Fleetwood Mac Has Not One, But Two Albums Rising On The Charts
by Hugh McIntyre
May 20, 2024
Decades after they stopped producing new music, Fleetwood Mac still has no problem scoring chart wins. They rarely, if ever, disappear from the Billboard rankings, as Americans have never stopped listening to and buying their art.
This week, Fleetwood Mac is succeeding with two albums. Both titles are climbing–impressively, on every chart they appear on. That shows sustained interest in the projects, and in at least one case, increased consumption.
Unsurprisingly, Rumours is the top performer from Fleetwood Mac. That’s the case this week...and pretty much every week. While it may appear highest on the Billboard charts, the blockbuster release is down a little more than 1% in terms of consumption. According to Luminate, the album moved 18,202 equivalent units last week.
Rumours is up one rung on the Billboard 200, settling at No. 39. On the Top Album Sales chart, it improves from No. 28 to No. 19, even though pure purchases of the project fall by more than 8%. The set also grows on the Vinyl Albums (No. 17), Top Rock & Alternative Albums (No. 7), and Top Rock Albums rankings (No. 6).
As Rumours continues to overperform (for a decades-old title), Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits is also on the rise. That set, which shares some songs with the more traditional album, grows in stature on three tallies this time around. Unlike Rumours, however, total consumption of Greatest Hits is up several percentage points to 8,235 equivalent units.
The band’s Greatest Hits compilation steps up on the Billboard 200 more than 10 spaces. This week, it jumps from No. 191 to No. 180. On the Top Rock & Alternative Albums list, it surges seven rungs to No. 42, nearly entering the top 40 again. On the more-specific Top Rock Albums tally, the title pushes forward from No. 22 to No. 18, returning to the top 20 tier.
Fleetwood Mac Separates Themselves From Other Legacy Acts With Streaming Success
There are many beloved bands from decades past that regularly earn spots on the Billboard charts. They typically do so thanks to continuing sales, with streaming typically being less popular among legacy acts than newer ones. Older audiences tend to continue to listen to the CDs and vinyl LPs they’ve purchased in the past—and to keep buying them—but some groups that have been adored for many years have found a way to remain relevant via platforms like Spotify.
Fleetwood Mac is one such name, as the pop-rockers are not only incredibly popular, but they’ve managed to continue to succeed on streaming sites. The group’s biggest and most successful title, Rumours, proves that millions are listening to them on streaming outlets this week as it returns to one specific Billboard chart.
Rumours is back on the Top Streaming Albums ranking this week. The set reappears at No. 49 on Billboard’s list of the albums and EPs that manage to rack up the most plays on the top streaming platforms in the country, which was established last year.
No. 49 isn’t very high on the Top Streaming Albums chart, as the tally only features 50 spaces. That said, it’s also not very far from the title’s high point, as it once climbed to No. 46 and stalled there.
The Top Streaming Albums ranking is typically filled with newer bands, singers, and rappers. More modern names are the ones that usually dominate all things related to streaming, but Fleetwood Mac’s music remains popular enough that they are able to find a space on this list for only the seventh frame.
As it returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart, Rumours is climbing on several other lists. The title lifts just one space on the Billboard 200, making a home at No. 38. It’s also up two rungs on the Vinyl Albums chart, where it appears at No. 15.
Not everything is looking up for Rumours this week on the Billboard charts, though. The set, which has been out for decades now, isn’t on the rise everywhere. It’s a non-mover at No. 19 on the Top Album Sales ranking this frame. It’s also, surprisingly, down on both the Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums rosters as well.
Consumption of Rumours is growing, no matter where it lands on the charts. In the past tracking period, Luminate reports that the album moved 18,796 equivalent units. That’s up 3.3% from last time around. Looking only at pure sales, the title sold 3,654 copies–up 3.7%.
Album Charts Around The World This Week:
USA
Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart
(previous week in brackets)
38 (39) Rumours
179 (180) Greatest Hits
Top Album Sales (full album purchase chart)
19 (19) Rumours
Top Streaming Albums Chart
49 Re-Entry Rumours
Vinyl Albums Chart
15 (17) Rumours
Indie Store Album Sales
17 Re-Entry Rumours
Top Rock & Alternative Albums
9 (7) Rumours
45 (42) Greatest Hits
Top Rock Albums
7 (6) Rumours
CANADA
Top 100 Albums Chart
36 (40) Rumours
UK
Top 100 Albums Chart
8 (7) 50 Years - Don’t Stop (6,278 sales)
26 (23) Rumours
IRELAND
Top 100 Albums Chart
7 (8) 50 Years - Don’t Stop
22 (18) Rumours
SCOTLAND
Top 100 Albums Chart
24 (16) Rumours
68 Re-Entry Greatest Hits
NETHERLANDS
Top 100 Albums Chart
18 (14) Rumours
NETHERLANDS
Top 33 Vinyl
14 (5) Rumours
AUSTRIA
Top 75 Albums Chart
65 Re-Entry Rumours
SWEDEN
Top 60 Albums Chart
40 (40) Rumours
AUSTRALIA
Top 50 Albums Chart
32 (27) Rumours