'American Pie' singer also recently marked the tragedy of 'The Day the Music Died'
Don McLean on ‘the people’ choosing to make ‘American Pie’ iconic
Don McLean spoke with Fox News Digital at the MovieGuide Awards about the legacy of his hit song and why listeners decided to make it an iconic piece of pop culture.
"American Pie" singer Don McLean isn’t too impressed with modern songwriters.
On the red carpet at the MovieGuide Awards, the musician told Fox News Digital the biggest change he’s seen over his career is "very bad lyric writing and no melodies. Two important things in a song, lyrics and melody."
McLean has remained a prolific performer and artist, re-releasing three of his albums, "Believers," "Chain Lightning" and "Prime Time," on vinyl and CD, as well as releasing two children’s books and continuing to tour.
The "American Pie" singer thinks there is "very bad lyric writing and no melodies" in today's music. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
"I got tons of stuff going on. I took some time off, and I’ll start rolling sometime around this summer and then go, really go all through next year," he said.
The 79-year-old also recently marked the 66th anniversary of "The Day the Music Died," when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash.
The tragedy served as the inspiration for McLean’s iconic hit, "American Pie," a song that has become an integral part of the pop culture landscape.
McLean released his hit song, "American Pie," in 1971. (Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)
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But McLean says he never "planned" for the song to take off.
"People chose the song ‘American Pie.’ It wasn’t something that was planned. The minute it came out, they started to play Buddy Holly, and there wasn’t any reference to him in the song," he said.
He continued, "And a few years after that, all these radio stations started going to oldies, playing songs from the ‘50s and ’60s because they realized how much people missed this music. They miss it more now, I’m sure."
According to McLean, "People chose the song ‘American Pie.’ It wasn’t something that was planned." (Mark Sullivan/Getty Images)
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The creation and impact of "American Pie" has been chronicled in the 2022 documentary, "The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie," on Paramount+ and Amazon.
WATCH: DON MCLEAN ON ‘THE PEOPLE’ CHOOSING TO MAKE ‘AMERICAN PIE’ ICONIC
McLean has honored the passing of those music legends through song and acknowledgment of what has become an "unofficial holiday."
"Then the whole ‘The Day the Music Died’ started about 10 years ago, I guess. It’s sort of an unofficial holiday commemorating this solemn occasion, and the song, of course, deified that moment in a certain way," he explained.
McLean's song has become a central piece of American pop culture. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
"I was trying to write a big song about America, and so that’s how that all happened, but again, it all happened from the people," he added.
McLean can be seen presenting the best documentary category at the MovieGuide Awards airing March 6 on Great American Family.
