"American Pie": The Day the Music Died

"American Pie": everyone has heard this song. And if you haven't, listen to it here. This song has been one of the most iconic tracks of all time and has been rated as #5 on RIAA's Songs of the Century project. Everyone has hummed it at one point (it is the definition of "ear-worm") and many people know the lyrics. 

The song was released in 1971 by Don McLean and debuted at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. It was a huge hit and reached the top of the charts in multiple countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It also made the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 and has remained a very popular song that still airs on the radio from time to time.

With that, many parodies and covers have been done for American Pie. Madonna, for example, released a cover for it in 2000. Though cover received some backlash with critics, it was very popular with fans, reaching the top of the charts all over Europe. Weird Al did a parody as well titled, The Saga Begins, which told the story of Star Wars Episode I. McLean approved of both versions of his hit song.

Above: "the day the music died."

There's been much speculation about the meaning of this song and McLean has been somewhat reticent in clarifying the meaning of the lyrics. It is clear however, that the words in "American Pie" seem to refer to the events of February 3, 1959 when one of McLean's heroes, Buddy Holly, and two other famous musicians (Ritchie Valens and J.P. "the Big Bopper" Richardson), were killed in a plane crash. He refers to it as "the day the music died" and sings about the end of that generation of music and the loss of a great style of music. 

The song has a simple, ballad-style tune played on an acoustic guitar. The simple melody is very fitting of a ballad and hails back to the style of music whose death he sings about. And the music itself represents a simpler era of music--namely of rock. It fits the song beautifully and creates a laid back and nostalgic feeling.

Overall, "American Pie" has had a huge impact on American music and media. This song is both simple and meaningful. It is easy to listen to and we will more than likely be listening to it for a long time still.

H. Logan Christensen
(Pragmus Alpha)
CEO of Pragmus