Recorded - May 26, 1971
Released - October 24, 1971 (album), November 1971 (single)
#1 for weeks of January 15, 22 and 29 & February 5, 1972.
A long long time ago... way back in 1971, a quaint and unsuspecting folk musician named Don McLean released an album called American Pie. The title track itself remains one of the most instantly recognizable songs of all time, and has even been voted by the Recording Industry Association of America as the fifth best song of the 20th century. That's quite a bold statement. Has the song been overplayed? Absolutely. Is is really among the greatest recorded works of a whole century? Let's find out...
"American Pie", for those who don't know, chiefly deals with the events of February 3, 1959: The day the music died. Lyrically, much of the song is highly cryptic and open for interpretation. I'll echo what many have already guessed: This song represents all the events that occurred starting from that cold February day until "American Pie" was written. Although this is merely a theory. Only Don knows the real meanings behind the song.
Continuing the trend of progressive pop singles, we have a song which was over eight minutes in length. Yet these eight minutes are never boring and you might even lose track of time until the song concludes. Part of the appeal of "American Pie", (Besides its instantly catchy chorus), is this huge contrast between the somber piano-led sections and the upbeat full band sections. It's not often you can go from feeling sad to wanting to raise a pint and sing along happily, all in one song!
Due to the constant replaying of "American Pie" over the years, it is easy to assume that Don is a one hit wonder. While he would never top the IS charts again, he did score two UK #1's over the years, one of which was "Vincent", another American Pie album track. None of Don's other albums managed the success that "Pie" brought him. Still, if "American Pie" is the song people admire you for the most, that's not a bad tag.
Even though "American Pie" is critically acclaimed, I have met quite a few people who dislike or don't care for the song. I've heard, "It's too long" or "It's been overrated". To be honest, even I consider the song to be overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's one I highly enjoy. However, there are numerous songs that I feel are stronger overall, many of which have already been reviewed on this blog.
Final Verdict - Just a wee bit overplayed, although not even the slightest bit dated. While, I wouldn't call this one of the top 10 songs, period. I will call "American Pie" one of the finest singer/songwriter songs of the century. The song takes you on a journey, and even though this journey is mostly cryptic, part of the intrigue is creating one's own interpretations of the piece.
Coming Up Next - "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and I can still remember how this music used to make me smile -
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