The Complete True Story Behind “American Pie” by Don McLean

Madonna Covers “American Pie”

On March 3, 2000, Madonna released her version of “American Pie,” and included it in the soundtrack of her movie, “The Next Best Thing.” Even though the film was not a critical success, the song itself beat number 29 on the Billboard hot 100 chart as well as number one on the Billboard hot dance club songs chart. A video accompanied the musical release, showing Madonna dancing in front of an American flag with a tiara on her head. Her video also included working class citizens, same-sex couples, and teenagers and cheerleaders.

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Madonna performs her ‘Rebel Heart’ Tour at Allphones Arena on March 19, 2016, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Zak Kaczmarek/Getty Images)

Madonna’s version became a worldwide hit and reached number one in several countries, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Finland, Switzerland, Austria and more. The cover is much shorter than the original and only includes the beginning of the first verse as well as the second and sixth verses. It was also recorded as a dance-pop song and was co-produced by William Orbit.

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