December of 1980 was a rough month for Stevie Nicks…but before I explain why, let me start with a fun fact: The title of today’s Great Song of 1982, was inspired by Tom Petty’s’ first wife, Jane. It seems that Jane had a heavy Southern accent, and when Stevie asked when she and Tom first met, Jane said, “At the age of 17,” which sounded like “the EDGE” of 17.”

Stevie not only thought that was delightful, she told Jane that she’d write The couple a song in their honor.

But then…December happened.

First, John Lennon was assassinated. Although Stevie had never met John, her boyfriend at the time, producer Jimmy Iovine, was one of John’s closest friends, and he was distraught. She felt helpless to console him.

A short time later later, Stevie’s Uncle Jonathan died of cancer.

At this point, Stevie remembered something she had once read on a restaurant menu (of all places): “The white wing dove sings a song that sounds like she’s singing ooh, ooh, ooh.”

In her state of mind at the time, Stevie equated the white wing dove with the spirit leaving the body at death, and wrote a song that British Author Zoë Howe described as “transforming and elevating the feelings of grief and soaring above them with strength.” and being “a perfect combination of tough rock ‘n’ roll grit, raw emotion and full-beam, strut-about-in-platform-boots rock queen glamour.” Hyperbole? Yes…but also accurate.

Stevie appropriated “Edge of Seventeen” for the title, and when the finished song was released from her debut solo album, “Bella Donna,” it climbed to #4 on Billboard’s Rock Chart and #11 on the Hot 100.

“Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks. Not only is it a Great Song of 1982, it’s a showcase of Stevie’s creativity, and her ability to dig into deep emotional territory.