Released in October, 1971 "American Pie" written by American singer-songwriter
Don McLean, has long been considered a tribute to the great rock 'n' roll legend
Buddy Holly, with the memorable refrain, "the day the music died".
Holly was killed in a plane crash in February 1959, along with up and coming
rock and roll singers Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J.D. Richardson.
McLean said that he drew the inspiration for this song from his childhood
when he was delivering newspapers at the time of the crash.
"I first found out about the crash because I was a 13-year old newspaper
delivery boy in New Rochelle, New York and I was carrying the bundle
of local Standard-Star papers that were bound in twine, and when I cut
it open with a knife, there it was on the front page," he remembered.
Don McLean's song further reflects the social and political changes he
witnessed in America, from the conservative years of early rock and roll
in the late 1950's, to the more progressive era of psychedelic acid rock
in the late 1960's and early 1970's, a time when the counter-culture was in
full swing, along with a very unpopular war being waged in Southeast Asia.
Upon the release of "American Pie" Cash Box called the song, "folk-rock's
most ambitious and successful epic endeavor since "Alice's Restaurant".
Record World called it a "monumental accomplishment of lyric writing."
The song was a Number One hit for four weeks beginning in January, 1972
after just eight weeks on the US Billboard charts. "American Pie" also
topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada and was
the Number Two most popular song in the United Kingdom
where it stayed for three weeks after its initial release.
(1971)
Don McLean
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