The day the music died: American Pie singer Don McLean says modern hits make him ‘want to hang himself’ as 74-year-old slams ‘nihilistic’ society which respects nothing
American Pie singer Don McLean says the music really has died – and most modern hits make him ‘want to hang himself’.
The 74-year-old says that we live in a ‘nihilistic’ society in which nothing is respected.
And this comes through in the music being made. McLean, whose 1971 song features the refrain ‘The day the music died’, said of current songwriting: ‘Now… the music doesn’t mean anything.
Don McLean at the Songwriters Festival, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, USA – 19 Jan 2020
We have kind of a nihilistic society; no one believes in anything, no one likes anything, no one has any respect for anything and the music shows that.
‘[Music] does not exist – there’s some form of music-like sound but it’s not music.
Don Mclean Honored 95th Star on the Walk of Stars, Las Vegas, USA – 14 Nov 2019
‘It’s a single note or three or four notes repeated over again with a chorus that’s drummed into your head or it makes you want to hang yourself,’ he told the Greatest Music of All Time podcast.
‘McLean added that he did not intend to retire, vowing instead to ‘die on stage’.