Don Mclean Earns RIAA 6x Platinum for "American Pie"

Don Mclean's enduring folk-rock epic, "American Pie," has received a new certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). On October 24, 2025, the Universal Records single was certified 6x Platinum, signifying 6,000,000 certified units in the United States.

Released on October 1, 1971, as the title track from his album American Pie, the song is a sprawling, allegorical journey through the evolution of rock and roll. Its narrative famously begins with "the day the music died," a reference to the 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. At an unconventional length of 8 minutes and 42 seconds, the track was initially released as a two-sided 7-inch single. It became a massive commercial success, holding the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard charts for four weeks in 1972 and topping charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. For nearly 50 years, it held the record for the longest song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, a distinction it kept until 2021.

McLean, an American singer-songwriter often called the "American Troubadour," was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. While "American Pie" remains his signature work, he also achieved success with singles like "Vincent" and "Castles in the Air." The song has been described as a "cultural touchstone" and was listed as the No. 5 song on the RIAA's "Songs of the Century" project. Its influence has persisted for decades, demonstrated by a popular cover version by Madonna in 2000 that reached No. 1 in at least 15 countries. In January 2018, BMI certified that "American Pie" had surpassed five million airplays, further cementing its place in music history.