In honor of the song's 50th anniversary, McLean talked about its mysterious inspiration and legacy with Bart Herbison of Nashville Songwriters Association International.īart Herbison: 'American Pie.' I could argue that it’s the greatest song ever written, and I would love to have that argument. It's now been 50 years since 'American Pie' - all eight and a half cryptic minutes of it- took hold of the airwaves in 1971, and it's safe to say there's never been another song like it. 'A long, long time ago,' Don McLean began writing a rock epic with those words. Watch Video: Story Behind the Song: 'American Pie'
