Charlotte Calmes

Fleetwood Mac vinyl records, including ‘Tusk’ (1979), ‘Mirage ‘(1982) and ‘Tango in the Night’ (1987), are now sold at Walmart in Normal.

A TikTok video set to a single from 1977 propelled a 90-year-old cranberry juice company and a band that has been around for more than half a century into the spotlight. 

When 38-year-old Nathan Apodaca posted a video to TikTok from a sunset longboard ride, lip-syncing “Dreams” and drinking Ocean Spray, Apodaca became an instant sensation.

The 30-second clip, posted in October, introduced Fleetwood Mac to a new generation. While introducing real music to younger audiences has typically been reserved for parents, social media introduced many members of Generation Z to the band responsible for “Rumors” — Rolling Stone Magazine’s 7th Greatest Album of All Time, behind Nirvana’s “Nevermind.” 

Dressed like a teenager, free-spirited “@420Doggface208,” complete with feather tattoos, helped “Dreams,” from “Rumors,” 1978’s Album of the Year Grammy winner, cruise back into popularity.  

Apodaca’s video, with over 70 million views, single-handedly started a viral trend where, according to TikTok figures, 100s of thousands recreated the clip. 

Even 73-year-old Mick Fleetwood, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, and Stevie Nicks, lead singer on the track, joined the social media platform to participate. 

42 years after “Dreams” was released, Fleetwood Mac, one of the world’s best-selling bands, is back. While the band could never have dreamed of this being how they returned to popularity or how new generations would first hear their songs, the acclaim is justified. 

Fleetwood Mac, number 21 on Business Insider’s Best Selling Music Artists of All Time, has sold over 54.5 million units – nearly 20 million more than Queen.

While other world-renowned groups have withstood the test of time, they rarely top charts in the 21st century. 

The British-American rock band has extended its 88-week streak on Billboard’s Artist 100 chart; after peaking at number 3 on Oct. 23, they currently sit at 47.

The single “Dreams,” peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Global 200 chart in late Oct., has charted for the past 11 weeks.

These unplanned and rather bizarre trends in today’s charts result from two factors – social media’s impact on Gen Z and Gen Z’s influence on today’s trends. As music appreciation merges with social media, younger audiences are exposed to artists that they were previously unaware of, causing sudden boosts in streams. This not only demonstrates Gen Z’s power in solidifying today’s trends but reinforces social media’s increasingly immense impact in shaping pop culture as a whole.

Fleetwood Mac’s sudden, somewhat inescapable reappearance sparks one question — while aimlessly scrolling through social media, what else is Gen Z missing out on?

With much of today’s mainstream music’s lyrics and overall sound lacking the lore of a 70’s or 80’s trailblazing treasure, plenty of artists are much more deserving of Gen Z’s attention.

In today’s social media-centered society, simply streaming a classic hit could strike the right chord and start a new trend. One that illuminates the timeless essence and everlasting allure of real music.

Check out the Inkspot’s Fleetwood Mac Starter Pack on Spotify.