Artist:

Don McLean

Album:

American Pie

Composer(s):

Don McLean

Lyricist(s):

Don McLean

Guitarist / singer / songwriter Don McLean had already paid his dues as a coffee-house folk singer for a few years when he released American Pie in 1971. This eight-minute masterpiece depicts his reaction to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, and remains an all-time American classic, as well as a showcase of a perfectly crafted folk song. He’s kept on releasing great albums since then, but none of them matching this emotional intensity.