History Music / BigStar

Big Star were a legendary PowerPop band famous for their complete failure to gain massive success but being embraced by the indie scene and remaining a significant influence on AlternativeRock.

'''Notice''': If you're trying to use the standalone BigStar markup to refer to this band, don't. It's already in use to refer to a South Korean animation studio.

* CompilationRerelease: Stax reissued the first two albums on one CD in 1992.

[[caption-width-right:350:Left to Right: Andy Hummel, Jody Stephens, Chris Bell, Alex Chilton.]]

With ''#1 Record'' bombing in stores thanks to Stax's horrendous distribution, [[CreativeDifferences tension and fights erupted between bandmates]], to the point that Bell left the band towards the end of 1972. Chilton, Hummel and Stephens carried on as Big Star and recorded another album with Fry once again in the producer's chair, ''Radio City''. In contrast to the polished production of ''#1'', ''City'' had a more chaotic edge to it, drawing more on The Who than The Beatles and with more WordSaladLyrics. ''City'' bombed just as hard in stores due to a dispute between Stax and its distributor Columbia Records, but still produced at least one classic power pop song, "September Gurls" (later covered by many including TheBangles).

* CoverVersion: On ''Third'', we have: "Femme Fatale" by The VelvetUnderground, "Nature Boy" by NatKingCole, "'Till the End of the Day" by TheKinks and the rock 'n roll standard "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis.

The band's first album, the humorously-titled ''#1 Record'', was quickly recorded at Ardent Studios with label founder John Fry as [[RecordProducer producer]] and released in 1972. While it did obtain widespread acclaim, Stax's financial difficulties translated into an inability to get the album into stores, torpedoing the goal that the title playfully alluded to. The album itself proved to be a landmark in the establishment of PowerPop thanks to its catchy Music/TheBeatles-[[XMeetsY plus]]-TheWho songwriting and several of its songs have remained widely celebrated in the genre, such as "Feel", "The Ballad of El Goodo", "In the Street" (later covered by CheapTrick as the theme song to ''That70sShow'') and "Thirteen". One song in particular, the chaotic, [[RollingStones Stonesy]] rock "Don't Lie to Me', would predict the group's sonic evolution.

* AscendedFanboy: Chris Bell met Music/Paul McCartney while working on material for what became his posthumous solo album.

* AscendedFanboy: Chris Bell met [[Music/TheBeatles Paul McCartney]] while working on material for what became his posthumous solo album.

* GeorgeLucasThrowback: The band played melodic, BritishInvasion-influenced pop at the height of ProgressiveRock.

* EpicRiff

* FanonDisContinuity: ''In Space''.

The band's first album, the humorously-titled ''#1 Record'', was quickly recorded at Ardent Studios with label founder John Fry as [[RecordProducer producer]] and released in 1972. While it did obtain widespread acclaim, Stax's financial difficulties translated into an inability to get the album into stores, torpedoing the goal that the title playfully alluded to. The album itself proved to be a landmark in the establishment of PowerPop thanks to its catchy TheBeatles-[[XMeetsY plus]]-TheWho songwriting and several of its songs have remained widely celebrated in the genre, such as "Feel", "The Ballad of El Goodo", "In the Street" (later covered by CheapTrick as the theme song to ''That70sShow'') and "Thirteen". One song in particular, the chaotic, [[RollingStones Stonesy]] rock "Don't Lie to Me', would predict the group's sonic evolution.

** The count-off that starts "She's a Mover" is reminiscent of TheBeatles' "Taxman".

* SavedFromDevelopmentHell: ''Third/Sister Lovers''

* ''In Space'' (2005)]]

The band's first album, the humorously-titled ''#1 Record'', was quickly recorded at Ardent Studios with label founder John Fry as [[RecordProducer producer]] and released in 1972. While it did obtain widespread acclaim, Stax's financial difficulties translated into an inability to get the album into stores, torpedoing the goal that the title playfully alluded to. The album itself proved to be a landmark in the establishment of PowerPop thanks to its shiny, catchy TheBeatles-[[XMeetsY plus]]-TheWho songwriting and several of its songs have remained widely celebrated in the genre, such as "Feel", "The Ballad of El Goodo", "In the Street" (later covered by CheapTrick as the theme song to ''That70sShow'') and "Thirteen". One song in particular, the chaotic, [[RollingStones Stonesy]] rock "Don't Lie to Me', would presage the group's sonic evolution.

* GenreLaunch: They effectively did this for PowerPop and AlternativeRock.

Chilton revived Big Star in 1993 alongside old mate Stephens and new blood Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies. A new album, ''In Space'', followed in 2005 to a predictably mixed reception.