Don McLean

Singer/songwriter Don McLean specializes in the netherworld between '60s coffeehouse folk and '70s introspection, navigating the distance between confessional singer/songwriter and MOR pop. Stick closely to this aesthetic, he's crafted a handsome body of work over the course of nearly five decades, but he'll always be best-known for "American Pie," his fluke 1971 chart-topper. A long, winding elegy for rock & roll, "American Pie" spent four weeks on the Billboard charts, but its smash success was eclipsed by its enduring afterlife in American culture, where it served as the fodder for nostalgia and parodies for decades, eventually earning entry into the National Recording Registry in 2017. So strong was the allure of "American Pie" that it suggested McLean only had one charting hit, which isn't true: its follow-up, "Vincent," peaked at 12, and throughout the '70s he was a mainstay on Billboard's adult contemporary charts, culminating in his final crossover hit in the form of a 1980 cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying." McLean faded from the charts not long after that, but he kept touring and recording all the way into the 2020s, releasing a new album, like 2024's American Boys, on occasion, relying as much on affection for his entire catalog as he did on "American Pie."

From 🇺🇸 United States