Don McLean — American Pie

Black Vinyl LP

Containing the chart-topping singles “American Pie” and “Vincent,” McLean’s second studio album reached #1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold within six months of release. Recorded in May and June 1971 at The Record Plant in New York City, the original 1971 LP is dedicated to Buddy Holly. American Pie’s success made McLean an international star and piqued interest in his first album, which charted more than two years after its initial release.

McLean recorded his debut album Tapestry in 1969 in Berkeley, California, during the student riots. After being rejected 72 times by labels, the album was released by Mediarts, a label that did not exist when McLean first started to look for a label. It attracted good reviews but little notice outside the folk community (though on the Easy Listening Chart “Castles In The Air” was a success, and in 1973 “And I Love You So” became a #1 Adult Contemporary hit for Perry Como). McLean’s major break came when Mediarts was taken over by United Artists Records, thus securing the promotion of a major label for his second album, American Pie.

Released: 5/13/16