Stevie Nicks And Lindsey Buckingham Were 'Toxic' On Stage

Music has paved the way for powerful romantic stories and even more devastating breakups. It sounds like the story of the classic rock couple Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The couple was known for making headlines with their tantalizing yet tumultuous relationship. The talented couple channeled their passion and animosity towards each other into their work.

One evident moment shows Lindsey and Stevie arguing while performing The Chain during a Fleetwood Mac Tour in 1982. Fleetwood Mac fans have been speculating on the relationship between the two musicians. The awkward moment on stage when performing in the 1982 Mirage Tour has fans calling the couple toxic.

Stevie Nicks And Lindsey Buckingham Have A Complicated History

Fleetwood Mac's Nicks and Buckingham met in a poetic fashion. They were both in high school during the '60s in California. As the story goes, Nicks and Buckingham were keenly interested in music from the start.

They were bound to find each other as they shared the same social circles. According to the singer, she first spotted Lindsey performing “California Dream” at a party. They then met again two years later when Buckingham asked her to join his band, Fritz.

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In the early '70s, Nicks and Buckingham decided to leave the band as they saw no future in it and moved to Los Angeles in search of green pastures. At the time, they were not romantically involved.

But as fate would have it, the two began dating. They struggled for a while as their first album under Buckingham Nicks flopped. Their relationship was on the rocks, and they were about to split up. After noticing Buckingham’s extraordinary guitar skills, Mick Fleetwood asked him to join the band.

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Buckingham made a deal with the band to bring in Nicks with him. It was a marriage of convenience, and the two were forced to mend their relationship.

While Fleetwood Mac fans know the timeless songs produced by the band, some are unaware of the songs dedicated to the crumbling relationship between Nicks and Buckingham. Nicks wrote "Landslide" and "Dreams," dedicating them to her failing relationship. Buckingham seemingly responded to Nicks with "Go On Your Way."

The couple finally broke up when writing the album Rumors, which was coincidentally a huge commercial success. Fans and critics were led to believe "The Chain," which is the only song written by all five Fleetwood Mac members, expressed the band’s internal fracture.

An Old Concert Clip From 1982 Shows Lindsey And Stevie's Drama On Stage

The year is 1982, and Fleetwood Mac is enjoying worldwide success with their hit album Rumors. Nick and Buckingham penned classic rock hits written about each other, soaking in resentment and regrets. But the band and its ambitions was their first priority. Fleetwood Mac fans couldn’t have known what the songs meant and the feud brewing behind the scenes.

Stevie and Lindsey attended the band’s concerts despite having broken up. However, in one particular concert from 1982, the band is filmed performing the hit titled The Chain. Stevie is busy hitting her voice cords right while Lindsey plays the guitar.

In the clip, they both steal glances at each other, singing with intense rage, almost knocking off their microphones. The feud is as plain as day. It’s almost like they are arguing on stage while singing their lines.

Lindsey leads: “And if you don't love me now

You will never love me again

I can still hear you saying

You would never break the chain (never break the chain)”

From the lyrics, it’s almost as if Lindsey and Stevie are talking to each other and describing their broken relationship. Despite breaking up years ago before the 1982 Mirage Tour, it’s evident that the two songbirds have unresolved issues.

Fans of Fleetwood Mac have a lot to say about the clip that resurfaced thanks to the internet. One fan couldn’t help but notice the tension between Stevie and Lindsey that suggested intense love and hate for each other.

Another chimed in with how Lindsey’s “mad dog” reference made so much sense, seeing how he is such a talented guitarist. Another fan commented how the two love birds wrote and performed some of the best songs despite being toxic.

It’s evident from the comments that fans took sides with each team favoring their best artist. Nonetheless, what the fans agree to disagree with is that Lindsey and Stevie were an important component of the Fleetwood Mac band, and their drama is one to marvel at for ages.

Are Stevie Nicks And Lindsey Buckingham On Good Terms Today?

The band glued Lindsey and Stevie together. They had to find a way to withstand each other’s presence while working together. In 1987, Buckingham suddenly left the group to pursue his solo career.

In 1990, Stevie followed suit and left the group to establish herself as an independent artist. During Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, Fleetwood Mac’s song, “Don’t Stop” was used. This reunited Stevie and Buckingham as the entire band to perform the song.

They cooperated to the best of their ability until 2018, when Buckingham left the group again. He asked the band to postpone the tour to work on his solo work. Stevie wasn’t happy with the suggestion. Apparently, Buckingham snickered and rolled his eyes during Stevie’s speech for the MusiCares Person of the Year. Again, this angered Stevie, and cracks formed in the band once again.

Buckingham revealed that Stevie gave the band an ultimatum and got him fired. It was either him or Stevie, and therefore, he left. The lead guitarist responded by suing the band, reigniting the feud between him and Stevie.

The band eventually settled Buckingham’s compensation for wrongful termination. Buckingham has since disclosed that Stevie hasn’t talked to him since his open-heart surgery in 2019. Buckingham hasn’t performed with the band since 2018.

Buckingham, Fleetwood, and Nicks reunited in 2022 after the death of Christine McVie. Fleetwood Mac announced her death on X.

The three musicians were pictured leaving Christine’s service. It is uncertain whether fans will see the remaining band members of the Fleetwood Mac group on stage together again.