“The Hurricane” by Bob Dylan (1975)
“The Hurricane” came to existence as a protest against boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s imprisonment. Bob Dylan believed that racism was to be blamed for the ordeal. Lawyers from Columbia Records actually requested that the lyrics be changed — the original lyrics made references to star witnesses Alfred Bello and Arthur Dexter Bradley and that wasn’t allowed as it was a pending case.
“American Pie” by Don McLean (1971)
Ah, here’s another classic! “American Pie” first came out in the 1971 album of the same name. The song was a tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. The three rock and roll musicians tragically died in a plane crash in 1959.