Posted by Emily Exton on 04/28/2011 at 11:34 AM News

The Popdust Files: Fleetwood Mac, glee, glee, rumours

On Tuesday night, Glee dedicates its score to the 1977 album Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. Among the songs selected from the group’s best-selling, most dramatically-charged album: “Go Your Own Way,” “Songbird,” “Dreams,” “I Don’t Wanna Know,” “Don’t Stop” and “Never Going Back Again.” It’s refreshing to hear some classic rock on the show (no, Journey doesn’t count), and a hefty compliment to Fleetwood Mac (that is, if Stevie Nicks would consider the Glee treatment as such). Tuesday’s “Rumours” will be only the third episode compromised of songs entirely from a single artist or group, following “The Power of Madonna” (Madonna) and “Britney/Brittany” (Britney Spears), and the fourth if you count last fall’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show tribute. (Rumours must be a personal favorite of Ryan Murphy, akin to his use of “Run Joey Run” or “To Sir With Love” last year.)

Naturally, Lea Michele tackles “Go Your Own Way,” the album’s most iconic track, returning guest star Kristin Chenoweth duets with Matthew Morrison on “Dreams,” which is certainly catchier and slightly more upbeat than their “One Less Bell To Answer/A House Is Not a Home” medley in season one, and New Directions as a whole can be heard on “Don’t Stop,” which could be a potential selection for Nationals, as it upholds their resolution not to give up on their goals. (Deal with it, Coach Sylvester.) But upon first listen, Naya Rivera’s “Songbird” — which she’ll most likely be singing to or about Brittany (“And I love you, I love you, I love you like never before”) — is my favorite. Her voice has sounded harsh and nasally before (“The Boy Is Mine“) but here it’s restrained and lovely, accompanied by only by the soft chords of a piano.

Rumours is the quintessential album from a hugely important group in music history, but if all the hype around last week’s performance of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” only managed to pull in 8.5 million viewers (its lowest of the season), will an episode tied to collection of songs from the 70s (written years before most Gleeks were even a thought in their parents’ minds) really draw people in? Listen to the five Fleetwood Mac tracks below. Is Rachel the Stevie Nicks to Finn’s Lindsey Buckingham?

“Go Your Own Way”

“Songbird”

“Dreams”

“I Don’t Want To Know”

“Don’t Stop”

“Never Going Back Again”