This band from the 70's reminds me of Led Zeppelin! Reaction to BIG STAR: Feel | The Daily Doug

[@MrJMS814]

One of the most underappreciated bands of all time. Certainly one of the "unluckiest". Now 50 years later many fans of the genre are still only just discovering and falling in love with them. They started with everything they needed to become a massive success but their platform was swept away right from underneath them in so many ways, one after the other. Most people might say they've never heard them but you probably have, just not their names. They're responsible for the theme song on "That 70's Show" called "In The Street" for which a cover by Cheap Trick was used. Also, Alex Chilton was originally from The Box Tops who had big hits in the late 60s including "The Letter" which he sang on when he was 16 years old. Not to mention the substantial amount of initial radio play (and eventual play on college/indie/free-form stations) Big Star themselves have accumulated over the years, seemingly with minimal credit. Although, many well known bands since have cited them as a major influence.

[@zonkster909]

Big Star- the ultimate hidden masters of power pop.

[@johnpecoraro1720]

Chris Bell’s I am the cosmos is just a devastating song a masterpiece

[@richarddobson815]

Great choice Heidi. I haven't seen this brilliant band on any of the YT channels before. I managed to get the #1 Record/Radio City double album imported into South Africa from the UK, and always liked to imagine that I was the only Big Star fan in SA! Such wonderful records and their lack of success is one of rock's great travesties.

[@johntaylor-jp3jy]

For further listening, you need to check out Chris Bell’s posthumous solo album I Am The Cosmos; it illustrates exactly what he brought to Big Star. It’s also heart achingly melancholy

[@markvonwisco7369]

Agree 100%! It's a very good album.

[@midkingsteve]

Big Star is the only band I've 'discovered' in my 30s that I went into a total obsessive phase with the way I did when I was a teen when I found all the big classic rock bands. They are amazing. Poppy yet complex. Hard yet very sensitive. I highly recommend listening to A LOT more.

[@runtt01]

Alex Chiltion already had a name for himself with his original band, 'The Box Tops'.

[@ericjenkins2737]

Feel is great but Thirteen is one of my favorite songs of all time.

[@cholomite]

"Back of a Car" is their masterpiece.

[@ScottyKirk1]

They could've been as big as The Beatles had the universe not had other plans. There's a great documentary all about the band called "Nothing Can Hurt Me". Even if you've never heard of them, it's a real treat and quite tragic story, but not the usual one about excessive partying. 😅 Love this band!

[@mrubengmail]

Agreed - Nothing Can Hurt Me is a fantastic documentary for any fan of music.

[@splitimage137.]

"...as big as The Beatles..." is quite a statement to make.

[@ScottyKirk1]

@@splitimage137. Well as much as an unknown band could be. It was more of a comment on their artistry than anything else... But I hear ya. Nobody will ever touch the fab four, either from a musical or cultural standpoint.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Big Star are one of the real hidden gems of 70s rock. The entire original power pop genre seemed plagued with bad luck with how short-lived most of them were. I think the only reason Cheap Trick became the band from the genre that everyone knew is because they had such a lasting career. Still, Big Star, The Raspberries, Badfinger... all excellent, and would go on to influence a ton of later bands including The Knack, The Romantics, The Replacements, The Cars, XTC, all the way to modern bands like Paramore and Fall Out Boy. Genre seems to be one of those that periodically pops back up out of nowhere. Stacy's Mom is is one of the last massive power pop hits I can remember being everywhere in the 00s, though I'm sure there's some I'm forgetting since then.

[@victorbortolussi2964]

RIP Adam 😢

"Thank You Friends" is my favorite Big Star tune. Chilton and company had an advanced sense of melody and harmony.

[@mlwsf]

The reunited touring band featured Jon and Ken from the Posies, Power Pop from the 90s, whom I have also yet to see on the channel. Hint Hint

[@harvey66616]

I second the motion. :) The Posies introduced me to Big Star, naming them as one of their bigger influences. Would be fun to see one or more of their songs presented here. Anything off of their debut album "Failure" in particular would be fun, since in their early days especially it was like they were going out of their way to cram as many different chords and keys into every song as they could.

[@Glendoras]

Big Star was the greatest and truly deserved greater success back when they were active. Alex Chilton did a lot of fantastic music post Big Star.

[@kevinmuzerMetalMind64]

Doug...Big Star..One of my fave bands..Listen to those first 3 records..Every song classic all the way thru. The songwriting of Chris Bell and Alex Chilton so influential to later power pop bands of the 80s and 90s, such as the Replacements, Posies, Bangles and dBs to name a few. Highly recommended .Alex Chilton, Listen to Thirteen by Big Star. Powerful, Emottional ballad. ❤💯

[@billcoonley319]

Musically, it reminds me a bit of Badfinger. Their influence on bands of the 90s definitely shows. Good song with a good hook.

[@donkick2622]

And around this time, The Raspberries as well.

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

Big Star, Badfinger and The Raspberries were truly the godfathers of the "power pop" subgenre, terribly influential, commercialy not always succesful, artistically highly joyful and worthy of listening to

[@donkick2622]

@@JulioLeonFandinho And if we go back to The 60's, The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, et al.

[@FlockyFlock17]

Alex Chilton was also a song by The Replacements. Chilton played on the song. Please check it out. The Replacements were from Minneapolis and were considered punk/alternative rock.

[@ElizabethMontgomery-s8w]

Big Star!!! Great selection, Heidi!!! Love this band and glad I didn't have to pick just one song to represent them. Their most poplar song is "In the Street" which was the theme song to "That 70's Show". The used the Big Star version for season 1, but had Cheap Trick cover the song for the rest of the TV series. The debut record also made the list of Top 500 Albums of All Times by Rolling Stone magazine. AND... Jody Stephens is the nicest guy in the music business! Love Big Star; love Jody! Sorry... I might be a big Big Star fan.

[@Chamomileable]

Big Star are a favorite of mine. Incredibly underrated but they've cemented a place as a band who other contemporaries love, and Alex Chilton's career was legendary.

[@YoshuaAGR]

When you can check Wagakki Band - 焔 (Homura) + 暁ノ糸 (Akatsuki no Ito)

[@zoilagonzalez9753]

"Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton when he comes round, They sing I'm in love what's that song?" Paul Westerberg the replacements

[@victorbortolussi2964]

Jody Stephen's and Luther Russell perform together as " Those Pretty Wrongs". They released their 3rd album in March of this year. He's also collaborated with Golden Smog. An alt-country/rock supergroup consisting of Twin Cities musicians with Gary Louris and Marc Perlman from The Jayhawks. Dan Murphy ( Soul Asylum) Kraig Johnson ( Run Westy Run) as the core. Wilco's Jeff Tweety and Minneapolis local legend Ed Akerson has joined in. Besides Jody, Chris Mars from The Replacements and Noah Lévy ( The Honeydogs) have played drums

[@shawnkilpatrickmusic]

Hi Doug, you didn’t twig on it, but Alex Chilton was also formerly the lead singer of the Box Tops, who had a massive hit in 1967 with “The Letter.” Maybe you can do a video for that song as well. 😊

[@markandmandyd7445]

They gotta be one of the most underrated bands of all time. Always said it is a crime that most people have no idea who they are.. But a lot of people do know their songs by other people. September Gurls remade by the Bangles. in the street remade by cheap trick for the theme song of the 70s show. Also on the final episode of the 70s show, they played the song 13. The lead singer, Alex, was also on the 1 hit wonder the letter by the box tops. And lastly, REM mentions big star as their greatest influence. Fantastic Choice..

[@gardenolagth2020]

A good example of the influence on the REM sound….Big Star’s Daisy Glaze.

[@markandmandyd7445]

@@gardenolagth2020 Thanks very much for your reply. The example you gave is totally perfect. So very much agree. Here's wishing you and yours all the best wishes always. thanks again..

[@quag311]

Alternative universe zeppelin. So eerie.

[@michaelcapewell4811]

Good Lord! Big Star were nothing like Led Zeppelin! 😳 They were absolutely brilliant though, and i suggest you listen to the rest of their output 🤔

[@markvonwisco7369]

Big Star is one of the best early 70s bands. Their first two albums are great for blasting in the car on summer drives! Fun fact, Alex Chilton was also the lead singer of the Box Tops (The Letter, Soul Deep) prior to the founding of Big Star. Edit to add that a cover of Big Star's "In the Street" was the theme song of That 70s Show...

[@AU88]

Also, Alex Chilton sang lead on The Box Tops “The Letter” at age 16.

[@halfgazo]

An A&R man once told me for every band that is successful there are 10 equally good bands that never get the breaks

[@jamesbond4633]

It actually sounded really good when you played the organ along with the music. Reminds me more of The Black Crows!!!!!!

[@triplelindys]

Gotta check out the Big Star documentary, it is phenomenal.

[@guitarchannel5676]

There were numerous American bands, especially from the early-mid 70's, that had 1-2 albums and were excellent: Highway Robbery; Fresh Start; Moxy; Ursa Major; Boomerang; Truth and Janey, are a few hard rock bands that come to mind. (There are many more.) They either didn't offer the elusive 'hit singles' or didn't get the radio play for various reasons. Then there were some known regional bands, like Head East, that were quite successful in certain zones (midwest), but not as well known in other areas. (This is common in other countries too, of course.)

[@BigDaddyG65]

Someone say Big Star was considered one of the unluckiest rock bands of all time. Some describe their sound as the American Beatles. Probably the most recognizable song of theirs is "in the street" kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKHUdp2Fr6iGbNE which was used for the theme song for That 70s Show. The lead singer Alex Chilton was also the lead singer of The Box Tops who sang the letter he had that gravelly voice when he was 16 years old. There's a great documentary about the band if you ever want to watch it called "Big Star : Nothing can hurt me" One of my other favorite songs by them is called "September girls" kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpPQpoCZn7NjqLM

[@davorzmaj753]

Yeah, "The Letter" was a big hit for The Box Tops in 1967 -- later covered by Joe Cocker.

[@markvonwisco7369]

The Bangles did an excellent cover of September Gurls in the late 80s.

[@TooStonedToBobsled]

Their song In The Street was covered by Cheap Trick that was used as That 70's Show's theme song. To me they sounded like a mix of Alice Cooper/KISS/T-Rex

[@HeartOfLothian69]

The Kinks used that chord progression in their song "Killer's Eyes" from GTPWTW. That same album brought a law suit for a song that sounded too much like a Doors song.

[@patrickchachulski6804]

September Gurls is a must!

[@AShiftySpock]

I'd love to hear what you think of Ad Infinitum, Infected Monarchy is a great song to listen to. The lead vocalist has such range and they like to combine metal with orchestral too, leads to some epic songs.

[@pascualetx3910]

Their label was controlled and distributed by CBS, and CBS literally squashed the product produced by Ardent/Stax, deliberately driving them out of business. The Stax documentary on HBO is very interesting. Their first album is a collection of power pop gems.

[@victorbortolussi2964]

Big Star is like The Velvet Underground, in, though they may not have sold a lot of records. The people that heard them started bands. They were major influences on R.E.M., GBV, The Lemonheads, Fountains of Wayne, and of course The Replacements! The Replacements - Alex Chilton (Official Promo Video) / UPROXX Indie Mixtape kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKW3gHiAm9-Xp5I

[@colinsmith8908]

Check out Lone Star Firing On All Six. Signed to Led Zep's label by Peter Grant. Great band victim of punk.

[@joecurrier4086]

Big Star is criminally underappreciated by the masses, but a great band nonetheless. Alex Chilton was the known entity, but the star of this band was Chris Bell. He was magical on this album. He has a solo album that is pretty great called "into the cosmos" for anyone interested in some more underappreciatrd yet brilliant music in the same vein as Big Star.

[@michaelcapewell4811]

The album is called I Am the Cosmos, and is actually a compilation CD released posthumously (Chris died in a car smash in ‘78). The title track was his only 45

[@breabanm]

Could you please do a reaction to Beast in Black? They are a 80s style power metal band with quite the catchy and sometimes cheesy tunes. Best known songs are Blind and Frozen, From Hell With Love, Moonlight Rendezvous.

[@-F4K3-]

You'd probably get a kick out of the Warhammer 40K: Darktide soundtrack as a Composer. Really unique and enjoyable. Cheers!

[@AU88]

Find the documentary “Nothing Can Hurt Me.” The best band nobody’s heard of.

[@BCZF]

Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton

[@TheFelineEmpire]

Sounds more like Angel than Led Zep.

[@glennlavertu3644]

Please do an episode on Sinead O'Conner. Mandinka, or Just like U said it would B from her first album would be appropriate. My favorite is Universal Mother, but it's lesser known.

[@thomasmartinson8208]

They're a bands band very influential but sadly little sales

[@ishmaikel]

Do Final Fantasy XVI plz

[@josephcain8643]

exalent hose

[@paulcollins5586]

Big star sound nothing like led zep.

[@CaptainTedStryker]

Zeppelin? I'm not hearing it. I get more Alice Cooper vibes. Good tune, not my favourite; worth listening to a few more at least.

[@JiuJitus1210]

I really don't hear Zeppelin in this band. I can't say I'm a fan of this band. To me, they sound too generic.