  big star was an american rock band formed in memphis, tennessee, in 1971 by alex chilton, chris bell, jody stephens, and andy hummel. the group broke up in 1974, but reorganized with a new line-up nearly 20 years later. in its first era, the band's musical style drew on the vocal harmonies of the beatles, as well as the swaggering rhythms of the rolling stones and the jangling guitars of the byrds. to the resulting power pop, big star added dark, existential themes, and produced a style that foreshadowed the alternative rock of the 1980s and 1990s. before it broke up, big star created a "seminal body of work that never stopped inspiring succeeding generations" in the words of rolling stone,big star biography. rollingstone.com. accessed july 1, 2010. as the "quintessential american power pop band" and "one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll".ankeny big star's first albumâ1972's #1 recordâwas met by enthusiastic reviews, but ineffective marketing by stax records and limited distribution stunted its commercial success. frustration took its toll on band relations, and by the time a second album was completed in 1974 both bell and hummel had left the group. like #1&nbsp;record, radio city received excellent reviews, but label issues again thwarted salesâcolumbia records, which had assumed control of the stax catalog, likewise effectively vetoed its distribution. after a third album was deemed non-commercially viable and shelved before receiving a title, the band broke up late in
American_power_pop_groups Big_Star Musical_groups_disestablished_in_1974 Musical_groups_disestablished_in_2010 Musical_groups_established_in_1971 Musical_groups_from_Memphis,_Tennessee Musical_groups_reestablished_in_1993 Musical_quartets Musical_trios Norton_Records_artists Rock_music_groups_from_Tennessee Rykodisc_artists