American Pie - Don McLean - MP3 instrumental karaoke

On his album American Pie, released in October 1971, Don McLean placed “American Pie” as an ambitious musical journal of American cultural change. Self-written and produced by Ed Freeman, it was recorded in spring 1971 and released as a single that winter, quickly soaring to Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks beginning January 15, 1972, and also topping charts in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand while peaking at number 2 in the UK. The track unfolds over 8 minutes and 42 seconds, evolving from a subdued acoustic folk opening into a full-blown band-driven crescendo enriched by piano, layered choir vocals, and dynamic storytelling. Lyrically, Don McLean chronicles the loss of innocence and musical icons—most notably referencing the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly as “the day the music died”—while weaving in cryptic, impressionistic allusions to societal upheaval. “American Pie” remains a monumental folk-rock composition whose rich narrative and sweeping structure helped cement Don McLean’s reputation as a voice for a transforming generation.