Big Star is nothing if not the most ironically-named group in Rock history. Similar to the Velvet Underground, their influence on several subsequent musical movements is immeasurable despite garnering virtually no commercial success throughout their existence in the 1970's. While they are still unknown to the general public, they have been frequently hailed as favorites of both Rock journalists and bands like R.E.M. Since the late 1990's, Big Star has slowly begun to permeate mainstream culture with the use of their songs in films like Adventureland and That '70s Show - the theme of which featured Big Star's "In the Street" as covered by Cheap Trick.
Led by singer songwriters Chris Bell and Alex Chilton (former vocalist of the Box Tops), Big Star are often credited as being the definitive "Power-Pop" band, a sub-genre characterized by Beatles-inspired pop songs and heavy Who-like power chords. While a handful of their songs certainly fit the bill, Big Star's sound was more diverse, with diminutive songs rooted more in Folk and Soul. Right out of the gate, their 1972 debut #1 Record stood in contrast to the progressive-tinged mainstream Rock of the time. Big Star's guitars were crunchy, but not heavy. Their harmonies were pretty, but not operatic. Chilton and Bell crafted earthy Pop / Rock anthems like an American Lennon and McCartney. Catchy rockers like "My Life is Right" and the acoustic ballad "Thirteen" lyrically (and musically) captured the fleeting innocence of teen culture, from school dances to driving around looking for a joint - essentially the spirit of Dazed & Confused in a 3 minute song.
After the release #1 Record began Big Star's critically acclaimed yet commercially disastrous legacy, Chris Bell left the group, turning the creative duties over to Chilton. Like their debut, the sophomoric effort Radio City was centered around simple Pop / Rock, but with often cryptic lyrics and an audible weariness due to Chilton's growing cynicism surrounding the group's financial misfortune. Songs like "Back of a Car" and their signature song "September Gurls" (featured in Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs of All Time) were still rooted in crunchy guitars and sweet melodies, but they also had a dreamy air to them which reflected a shift from the sunny optimism of the debut.
Their most notorious record Third / Sister Lovers is one of Rock's most shambolic and bizarre experiences. Often considered an Alex Chilton solo effort, Third is a thrown together collection of acoustic demos and half-finished demos augmented with maudlin strings and noisy textural treatments courtesy of producer Jim Dickinson. Dark ballads like "Kangaroo" and "Holocaust" viscerally detailed Chilton's descent into complete despair while sardonic rockers like "You Can't Have Me" saw him wounded and contemptuous at an industry which virtually ignored Big Star's acclaimed existence, leaving them in dire straits. Third was never even properly released until 1978, four years after its recording and the band's dissolution.
It was this tragic saga that made Big Star's story one of Rock's most mythic and Chilton a hero to underground rockers. Like the Velvet Underground, Big Star's influence was widespread and diverse, with bands like Cheap Trick and R.E.M. adapting their crunchy guitars and pop simplicity. Moody Alternative rockers like Nirvana would emulate the doomed pop sound of Third on subdued records like MTV Unplugged. Paul Westerberg of '80s Indie Rock kings The Replacements paid perhaps the deepest tribute, writing the classic "Alex Chilton" in tribute to one of his songwriting heroes.
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