Don McLean is most known for his classic rock song “American Pie.” McLean said hearing one of Elvis Presley’s songs as a youngster was “completely mind-blowing.” Subsequently, seeing Elvis on the cover of a magazine shaped McLean as a musician.
Don McLean listened to songs on technology he thought was ‘futuristic’
During a 2020 interview with The Tennessean, McLean discussed listening to the radio when he was young. “We used to gather around and play the new record with a group of kids, listening to the new album by somebody they liked,” he recalled. “It was an excuse to get together and have a soda or something.”
McLean saw portable radios as “futuristic.” “Someone would have one of those futuristic, plastic radios you could take to the beach and we would think, ‘Whoa, what a big deal, to have a radio this small compared to the house radio,’” he remembered.
Don McLean said Elvis Presley’s voice sounded ‘dark’ on 1 of his most famous songs
In a 2022 interview with The Red Bulletin, McLean said hearing Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel” on the radio changed his life. “The first time I heard this it was completely mind-blowing to me,” McLean said. “It was summertime and the sun was almost going down. I was walking around and came across a bunch of kids playing it on a portable radio.”
The song introduced McLean to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. “I heard this dark voice and it was dark out,” he recalled. “It was my first time hearing about Elvis Presley.”
Elvis inspired McLean as a musician. “Next thing I know, I saw [Elvis] on the cover of TV Guide in a red jacket with a Martin guitar,” he added. “That’s when my quest to play the guitar began.”
How Elvis Presley’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ performed on the charts in the United States
According to The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, “Heartbreak Hotel” became Elvis’ first No. 1 song. It topped the Billboard Top 100 for eight weeks. For context, the Billboard Top 100 was the predecessor to the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard ranked it the most successful single of 1956.
“Heartbreak Hotel” appeared on numerous compilation albums over the years, the most famous being Elvis: 30 #1 Hits. The album topped the Billboard 200 for three weeks. The compilation stayed on the chart for 125 weeks in total.
“Heartbreak Hotel” was a huge hit — and McLean’s music might not be the same without it.
