Big Star (music group)
Big Star was an American power pop band formed in 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee. The group is noted for its influential sound that drew inspiration from iconic bands like The Beatles and The Byrds. Their key albums, including #1 Record (1972), Radio City (1974), and Third/Sister Lovers (1978), received critical acclaim, with all making it onto Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Despite their artistic success, Big Star struggled with commercial viability due to distribution issues, which hindered the sales of their records.
The band's original lineup included Chris Bell, Alex Chilton, Andy Hummel, and Jody Stephens, with Chilton having previously achieved fame as the lead singer of The Box Tops. Throughout its history, Big Star experienced multiple breakups and reunions, with various members leaving and rejoining. Significant songs from the band include "Thirteen," "September Gurls," and their covers of "Till the End of the Day" and "Nature Boy." Despite disbanding, Big Star's legacy continued to grow, influencing later bands and leading to a dedicated fan following. The group's story has been recognized in documentaries and biographies, underscoring their lasting impact on the music scene.
Big Star (music group)
Big Star is an American power pop band that was active primarily in the 1970s. Among the albums that Big Star recorded, #1 Record (1972), Radio City (1974), and Third/Sister Lovers (1978) are considered to be its finest efforts, garnering the band critical acclaim. These albums, all of which made Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2012, feature songs such as "Thirteen," "Feel," "September Gurls," "Back of a Car," "Dream Lover," "Till the End of the Day" (cover), and "Nature Boy" (cover). Combining the styles of such pioneering bands as the Beatles, the Who, and the Byrds, Big Star was influential in the music world, influencing many bands, including R.E.M., the Replacements, the Posies, the dB's, and Teenage Fanclub.
Background
Big Star formed in 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee. The band originally called itself Icewater and included singer/guitarist Chris Bell, guitarist Steve Ray, bassist Andy Hummel, and drummer Jody Stephens. Soon after the band formed, Ray quit. Singer/guitarist Alex Chilton replaced Ray, and the band changed its name to Big Star. Prior to joining the band, Chilton was the lead singer of the Box Tops, which scored a chart-topping hit with the single "The Letter" in 1967. Chilton also had attempted a solo career, and Chilton and Bell had played together in a cover band in high school.
The band released its debut album, #1 Record, in 1972. It includes the songs "Thirteen" and "Feel." The album's sales were poor mainly because it often did not reach retailers because of distribution problems. Nevertheless, #1 Record was well received by critics. In 2012, Rolling Stone placed the album at number 434 on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. The following year, the magazine positioned the album at number 90 on its "100 Best Debut Albums of All Time" list.
As a result of arguments with Chilton over the direction of Big Star, Bell left the band in 1972. He attempted a solo career but was largely unsuccessful. In 1978, Bell died in an automobile accident.
With Bell gone from the band, Chilton, Hummel, and Stephens attempted to carry on as a three-piece band. They struggled, however, and the group soon broke up. Chilton then returned to his solo career, but that was not the last of Big Star. Shortly after the breakup, the three musicians reunited to play at a music writers' convention. They then decided to give Big Star another go.
The band released its second album, Radio City, in 1974. Bell contributed to the album, but his level of involvement is unknown. The album features the songs "September Gurls," which is perhaps the band's most well-known song, as well as "Back of a Car." As with #1 Record, the album's sales were meager because of distribution problems. But also like #1 Record, the album earned critical acclaim. Many critics consider it to be Big Star's finest album. Radio City was placed at number 405 on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list—the highest position of any Big Star album on the list.
Following the release of Radio City, Hummel quit the band, and bassist John Lightman replaced him. The group then began working on a third album. During the sessions, which took place in 1974, Chilton sabotaged his own material because of frustrations with the music industry. Although the band ended up with enough material for an album, the material ultimately was shelved. The band then broke up for the second time.
Continued Career
Despite being shelved, the material for Big Star's third album saw the light of day in 1978 when the album finally was released. Although it is widely known by the title Third/Sister Lovers, the album first was issued under the title Third and later was reissued under the title Sister Lovers. In 1992, it was reissued under the title Third/Sister Lovers. The album includes the song "Dream Lover," a cover of the song "Till the End of the Day" by the Kinks, and a cover of the song "Nature Boy" by Nat King Cole. Like #1 Record and Radio City, the album was well received by critics. Third/Sister Lovers was placed at number 449 on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.
Big Star reunited in 1993 when Chilton and Stephens were joined by Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies for a performance at the University of Missouri. This new lineup carried on the reunion, as the band then toured Europe and Japan. The group also made an appearance on the popular television talk show The Tonight Show.
Big Star then recorded the song "Hot Thing," which appeared on a compilation album in 2003. The band was not finished recording albums, either. In 2005, Big Star released its fourth album, In Space. Unlike Big Star's earlier albums, however, In Space did not earn critical acclaim. The band then played gigs in America and England.
Chilton died of heart failure in New Orleans in 2010. That same year, an unplanned tribute to Big Star and Chilton occurred at the SXSW Festival. In late 2010, several musicians, including Stephens and Mike Mills of R.E.M., performed material from Third. In 2012, a documentary titled Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me was released. The following year, Rob Janovic published the book Big Star: The Story of Rock's Forgotten Band. In 2014, Holly George-Warren published the biography A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton. In 2016, Complete Third, a box set of material from the Third sessions, was released.
Bibliography
Ankeny, Jason. "Big Star: Biography by Jason Ankeny." AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/big-star-mn0000051992/biography. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.
Ankeny, Jason. "Big Star: Third/Sister Lovers." AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/album/sister-lovers-mw0000273581. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.
Deming, Mark. "Big Star: In Space." AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/album/in-space-mw0000171053. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.
"500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 405. Big Star, 'Radio City.'" Rolling Stone, 31 May 2012, www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/big-star-radio-city-20120525. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.
"500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 449. Big Star, 'Third/Sister Lovers.'" Rolling Stone, 31 May 2012, www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/big-star-third-sister-lovers-20120525. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.
"500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 434. Big Star, '#1 Record.'" Rolling Stone, 31 May 2012, www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/big-star-1-record-20120525. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.
"The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time: 90. '#1 Record.'" Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2013, www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-debut-albums-of-all-time-20130322/1-record-19691231. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.
Ward, Ed. "Big Star: The Unluckiest Band in America." NPR, 2 Feb. 2010, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123270136. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.