The Very Best of Don McLean

Last updated
The Very Best of Don McLean
The Very Best of Don McLean.jpg
Greatest hits album by
Released1980
Genre Rock
Label United Artists Records
Don McLean chronology
The Very Best of Don McLean
(1980)
Favourites and Rarities
(1993)

The Very Best of Don McLean is the first greatest hits album by American singer and guitarist Don McLean. It features 15 of McLean's songs.

Contents

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]

Track listing

  1. American Pie
  2. Vincent
  3. Castles in the Air
  4. Dreidel
  5. Winterwood
  6. Everyday
  7. Building My Body
  8. And I Love You So
  9. Mountains of Mourne
  10. Fools Paradise
  11. Wonderful Baby
  12. La La Love You
  13. Prime Time
  14. Jump
  15. Crying

Chart positions

Chart (1982)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [2] 2

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [3] Platinum50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don McLean</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1945)

Donald McLean III is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known to fans as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail", he is best known for his 1971 hit song "American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation. His other hit singles include "Vincent", "Dreidel", and "Wonderful Baby"; as well as his renditions of Roy Orbison's "Crying" and the Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Pie (song)</span> 1971 single by Don McLean

"American Pie" is a song by American singer and songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released in 1971 on the album of the same name, the single was the number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972 starting January 15 after just eight weeks on the US Billboard charts. The song also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the UK, the single reached number 2, where it stayed for three weeks on its original 1971 release, and a reissue in 1991 reached No. 12. The song was listed as the No. 5 song on the RIAA project Songs of the Century. A truncated version of the song was covered by Madonna in 2000 and reached No. 1 in at least 15 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. At 8 minutes and 42 seconds, McLean's combined version is the sixth longest song to enter the Billboard Hot 100. The song also held the record for almost 50 years for being the longest song to reach number one before Taylor Swift's "All Too Well " broke the record in 2021. Due to its exceptional length, it was initially released as a two-sided 7-inch single. "American Pie" has been described as "one of the most successful and debated songs of the 20th century".

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<i>American Pie</i> (Don McLean album) 1971 studio album by Don McLean

American Pie is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Don McLean, released by United Artists Records in October 1971. The folk rock album reached number one on the Billboard 200, containing the chart-topping singles "American Pie" and "Vincent". Recorded in May and June 1971 at The Record Plant in New York City, the LP is dedicated to Buddy Holly, and was reissued in 1980 minus the track "Sister Fatima". The album was released to much acclaim, later being included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

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Chain Lightning is an album by American singer-songwriter Don McLean. It was recorded in Nashville between June and August 1978 and featured many of that city's noted session players as well as backing vocals from the Jordanaires. It was first released in December 1978 in the UK and other markets, but not released for another two years in the US following its delayed success in European markets. The lead single "Crying" became a major hit for McLean, reaching No.1 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1980. The album was subsequently repackaged and released in the US where it also became a success with "Crying" reaching the top five in early 1981. "Since I Don't Have You" was also released as a single, reaching #23.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Allen (musician)</span> Australian singer and songwriter (1944–1992)

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References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 187. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  3. "Kent Music Report No 453 – 28 February 1983 > Platinum Albums 1982 (Continued)" . Retrieved 26 December 2022 via Imgur.com.