The folk rock album reached number one on the Billboard 200, containing the chart-topping singles "American Pie" and "Vincent".

[10] At the time of the writing McLean’s first marriage was failing and the optimism and hopefulness of the 1960s was giving way to the nihilism and hedonism of the 1970s.

[3] The producer, Ed Freeman, decided to use accomplished musicians who were not "studio musicians who could act like a metronome" because he wanted to capture the feel of a "band that was really cooking," so he rented a rehearsal studio and they rehearsed the title song for two weeks before they recorded it.

[13] The title track contains references to the death of Buddy Holly (McLean being a 13-year-old paper-boy at the time[6]).

The final chorus of "American Pie" features multi-tracked overdubs, credited in the sleeve notes to the "West Forty Fourth Street Rhythm and Noise Choir".

[citation needed] In February 2003 George Michael recorded a cover of "The Grave" as a protest against the imminent Iraq War.