Lindsey's infamous mantra of not wanting to make a Rumours II after the success of Rumours plays a big role in my view. Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey) is infamous for their "sound" but at the same time the band didn't rest on their laurels and attempt to duplicate the Rumours formula for what ended up being their subsequent three albums. Mirage is looked at as being a "safer" album than Tusk was but as was noted in another thread, there's still elements in that album's songs that have an edge. I really believe Rumours (and Fleetwood Mac) benefit from the fact they didn't try to copy and paste what they did for that album.
As far as my personal opinion, Rumours isn't my favorite album from the band. I don't hate it but I hate that it overshadows so many other interesting and great things from people. Rumours is without a doubt a shining moment in Fleetwood Mac's history but the band's overall story is so rich and deep. When you know all that, I think the success and lasting legacy of Rumours stands out more.
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