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'American Pie' singer Don McLean says music no longer exists because of 'nihilistic society'
Fox News ^ | 04/11/2020 | Melissa Roberto

Posted on 04/11/2020 9:01:29 PM PDT by Olog-hai

Don McLean, the 74-year-old singer best known for his 1971 hit “American Pie,” says he is not impressed with the music of today.

The singer-songwriter believes times have certainly changed since his early days in the music industry, and he’s claiming there is no longer music of substance when he turns on the radio.

The folk-rock singer sat down with Tom Cridland for his YouTube series “The Greatest Music of All Time” to reflect on his musical career highlights. During the candid conversation, McLean partially discusses his political views, claiming that politics no longer “really mean anything,” and he likened it to drastic shift he’s noticed in music.

“The music doesn’t mean anything. The music reflects the spiritual nature of the society. We have a kind of a nihilistic society now,” McLean told the host. “No one believes in anything, no one likes anything, no one has any respect for anything much. The music shows that.” […]

The singer-songwriter added that today’s catchy songs involving notes and choruses “repeated over and over again” end up becoming “drummed into your head or makes you want to hang yourself.”

“It’s not a hook,” he said. …

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: 1950s; 1967; 1968; 1969; 8mileshigh; altamont; american; americanpie; beatles; bobdillon; buddyholly; byrds; culturewar; donmclean; elvis; faith; freewheeling; hellsangels; helterskelter; jester; jfk; jumpinjackflash; liberalagenda; manson; meredithhunter; monotones; music; nihilism; planecrash; rocknroll; rollingstones; sympathyforthedevil; values; violence
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1 posted on 04/11/2020 9:01:29 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

What did he do besides “American Pie?”


2 posted on 04/11/2020 9:06:54 PM PDT by rexthecat
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To: rexthecat

“Vincent”


3 posted on 04/11/2020 9:09:00 PM PDT by Magic Fingers (Political correctness mutates in order to remain virulent.)
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To: rexthecat

Vincent. ;-)


4 posted on 04/11/2020 9:09:21 PM PDT by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise
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To: rexthecat

Starry Starry Night.


5 posted on 04/11/2020 9:09:40 PM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: rexthecat

Vincent.

Has he not heard of satellite radio?


6 posted on 04/11/2020 9:09:48 PM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: Olog-hai

Nothing like this today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjMNOouIb0k


7 posted on 04/11/2020 9:10:20 PM PDT by Rennes Templar (Heaven has a wall and gates. Hell has open borders.)
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To: Olog-hai

He’s 100% right. Ive been saying it for 15 years. Music just doesn’t have Melody anymore. Its just noise


8 posted on 04/11/2020 9:10:54 PM PDT by deanking
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To: Olog-hai

Do you believe in rock and roll? Can music save your mortal soul? And, can you teach me how to dance REAL slow?

Yes, I know all the lyrics. :)


9 posted on 04/11/2020 9:11:11 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Olog-hai

There has been no real good rock and roll music since the mid-’80’s in my humble opinion.


10 posted on 04/11/2020 9:11:51 PM PDT by PROCON (Molon Labe)
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To: Olog-hai

The music died. Never been the same since Buddy Holly.


11 posted on 04/11/2020 9:13:03 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!)
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To: deanking
Paul leMatt, as John Milner in American Graffiti has a point!

12 posted on 04/11/2020 9:15:48 PM PDT by Impala64ssa (Virtue signalling is no virtue)
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To: Olog-hai; Yaelle
"They have a lot of riffs. They're very cool and the records are great but they're not melodies and the lyrics are not about anything," McLean added of today's hits. "It's very vague and vacant."

< rant>

Don, with all due respect, by virtue of reading your utterances, you have no clue what's happening in the world of music today. This is likely because you won't get off yer azz and check out music right down the street (I mean, prescinding from Coronavirus).

I've said this repeatedly, the best chance you have of realizing how wrong is Mr. McLean, is to go down to your local bar/live music hole, spend $10 and catch 5 unsigned acts. Two of them will suck, two will be ok, but one of them will blow your socks off. Buy their CD...buy a tshirt...capitalism and creative lyrics and hooks and bitchin' playing is right in front of your nose.

Anyone whining about the current state of music...talk to me after you've bought 5 albums from bands with players under 30 years of age and seen 15 live unsigned act. Until then, you're part of the problem - and acting just like the MSM who live in NYC and don't understand how Trump got elected because, like, all of their friends voted for Hillary.

< /rant>

13 posted on 04/11/2020 9:16:07 PM PDT by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
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To: Olog-hai

Can’t stand his one hit wonder, but he is right

1960’s: An incredible amount of great stuff
1970’s: The Greatest Music decade in the history of mankind
1980’s: An incredible amount of great stuff
1990’s: Some great stuff
2000’s: A catchy tune here or there
2010’s: Crap, and nothing but more crap


14 posted on 04/11/2020 9:16:48 PM PDT by qam1 (There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
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To: Olog-hai

Old guy thinks music of today sucks.

Rinse repeat for the last 70 years. At least.


15 posted on 04/11/2020 9:17:15 PM PDT by Reaganez
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To: Olog-hai

I think there is good music today.

The thing about music is that most of it is trash when it is modern. As time passes, however, the good stuff stays around and the rest is forgotten.

We sometimes listen to Casey Kasem’s show. Most of the time, I don’t recognize even the number one hit of decades ago, because it just wasn’t that good or memorable. The good stuff, like American Pie, lasts. Twenty years from now, people will be asking why no one writes music like they did back in the 2020s.


16 posted on 04/11/2020 9:18:30 PM PDT by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org)
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To: rexthecat
What did he do besides “American Pie?”

Which no one could figure out the meaning of.

17 posted on 04/11/2020 9:20:11 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: rexthecat

A lot, you are just not aware of it. An album called “Homeless Brother” was fabulous. He never made it big again as with “American Pie,” but he was and remains very talented.
Wonderful baby, Castles in the air, “The Legend of Andrew McCrew” are all fabulous. If you have never heard “wonderful baby” you are missing a beautiful song. Done with the cooperation of Fred Astaire. Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJYVJ-Ae6M


18 posted on 04/11/2020 9:21:58 PM PDT by Fungi
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To: deanking

+1


19 posted on 04/11/2020 9:25:48 PM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: metmom
Which no one could figure out the meaning of.

His standard answer to "What does it mean?" has been "It means I'll never have to work again."

20 posted on 04/11/2020 9:26:05 PM PDT by TChad (The MSM, having nuked its own credibility, is now bombing the rubble.)
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