Seven Wonders (song)

"Seven Wonders" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from their fourteenth studio album, Tango in the Night (1987). Stevie Nicks sang lead vocals on the song, and it was written by Sandy Stewart, with additional lyrics by Nicks.

"Seven Wonders"
Single by Fleetwood Mac
from the album Tango in the Night
B-side"Book of Miracles"
ReleasedJune 1987
Recorded1986
GenrePop rock
Length3:38
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Fleetwood Mac singles chronology
"Big Love"
(1987)		 "Seven Wonders"
(1987)		 "Little Lies"
(1987)
Music video
"Seven Wonders" on YouTube

In the song, the singer remembers a love affair from her past. She sings that even if she should live to see the Seven Wonders of the World, doing so would not compare to the beauty of that romance. The song was released in June 1987, by Warner Bros. Records, as the second single from Tango in the Night. The single became the second of four US Top 20 hits from the album, peaking at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 15 August 1987.

The single was also available on the 12-inch single format, which included an extended remix, a dub mix and an instrumental, "Book of Miracles", which later became the track "Juliet" on Nicks' fourth solo studio album The Other Side of the Mirror (1989). A limited edition 12-inch picture disc version was also released in the United Kingdom, where the single reached number 56.

In the accompanying music video, Nicks is singing in the center of a stage with the other members of Fleetwood Mac around her, playing their instruments and contributing vocals. On a background diorama, sketches of seven 'wonders' are pictured, including the Taj Mahal, the Roman Colosseum, and the Great Sphinx of Giza. Greek pillars are also placed around the stage.

Background and composition

The song was written by Sandy Stewart, who had already co-written three tracks with Nicks for her 1983 solo album The Wild Heart. Stewart recorded a demo of "Seven Wonders" and sent it to Nicks without a lyric sheet. Nicks misheard one of the lines in the first verse as "all the way down to Emmaline", a contribution that gave her a writing credit alongside Stewart. Nicks later said, "I had become so attached to the name Emmaline that we kept it in and she gave me a small percentage."[1]

Reception

Cash Box said that "Nicks’ distinctive raspy voice buzzes over the song’s tranquil lyrics and sterling production."[2] The Guardian and Paste ranked the song number 20 and number ten respectively on their lists of the 30 greatest Fleetwood Mac songs.[3][4]

Appearances in other media

"The Seven Wonders", the season finale of American Horror Story: Coven, opened with Nicks performing the song. This helped the song to reach number 18 on the Billboard Rock Digital Songs chart with sales of 13,000.[5]

Track listing and formats

US 7-inch vinyl single (Warner Bros. Records 7-28317)

  1. "Seven Wonders" – 3:38
  2. "Book of Miracles" (Instrumental) – 4:28

UK 12-inch vinyl single (Warner Bros. Records W8317T)

  1. "Seven Wonders" (Extended remix) – 6:37
  2. "Book of Miracles" (Instrumental) – 4:28
  3. "Seven Wonders" (Dub version) – 4:32

Personnel

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Sheffield, Rob; Weingarten, Christopher R.; Browne, David; Dolan, Jon; Cummings, Corinne; Harris, Keith (11 July 2017). "Fleetwood Mac's 50 Greatest Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  2. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 13 June 1987. p. 9. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  3. Petridis, Alexis (19 May 2022). "Fleetwood Mac's 30 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  4. Mitchell, Matt (7 August 2023). "The 30 Greatest Fleetwood Mac Songs". Paste. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  5. "Chart Moves: John Legend, Sara Bareilles Hit New Highs; Imagine Dragons Close In On Coldplay Hot 100 History; Daft Punk's 'Lucky' Grows Post-Grammys". Billboard. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. "ultratop.be Fleetwood Mac – "Seven Wonders"" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  8. "Top Singles - Volume 46, No. 22". RPM. 5 September 1987. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  9. "Adult Contemporary - Volume 46, No. 24". RPM. 19 September 1987. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  10. "Single Search: Fleetwood Mac – "Seven Wonders"" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  11. "Search the Charts" (enter "Fleetwood Mac" into the "Search by Artist" box, then select "Search"). Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  12. "dutchcharts.nl Fleetwood Mac – "Seven Wonders"" (ASP). Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  13. "charts.nz Fleetwood Mac – "Seven Wonders"" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  14. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  15. "The Official Charts Company – "Seven Wonders" by Fleetwood Mac Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
  16. "Allmusic: Tango in the Night: Charts & Awards: Billboard Albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  17. Nielsen Business Media, Inc (26 December 1987). Billboard Magazine – Year End Charts of 1987. {{cite book}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  18. "British single certifications – Fleetwood Mac – Seven Wonders". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
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