After building a reputation on the folk club circuit in New York in the 1960s, Don McLean released his first album 'Tapestry' (1970) under the MediaArts label. Although it didn't perform well, it was enough to ensure that second album 'American Pie' (1971) was fully promoted by United Artists. The album spawned the titular song that both made and defined McLean as well as giving him the number one hit 'Vincent'. A third, self-titled album was released in 1972 and his fourth, 'Playin' Favorites', arrived in 1973 before he signed to Arista Records to release 'Prime Time' (1977), although he was dropped by the label soon after.
A change of direction in 1978 saw the singer-songwriter recording in Nashville and he started to enjoy chart success again with the 1978 album 'Chain Lightning' which spawned top 40 hits 'Since I Don't Have You' and 'Castles in the Air'. McLean released country-influenced 'Love Tracks' in 1987 and in 1991 he returned to promote EMI's reissuing of 'American Pie' in the UK and has since recorded several new albums on his own label, including 2009's 'Addicted to Black', released ahead of a tour in Europe and Australia in 2010. He embarked on a national tour of UK and Ireland in 2015. In 2017 'American Pie' was assigned the title of Aural Treasure by the Library of Congress noting its importance to American history.
