Tusk Songs Ranked
Tusk is the twelfth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released as a double album on 12 October 1979. It is considered more experimental than their previous albums: partly a consequence of Lindsey Buckingham’s sparser songwriting arrangements and the influence of post-punk. The production costs were estimated to be over $1 million (equivalent to $3.57 million in 2020), making it the most expensive rock album recorded to that date. Compared to 1977’s Rumours, which sold 10 million copies by February 1978, Tusk was regarded as a commercial failure by the label, selling four million copies. In 2013, NME ranked Tusk at number 445 in their list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2000 it was voted number 853 in Colin Larkin’s All-Time Top 1000 Albums. Here are all of Tusk songs ranked.
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16. What Makes You Think You’re the One
“Opening side two of the original vinyl release, the first thing you hear is Mick Fleetwood pounding on his drums and Christine McVie playing a glissando on the piano. It’s a very awkward sounding song, and the lyrics are pretty average. The keyboards are very hard to hear and the drums and guitar drown out the other instruments.”
15. Never Forget
“Closing out the album is a truly fantastic Christine McVie song. Featuring all three vocalists on harmony vocals near the end of the song, she sings to her lover asking him to “never forget tonight.” This song could have also easily fit on Rumours and is a perfect way to close out the album.”
14. Never Make Me Cry
“This song always reminds me of “Songbird” on Rumours. Christine plays a deep electric piano and sings heartfelt lyrics of someone asking their lover to “never make me cry” and that they will return the favor and “never make you cry.” Lindsey adds a quiet electric guitar that can be heard during the instrumental bridge. I will admit, this song did make me cry the first time I heard it.”
13. That’s Enough for Me
“The shortest song on the album clocking in at a minute and 50 seconds, this song has the feel of a 1950’s country song. Probably my least favorite song on the album, Lindsey’s constant screaming of the word “Yeah” over and over again gets on my nerves.”
12. Not That Funny
“This song is a ride from start to end. Live performances would often go on for close to 10 minutes, and features Lindsey Buckingham singing with a great deal of strain in his voice.”
11. That’s All For Everyone
“One thing that this album suffers from is the awkward song transition from a Nicks or McVie song to one of the Buckingham songs. After the very quiet and reflective “Storms,” this song comes barging through the door. Loud and proud. My one little problem has to be the overuse of echo on the vocals, but overall its a pretty good so”
10. I Know I’m Not Wrong
“Probably one of my favorite Lindsey Buckingham songs of all time, when I saw Fleetwood Mac perform in Oakland on their recent On With the Show Tour in April of 2015, this song was a pleasant contribution to the set. One of my favorite moments of the song is the synth solo that appears during the bridge.”
See more: Fleetwood Mac Albums Ranked
9. Brown Eyes
“A slow, smoky song by Christine McVie, it also famously features an uncredited cameo by the elusive original Fleetwood Mac guitarist, Peter Green. John McVie’s bass playing on this song is probably his best on the whole album and the chorus of “Sha-la-la” is a perfect addition to this classic McVie track.”
8. Walk a Thin Line
“Another of Lindsey’s finest contributions to the album, the drums and bass are tightly intertwined behind his acoustic guitar. He sings harmony vocals with Stevie during the chorus, and is probably the only Lindsey Buckingham song on this album that could have easily fit on Rumours.”
7. Angel
“Opening the second disc with some fantastic electric piano and bouncing bass from the McVies, this song seems to also hark back to the two previous albums. The instrumentation feels almost like “Rhiannon” and “Dreams.” Apparently the lyrics in this song also was inspired by the same story that inspired the lyrics to “Rhiannon.” The upbeat and haunting lyrics are some of Stevie’s best. It was the last single released from Tusk in 1980 for a Dutch release, but it did not chart.”
6. Beautiful Child
“The final of Stevie Nicks’s 5 contributions to the album, and probably her most introspective and one of her most personal (second only to “Sara”). Christine and Lindsey respectively play a soft piano and acoustic guitar. Stevie Nicks sings a song about falling in love with someone, who while is a beautiful person, deep inside is still a child. This song was a staple during their 2003-04 “Say You Will” tour.”
See more: Fleetwood Mac Songs Ranked
5. Think About Me
“Christine McVie is at it again. This song could have easily been featured on Rumours and it can bee seen why it was an obvious choice for a single. Like how “Over & Over” seems to hark back to “Oh Daddy,” this song almost has the same feel that “You Make Loving Fun” has. The upbeat bass and electric piano and tight drums. All three vocalists sing on the chorus and Lindsey’s voice overpowers the other two and the result is a classic song.”
4. Sisters of the Moon
“One of the heaviest songs that Fleetwood Mac ever recorded. Stevie’s lyrics are laced in mystery and darkness, and you can picture her twirling around the studio with her shawls and flowing dresses while they recorded this song. Lindsey’s guitar solo is one of the heaviest and John McVie, as usual in on point and locked in with Mick Fleetwood. Live performances would last on average of 6 to 8 minutes and give Stevie a chance to perform an extended vocal vamp during the song’s coda. Personally, I do like the single remix a little more than the album mix because it has a darker feel to it and seems to fit better.”
3. Storms
“Another one of Stevie’s contributions, and by far one of the most poignant songs she ever wrote with Fleetwood Mac. At first glance, this song can been seen as a retrospective of her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham, but there are also lines that hint to her love affair with drummer Mick Fleetwood. She sings with so much emotion, at times it sounds like she could be crying. Lindsey adds a soft guitar behind Christine’s low keyboards. John McVie’s bass is tuned down a little bit in the mix, but he remains rock solid alongside Mick Fleetwood.”
2. Sara
“This song is probably my favorite song of all time. The first of Stevie Nicks’s 5 contributions to the album, and the longest (clocking in at 6 and a half minutes). The lyrics deal with many different themes, ranging from: Her relationships with Don Henley, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham Her friend Sara Recor (who later married Mick Fleetwood) And supposedly the baby she was to have with Don Henley that she later aborted (which, if it was a girl, would have been named Sara).”
1. Tusk
“The best song in my opinion is the experimental Buckingham composition and title track Tusk. It makes use of weird percussion including lamb chops and a marching band. Buckingham’s solo career also would be the best of them all, and the Fleewood Mac would soon become a rather bland pop band which the Buckingham-dominated lineup had averted up to this point.”
