Stevie Nicks: The Timeless Rock Goddess turns 75 (People Spec. Edition)

How Stevie Nicks Inspired a Generation of Hitmakers, From Harry Styles to Taylor Swift

Skyler Caruso

Fri, May 5, 2023

People

Since first stepping onto the scene as a vocalist in Fleetwood Mac in 1975, the mystical musical goddess has rocked a new generation of hitmakers today. Take a look at the chart-toppers who have been inspired by the legend and her nearly five-decade-long career.

The legendary rock singer and frontwoman of Fleetwood Mac turns 75 on May 26 — and her impact on the music industry can't be understated.

Look back at her incredible career and celebrate her legacy with PEOPLE's special-edition bookazine, Stevie Nicks: The Timeless Goddess of Rock Turns 75 (on sale now), and see some of the current music superstars who credit her as an influence.

Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks have a friendship that goes way back and have duetted several times over the last three decades, from performing "Strong Enough" together to working on "Sorcerer" off Nicks' 2001 LP Trouble In Shangri-La. In 2019, the pair collaborated again for Crow's 2019 album Threads.

Crow has been vocal about her admiration of Nicks, both as a musician and as a person. In an August 2021 interview with Bustle, the "Soak Up the Sun" singer raved that Nicks was "my champion as a young artist, my role model as a kid from 9 years old on."

While Crow has always looked up to the "Dreams" singer, their respect for each other is mutual. In fact, when Crow's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction was announced, Nicks saluted her with a tribute on Instagram.

"I am so proud of you," Nicks wrote in part. "It's a very elite club for us women... See you on the road!" She then signed it with love.

Harry Styles

For years, Harry Styles has expressed his respect for Nicks, whom he famously referred to as his "magical gypsy godmother."

From consulting with the rock legend about his music (he memorably invited Nicks and her "witches coven" over to his house to listen to Fine Line before its release) to duetting with her mid-concert for a surprise performance of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," Styles and Nicks have a special relationship.

In 2019, the "As It Was" singer presented Nicks with her 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors. Shortly after, he joined her on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."

"I hope she knows what she means to us, what she means to yet another generation of artists who look to her for inspiration and trailblazing courage," Styles said of Nicks at the ceremony.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus has long viewed Nicks as her "idol" and "inspiration." In November 2020, the "Flowers" singer turned her dreams into a reality when she enlisted Nicks for a mashup on her seventh studio album, Plastic Hearts.

"It's an honor to now call her my friend and collaborator," Cyrus wrote of Nicks on her Instagram. The musicians joined forces to release "Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)," an epic mashup of Cyrus' recently released track "Midnight Sky" and Nicks' famous song, "Edge of Seventeen."

"It's just been really, incredibly rewarding in my career having someone like her to look up to. Everyone looks up to Stevie Nicks, but having that direct relationship has been kind of life-changing," Cyrus told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

Haim

The Haim sisters have looked up to Nicks since they were young and have collaborated with the rock icon several times over the last decade.

In 2014, the girls were invited to Nick's Los Angeles home to perform an intimate, impromptu rendition of "Rhiannon" for the New York Times T Magazine. Fast forward nearly 10 years later, and Nicks performed one of Haim's songs, dedicated to her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie after her death in 2022.

"I'm at a loss for words," Alana wrote on Instagram in reaction to Nicks' tribute. "I would listen to Fleetwood Mac with my best friend Sammi Kane Kraft constantly. I wrote my verse to hallelujah to try to help me heal after she had passed."

She continued, "Seeing Stevie and Christine together changed my life forever and made me want to play music. I'm speechless. I love you so much Stevie, rip beautiful songbird."

Taylor Swift

Remember at the 2010 Grammy Awards when Nicks and Taylor Swift performed "Rhiannon" and "You Belong with Me?" Swift called that experience "a fairy tale and an honor."

And Nicks had nothing but positive words to say about the young singer, even comparing Swift to herself. "Taylor reminds me of myself in her determination and her childlike nature," Nicks said in a written piece for Time shortly after the performance.

"It's an innocence that's so special and so rare," she added. "This girl writes the songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John."

Adam Levine

Not only has Adam Levine teamed up with Nicks on The Voice when she was a mentor in 2014, but he's collaborated with the songstress he's deemed his "idol" several times over the years.

In 2011, Levine joined Nicks on stage for a performance of Leather and Lace at the Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl. A decade later, she reunited with him to collab on "Remedy" off the Maroon 5's album, Jordi.

"She's been an influence for many years before that, but just on a personal level, she's an inspiration, she always has been," Levine said in an interview with iHeartRadio in 2021. "And I knew our voices would sound really great together when we actually [collaborated]."

Beyoncé and Destiny's Child

Beyoncé and her former band Destiny's Child were inspired by Nicks' 1981 song "Edge of Seventeen," sampling it in their 2001 hit "Bootylicious."

Furthermore, the girl group tapped the legendary Nicks herself to make a cameo in its corresponding music video! Years later, Nicks recounted that day on set during an interview with The Washington Post.

"I got to sit there with them and hang out with them all day long ... so when I left there, I felt like I knew them. I never really saw them again," Nicks told the outlet in the 2020 interview.

Nicks expressed her respect for Beyoncé in a 2023 interview with The Telegraph, calling her "very sweet and nice and polite" and adding, "she's a good role model... I'm glad we have her."

Adele

In 2015, Adele found herself in Nicks' presence when she and Fleetwood Mac took the stage at London's O2 Arena for a stop On with the Show world tour. The "Easy on Me" singer later gushed about the experience on Twitter, sharing a post with her and the "Gypsy" singer.

"So…tonight was THE best night of my life," Adele tweeted. "I love you Stevie Nicks!! The queen of melodies! Thanks for everything x."

Nicks shared the love as well, dedicating the band's performance of "Landslide" to Adele. She also shared a few words about the "Hello" singer with the audience.

"I told her, 'You're going to be me in 40 years. You're going to still be up onstage doing what you're doing because of your songwriting.'"

The Chicks

Nicks' hit "Landslide" inspired The Chicks to cover it, taking their rendition to the Top 10 in 2003 — and later going platinum.

Natalie Maines said she was attracted to the track because she was the same age as Nicks when she originally recorded the song.

The girl group has not only collaborated with the Fleetwood Mac songstress, but they've built a close friendship too. In fact, Nicks once told Oprah Winfrey that "Natalie Maines is my favorite person to sing with, ever."

She added, "I could happily be a part of the Dixie Chicks. Even though they're billed as country artists, they're very rock 'n' roll."

Stevie Nicks: The Timeless Rock Goddess turns 75 available to order on Amazon