How legendary is Fleetwood Mac?

[HejiraNYC]

I think this raises a more general, philosophical question: what makes someone a legend in general? I think there a number of possible scenarios:

1. They were bold and beautiful but lived fast and died young. Hence, the fascination with Marilyn Monroe, Steve McQueen, Jim Morrison, James Dean, etc. I suppose Elvis may fit the bill technically, but it's hard to say since he died a bit past his prime. That being said, if Elvis was still alive today, I wonder if he would have spawned so many imitators in Las Vegas. Would he be regarded just like any other oldies artist, e.g., Paul Anka, Frankie Valli, Chuck Berry, etc.?

2. They were mavericks in their respective fields and they inspired legions. Einstein comes to mind. The Beatles, Kurt Cobain, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan... even Madonna, who singularly invented the dance pop diva archetype now copied by the likes of Gaga, Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue, Rhianna, etc.

3. They were beautiful rebels. Che Guevara was an ardent socialist. James Dean played one and dressed like one. Bob Marley was the symbol of stoner culture. Punk music spawned lots of beautiful rebels, namely Sid Vicious, Deborah Harry, etc. Led Zeppelin was not exactly counterculture, but their shameless, high-flying excesses are the stuff of legend. Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones were the bad boy answer to The Beatles. And in a way they (as well as Zeppelin) kinda thumbed their noses at the British invasion sound by going on a deep dive through the black Americana of the deep south. David Bowie was the pioneer of glam rock and did not shy from putting all of his eccentricities on display.


Now, back to the topic at hand. What about Fleetwood Mac? They were none of the above. The fab five are all alive and well. Although they created some of the best rock music ever, none of it was particularly original. Unique, yes, but not original. And it's debatable whether Fleetwood Mac has had a direct musical influence on anyone. Yes, there are legions of rock stars who love FM, but it's difficult to actually hear it manifested in their music, much like one could listen to an Oasis album and hear lots of (not so subtle) Beatles references. And finally, they were as far from "rebels" as one could get. They were wearing bell bottoms, floral prints, waistcoats and chiffon while their contemporaries were wearing denim, leather and safety pins. Even Tusk is arguably the most contemporary album they have ever made when you consider that punk started peaking in the American mainstream in the late seventies; the Village People were also going in a New Wave direction at that time

Fleetwood Mac occupies that strange in-between space occupied by Steely Dan, The Eagles, The Mamas and the Papas, Heart, Jackson Browne, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Crosby Stills and Nash, and other (mostly) American artists who made their mark by dressing like adults and playing adult music for adults. Of them, one could argue that Steely Dan was the most subversively snarky and counterculture band ever, but their ruse was too subtle and got lost amid the perfect gloss of their jazz fusion rock. But none of these artists were ever featured in the pages of Teen Beat magazine or were adored by the teeny bopper set. They didn't burn with the flame of angry youth. Despite their various personal turmoils and interpersonal problems, they made beautiful, heartfelt music that occasionally rocked hard and made you want to sing along.

As such, I am not sure if Fleetwood Mac could be considered "legendary."