The 5 Best Stevie Nicks Solo Songs That Aren't Edge Of Seventeen

When you think of Stevie Nicks, your thoughts surely turn to her time as vocalist for Fleetwood Mac, and especially the foundational hits she wrote while with the group, like the surprising mega-hit "Dreams," "Landslide," and the searing breakup song, "Silver Springs." Yet, the dramatic backstory of their album "Rumours," as well as other longstanding dramas in the band, began to wear on her. Starting in the 1980s, she also embarked on a highly successful solo career that led to many charting singles, including the wild, rocking "Edge of Seventeen." But, as much as we love that song, there's so much more to her solo oeuvre than one great track. With a catalog of songs that's so deep and so complex, there are quite a few great picks featuring Stevie Nicks.

What makes a Stevie Nicks' single the tops? It should exemplify the deep, complex lyricism of her best work — it's not for nothing that Tom Petty once told her she was one of the greatest songwriters he knew (via Music Radar). And it ought to have the sort of intensely felt emotion that's won her so many dedicated fans over the years. But that doesn't mean the songs all need be all the same, so we'll award points for singles that go beyond the mystical "Spider Woman" aesthetic and into new territory — but don't worry, as there's plenty of room for witchiness here, too.

To really get a dose of witchy Stevie Nicks, you can't do much better than "Bella Donna," the title track from her 1981 debut solo album. In it, Nicks speaks poetically of seeing through someone's persona, but it's also arguably an ode to herself emerging from years of artistic and interpersonal drama. "Come in out of the darkness / Bella Donna, my soul," Nicks sings in an aching, soaring, at times triumphant voice. As Nicks told Rolling Stone in 1981, "'Bella Donna' is a term of endearment I use and the title is about making a lot of decisions in my life, making a change based on the turmoil in my soul." She certainly wanted to mark a change with her solo work, including aesthetically: note the black dress she wears on the cover of "Rumours," then the white one on "Bella Donna."

In later interviews and social media posts, Nicks has pushed back against the idea that this is yet another song about erstwhile partner and longtime feud participant Lindsey Buckingham. She has also argued that her solo record didn't have anything to do with the turmoil of Fleetwood Mac. In a 2021 Instagram post, she more specifically said it was about a boyfriend's mother, who was herself involved with a Chilean man fleeing the 1973 coup led by General Augusto Pinochet. "The love story never really ended, but she never saw him again," Nicks wrote. "I was so touched by this story of lost love that I wrote 'Bella Donna.'" Whatever the exact inspiration, "Bella Donna" is an entrancing mix of joy and heartbreak wrapped up in Nicks' beautifully complex lyrics.

Back in the early '80s, Nicks was an avowed fan of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, reportedly half-joking that she would ditch Fleetwood Mac for a spot with Petty's band. Petty quasi-joked back that it was a boys' club, saying in 2007's documentary, "Runnin' Down A Dream," that "there aren't any girls in the Heartbreakers" (via Classic Rock). But Nicks was persistent, asking Petty to write a song for her and collaborating with his producer, Jimmy Iovine, to produce "Bella Donna." Petty eventually caved in and wrote and recorded "Insider" with her ... then decided to keep it for his own band. To make up for it, Petty let Nicks have a song he'd already recorded, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." With some studio magic, engineers cleared some of Petty's vocal tracks and Nicks sang those verses instead, making the song into a duet. She harmonized with Petty's recorded refrain, and the song was billed as a Nicks' track. 

Despite the real success of their collaboration — its bluesy, raw-edged sound landed "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" at No. 3 on the Billboard charts — Petty and his bandmates were initially skeptical. "[W]e were a little wary of Stevie," he said in "Conversations With Tom Petty," elaborating that "we kind of saw this big corporate rock band, Fleetwood Mac, which was wrong, they were actually artistic people." As Petty explained, he and Nicks became fast friends after making this song together, with Nicks clearly demonstrating her artistic integrity and willingness to try new things with a song that's a clear departure from her more windswept, mystical work.

Like other songwriters before and after her, Nicks has mined her personal life for artistic inspiration, and "If Anyone Falls" is no exception. This track, from her second solo album "The Wild Heart," came to Nicks via songwriter Sandy Stewart and producer Gordon Perry. Stewart developed a musical track and showed it to Perry, who then passed it on to Nicks for lyrics. Stewart would become a long-term collaborator with Nicks. At this point, Stewart was largely doing demos, but would eventually team up with Nicks on the rest of "The Wild Heart," lending backup vocals and keyboard work, as well as performing live with Nicks.

Nicks has said this song was inspired by a consuming relationship, almost certainly the one she nurtured with guitarist Waddy Wachtel (who also happens to play guitar on "If Anyone Falls"). The lyrical point of view comes from someone who's poised on the edge of a relationship, one that she believes could be an intense romance, but which doesn't exactly hold promise of truly sustaining itself over the long run. Lyrics like "Somewhere in the twilight dreamtime / Somewhere in the back of your mind" hint that the skepticism will win out. Yet, until then, it can be a beautiful thing to consider, especially on this synth-heavy track underlining Nick's characterful voice.

"Stand Back" is maybe the most boundary-pushing song on "The Wild Heart." It's not that Nicks totally abandoned her look — in the music video for the single, she still sports the flowing fabrics and dramatic lace that have so long characterized her stage appearances. But the song also brings in hearty doses of synth and a drum machine, representing an energetic shakeup that helped the song hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Inspiration came from a worthy source: Mr. "Purple Rain" himself, though Nicks was actually inspired by Prince's "Little Red Corvette." Shortly after her 1983 marriage to Kim Anderson — in fact, in the car on the way to their honeymoon — Nicks heard the track. She was so impressed, she began writing her own song immediately and even recorded a demo at their hotel. Nicks eventually called Prince. "I didn't have to call and tell him that I kind of ripped off his song, but I did because I'm honest," she said (via Billboard). Not only was Prince okay with it, but he appeared at the studio to play synthesizer and began a friendship with Nicks. "He was so uncanny, so wild, he spoiled me for every band I've ever had," Nicks told Timothy White for "Rock Lives: Profiles and Interviews."

Prince also urged Nicks to push the boundaries of her songwriting, namely to make things more overtly sensual — which feels like classic Prince advice, songwriter to songwriter. But Nicks deserves her own credit for wildness here. "Stand Back" is perhaps more aggressive than some of her other hits, but its energy and eminently danceable beat make for a great track.

The song "Nightbird," from 1983's "The Wild Heart," is a continuation of themes found in "Edge of Seventeen," if the song title's reference didn't tip you off already. Like so many other Nicks-penned songs, this one arose from a complex melange of influences, many of them deeply felt. On one level, it's about women rock 'n' roll singers, and especially the difficulties of performing constantly and at all hours. But it's also dedicated to Robin Snyder, a childhood friend diagnosed with leukemia in 1981. Snyder actually denied treatment when she learned she was pregnant and gave birth to her son, Matthew, mere days before her death. Nicks then married her friend's widower, Kim Anderson, in the hopes that she could support the family and express her love and grief for her friend. Yet, the two soon divorced. "Robin would not have wanted me to be married to a guy I didn't love. And therefore accidentally break that guy's heart, too," Nicks told The Guardian.

Out of that wild grief and intense personal upheaval came "Nightbird." While no song can ever hope to make up for the loss of a close friend, there is at least this haunting track that speaks of changing seasons ("I was not ready for the winter," sings Nicks) and the hope that lost ones might return somehow ("And when I call, will you walk gently through my shadow? / The ones who sing at night"). It's a beautiful, driving track that, knowing the backstory, hits all the harder.