When Stevie Nicks released her debut solo album Bella Donna in 1981, it wasn’t just a side project—it felt like survival. Fleetwood Mac was nearing a breaking point; creative tension, personal struggles, and addictive patterns all loomed large. In that uncertain space, one song emerged that she sees as her first true solo lifeline.
The song is a duet with Tom Petty titled Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around. Originally recorded by Petty for his album Hard Promises, it was reimagined with Stevie’s vocals after producer Jimmy Iovine felt she needed something that could stand on its own. Nicks recalls, “Jimmy Iovine said he didn’t think I had a ‘single’ and this record needs one. I said, OK!”
That track proved pivotal. It didn’t just chart—it opened a door. For Stevie, it was more than commercial success; it was confirmation that she could exist independently of Fleetwood Mac’s shadow. She’s said that if Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around had never happened, her solo path might’ve looked very different.
Despite the storm around her, this duet became her anchor. Fans embraced it. Radio played it. And it offered something tangible: a solo identity rooted in struggle but dazzling in expression. For many listeners, the song felt like the moment Stevie “stood alone”—not as a secondary voice, but as a full force.
Through the years, the track has remained meaningful. She’s performed it live repeatedly, including memorable moments with Tom Petty. Even decades later, Stevie credits that duet with providing the spark that lit her solo career. What might have been a risky move turned into one of her defining moments.
