Cynicism and creativity are to self-destruction what plutonium and uranium are to the atomic bomb. Separately, cynicism and creativity lead to a society of acute observation and clever resolve. Together, cynicism and creativity create an implosion of indifference and anguish. It is from this laboratory that self-destruction is born; it is also from this experiment where Big Star resides.
Big Star is not The Beatles. Big Star is not Led Zeppelin. Big Star is not Elvis, despite the shared Memphis ancestry. Even though R.E.M. is a self-proclaimed Big Star disciple, Big Star is not R.E.M.. Big Star is rock music’s northern lights. An abstract spectacle that seems more myth than fact. The association between Big Star and solar imagery is strong. The band is called Big Star. They draw parallels to the northern lights. Even Big Star bassist Andy Hummel used the phrase “a couple of shooting stars” when referring to Chris Bell and Alex Chilton. Yet, Big Star became exactly what the title says: gone with the light.
“Hanging out, down the street/ The same old thing we did last week.” The opening lines to the theme of "That '70s Show" evoke teenage nostalgia and a certain romanticization for a time that has been and gone. Though “That '70s Show” did not come into existence until the late ‘90s, the theme song for the show first came to life in 1972 with four guys from Memphis: Chris Bell, Alex Chilton, Andy Hummel and Jody Stephens.
The Big Star story is one of tragedy. Big Star released three records during the ‘70s. All three of them are in Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and not a single one of them charted when they were released. Songs like “Thirteen,” “The Ballad of El Goodo,” and “September Gurls” have all become cult classics and set the template for what would become college and alternative rock during the ‘80s and ‘90s. Despite the reverence from their peers, Big Star is often lost in the greater timeline of popular music.
What made Big Star like no other was their struggle. The band’s debut album, "#1 Record," was adored by critics upon its release but struggled to make its way into record shops due to poor distribution. The follow-up to "#1 Record," "Radio City," fell into the same trap. Big Star’s final project, the eerie and bleak "Third/Sister Lovers," was a far cry from the power-pop of the first two records, but nonetheless is a spectacular album. Yet, the Big Star struggle was not specific to just album sales. Chris Bell, the mastermind behind "#1 Record," left the band after the first album and would spend the rest of his life dealing with depression and self-destruction. Bell died in a car crash at 27 in 1978. Left behind was "#1 Record" and a series of disorganized solo recordings, most notably, the ethereal “I Am the Cosmos.”
After Big Star sputtered out, Alex Chilton would spend the rest of his life between odd jobs and a variety of solo experiments. In the post-Big Star years, Chilton became an indie rock legend. Chilton’s indifferent attitude, resentment toward gratification and slacker approach to music would be influential to bands like The Replacements, Pavement and Wilco. In 2010, Chilton passed away from a heart attack at 59, leaving behind him a legacy that shaped alternative rock into what we know it to be today.
Hummel also passed away in 2010. In 2026, Jody Stephens is all that remains of Big Star. The reason why I am writing about Big Star is because Big Star means something. The struggle of Big Star is a metaphor for the struggle of being human. The desire to be something, the hopelessness that comes with failure and the will to fight on. Big Star’s music feels personal. Big Star feels attainable and familiar. Jody Stephens still tours with a cast of rock legends putting on Big Star shows. I’ve now been to three of those shows and have had the pleasure of meeting Jody once. If you ever get the chance to see what’s left of Big Star, do not hesitate for a second on going. The music of Big Star is a celebration of not only the legacy of the band, it’s a celebration of life. While many bands fade and many songs lose substance over time, Big Star is eternal. Big Star is permanently etched into the fabric of rock music and will never fade. When times get hard, I leave you with the words of Big Star, “I’ll fall if I don’t fight/ And at my side is God.”