Some of the world’s greatest works of art are born from flashes of inspiration, come together in minutes, and become even more beloved with time. Stevie Nicks’ “Landslide” is one of them.

Though the song appeared on Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 self-titled album, it was written months before Nicks had even joined the group. At the time, Nicks was at a low but pivotal moment in her life. The personal decision she had to make in that moment inspired a universal masterpiece that has resonated with multiple generations, and it only took her five minutes to create.

The origin story of Stevie Nicks’ ‘Landslide’

Nicks wrote the song in 1973 in Aspen, Colorado, the only place she ever lived where it snowed. She shared with Performing Songwriter magazine that she and Lindsey Buckingham, her on-and-off love interest and future fellow Fleetwood Mac member, had just released their debut album, Buckingham Nicks.

“It was horrifying to Lindsey and I because we had a taste of the big time, we recorded in a big studio, we met famous people, we made what we consider to be a brilliant record and nobody liked it,” she said. Buckingham was on the road with The Everly Brothers, and Nicks was in Aspen with $40 and a dog, facing the possibility that their musical dreams weren’t going to work out.

“I had been a waitress and a cleaning lady, and I didn’t mind any of this. I was perfectly delighted to work and support us so that Lindsey could produce and work and fix our songs and make our music,” said Nicks. “But I had gotten to a point where it was like, ‘I’m not happy. I am tired.’ But I........

© Upworthy