Written by Stevie Nicks, “Landslide” is without a shadow of doubt one of mankind’s greatest gifts to the universe — yet Nicks’ rendition of the song is arguably not the best version of the track.
“Landslide” was released on Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album, which was the band’s first record featuring lead singer Stevie Nicks and her on-again and off-again partner Lindsey Buckingham. While technically a Fleetwood Mac song, Nicks is the only credited songwriter on “Landslide” and maintains that it was written in 1973, before she joined the band.
Whether or not 27-year-old Nicks initially thought much of the track that she claims she wrote in approximately five minutes is hard to say, but upon its release in 1975, “Landslide” would top numerous charts. In 2021, nearly 50 years after its debut, it would even be included in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
Considering all this, there is absolutely no question that Nicks’ rendition of “Landslide” was and still is a hit — but it’s not the best version of the song.
In 2002, The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks) released a version of the song on their essential album Home. While it is one of many different covers of the track that have been performed over the years, The Chicks’ version of “Landslide” is one of a few instances where the cover is better than the original.
Nicks’ version of “Landslide” is a great example of a song that maintains musical simplicity to highlight emotional intensity. A stripped back fingerpicked ballad, the track trades the band’s usual pop-rock sound for intricate intimacy and delicate quietness. Nicks’ longing vocals are poignant and haunting, echoing throughout space and time with a uniquely human message that will never become obsolete. In many ways, the song is a masterpiece. Yet, in comparison to The Chicks, the rendition of the track that appears on Fleetwood Mac feels empty.
Warm and bright, the version of “Landslide” that appears on Home is the perfect mix of Nicks’ quiet longing and The Chicks’ signature country drawl. It’s easy to get lost in the song’s tender and yearning three-part harmony as it imbues the track’s sonic atmosphere, drawing in its listener with overwhelming emotion. The inclusion of the twangy banjo line and the enthralling polyphony of strings round out the track so sweetly that it’s hard not to fall in love with it. Yet what makes this cover better than the original is that The Chicks never lose the exceptionality that Stevie Nicks brought to the song, simply adding even more.
Instead, The Chicks learn from the version of the song that was released on Fleetwood Mac and grow past its (albeit minimal) flaws. Most importantly, they don’t confuse musical simplicity with musical monotony. Their version of “Landslide” maintains a simple melodious backdrop from which the spellbinding poignancy created by their interweaving vocal euphony can flourish. That musical ambience, while simple, wasn’t diminished in order to highlight the song’s emotional intensity. Rather, both elements work together to support the other, creating an astonishing paragon of melodic greatness.
There is no denying that Stevie Nicks is a genius. Her shuddering, affecting vocals and her unmatched lyrical prowess undoubtedly made both her and Fleetwood Mac some of the best-selling musical acts of all time. Moreover, “Landslide” and its eternally pervading message, the paramount reason for the song’s success, would never have existed for The Chicks to cover had Nicks not written it in 1973. But in this one instance, Stevie Nicks’ musical pre-eminence was taken and made better by The Chicks when they covered “Landslide” in 2002.