Big Star was an American
power pop band formed in
Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by
Alex Chilton,
Chris Bell,
Jody Stephens, and
Andy Hummel. Despite exceptional reviews from critics and widely acknowledged influence upon numerous notable musicians, Big Star attained only cult status, lacking commercial success. 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, as the "quintessential American power pop band" and "one of the most mythic and influential
cult acts in all of rock & roll".