Don McLean - American Pie

'American Pie' is a complex, allegorical song about the loss of innocence in American culture and the transition from the idealism of the 1950s to the turbulent 1960s. The primary catalyst for the song was the 1959 plane crash that killed rock and roll pioneers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson, famously referred to as 'The Day the Music Died.' McLean uses poetic lyrics to chronicle the decline of rock music over the subsequent decade.

The original, full-length version of 'American Pie' runs for exactly 8 minutes and 36 seconds. Because of its massive length, the song had to be split into two parts to fit on the two sides of a 7-inch vinyl single when it was released in 1971. Radio stations frequently played the split version, which allowed it to climb to number one on the charts.

In the song, 'The King' is widely interpreted to refer to Elvis Presley, who dominated the early days of rock and roll alongside Buddy Holly. The lyrics mention 'The King was looking down, while the jester stole his thorny crown,' which is viewed as a reference to Bob Dylan taking Elvis's place as the voice of a generation. The song is filled with cryptic clues pointing to various 1960s musicians.

Don McLean released 'American Pie' as a single in 1971, and it was the title track of his second studio album, which followed in 1972. The song became an instant cultural phenomenon and cemented McLean's legacy in music history. He has famously refused to ever fully explain all the lyrics, leaving them open to interpretation.