From Joni Mitchell to Bob Dylan: The musicians who shaped Stevie Nicks
Although we view Stevie Nicks as an unquestionable tour de force in today’s world, she often discussed the ways in which the pioneering work of others shaped her style, charisma, and general career. For instance, her voice and even the way she holds herself on stage were cherry-picked from the prowess of others, providing her with the perfect puzzle pieces that would solidify her place as a worthy trailblazer.
In the early days of Fleetwood Mac’s breakthrough, Nicks was often shunned or overpowered by her male counterparts who felt like songs – and even albums – should look and feel a certain way. The singer’s intuition paid off, however, as she quickly gained fans who admired her poetic and oftentimes dark songwriting and endearing, raspy voice.
Equally, what is somewhat unique about Nicks’ influences is that she admires them without feeling the need to become them – she may observe their confidence and style and set out to create the same reaction among her own fans, but she’s just as happy to praise others who sit in different spaces. When she performed with The Chicks’ Natalie Maines, for instance, she said: “I could happily be a part of the Chicks. Even though they’re billed as country artists, they’re very rock ‘n’ roll.”
Although Nicks’ lyrics allow many of her fans to feel heard, seen, and a lot less alone, Nicks found the same type of solace in Joni Mitchell, whose voice and complex lyricism accompanied her during some of her most difficult years. Discussing Court and Spark, she once said: “It was one of those albums that I lay on the floor and listened to for three days straight,” adding: “Lindsey and I were coming to the end of our relationship, and I’d met someone else.”
Regarding her physical performance when under the spotlight, she cited three artists as major influences who shaped her approach: Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Grace Slick. “Those were the three people who I emulated when I was on stage,” she said, describing the ways she seamlessly converges charisma, confidence, bravado, and edginess.
When discussing those who contributed to her sound, the singer’s melting pot of stars includes the likes of Neil Young, Tom Petty, and even Bob Dylan – referring to his song ‘Tangled Up In Blue’, she particularly resonates with the line: “There was music in the cafes and revolution in the air.” For Nicks, being able to summarise such a pivotal moment in time with incredibly poetic yet to-the-point lyrics was a sign of true artistry. “I was losing my head the first time I heard [it],” she said.
Young, along with Buffalo Springfield, on the other hand, helped her to recognise the power of rock ‘n’ roll versus the poignancy of slower, love ballads. Nicks admits she spent an entire summer after her senior year listening to 1969’s Crosby, Stills & Nash due to its perfect blend of hard rock, protest songs, and softer, more considered ballads.
Mostly, it was hard-hitting lyricism that opened doors for Nicks after she realised its sheer power. “Sometimes just a sentence out of somebody’s song will mean a million things to you,” she explained, discussing her love of Jackson Browne. In many of Nicks’ own compositions, like ‘Silver Springs’, ‘Landslide’, ‘Dreams’, and more, crafting elegant soundscapes accompanied by profound lyrical musings clearly came naturally to her and became the necessary building block that made her path as a legendary musical icon possible.