Play Big Star Radio

Big Star

2,410,911 plays (160,050 listeners)

204 shouts

Add to my Library Share

Memphis, Tennessee, United States (1971 – 1974, 1993 – present)

Big Star was an American band of the early whose work is often cited as a prime example of . Drawing upon pop music traditions — especially The Beatles, The Byrds, The Kinks, The Zombies, Badfinger, The Who, Todd Rundgren, Moby Grape, The Beach Boys and Free — Big Star’s music was lyrical, powerful, and at times melancholic pop for the post-1960s generation. Their approach not only recalled the British Invasion groups but the spare, relaxed style of Stax Records, the Memphis soul label, as well as the edgy rockabilly of early Sun Records. In an era of singer-songwriters and heavy-metal groups, they played melodic, concisely written songs. Their reputation, negligible in 1974 beyond a small coterie of admirers, has steadily grown, and they are today considered one of pop’s classic groups.

Big Star was formed in 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States by guitarist/vocalist Chris Bell, bassist Andy Hummel, drummer Jody Stephens, and guitarist/vocalist Alex Chilton. All four at times contributed to the songwriting and lead vocals, with Chilton and Bell singing and writing the majority of the early songs as a team modeled after Lennon and McCartney’s collaborative style. Chilton, a former teen pop idol, and Bell had a musically fruitful but difficult relationship. The band’s first two albums had a string of great reviews but sold almost nothing, not helped by Stax’s struggle to know how to sell a bunch of white guys playing retro rock.
Read more… Edit

Top Albums

See more

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).
See all 204 shouts

Videos

See more

Listeners

See more

Recent Activity

Related Journals

See more

More Information

Links
Band Members
Labels

Email Newsletter

Universal Music Group Get exclusive tour, release & promotion updates on Big Star from Universal Music.