Broken Base: A bit of a mild example, but a quick way to start a debate among fans is to argue which of their first three albums is best. Many are happy, of course, to say that all three are great.
Covered Up: For a time, The Bangles cover of "September Gurls" was much better known than the original. The cover provided a much needed windfall for Alex Chilton, who was struggling financially in the mid 1980s, and he was able to buy his first car since his Box Tops days with the royalties. Since the 1990s, the reverse has been true: the original is considered a classic, while the Bangles cover is now obscure.
Critical Dissonance: Their albums got rave reviews, but sold very poorly. Perhaps they might have actually been big stars if people could actually buy their records. It's very telling that their most notable live performance was at a convention for music critics.
Fanon Discontinuity: In Space. Big Star fans will rarely, if ever, mention it and will usually stick to their '70s material.
Once Original, Now Common: So you decide to put on #1 Record after reading critics and artists raving about the band. Okay, these are some nicely crafted guitar pop songs. It's good, but what's the big deal? You have to remember that Big Star was one of the few bands in 1972 that had this sound. Top 40 AM radio had become very middle-of-the-road and bland, FM radio was dominated by Hard Rock and Progressive Rock, and some people felt it was too soon for a band to be using The Beatles as a musical role model, so Big Star's style was non-mainstream and a bit of a challenge to the status quo.
Signature Song: You can thank That '70s Show (andCheap Trick) for turning "In The Street" into the band's most iconic song. Besides that, it's probably "September Gurls".
Tear Jerker: "Big Black Car", "Kangaroo" and "Holocaust" take the cake here. Alex Chilton's death has rendered them Harsher in Hindsight.
Even before Third/Sister Lovers, the band put out some pretty melancholic stuff. Special mention goes to "Try Again" and "Watch The Sunrise" off #1 Record, as well as "I'm In Love With A Girl" off Radio City.
Alex Chilton certainly counted as this by the time they were recording Third/Sister Lovers.
Really, the band itself. They did everything right musically, but got screwed via circumstances beyond their control at the worst possible moments, like the distribution deal with Columbia Records falling apart when Clive Davis got fired.
