The story
Coined in 1971 by singer-songwriter Don McLean, in his song "American Pie".
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
day the music died
Today it means: February 3rd, 1959, the day when American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. Full definition →