Music Across the Generations Report Friday 30 January 2009
The Day The Music Died
With February 3, 2009 marking the 50th anniversary of the plane crash in Iowa that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens
and “The Big Bopper” on February 3, 1959 – the day that became known as “The Day the Music Died” – Social Researcher
Jeff Gilling from McCrindle Research reflects upon the generational differences in our attitudes towards music as well
as some of our music consumption habits.
BYE BYE, MISS AMERICAN PIE
Across all generations, 88% of people surveyed recognised the phrase “the day the music died” from somewhere. Of these
who knew the phrase, 93% were able to correctly identify the song which it emanated from – Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’.
Tellingly, those generations who were in their youth at the time of the plane crash and/or at the time of the song’s
initial release (i.e. Baby Boomers and Generation X), were more knowledgeable on these matters. Just 77% of Gen-Y’s
identified the lyrics “the day the music died”.
• Whilst 91% of Baby Boomers and 92% of Gen-X’ers surveyed recognised the phrase The Day The Music Died, only 77% of
Gen-Ys surveyed recognised the phrase.
Full release and results: TheDayTheMusicDied_NZ_Media_Releasex.pdf