Fleetwood Mac's 'Albatross' reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in January 1969. It spent one week at the top, becoming the band's only UK number-one single.
The atmospheric instrumental was written by guitarist Peter Green and released as a single in November 1968. Its slow, spacious arrangement used sustained guitar lines and a gentle rhythm to evoke the motion of a seabird gliding over the sea. The title refers to the albatross, a bird traditionally associated with sailors and the open ocean.
The song's success grew through television exposure and strong public interest, helping sales reach roughly 60,000 copies per week at its peak. It became one of Fleetwood Mac's defining early recordings, from the period when the group was still rooted in British blues.
A later reissue in 1973 also performed strongly, reaching number two in the UK. That reissue can cause confusion, but the original release—not the 1973 reissue—is the one that reached number one, in January 1969.