Kendall Jenner is proof that sometimes the coolest fashion trends are also the most practical. The model was spotted wearing these slim retro sneakers, and it’s easy to see why. They’re the kind of shoes that instantly make jeans, dresses and even workout sets feel a little more fashion-forward — all while earning rave reviews from shoppers who say they can walk “8 to 10 miles a day” in them.

Jenner was spotted wearing the Adidas Samba sneakers with Levi’s 501 jeans, a white tank, a red Goyard tote bag and oversized sunglasses. Her chill brunch outfit is casually cool, however, the versatile sneakers are what seal the deal, cementing them as one of fashion’s biggest ‘It’ girl staples. Despite their celebrity status, these sneakers are refreshingly affordable. You can shop the exact pair for only $95 on Amazon.

Get the Adidas Samba Indoor Soccer Shoes for $95 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

The Adidas Samba Indoor Soccer Shoes prove you don’t need an over-the-top sneaker to make an outfit feel current. Its low-profile silhouette is sleek enough to dress up with tailored pieces yet casual enough for everyday errands, making the shoes work with nearly everything already hanging in your closet. It also comes in Jenner’s exact white and black color combo, and is available in sizes 5 through 14.

Related: Steal Gigi Hadid’s French Girl-Style Ballet Flats Look for $40

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If anyone can convince Us to embrace the French girl style, it’s Gigi Hadid. The supermodel stepped out in an effortlessly chic outfit that makes you want to book a flight to Paris, and it was complete with one timeless shoe trend stylish French women never seem to retire. Even better? You can steal the […]

Beyond the celebrity appeal, shoppers say the comfort lives up to the hype. The leather upper softens with wear, while the cushioned footbed and grippy gum outsole make the sneakers easy to spend all day in. It’s the combination of retro style and everyday practicality that turned the Samba into a modern wardrobe icon.

Celebrities aren’t the only ones who are obsessed; over 3,500 shoppers gave them a five-star rating. One buyer called them “incredibly comfortable” after wearing them “every single day” on a two-week trip. Meanwhile, another customer described them as “a classic, stylish shoe that goes with just about anything from jeans to casual athletic wear.”

If you’ve been looking for a pair of sneakers that can keep up with busy days without sacrificing style, Jenner’s favorite pair is hard to beat. The Adidas sneakers are fashionable enough for coffee runs, comfortable for sightseeing and have that versatile touch that goes with your year-round wardrobe.

Get the Adidas Samba Indoor Soccer Shoes for $95 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more from Adidas here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping

Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

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Related: Jennifer Aniston’s ’90s Flatform Sandals Are Trending (Again)

Jennifer Aniston’s effortless ’90s style continues to inspire fashion trends decades later, and her chunky flatform sandals are the latest throwback making a comeback. The comfortable shoes add subtle height while maintaining the minimalist look the actress made famous, making them just as stylish today as they were back then. If you’ve been wanting to […]

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Megan Thee Stallion‘s latest cooking video has social media users mentioning her ex-boyfriend, Klay Thompson, and his dad.

RELATED: Oop! Social Media Users Are Mentioning Klay Thompson While Droppin’ Mixed Reactions To Megan Thee Stallion’s Latest Song Snippet (VIDEO)

More On Megan Thee Stallion’s Latest Cooking Video

Over the weekend, Megan Thee Stallion took to Instagram to share her chef skills with the world. This time, Meg showed that she was cooking up spaghetti and catfish. Additionally, the rapper called it her “million dollar” plate and noted that she was seemingly wrapping up production on her album.

“Million 💸 spaghetti and catfish today for Farris and Ju to finish THEE ALBUM,” she captioned the clip, which showed her baking the spaghetti, garlic bread, and frying up the catfish.

Peep the process and her finished plate below.

Megan Thee Stallion’s Latest Cooking Video Has Social Media Users Mentioning Klay Thompson & His Dad

Social media users immediately slid into TSR’s comment section with reactions to Megan Thee Stallion’s cooking video. Many, seemingly, couldn’t help but mention Klay Thompson and his dad.

Klay Thompson Previously Made Headlines

Klay Thompson previously made headlines by way of Meg Thee Stallion in June. As The Shade Room previously reported, at the time, Megan Thee Stallion used a video clip to tease an apparent song. In the clip, women alongside her sang, “That man ain’t s**t,” as Meg rapped about putting “wifey s**t” to bed.

RELATED: Whew! Social Media Sounds OFF After Tristan Thompson Gives Klay Thompson Advice Following Split From Megan Thee Stallion (VIDEO)

This genre gets sold with spaceships, robots, strange planets, and cool technology whether the story carries substance or not. Then some films use those same ingredients to talk about bodily violation, war, exploitation, grief, sexual control, and the fear that human beings may be the ugliest thing in the room. But that’s cliche too at this point. So when a sci-fi film needs to stand out, it needs to do more. The movies on this list do more in a different way.

These are not family-night picks with a few scary scenes. They are adult films built around disturbing ideas, difficult images, and questions that stay uncomfortable long after the credits. A younger viewer might be impressed by the effects. An adult is more likely to recognise the anger, loneliness, political cruelty, or existential dread hiding underneath them. If that interests you, scroll down slowly.

‘Upgrade’ (2018)

Image via OTL Releasing

Upgrade begins as a revenge thriller set in a near future where technology has entered nearly every part of daily life. Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) distrusts that world until a violent attack kills his wife and leaves him paralysed. An experimental computer chip called STEM restores movement to his body, and Grey soon discovers that the system can do far more than help him walk. It can fight, analyse threats, and act with a speed his human brain cannot match.

The action is brutal, but the adult edge comes from the loss of control. Grey may look stronger after the implant, yet every victory makes the relationship between body and machine more unsettling. The story is lean, nasty, and increasingly suspicious of every technological promise. Watch it for the bone-snapping fights, then stay for the much darker question about who is actually using whom.

‘Event Horizon’ (1997)

Image via Paramount Pictures

A rescue crew travels to Neptune after the Event Horizon suddenly reappears seven years after vanishing during an experimental voyage. The ship was designed to create an artificial black hole and travel across impossible distances. Something went wrong during the first test, and the empty corridors now contain evidence that the crew reached a place nobody was meant to find. That’s Event Horizon for you. This movie is messy in places, but its best ideas are genuinely frightening. Put it on late at night, turn the lights off, and let that ship ruin deep space for you.

It starts with hard science-fiction language and turns into full cosmic horror. The production design mixes industrial machinery with religious architecture. The ship resembles a cathedral built for pain. Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne) has that steady authority that any and every Fishburne character does. Dr. Weir (late Sam Neill) becomes increasingly tied to whatever came back with the vessel. Gore, hallucinations, self-mutilation, and flashes of hellish imagery explain the R rating very quickly. If you get the idea I’ve tried painting so far, you’ll love it.

‘Possessor’ (2020)

Image via NEON

Corporate assassins in Possessor carry out murders by taking control of other people’s bodies. Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) enters a host’s mind through implanted technology, completes the assignment, and then forces the host to die so she can return to herself. Her latest job places her inside Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott), whose relationship with a wealthy family gives the company access to its next target. The process then starts breaking down when Colin resists her control.

Brandon Cronenberg (the director) takes the body-horror interests associated with his family name and pushes them into questions about identity, labour, and emotional detachment. Tasya’s character spends so much time becoming other people that her own home life seems distant and rehearsed. Tate brings an entirely different energy once he begins fighting for ownership of his mind. The violence is intimate, graphic, and deliberately hard to watch. Possessor is the pick for viewers who want science fiction that leaves them fascinated, slightly sick, and eager to argue about whose personality survived.

‘The Fly’ (1986)

Image via 20th Century Studios

The Fly is romantic, sad, funny, revolting, and far more human than most respectable dramas. Watch it when you want a horror film with a real heart beating under all the slime. A brilliant scientist believes he has solved teleportation. Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) can move objects between two pods, but living tissue remains the final challenge. After successfully transporting himself, he starts feeling stronger, faster, and more confident. He later learns that a fly entered the pod with him and that the computer fused them at a genetic level.

Not to mention that this is a remake of a 1958 film. And David Cronenberg’s remake is famous for body horror, though reducing it to melting flesh and practical effects misses half the experience. Seth’s transformation also resembles terminal illness, addiction, and the terror of watching someone you love become unrecognisable. Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) create a relationship warm enough to make every physical change hurt. All that counts. The effects remain astonishingly disgusting, but the emotional damage hits harder than the makeup.

‘District 9’ (2009)

Image via TriStar Pictures

An alien spacecraft stalls above Johannesburg, and its starving passengers are eventually confined to a government-controlled settlement called District 9. Years later, officials decide to relocate them to another camp. Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a nervous employee of the private military company handling the operation, leads the eviction effort until exposure to alien technology changes his body and destroys his place in human society. That premise allows District 9 to thrill a crowd and still leave everyone arguing about complicity on the drive home.

The documentary-style opening makes the discrimination feel disturbingly normal too. Aliens are insulted, exploited, experimented on, and discussed as a public nuisance by people who profit from keeping them powerless. South Africa’s history of forced removals and apartheid gives the premise an unmistakable political charge. Wikus begins as part of the system and only develops empathy once the same system targets him. The film eventually erupts into heavy weapons, mech combat, and gruesome violence, but the anger underneath never disappears.

‘Ex Machina’ (2014)

Image via A24

In Ex Machina, a young programmer wins a private visit to the isolated home of Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), the billionaire behind the world’s dominant search engine. Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), the intern, soon learns the real purpose of the trip. Nathan has created an artificial intelligence named Ava (Alicia Vikander) and wants Caleb to decide whether her consciousness is genuine. Their conversations take place through glass while cameras observe every reaction.

The setup looks clean and controlled, but the house is full of power imbalances. Nathan owns the building, the information, and the bodies inside it. Caleb wants to believe his empathy makes him different, though attraction quickly interferes with judgment. Alicia Vikander’s Ava remains compelling without being reduced to innocence or threat, and Oscar Isaac turns Nathan’s confidence into something increasingly ugly. The film includes nudity, coercion, violence, and enough psychological manipulation to make every conversation suspect. So while it’s not for everybody, Ex Machina is perfect for anyone who likes leaving a movie with three theories and no trust left in the person sitting beside them. That’s a joke. Or not.

‘Annihilation’ (2018)

Image via Paramount Pictures

A strange zone called the Shimmer is expanding across the American coastline. Few people return after entering it, and those who do come back are changed. It is gorgeous, frightening, and strange enough to make a second viewing feel almost necessary. Lena (Natalie Portman), a biologist and former soldier, joins an all-female expedition hoping to understand what happened to her husband during an earlier mission. Inside the Shimmer, plants, animals, landscapes, and human bodies begin combining in ways that break every familiar biological rule. It’s almost like Alex Garland adapted Jeff VanderMeer’s novel into something less interested in invasion than transformation.

The women enter with different private wounds, and the environment seems to reflect their fear, grief, illness, and self-destructive impulses back at them. The infamous bear is terrifying, yet some of the quieter images are even harder to process. Flowers grow in human shapes. Memories lose their stability. DNA behaves like language being rewritten. That’s Annihilation.

‘Under the Skin’ (2013)

Image via A24

Under the Skin is slow, cold, and hypnotic. Give it your full attention and it becomes the kind of film that quietly follows you home. An unnamed woman (Scarlett Johansson) drives around Scotland, approaching lonely men and inviting them into a house where they disappear beneath a black liquid surface. She looks human, speaks calmly, and studies attraction with the distance of someone performing a task she barely understands. Gradually, contact with ordinary people begins changing how she sees them and herself.

Scarlett Johansson filmed several encounters with unsuspecting members of the public, which gives the early conversations an awkward reality, authenticity, that no normal casting process could create. Jonathan Glazer strips away familiar science-fiction explanations and lets behaviour, sound, and imagery carry the experience. Nudity appears but without comfort, sex becomes predatory, and the human body looks vulnerable from every angle.

‘Children of Men’ (2006)

Image via Universal Pictures

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Humanity has been infertile for nearly two decades, and the youngest person alive has just died. Britain survives through authoritarian control while refugees are hunted, caged, and deported. Theo Faron (Clive Owen) has stopped believing in political causes until his former partner asks him to help transport Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), a young refugee carrying the first known pregnancy in eighteen years.

The premise is huge, yet the movie stays close to streets, buses, safe houses, checkpoints, and frightened people trying to keep one woman alive. Alfonso Cuarón’s long takes place the viewer inside violence. Theo begins emotionally numb, while Kee’s pregnancy forces him to imagine a future again. War, state cruelty, terrorism, grief, and childbirth all collide without easy speeches about hope. Children of Men is exhausting in the best way. It leaves you desperate for the characters to reach safety and furious at how recognisable their world has become.

‘The Thing’ (1982)

Image via Universal Pictures

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The Thing gives you monsters, gore, mystery, and this highly debated closing moment without spelling out the answer. Watch it with friends and enjoy distrusting every single one of them afterward. A research team in Antarctica discovers an alien organism capable of absorbing and perfectly imitating other living creatures. Nobody knows when the infection began or who has already been replaced. The isolated station becomes a pressure cooker where trust disappears faster than the temperature drops.

John Carpenter’s film arrived to harsh reviews in 1982 and later earned its place among the greatest science-fiction horror movies ever made. Rob Bottin’s practical effects still look grotesque, imaginative, and physically wrong in ways digital work rarely matches. MacReady (Kurt Russell) has no magic solution, only observation, improvisation, and a flamethrower. The blood test, the scale of it is great but the paranoia surrounding it is even better. Every conversation could be happening with something pretending to be human. It’s a great film, and so not for kids.

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The Thing

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Release Date

June 25, 1982

Runtime

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109 minutes

Director

John Carpenter

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Writers

Bill Lancaster, John W. Campbell Jr.

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It’s now less than two weeks until Prime Video‘s best ass-kicking action series, Reacher, makes its long-awaited return, with Alan Ritchson‘s titular skull-cracker facing his toughest task yet following a brutal third season. In the past week, courtesy of San Diego Comic-Con 2026 taking place and a panel for the show being in attendance, the hype for Season 4 has shifted into a new gear, with the release of a pulse-racing trailer showcasing what dangers lie ahead for everyone’s favorite former U.S. Army military police major.

Now the most famous adaptation of Lee Child’s acclaimed novel series, Prime Video’s Reacher has earned a near-perfect reception for its first three installments. The upcoming fourth will adapt Gone Tomorrow, the 13th novel in Child’s long-running series, with fans in for non-stop action as the season includes 30 fight sequences spread across its eight episodes, according to Ritchson, which is a new record for the series. But years before Ritchson turned the character into his own, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars gave the role a try, not once but twice.

Back in 2012, Tom Cruise joined forces with long-time collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, in their first partnership as star and director, on a big-budget Jack Reacher adaptation. The first installment might’ve had its detractors, but it proved popular enough that a sequel was greenlit, with Jack Reacher: Never Go Back released almost ten years ago, in October 2016. This sequel was the recipient of much more backlash than the original, with both critics and audiences responding poorly, with fans of the original novels taking umbrage in particular. However, with Reacher Season 4 just a few days away, perhaps this sequel is a great way to get in the mood? Starting August 1, you’ll be able to stream Jack Reacher: Never Go Back on Paramount+.

Will There Be a ‘Reacher’ Season 5?

Image via Paramount Pictures

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Cruise’s interpretation of the character might not have made it beyond two installments, but Ritchson’s Reacher looks destined to stay on our screens for many years yet. Reacher has thankfully already been picked up for Season 5, with production already underway. Ritchson recently gave fans a sneak peek of Season 5 on his social media, and, if all goes well, we could be seeing the fifth installment of this hit series as soon as next year.

As of August 1, you can stream Jack Reacher: Never Go Back on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

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Release Date

October 21, 2016

Runtime

118minutes

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Director

Edward Zwick

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NeNe Leakes may be finally making her long-awaited return to Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” According to a new report, the network has already sent out contracts for season 18, and the “RHOA” OG was among the ladies to receive one.

A new report also claims that Shamea Morton, who has appeared on “RHOA” as a full-time cast member for the last two seasons, received her packing papers and was reportedly asked to leave the show after her explosive feud with Porsha Williams.

A source close to the production of “RHOA” has reportedly confirmed to Reality Blurb that Bravo has been in talks with NeNe Leakes about returning to the show for the upcoming 18th season.

The insider claimed that contracts have gone out, and to make space for Leakes, the network has allegedly asked Morton to step aside.

“Contracts went out two days ago,” the source said, adding that Bravo is “very interested” in finally giving Leakes the chance to return.

Filming is reportedly scheduled to begin in three weeks, directly after the season 17 reunion finishes airing at the end of August.

NeNe Leakes Appeared To Hint At A Possible Return To ‘RHOA’ On Her Instagram Stories

Alexis Bellino returned to Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County” in 2024 as a friend of the show, several years after her initial exit, but only remained on the series for a season. Now, almost a year after her wedding to John Janssen, the Bravo alum is revealing that she underwent a facelift. This comes after she recently opened up about the backlash she received following her “RHOC” return.

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Bellino opened up to PEOPLE in August 2026, revealing that she underwent a mid-face lift as an early birthday present. Regarding her reasoning for the procedure, the ‘RHOC’ alum stated, “Why I went down this path is [because] a couple of my friends that are a decade older than me both had it done at 49, and they look amazing at 60. I kind of feel like, learn from people that are older and wiser than me.”

During the interview, Bellino revealed that her three kids and husband were “against” the idea of her going under the knife. Regarding the children, she recalled, “They said, ‘Mom, please come on. Jesus Jugs, we’ve had enough of you and your stuff.’ And so I just said, ‘Guys, you’ll get it when you’re 50.”

For context, “Jesus Jugs” is a nickname Bellino gained during her original run on “The Real Housewives of Orange County” when cast member Tamra Judge made mention of her breast implants. In speaking about her husband being against the procedure, she says he changed his mind after attending a consultation with her.

The ‘RHOC’ Alum Also Discussed Her Healing Process

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Later in the interview, Bellino revealed that the recovery process following her facelift was much different than her previous experiences with plastic surgery, which includes getting breast implants when she was in college. Notably, she says the procedure itself lasted for seven hours. She called it a “whole different animal.” 

According to her, “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but it was not easy.” She also shared that the left side of her face “took a little bit longer to catch up to the healing.” Still, she has faith that the results will soon “fully” settle.

Bellino also stated that she plans to document the process on social media, noting how much she’s changed as she’s gotten more mature. She stated, “I think a decade or two ago I would’ve been affected by comments, and now I just don’t care.”

The “RHOC” alum added, “You’re just like, ‘Okay, take it, or leave it. This is who I am.’ You know who you love; your circle is very small. I want women to feel empowered.” She then spoke about how her life has changed following the facelift.

The 49-year-old explained, “I don’t wear makeup now when I go out. I don’t worry about my laugh lines. If I feel better, then why not? That’s what the doctors are here for.” Regarding future procedures, Bellino plans to have her breast implants removed.

Bellino took to Instagram on August 2 to share more thoughts on her recent facelift, noting the busy year she’s had, including her wedding to Janssen. She shared, “9 months, 2 weddings, 1 facelift….yep, it’s been a happy, busy stinking year. The photo on the left was my wedding to my love @johnwjanssen in October. The photo on the right is my son’s wedding this July.”

She continued, “Only nine months later. No, I didn’t need a facelift; I know that’s what I will hear. But all I can say is thank you @drjlayke and @plastixdocs and @glossyskinlounge for giving me a full smile back!!!!” After that, she discussed the comments she received from her kids and Janssen ahead of the procedure, recalling them saying, “mom/wife you don’t need it, please don’t do it, what can we do to talk you out of it……”

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Bellino added, “But look at the results!!!! And now my husband and kids are all so happy with the results!!!!!! And truth is, it’s MY decision, not theirs.”

The Bravo Alum Had Complications With Her Breast Implants In 2025

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As mentioned, Bellino had her first plastic surgery procedure while in college. However, in 2025, the “Real Housewives of Orange County” star was forced to have a corrective procedure after experiencing leakage related to her breast implants.

She opened up to PEOPLE in May 2025, stating, “I was the first girl at the University of Missouri to ever get implants. It was the biggest deal ever. Everyone was in shock that I did that. And since then I’ve had three more.”

She then discussed her journey over the years, saying, “I had that corrected in 2022. Unfortunately, about six months after that surgery, the contracture started to come back again. Most of the time, when you have it, it does keep recurring.

Unfortunately, after a while, she began to experience a “shooting pain” that she eventually couldn’t avoid. She explained, “My left breast started to raise and swell to the point where not only is it uncomfortable and hard, but now it’s actually noticeable in photos.”

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She went on to have a corrective procedure in April 2025, but her doctor discovered that one of her breasts had ruptured. The implants were then removed, and she now has smaller ones.”

Alexis Recently Opened Up About Her ‘RHOC’ Return

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As mentioned, Bellino returned to “The Real Housewives of Orange County” in 2024 as a friend of the show. However, her return proved controversial, with fans of the series targeting her. During a recent episode of the “Reality With the King” podcast, she opened up about the aftermath, revealing that she sought therapy.

According to her, “I mean, I was in therapy, I was getting death threats, I was crying every night on John’s shoulder like, ‘What did I do? Why did I go back?’” She added, “I went off social media for like four months. I didn’t post anything. My kids were like worried, and they’re like, ‘Mom, we hate what’s happening to you.’”

There’s a whole complex history to Fleetwood Mac, to the point where it’s hard to know how to even classify the band in terms of where they’re from. They were initially an English band, with the five founding members – Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood – all hailing from that part of the world. There was some success during the band’s early years, but even after just a few albums, things were shifting rapidly. By 1973, only McVie and Fleetwood (the bass guitarist and drummer, respectively) remained as members of the band, though Christine McVie (at the time married to John) joined as a vocalist and keyboardist, and then by the mid-1970s, the band had added a pair of American musicians: Lindsey Buckingham, who became the lead guitarist and vocalist, and Stevie Nicks, who was another vocalist for the band.

The lineup of the two McVies, Fleetwood, Buckingham, and Nicks is the classic one, and it did remain stable for quite some time, at least by Fleetwood Mac’s standards. There was instability, quite infamously, within the band in other regards, as John and Christine McVie separated in 1976, and Buckingham and Nicks – who weren’t married, but had been partners for several years – also separated that same year. The professional stability, so to speak, lasted until near the end of the 1980s, and then there were some reformations and people coming and going, which is further complicated, but also not super relevant if you just want to talk about the best of the best Fleetwood Mac albums. The band’s four outright masterful albums all came out between 1975 and 1987, and they’re perfect pop/rock releases that have helped cement Fleetwood Mac (or maybe that particularly classic lineup of Fleetwood Mac) as one of the undeniably best bands of their era.

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‘Fleetwood Mac’ (1975)

All that history in the intro was a bit arduous to get through, even with it being simplified, but it goes some way toward explaining why Fleetwood Mac (1975) was a self-titled album, and deserved to be one, too, even if it was technically the tenth Fleetwood Mac album overall. It was also the second self-titled album, after the band’s 1968 debut, which is sometimes called Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac to differentiate it from 1975’s Fleetwood Mac. The latter’s self-titled because this is a formal introduction to the new Fleetwood Mac; the lineup that would become legendary, and one that clicks in such a way that it’s quite surprising to think about how new Buckingham and Nicks were to the band, at this point. The former has lead vocals on four out of 11 songs, and a fifth where he shares lead vocals with Christine McVie, who then also has solo lead vocals on four songs. This leaves Nicks with “only” two, but those two songs are definite highlights, since they’re “Rhiannon” and “Landslide.”

Fleetwood Mac does feel like a bit of a warm-up for the even more legendary Fleetwood Mac album that was only a couple of years away, even down to the fact that the album covers for both are kind of similar (the same photographer, Herbert W. Worthington, was behind both). It is still a great album, though, and if it had marked Fleetwood Mac’s peak, as a band, then that’d remain a pretty great creative peak. Things just got even better artistically over the next decade or so, and the band’s 1977 album is a definite refinement of everything that already worked well (the gentle/soft rock sound, the catchy melodies paired with bittersweet lyrics, the variety of three talented/distinct-sounding vocalists being cycled between, etc.) on this self-titled album.

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‘Tango in the Night’ (1987)

It is an incredibly 1980s album, and that can be a bit of a shock if you listen to Tango in the Night after being more acquainted with Fleetwood Mac’s efforts from the back half of the 1980s. The pop sound and that reliably immediate songwriting are retained, but then come the synthesizers, and therein lies the 80s-ness. And it wasn’t the band’s first 1980s album, but it was the first that had that real synth-heavy/1980s sound, since 1982’s Mirage stuck to the pop/soft rock. Mirage is good, but not a classic. It has “Gypsy,” which is a beloved Fleetwood Mac song, and then a bunch of other pretty good songs, but not enough to make the whole album go from “pretty good” to “pretty great.” Tango in the Night fares a lot better as far as highlights are concerned. Also, it might well be the Christine McVie show, since she has lead vocals on a fair few of those highlights, and then was credited with doing the keyboards and synthesizers (again, the album’s heavy on the latter, though Buckingham was also credited with doing keyboard and synthesizer work on the album).

Sticking with McVie, though, she did the lead vocals on “Everywhere” and “Little Lies,” which are the two biggest songs on the album, and also on “Isn’t It Midnight,” which is probably the most underrated song on Tango in the Night, or at least the best comparative deep cut. Stevie Nicks shines on “Seven Wonders,” which is probably the third-best song here, and then when it comes to everything else, it’s all good. A handful of amazing songs, and then a slightly bigger handful of very good songs. But it’s enough to keep Tango in the Night easy to listen to, from front to back, and the consistency is such that no songs leap out as being weak or like they should’ve been cut. If the production with its distinctly 1980s sound turns you off, then that’s a shame… but also a little understandable, because the 80s is strong with this one.

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‘Tusk’ (1979)

Tusk is a wild album, and the sort that is honestly kind of surprising to see within Fleetwood Mac’s discography, in a good way. Hell, maybe even in a great way. It’s a go-for-broke sort of album that doesn’t feel restrained, with it being 20 songs long and almost 75 minutes all up. Yes, a double album, without a doubt, and one of the better double albums of that pre-CD era when a double album meant something. It might not quite be London Calling, Blonde on Blonde, or Electric Ladyland, but Tusk also isn’t far off. It keeps things consistent, and there aren’t any outright bad songs here. The more forgettable tracks are only a couple of minutes long, and they’re only forgettable if you want to compare them to the highlights from Tusk… namely, “Sara.” And “Sara” is not a short song, by any means, at 6:26, but it doesn’t feel much longer than three or four minutes.

“Sara” might well be the best Fleetwood Mac song. A hot/bold take? Maybe. There are lots of great Fleetwood Mac songs. It has some serious competition. But it’s one hell of an emotional slower song, perhaps standing out to a particularly great extent on Tusk because this album’s a little more upbeat and energetic than most other classic Fleetwood Mac albums. It’s an anxious sort of energy, with Tusk indeed feeling like it was written and recorded during a tumultuous time in the band’s history. As they did with their best album, two years before Tusk, all that angst was channeled into something great, albeit in a more (intentionally) unstable-sounding way on Tusk. It’s the kind of album a band can only make once they’ve established themselves and proved immensely successful, being like the music equivalent of a blank-check movie. Here, Fleetwood Mac did indeed seize the opportunity and then some.

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‘Rumours’ (1977)

Already alluded to as a refinement of 1975’s Fleetwood Mac, and the sort of album successful enough to ensure the band could cut loose in 1979, with Tusk, here’s Rumours. It is inevitable that this gets highlighted as Fleetwood Mac’s best album. It might be boring to say that, but it is just true. Another reason to go through Fleetwood Mac’s history, and the romantic relationships between certain members, is because Rumours came out in 1977, and that was one year on from two break-ups within the band. Further emotional and romantic turmoil ensued beyond that, but those two break-ups combine to make for the main catalyst of Rumours being the album that it is. It’s one of the ultimate break-up albums, and maybe even the ultimate one if you’re looking for break-up albums that aren’t exclusively made up of ballads.

There are ballads here, sure, but then highlights like “Go Your Own Way” and “The Chain” deal with intense emotional turmoil while also sounding energetic. Those two tracks, and some others that at least sound upbeat, are spread out well throughout Rumours, consistently contrasting well with the slower songs. This is easily one of the best pop albums of all time, and there is enough by way of a rock sound to also make it definitive as far as all-time great classic rock albums are concerned, too. Rumours is just that good (as good as everyone says it is), and so what more is there to say? It’s Rumours.