American Pie (album)

American Pie (album)

American Pie is the second studio album by Don McLean, released on 24 October 1971. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200, containing the chart-topping singles "American Pie" and "Vincent".

The original 1971 LP is dedicated to Buddy Holly, and was reissued in 1980 minus the track "Sister Fatima". The original United Artists Records inner sleeve featured a free verse poem written by McLean about William Boyd, also known as Hopalong Cassidy, along with a picture of Boyd in full Hopalong regalia. This sleeve was removed within a year of the album's release. The words to this poem appear on a plaque at the hospital where Boyd died. The Boyd poem and picture tribute do appear on a special remastered 2003 CD.

The album was released to much acclaim, later being included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.