeen," "Leather and Lace" and "After the Glitter Fades" -- in lifting "Bella Donna" to the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 albums chart, an extraordinary coup for Nicks in her solo debut.


4 -- "Stand Back"

This powerhouse of a song was actually written on Nicks' lone wedding day -- on Jan. 29, 1983. As she and then-husband Kim Anderson were driving to leave on their honeymoon, Prince's "Little Red Corvette" came on the radio. The tune inspired Nicks to write "Stand Back" that night in the couple's honeymoon suite. (How's that for a honeymoon night story?) Prince actually played synthesizer on the song when it was later recorded. Nicks' marriage was fated to only last a few months, but "Stand Back" has certainly stood the test of time. Peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song is so good that it remains a Fleetwood Mac concert staple as well.


3 -- "Landslide"

Another song written squarely around the Nicks-Buckingham dynamic, "Landslide" has gone on to be one of Fleetwood Mac's -- and Nicks' -- signature tunes. Appearing on 1975's eponymous "Fleetwood Mac" album, the duo's first with the band, the song wasn't even released as a single until it was redone as a live version for 1997's "The Dance" album. It ended up going gold and has sold more than a million copies to date. It is also a highly covered song by other artists, with notable versions being done by The Smashing Pumpkins, The Dixie Chicks and the TV show "Glee."


2 -- "The Edge of Seventeen"

This epic song is the definitive Stevie Nicks solo rocker, with a memorable guitar riff by Waddy Wachtel setting the tone throughout. Her lyrics and vocals on this tune are also vintage Nicks, featuring her distinctive, husky howl. The song's subject matter was inspired by two deaths that occurred very close to each other in December of 1980 -- John Lennon and Nicks' uncle Jonathan. The song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 4 on the Mainstream Rock chart. It remains a staple on classic rock radio today.


1 -- "Rhiannon"

"Rhiannon" was Nicks' first contribution to Fleetwood Mac, and were that the only song she'd ever written, it would still define her as a rock icon. Named after a Welsh witch from a novel Nicks read prior to joining the band, "Rhiannon" paints a haunting lyrical metaphor of unfulfilled desire revolving around a bird in flight, a cat in the darkness and a woman taken by the wind. Nicks' early performances of the song were the stuff of legend. (Just check out the accompanying video for an example.) By a show of hands, how many of you ended up naming a daughter after this song? (I'm raising my hand.) I love my daughter, love the name and love this song -- in that order!



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