Don McLean's 'American Pie' started a four week run at No.1 in the US singles chart. The song is a recounting of "The Day the Music Died" (a term taken from the song) the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr.), and the aftermath. The song was listed as the No.5 song on the RIAA project Songs of the Century.
A great song that came from a huge tragedy. As mentioned in the source text, the music did die that day. Three major players within the music scene were taken way too early. I could only imagine further songs that could have been made. Their legacies cemented in one unfortunate incident.
Each had their own unique style and will be remembered forever. Buddy Holly chartered a plane to their gig in weather that many say was unwise. In reality, the plane should have never left the tarmac. Unfortunately, the winter weather was deemed one of the major factors for the crash.
I do remember them briefly mentioning this incident in La Bamba (1987), a biopic about Ritchie Valens. This was also in the film The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
Everyday by Buddy Holly will always be a favorite of mine
La Bamba by Ritchie Valens is his iconic song
Chanilly Lace by The Big Bopper, who can forget this? I can't.