THE OLD ROCKER: Holly’s short career influenced Beatles, Stones

“Well, that’ll be the day when you say goodbye

Yes, that’ll be the day when you make me cry”

“That’ll Be the Day” by Buddy Holly

“If you knew Peggy Sue

Then you’d know why I feel blue

Without Peggy, my Peggy Sue”

“Peggy Sue” by Buddy Holly

On his 1972 No. 1 hit “American Pie,” Don McLean uttered one of the most memorable lines in rock history when he sang about “The day the music died.”

McLean, of course, was referring to the airplane crash on Feb. 3, 1959, that claimed the lives of rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson.

Holly, 22, was the most successful of the trio, placing eight songs in the Top 40. Three of his hits made the Top 10: “That’ll Be the Day,” “Peggy Sue” and “Oh, Boy,” all in 1957.

Valens, 17, had two Top 40 hits: “Donna,” which reached No. 1 in 1958 and “La Bamba,” No. 22 in 1959.

Richardson, 28, had two Top 40 hits in 1958: “Chantilly Lace,” which climbed to No. 4 on the charts, and “Big Bopper’s Wedding,” No. 38.

But was McLean correct when he said the music died?

Sorry, the music never dies.

While Valens’ and Richardson’s abbreviated careers did not allow them sufficient time to develop a large body of work, Holly already had an impressive portfolio.

To commemorate the anniversary of that fateful crash, here are in-depth looks at Holly’s three Top 10 smashes.

“That’ll Be the Day” was Holly’s first – and biggest — hit. He got the idea for the song in 1956 when watching the movie “The Searchers” starring John Wayne, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood and Jeffrey Hunter. The American Film Institute ranked “The Searchers” as the No. 1 Western of all time.

During the film, Wayne kept uttering the phrase “That’ll be the day” when outlandish statements were made. The phrase inspired Holly to write the song, a certified million seller.

“That’ll Be the Day” is a classic rock ‘n’ roll song and was ranked No. 39 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” It also ranked 20th for the year 1957.

Interestingly, it was the first song recorded by The Quarrymen, later known as The Beatles. Holly is credited with being a major influence on rock superstars such as The Beatles and Rolling Stones.

Holly wrote and sang “Peggy Sue,” a 1957 No. 3 hit. It focused on Peggy Sue Gerron, who was dating Jerry Allison, Holly’s drummer with The Crickets. Allison and Peggy Sue eventually married, but divorced 11 years later.

The song was originally called “Cindy Lou” after Holly’s niece, the daughter of his sister, Pat Holley Kaiter. The title was later changed to “Peggy Sue.”

Peggy Sue” has been mentioned in the lyrics to several songs, including “Splish Splash” by Bobby Darin and “Barbara Ann” by The Regents and later by The Beach Boys.

The song was also a big influence on Tommy Roe’s 1962 No. 1 hit “Sheila.”

Rolling Stone ranked “Peggy Sue” No. 194 on its list of the 500 greatest rock songs of all time.

Originally written and recorded by Sonny West in February 1957, his version of “Oh, Boy!” failed to generate commercial success. Holly and The Crickets recorded it in July 1957 and turned it into a massive hit.

Holly’s version rose to No. 10 on the charts.

Holly was so convinced “Oh, Boy!” would become a major hit that he dared push Ed Sullivan to use it on his show.

Holly and The Crickets performed “Oh, Boy!” on their second and final “Ed Sullivan Show” appearance in January 1958. Sullivan was not happy with the song’s selection, believing it was “too raunchy,” but Holly insisted on performing it.

While most musical guests on the show were given two songs, Holly got one.

Buddy Holly’s Top 40 hits

1957 — “That’ll Be the Day”

1957 — “Peggy Sue”

1957 — “Oh, Boy!”

1958 — “Maybe Baby”

1958 — “Rave On”

1958 — “Think It Over”

1958 — “Early in the Morning”

1959 — “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore”

This week in rock history: The Champs released “Tequila” on Jan. 29, 1958, an instrumental that reached No. 1. The group included sax player Jim Seals and drummer Dash Crofts, who had several hits during the 1970s, including “Summer Breeze” as Seals & Crofts. … The Shirelles became the first girl group to have a No. 1 song with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” on Jan. 30, 1961. They placed 10 more hits in the Top 40. … Backed by his Jazz ensemble, Big Joe Turner recorded the original version of “Shake, Rattle and Roll” on Feb. 1, 1954. The tune topped the R&B chart.

Actor Tab Hunter topped the charts on Feb. 2, 1957, with his version of “Young Love.” It remained No. 1 for six weeks. … The Royal Teens’ biggest hit, “Short Shorts,” entered the charts on Feb. 3, 1958, en route to No. 3. The song was originally an instrumental to which the group added silly lyrics. … Also on this date in 1959, rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed in an airplane crash in Iowa.

Barry Levine is an entertainment writer for The Albany Herald. He can be reached at [email protected].