American Pie
by Don McLean

American Pie by Don McLean
Year: 1971
Release date: 1971-00-00
Overall rank: 2,198th   
Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 207 votes)
     
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1971 (49th)
Award Top albums of the 1970s (404th)
Award Best albums of all time (2,198th)

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DON McLEAN * 17 Greatest Hits * New CD * Long version American Pie
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Don McLean - American Pie LP Liberty LN-10037 Vinyl
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Don McLean American Pie Vinyl LP United Artists Records Rock 1970s 12"
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Don McLean bestography

American Pie is ranked as the best album by Don McLean.

Don McLean album bestography « Higher ranked
-
This album (2,198th)
American Pie
Lower ranked (57,152nd) »
Don McLean

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

Upcoming concerts

Mar
20
Fri
Don McLean
Seminole Center, Immokalee, United States. United States
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Mar
23
Mon
Don McLean
Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater, United States. United States
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May
29
Fri
Don McLean
Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
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American Pie track list

   The tracks on this album have an average rating of 80 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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1.
Track pick (900 - 149 votes)
Average Rating: 90 (149 votes)Comments: View 4
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2.
Average Rating: 79 (45 votes)Comments: View 1
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3.
Track pick (870 - 79 votes)
Average Rating: 87 (79 votes)Comments: View 4
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4.
Average Rating: 79 (42 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 78 (39 votes)Comments: View 0
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6.
Average Rating: 78 (43 votes)Comments: View 1
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7.
Average Rating: 78 (41 votes)Comments: View 0
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8.
Average Rating: 75 (42 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 79 (42 votes)Comments: View 1
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10.
Average Rating: 79 (43 votes)Comments: View 0
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Track pick (1000 - 100 votes) Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

American Pie rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 2,198th | 1970s rank: 404th | 1971 rank: 49th

American Pie collection

American Pie ratings

Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 207 votes)
   Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 207 ratings for this album.

Sort by
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
85/100
 !
3 days ago MarkusKosmo   61085/100
 
75/100
 !
01/09/2026 22:58 matterhornrider   4,88281/100
 
65/100
 !
01/04/2026 13:26 Exist-en-ciel   7,47370/100
 
70/100
 !
11/20/2025 20:43 Jakor   5,06368/100
 
55/100
 !
11/13/2025 00:10 NYAndreas   1,43344/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 15% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 74.1/100, a mean average of 73.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 74.2/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.6.

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American Pie comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 21 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)

Rating:  
100/100
From 02/04/2026 20:43 | #313000
I always listen to this album in February in honor of one of the best songs ever written (it was my favorite song for the longest time when I was younger) and in honor of the greats that were lost that day. I love the entire album and for me it is a perfect 100. it's hard to talk about America and music without mentioning American Pie
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 03/05/2025 06:33 | #307872
Shortlisted for album of the year at the Grammys in 1973. The winner was Concert For Bangladesh by George Harrison & Friends
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 12/19/2024 12:00 | #306575
Always had a soft spot for this cut. The melodies are always enjoyable.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 02/03/2022 16:59 | #280583
This is a great album to listen to on Feb. 3rd "The Day the Music Died"
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 12/27/2021 08:49 | #278038
Quizás con el tiempo ha caído en el olvido, pero este es, al menos para mí, uno de los mejores discos de los 70.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 04/22/2021 19:44 | #268895
one of my earliest purchases its survived the ups and downs of my music catalogue to endure as a personal favorite
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 05/21/2020 16:34 | #251789
A really consistent album that I thoroughly enjoyed. Certainly the album is dominated by its opening title track which should be familiar to most. However, there are some other very good tracks on this album including the magnificent Vincent. Some brilliant narratives told in some beautiful songs.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
55/100
From 05/10/2020 08:55 | #251176
Unlike so many, I'm not in thrall to the title track. But I think Vincent is just sheer beauty, and there are others here along that line. Maybe doesn't stand up to being the classic it is regarded as, but a gentle listening experience none the less.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 02/11/2020 03:04 | #247663
brilliant music. Every song is great even if some are definitely better than others.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 03/03/2019 10:11 | #232919
Clearly underrated album. I agree with @arialblue. American Pie and Vincent are extraordinary, heartbreaking, and the rest is pleasant enough.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1971
1. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin
2. Who's Next by The Who
3. Hunky Dory by David Bowie
4. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
5. Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
6. Blue by Joni Mitchell
7. Tago Mago by Can
8. Meddle by Pink Floyd
9. L.A. Woman by The Doors
10. Tapestry by Carole King
11. Fragile by Yes
12. Bryter Layter by Nick Drake
13. Master Of Reality by Black Sabbath
14. Aqualung by Jethro Tull
15. Ram by Paul & Linda McCartney
16. Electric Warrior by T. Rex
17. Imagine by John Lennon
18. Maggot Brain by Funkadelic
19. There's A Riot Goin' On by Sly & The Family Stone
20. At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band
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