| 100% | AMERICANPIE | 11 | Don McLean, 1971 (+28) |
| 65% | AMERICANPIE | 11 | 1971 Don McLean hit |
| 52% | PIE | 3 | "American ___" (1971 Don McLean hit) |
| 52% | PIE | 3 | "American ___" (1971 Don McLean song) |
| 51% | CASTLESINTHEAIR | 15 | Don McLean song |
| 50% | PIE | 3 | Don McLean's "American ___" |
| 46% | PIE | 3 | "American ___" (1971 hit song by Don McLean) |
| 46% | PIE | 3 | "American ___" (classic Don McLean song) |
| 45% | VINCENT | 7 | 1971 song by Don McLean that is named after and a tribute to Dutch artist Van Gogh |
| 45% | AMERICANPIE | 11 | 1971 "country" song by Don McLean about "the day the music died": 2 wds. |
| 44% | LEVEE | 5 | What Don McLean drove his Chevy to |
| 42% | PIE | 3 | "American ___" (#1 hit for Don McLean) |
| 42% | IONA | 4 | NY college where Don McLean went to night school |
| 42% | IMET | 4 | "__ a girl who sang the blues": Don McLean lyric |
| 38% | AMERICAN | 8 | "___ Pie," 1971 song by Don McLean about "the day the music died" |
| 38% | STARR | 5 | "It Don't Come Easy" singer, 1971 |
| 38% | AGO | 3 | "A long, long time ___ " (first line of Don McLean's "American Pie") |
| 37% | VANGOGH | 7 | "The Starry Night" painter sung about in Don McLean's "Vincent" (2 wds.) |
| 37% | BABY | 4 | "Wonderful ___," 1975 song by Don McLean that was a tribute to Fred Astaire |
| 37% | RYE | 3 | What "them good old boys were drinkin'," in Don McLean's "American Pie" |
| 37% | SAGA | 4 | "The ___ Begins," "Weird Al" Yankovic song that parodies Don McLean's "American Pie" |
| 36% | PIE | 3 | "American ___," Don McLean's song referring a popular baked dish in the eponymous album |
| 36% | VANGOGH | 7 | Dutch painter who's the subject of the Don McLean song "Vincent" (2 wds.) |
| 35% | SOULTRAIN | 9 | Music show hosted by Don Cornelius from 1971 to 1993 |
| 34% | PIE | 3 | "American ___" (Don McLean classic) |
| 34% | PIE | 3 | "American ___" (Don McLean song) |
| 34% | HES | 3 | "___ Got You," 1987 song by Don McLean that was a cover of a Patsy Cline song |
| 33% | VITO | 4 | Don ___ Corleone ("The Godfather" character) |
| 33% | VITO | 4 | Don ___ Corleone ("The Godfather" role) |
| 33% | MIND | 4 | ("I don't [?") games] |