( CNN ) -- After a year of 10-to-14 hour workdays , the use of seven recording studios and just under $ 1 million in production costs , Fleetwood Mac 's `` Rumours '' was released in 1977 -- and it has n't fallen out of rotation since . The classic disc was the No . 1 album on the charts for 31 weeks , with Rolling Stone naming `` Rumours '' the 25th greatest album of all time . It is the 10th best-selling album ever with more than 40 million copies sold to date , and it features four top 10 singles . It won the 1977 best album Grammy and , 35 years later , remains the band 's most successful effort . Ken Caillat , author of the new book , `` Making Rumours : The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album , '' was the iconic album 's engineer/co-producer . ( He 's also the father of Grammy-winning singer Colbie Caillat and produced her No . 1 album , `` Breakthrough . '' ) `` Rumours , '' Caillat said , is the `` perfect album because it had this really great combination of lyrics and ... well-thought-out musical components , '' he told CNN . `` It 's the perfect ride for the perfect time . '' But Fleetwood Mac 's story began in another decade on another continent . And as fate would have it , the only two members who were with the group from the start are its namesakes : Mick Fleetwood and John McVie . Fleetwood Mac was originally a blues-format group formed in England in 1967 by Fleetwood , McVie , Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer . In 1970 , Green left the group and McVie 's wife , keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie , joined . Spencer left that same year , and the late guitarist Bob Welch joined . The group relocated to California in 1974 . Welch , who took his own life earlier this month , resigned in December 1974 and was replaced by guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham and vocalist Stevie Nicks . By the time Buckingham and Nicks joined , Fleetwood Mac had put out 10 albums but had yet to have a big hit in the U.S . In the book , Caillat described `` Rumours , '' Fleetwood Mac 's second album with Nicks and Buckingham , as `` a journey that a handful of people ... took during the mid-1970s . '' It was `` made out of flaws in the human spirit , sometimes through agonizing determination , love , lust , and a force of will that made failure unthinkable . '' Recording began on `` Rumours '' on January 28 , 1976 , at the Record Plant in Sausalito , California . Twelve days earlier , Caillat had never even heard of the band , but that would soon change because 1975 's eponymous `` Fleetwood Mac '' album ( `` Rhiannon , '' `` Say You Love Me '' ) was beginning to climb the charts . `` What 's ironic is that throughout the 'Rumours ' journey , Fleetwood Mac went from one end of the fame spectrum to the other , '' Caillat noted . `` That day in Sausalito , when we walked into the studio to start recording , they were an established band , but you could hardly say they were rock stars . Before we even released 'Rumours , ' that had changed dramatically . '' Although Nicks arguably became the best-known member of Fleetwood Mac , when they first started recording `` Rumours , '' many involved with the project thought she was the band 's weakest link , Caillat said . `` She was somewhat of a sweet hippie chick , and she did n't have a lot of technical knowledge about music and instrumentation , '' he said . `` Ultimately , her ethereal songwriting and vocals added a dimension ... that was every bit as essential as any other band member 's contributions . '' ( Incidentally , Nicks wrote the band 's only No . 1 hit , `` Dreams . '' ) Caillat described Buckingham , who often clashed with band mates , as `` extraordinarily talented '' as well as `` unpredictable , '' `` brilliant but difficult . '' However , Caillat said , `` with Lindsey 's contribution ... everyone in the world who 'd ever heard a song on the radio would eventually know who Fleetwood Mac was by the time 'Rumours ' had run its course . '' In the book , Caillat described the unique way in which Buckingham taught himself guitar . He uses his fingernails instead of a pick , which is quite common , except instead of plucking strings upward individually , he can play more than one string at a time by stroking down -- - and up -- with the backs of his nails , which allows him to play several notes at once . Buckingham honed this skill years before joining Fleetwood Mac when he was bedridden with mononucleosis for six months . At the time they were recording the album , all five band mates were going through painful breakups : The McVies were divorcing , Buckingham and Nicks ' long-term relationship was coming to a bitter end and Fleetwood 's wife was about to leave him for his best friend . It 's all personal drama that Caillat chronicles in his book . `` In retrospect , it 's a miracle that we were able to finish 'Rumours , ' `` he said . `` But later , I came to understand that 'Rumours ' probably succeeded because it was brilliant group therapy . ... It 's horrible that if it had n't been for all of the relationship turmoil in the band , you would n't know this record any better than some of the previous Fleetwood Mac records . '' Sadness was contagious in the studio , which Caillat said was besieged with arguments , drugs and alcohol . During the summer of '76 , the band took a break from recording `` Rumours '' to go on tour to promote their `` Fleetwood Mac '' album . It was the first time Buckingham and Nicks had played in front of a very large crowd , and the concert tour propelled the band to superstardom . Even though `` Fleetwood Mac '' was released in July of 1975 , it finally hit No . 1 in September of 1976 . As soon as the album began to lose momentum , the record label wanted the band to have the first single off `` Rumours '' -- `` Go Your Own Way '' -- ready to go . Caillat recalled that it was John McVie who came up with the album 's title . `` John told us about a brainstorm he had recently had , '' he said . `` With all the rumors flying around about this album , why do n't we call the album 'Rumours ' ? But let 's spell it the English way . '' Another major step involved in creating what would become an iconic album was selecting song sequence , which was `` crucial because it can make or break the album 's success . '' The idea was to make it compelling and tell a story through music . `` Back then , '' Caillat said , `` running orders were important ; and because it was vinyl , you 'd put the needle down and listen to side one all the way through to side two , and it was just like going to Six Flags -- you 'd get lifted up on a high song and it 'd slow down a bit ; again , perfect ! And I can only take a little bit of credit for that , but I was really proud to be a part of that . '' Caillat told CNN that he believes `` Rumours '' still resonates to this day `` because it 's great music . It happened to be created out of a lot of pain and suffering and sincerity and it just so happens that every song is great , every lyric is great , and every song has something that seems to appeal to someone -- except me . '' That 's right -- Caillat can no longer bear to listen to `` Rumours . '' `` I see all the little pieces and I can visualize the arguments and I see the assembly of it all , '' he said . `` I can see behind the curtain , so to speak . '' However , part of the reason Caillat knew that the story of `` Rumours '' needed to be told was because `` we experienced something extraordinary , something bigger than all of us . '' In search of the perfect album : Readers weigh in .
Fleetwood Mac 's `` Rumours '' is one of the highest-selling albums of all time . When recording began , Fleetwood Mac had yet to have a hit in the U.S . Album included songs such as `` Do n't Stop , '' `` Go Your Own Way '' and `` Gold Dust Woman '' Members of Fleetwood Mac were all undergoing painful breakups during recording .