#1 Record

Never even heard of this group or album over the years until recently when seeing the album cover, perhaps due to vinyl reissues. The music was not what I was expecting based on the cover. Seemed like it was influenced by a blend of later psychedelic Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, CSN. There’s a song that reminds me of early KISS (which I know came later). I also hear a lot of influences on bands many years later. A surprisingly good listen. Would rank it higher but need to hear it more to give it 4 stars.

Decent. Recognize “in the street” from that 70’s show. Also dug “thirteen”. Get some big hair, zeppelin vibes.

I really enjoyed this. It was a lot of fun. "Thirteen" was absolutely beautiful. Also hearing "In The Street" (from That 70s Show) was crazy. It was missing something to really push it to the "next level" but this was a solid 3.5 listen. "Watch The Sunrise" was SOOOO cool. Adding it to my list of songs to learn. Liked Songs: "Feel" , "The Ballad Of El Goodo" , "Thirteen" , "Don't Lie To Me" , "When My Baby's Beside Me" , "Give Me Another Chance" , "Watch The Sunrise"

Good 3

Strong Byrds influence but more on the rock side.

- unterhaltsam, entspannt und kurzweilig. Tolles Album ohne große Überraschungen oder hervorstechende Songs

Liked this much more than expected for an album from 1972 by a band I'd never heard of. Solid if unspectacular. 3.4

A perfectly adequate album for listening to while barbecuing on a summer afternoon.

Enjoyable but yet forgettable at the same time

3/5

doesn't hurt but it's a bit bland

Hard to believe this band never crossed my radar as much music I listen to. Super pleasant surprise. Beautiful song writing akin to the Byrds or Kinks. That said, only a few stand out tracks.

The hype train is leaving the station for Wisconsin.

Semi-acoustic soft dude, a bit old, kind of boring but good background?

Complete

Power pop, indeed. Big Star was not on my radar but I have heard some of these songs.

I don't see much of the Beatles' influence, but more of The Byrds and the like. They were a bit late to the game when they released this album, but maybe that was to their advantage. The production was quite good, and the quality of the songs throughout the album was mostly on par. The vocal harmonies and their guitar work were better than most other bands from that genre.

Enjoyable, but not very memorable.

2.9.

Nice, Beatlesesque vibes, Gode vokaler. Feeed' guitar spil

This sounds like a Dad record, as in a record my Dad would probably have liked back in the day. It had some good wee tunes on it though! Enjoyed it more than I thought I would

inoffensive yet unremarkable for me

In listened to this. Then forgot to rate it. Coming back late I’m going to give it a 3 as I’m pretty sure it was solid.

cool album cover

A perfectly sound album I won’t listen to again. (It’s me, not it, to be clear)

Seminal. Hilarious. A direct showing of how being introduced to different forms of expression creates a domino effect. I'm surprised of all places the Beatles stopped, Memphis is on the list, but the waves from that particular visit not only created this album, but this album continued to develop and make a big point for genre diversity and taking control of your work. One must wonder the impact this album would have had were it not for the limited production

3.5 stars. Very listenable power pop/rock. Made for the radio. Singer has a high/falsetto voice. The track "In The Street" is the theme from "That 70's Show". Standout is the acoustic "Watch The Sunrise".

Decent.

Good 70s Rock. Good balance of electric and acoustic numbers.

I remember this album from way back when one of my friends got hold of a copy. He was a massive R.E.M. fan, and he'd obviously heard that Big Star were an influence, so he played this to death for a few weeks. Strangely, I was excited to see this come up, but it turns out I didn't remember a single track from it. I also never appreciated that it was from the early 70s, and not from the 80s, as I had always imagined. It fizzles out by the second half and managed to outstay its welcome a little. I also found myself feeling that the fantastic production couldn't hide the fact that this is basically a Beatles Tribute album, albeit in a slightly more soft rock style. The lack of anything that truly stood out means this is delegated 3 stars from me.

6.5/10 - it was pretty decent

Nice. I like Give me another chance and Try again.

OK. Not great, OK. That's why you don't hear them on the radio anymore.

À la première écoute, m'a paru un peu classique et générique, à la lumière de tous les albums rock qu'on peut trouver dans ce palmarès. En réécoutant, je dois admettre que c'est accrocheur, efficace, et bien senti

Pretty fun record. It's got the theme from That 70s Show on here!? Favourite track: The India Song 3.5

Feels like it peaked at the title.

The Wikipedia page quoted someone who correctly said how unfair it is to listen to influential albums after having listened to all their influences over the years. I bet he is right, but still, this album sounds like a collage of '60s and 70s songs. It means that it's enjoyable and recognizable, but not memorable. I enjoyed the listening session, but I'll forget about it in some days.

It was ok. Nothing special.

Not bad, but its not doing anything for me either. 3/5

Ik kende enkel Thirteen en als ik eerlijk ben dacht ik dat dit een 90s nummer was. Als dat niet voor je tijd zijn is! Voor de rest is dit album nu niet echt benoemenswaardig. One hit wonder? 2.8

I will say this is a lot better then the other album of theirs, which just sounded like a bunch of demos. It also has "In The Street," which we all know from "That 70s Show," so they got THAT going for them. But there were a lot of songs that sounded... so dated. I mean "The India Song," wtf was THAT? Same with "The Ballad of Goodo." Um, sure. It was weird hearing this, the original version of "In The Streets". I'm so used to the cover they made for "That 70s Show", but it was still good. Ultimately, it is very planted in the 70s, and doesn't transcend that for me. Top songs: "Thirteen," "In The Streets," "Watch The Sunrise," "Feel"

Cool

i think one of the reviews on the website said it best in that there’s all the elements of a good album here but it just doesn’t ever fully come together. the guitars are the best part, and the sound is very obviously influenced by george harrison’s style of playing, along with a bit of the byrds twelve string acoustic. the vocal harmonies are very beatles-y as well. but the lyrics are very middle of the road imo and the second half of the album kind of falls apart entirely for me. it’s fine overall, and there’s a few really nice songs and melodies/riffs in there (weird predatory lyrics not withstanding) but i’m a bit confused by people calling it a 5 star album. it’s 70s pop rock and it obviously had an influence on people like tom petty and later artists but at the end of the day other bands do the same kind of thing much better.

Meh.

It's not bad. However this style and time are not for me.

Oh shit that 70s show theme. This could use a tempo increase. Maybe some guitar effects. It was a little anemic.

I listened to this album as a teenager and didn’t really get into it. Don’t lie to me is very catchy and was in my rotation for years. Thirteen is a classic. Ballad of el Goodo is considered a great song of theirs, I actually find it really irritating. Cult status maybe but was fairly meh 3/5

A lot of this was pretry standard 70s stuff but a nice easy listen with some highlights in there, thirteen, try again and watch the sunrise highlights

Fine. There’s a few good songs on here but overall the album did not grab me. Apparently this album influenced a bunch of people. I wonder if this is a case of this album being a trailblazer and then its fans leapfrogging it with better music.

2.75

A definite 3 from me. It was produced and performed well, but nothing made me groove or connect emotionally with the music or the subject matter in the lyrics. I could see how "Thirteen" could easily be misconstrued. I know it is supposed be from the perspective of another thirteen year old, but yeah, I could see how people got the wrong impression on that one. Never watched THAT 70s SHOW, so I didn't notice a track that was used as a theme song. While I didn't feel the urge to add anything to my collection, it is possible that with a handful more listens of "When My Baby's Beside Me" might change my mind. If this is your favorite band and/or album, then great for you. I am glad it exists. I don't know if it really belongs on this list. I don't see how other bands like The Pretenders, Tom Petty, and Cheap Trick don't ultimately land on their sound and produce their albums. This stuff was in the ether with other bands. It wasn't a completely fresh new idea despite what Wikipedia tries to tell you.

Easy listen, unmemorable

Middle of the road music that apparently inspired a lot of other artists I don’t care about. Typical music critic nerd music - no real bangers, only well crafted pop music unloved by the masses.

A nice listen but mostly forgettable. Nothing really grabbed me.

I was so far in my cheap trick ass that I thought they wrote the that 70s show theme song… come to find out. this is good, it’s interesting how this band completely missed me. seems like everything I would have loved as a teen

Never heard this album before, and of course, the only song I recognize is In The Street. I could see myself playing it again, though, it was enjoyable! Nothing special, but a good vibe.

3.5

It’s like a directors cut of Led Zeppelin and Beatles! I’m surprised all my early Weymouth years didn’t include this band—it’s so very Weymouth

Totally acceptable soft rock album.

Generic 70s Softrock.

Really pleasant stuff. I might be starting to get rock music outside of what I've already heard. The highlight was hearing where the That 70s Show theme came from

It sounds soft but it is pretty good music but nothing too memorable. In The Streets brings back some That 70s Show nostalgia.

Enjoyed this nice sounding combo of early 70's influence. Pock Rock sound.

Classic rock. I see a lot of inspiration from posterior bands.

fínt powerpopp. ekki mikið af eftirminnilegum lögum samt.

A good little rock band that pleasantly surprised me. A little too mellow for me, but still, pretty good compared to most of the lesser knowns on this list.

Nice music, I really enjoyed some of this very well produced album

Rating: 6/10 So decent 70s rock.

At first impression I thought I would hate this. After a few songs I was surprised I didn’t hate it, it seemed ok. But as I got deeper into the album I found I lost all my grace with this. It became as grating and mundane as I thought it would. I can see why they never took off.

Some hard rock riffs at the start but the album mostly mellows into folk-leaning rock by the second half. Nice vocals throughout too. And “In the Street” is the theme song to “That 70s Show”! Such a great choice for a sitcom theme song: “Hanging out, down the street / The same old thing we did last week / Not a thing to do, but talk to you.”

Pretty cool classic rock album that has some nice dynamic shifts and grabs from a few other bands / genres which isn't what I was expecting. They wear their influences on their sleeves and that hurts the rating a bit though, as to me it feels at times like they were trying pretty hard to sound like an amalgam of other bands before trying to make their own sound. "Thirteen" is really beautiful and I love the guitar parts. Great production as well. I did have to look up the lyrics of this one though as it's kind of gross how so many classic rock songs are about young love in uh... interesting ways. Thankfully the lyrics tell a story of two same-aged people from what I could tell. I grew up really loving "That 70's Show", so the final track "In The Street" was a really great surprise. Nice album cover. I think a lot of modern day indie rock bands would use this kind of imagery and it wouldn't be out of place.

Nice...

Another unmemorable, middle-of-the-range American rock band. I’m surprised I haven’t really heard their stuff before.

Non-offensive, run-of-the-mill, early 70s pop rock.

Decent 70’s pop. Nothing is really bad, nothing is really excellent. You can’t be mad at this.

#1 Record is obviously a fairly pretentious title, and sadly they don't deliver. I am not sure what they have that merits inclusion on the list, but I am sure there are some good arguments. They just didn't leap out at me.

This feels like they were on the verge of making something great but nothing really stood out to me. Just fine.

Just fine, maybe groundbreaking’ish once upon a time.

248/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

I would give this one a 3.5 and definitely would give it another listen. I think there is something here that I could appreciate.

This is decent enough, but it feels like something is missing and I can't put my finger on it. It starts fairly strong but I lose interest by the end, which isn't great for a 37 minute album. Don't Lie To Me sounds a little bit like The Murlocs so I like that one. Feel is cool too, a little Zeppeliny to begin with and segues into what could be a Ziggy Stardust era Bowie glam rock tune I like In The Street musically but the vocals on the verse are pretty annoying, a nasally kind of wail that overpowers everything. I don't think I'd say I dislike anything but there's too much that doesn't hold my attention to rate it highly. Highlights: Don't Lie To Me, Feel

This is an interesting band and a interesting record. Like I'm sure there are some cult following Big Star fans that absolutely love their music and claim that they're the most underrated rock band of the 70s. I think there probably is some truth to that, but in a lot of ways, I feel like they're kind of trying to be an American version of The Beatles with a bit of Southern influence. Its fun pop rock with some cool country and blues riffs, but I'm never totally blown away by it. The one exception is Thirteen, because that song is incredible and is something to cherish. But otherwise, I enjoyed this but didn't really love this.

3

I wasn’t super Moved by this, but there’s definitely something kinda special about it. It’s like… an unusually tasteful interpretation of Big 70s Rock or something? I might regret rounding down if I listen to it again in the coming weeks.

I listened to the album during a walk. I was still very interested at the beginning of the first track. But that cooled off quickly. During the walk, I noticed that the music was still playing, but I didn't notice most of it. So it didn't interest me, but it didn't bother me either. 3/5

Solid 70s sound

While it was fun to learn the origin story of the That 70s Show theme song, this album was otherwise fine and okay and decent to listen to.

this was fine. 2.5

Real catchy and easy to listen to. Nothing too special though, very clean and well produced 70s pop music. Caught off guard when all of a sudden the room started spinning, then that scientology rapist and Fez were sitting in my garage with me. -Red enters- \"jackass\"

I think if the album had maintained the energy and sound to the A side I would be more into this album, I think it manages to make two sides of older rock (folkier rock and power pop) that I don't care for into something that is interesting personally, perhaps because they lean into hard rock elements in some of the songs but still. The 2nd side goes for more folksy heartache which I don't like but I can imagine some people more into folksier stuff would get more out of it

cover art is so bad get this shuttershock bs outta my face good music tho

++: Feel, In the Street, Don't Lie to Me, Give Me Another Chance +: Thirteen, My Life Is Right, Try Again, Watch the Sunrise, ST 100/6 +-: The Ballad of El Goodo, When My Baby's Beside Me -: The India Song 7,3/10

Generic dad-rock. Don't get me wrong, I like this kind of music, it's just that there's nothing novel or exciting for me here. Nice enough a listen, but nothing that really grabbed my attention

3.5

This is so 70s that it made me nostalgic…and I’ve never even heard it before. Liked it more than I expected, but not as much as I wanted.

This is an alright album that almost makes it to really good, but never quite measures up. Favorite track: "Watch the Sunrise"

Ironic it’s called #1 Record and the record company struggled to distribute it. Sounds very agreeable and simple but nothing crazy. 5/10

Samaa sarjaa kun edellinen. Tämä ehkä hieman parempi. 3/5

Rentouttavaa poprockia jenkkivaalikuumottelun aamuun eli palsamia haavoille. 3.5/5

super enjoyable pop rock favorite track: the ballad of el goodo

With a name like Big Star, I expected "#1 Record" to be heavy rock 'n' roll. I was pleasantly surprised by a power pop record. Big Star is reminiscent of Eric Carmen, in my opinion, and I'm surprised the band was chosen over him, given how massively famous and influential "All By Myself" is. The album is surprisingly lush and laidback — like "Savage Eye" era The Pretty Things. Not memorable but quite good nonetheless. I think they'd be popular on r/drunkhifi, if either the record or the subreddit was more well known.

3 stars - I hear some interesting influences but not exactly my thing

I liked that era of music and this was enjoyable

I wasnt familiar witb Big Star, aside from the That 70s Show theme song. A decent rock album that captured the spirit of the 70s, but ultimately it didnt really capture me or have any standout hits that left me wanting more.

Another in the category of -this is music, and seemingly we'll done music, that just doesn't vibe with me. But also doesn't vibe with me.

Kevyttä rockia. Vähän ehkä jätti kylmäksi ja työpäivän ohessa kuuntelu usein unohtui. Kolme kertaa pyörittelin läpi enkä edelleenkään muista mikä oli suosikkibiisi jonka aikana heräsin aina kuuntelemaan.

Ei jäänyt erityisesti hyvällä eikä pahalla. Muut teki tuon paremmin, mutta laadukas tää kyllä oli vaikkei karismaa ollut

Never heard of Big Star, the blog notes them as a reference point for REM and Cheap Trick, and I can hear that. Also fun to hear the origin of the 70s Show theme song, I liked that show growing up. Good music overall, nothing that excites me too much but I have no criticisms.

I liked this one actually

Never heard of this band before, the album was alright

It's a good, maybe even great folk rock album. Good think they went their own way. 3.5/5.

The mix of Folk Pop and Power Pop tracks on this are quite charming. Fairly enjoyable (#1) record.

Very forgettable but not bad.

Not bad 7/10

Didn't blow me away, it was ok

Helt ok 70-tals rock. Kul med that 70s show-introlåten. Men jag går inte igång mer än "bra". Detta album kom och gick skulle jag tippa på.

Det här gillade man ju redan vid första genomlyssningen, väldigt lättsmält och jämnbra. Inget som verkligen sticker ut dock, men en stark trea får det bli.

Definitely better than the other Big Star album on the list but still quite boring.

Oh I hate it when my review doesn't save. Long story short, some on songs. Some terrible leftovers from the 60s (India?) Shows promise but fails to achieve greatness. Three minus.

Another band that I hadn't heard of before. It was interesting reading the synopsis after listening. The blame game seems to point at the record company for screwing up distribution as to why this band wasn't huge. I'm not sure if that's entirely true though. Does this band have enough to make it big even without the other issues? There were some songs that grabbed me but most didn't really leave an impression, and I couldn't tell you what they sounded like the next day.

Stunned when I hit that 70s show song. They really fall under the radar though. Average band by definition.

Cool. They sound like every other 70's band

Who? Apparently this album is now widely-regarded as a seminal work in pop rock and power pop, but I don't know how much of influence it was at the time if virtually no one had ever heard of it until it subsequent re-releases. It's OK.

Some parts does hit it but it's buried amidst a lot of fillers.

Pretty decent 70’s rock this

Solid all around, nothing special.

Solid 70's. Not every song was great but a good listen.

Leuk! Maar er zat niet echt iets bijzonders in. Teksten raken me niet, instrumentatie wel oké

Pretty decent proto pop rock

Really good (with a few exceptions), and I'd probably grow to love it.

Not a thiiiiing to doooooo

Solid rockplade, poppet, følsom, harmonisk

Not too exciting

Yeah, I don’t know. This is good. Nothing really wrong with it. Just feels a little ordinary for this list. It’s fine. But not essential. 3/5

приятный и местами знакомый

Some really classic songs on here like In The Street and Thirteen. I prefer the covers though. Speaks to the quality of the bones on this record.

This is a good album. It's catchy pop-rock with jangly guitars and nice harmonies (and so much cowbell). The lyrics are often a little too simple and sometimes saccharine, but they're not bad songs. I hear a lot of people talk about how influential this album was on future artists like Tom Petty and R.E.M. My issue with it is that it sounds kind of derivative to me. It often sounds like they're trying to imitate someone else — The Byrds, The Beatles, George Harrison, The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc. It never really feels like they're a uniquely identifiable band. Even the vocals sound pretty generic. There's nothing that announces that this is Big Star. 3.5/5 — I'd probably listen to it again, but it's not life changing.

This is crazy. Never have i ever heard of this band before. And yet listening to this album was....familiar somehow, beyond the obvious influence echoes. I couldn't put my finger on it. It was like....the *essence* of the 70s, or.maybe the essence of the 70s from a nostalgic point of view. The music doesn't foreground itself, and isn't all that memorable...but it just fits. I said to Jenn as I was listening to this: "this music sounds like the interludes they used to have in "That 70s Show" between scenes when the characters were dancing to some instrumental rock in front of a green screen where psychedelic stuff was projected...." .......and then I heard it: "In the Street" I knew it immediately.... The theme song for "That 70s Show"! 😄 I love it when music burbles to the surface of awareness even though it's always just been there, under the skin all along, echoing though cultural legacies... This is a good pack.of bubblegum cowbell throwback poprock to end my day and week with. (Weirdly too, the first few notes of the first song reminded me of the beginning of Jesus Jones' tune "Right Here, Right Now"!!)

I don’t think I’ve ever listen to this album before. It’s really good… although it does sound like so many other band of that time, they do it really well. No cheesiness. I’m Not bored! But the drums are so treble-ly though… the snare sounds like hitting a stack of wet paper… needs a lot more body… amazing how production styles have evolved over a few decades.

Always heard of this, never listened to it. Have to admit it grew on me over past 24 hours. This quote stuck with though: The problem with coming in late on an artwork lauded as 'influential' is that you've probably encountered the work it influenced first, so its truly innovative qualities are lost. Thus, if you are hearing Big Star's debut album for the first time decades after its release (as, inevitably, most people must), you may be reminded of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers or R.E.M., who came after—that is, if you don't think of The Byrds and The Beatles circa 1965. What was remarkable about #1 Record in 1972 was that nobody except Big Star (and maybe Badfinger and The Raspberries) wanted to sound like this—simple, light pop with sweet harmonies and jangly guitars." I didn’t find the album exciting but it was pleasant and some of the songs were great (but the India song reminded me of Cups and Cakes by spinal Tap). My big nitpick with this album is the production - it felt thin and tinny and I would have loved more warmth.

3.5 It’s nice! Sometimes it sounds like Wings, sometimes it sounds like Paul Williams, it’s got the theme song for That 70s Show and a song about going through puberty! Short and sweet and easy to listen to, doesn’t move me in any major way!

It's an enjoyable listen, but didn't actually find myself connecting with any songs in particular. Kind of just enjoyed the pop 70's rock as a whole. Epitome of a 3/5.

kinda gives early Bowie vibes but with a more folky base. enjoyable listen but nothing crazy good

Don't understand the hype regarding this album. Seems like it's not much different than any other 70s obscure rock album. Critics must have been paid to back this record and that nonsense spread like wildfire. Kind of like Graham Parsons albums are really good😂💩👎🏻. 2.5, 3 is prob too generous, but the mathematician in me is rounding up.

fun and simple, an ode to basic songwriting and simple themes. not many highlights, but not many lowlights either. Soft 3

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in this one. After reading a handful of reviews on this site, I was hopeful that this would be one of the hitherto undiscovered (for me) amazing albums that I'd really love. Alas, not the case. It's pretty generic 60s/70s pop rock. A couple good songs here and there but nothing to really grab my attention. It is well played, well recorded, well produced, and fun to listen to but I can't see myself going back to it again. 2.5/5

This feels like a wannabe CSNY offering. If that was what the band was aspiring to, they missed the bar by a skosh.

This album brings the mid century rock and roll into the modern era. This is a quintessential 70's album but it makes strides to bring rock and roll into the 80's and beyond despite being released in 1972. The album isn't amazing by any stretch, but its influence on other artists can be seen. It is a decent album to listen to but I could not be bothered to really pay attention due to the slow pace. For an album that short, the pacing should be quicker in my opinion.

Better than the other one, didn't need two from these guys

It was an ok.album

I enjoyed the first half more than the second. Overall pretty enjoyable.

Generally enjoyed this and was glad to discover it. It does seem interesting an innovative for the time, though perhaps doesn't stand so strongly on its own. Reminds me a bit of the Kinks, which I think of as praise.

Jangly guitars and honey-sweet harmonies make this power pop gem shine, even if it doesn't always dazzle.

I mean, yeah its a nice record, with pretty harmonies sometimes, but i don't get the hype behind this album. It's aight

normalin 5/10

Great sound for a first album

early 70s pop/rock, decent effort

Pretty basic

Didn’t give a dedicated listen, liked it in the background though

So so

Started off strong but had a pretty serious St Peter-out toward the end. Extra star to me for recognising the That 70s show theme song but it not being called out on the Wikipedia page.

Some fun tunes. But ultimately indistinct in its sound. Thirteen is a great song. I can't say the rest grabbed me much. I think given its release in 72, this must have been a pretty fresh album at the time.

This is a band that is probably more enjoyed by musicians than casual listeners. They have harmonious ballads that are reminiscent of Beatles music, they have rock music that has been covered by significantly more popular bands and they have tracks that are catchy and fun. All in 40 minutes. That’s a good collection of songs for a relatively now unknown group. Pretty good album. 6.8/10

Pretty good, I’ll have to revisit it for a deeper listen

Out of all records this is definitely one of them. HELLO WISCONSIN (2.5/5)

Big Star maybe, many stars ... No! Basically music I don't give a crap about so no more than 3 stars.

Pretty good. Some nice tunes

I'm aware of the influence this band has had on the alternative/indie music scene but never really fully listened to them. I wasn't expecting it to sound so Glam & Pop-like but the fact it was released in 1972 kinda explains why. It's a very good album with great production & well crafted songs. It definitely deserved more success at the time of it's release. Looking forward to hearing more from this band. 3+ stars.

There's seemingly lots of big fans on here. Either I don't get it, or maybe it's a cultural thing, or perhaps it plays hard into nostalgia for some? For me it's just quite easy-going, generic rock 'n' roll. Heavy emphasis on 'generic'. I mean, it's fine. The first half was better. There's some Led-Zep sounding moments, just without the Led-Zep ooomph. And there's some nice enough ballads that aren't offensive. The second half, slower acoustic stuff, again, is nice enough to listen to, but it's all a bit bland and ponderous. A generous 3 out of 5

Power pop. Ni fu ni fa.

Feels like a great classic rock album, but totally new to me. Great Led Zeppelin vibes.

This had a definite 70s vibe which I didn’t mind at all. 3*

Marginally OK.

I liked the first track but the album soon lost my interest. I love me some 70s dad rock but this was pretty forgettable. I won't be listening to it again.

Als ik de baas was had ik deze band 'The Falcons' genoemd, want ze klinken een beetje als huismerk Eagles. Niet dat dat heel erg is: Liever huismerk Eagles dan A-merk Fiona Apple. De enige track van dit album die ik ken is het 70's Show intro op track 3, waarbij ze overigens ook niet te beroerd waren om de cowbell er even bij te pakken. De rest van de tracks zijn niet slecht, maar wat is het uiteindelijk een, mag ik dat zeggon ja dat mag ik zeggon, oersaai geheel. Ontzettend vergeetbaar. 3 sterren omdat het niet irriteert.

I was not previously familiar with this artist or album before listening. However, I recognized In The Street as being the theme from That 70's Show. The whole album is pretty good, it's pretty straightforward pop/rock. It reminded me a little bit of Badfinger and Cheap Trick. I enjoyed the album, and would listen to it again.

I had heard of Big Star but I don't think I had ever really listened to them -- definitely didn't know they were Tom Petty and the Replacements mixed together! Struggled not giving this one 4, especially with Thirteen and Try Again. I'll go with 3.5 but also put it on my shopping list

jovisst

In the Street

I enjoyed this overall, sort of classic rock, had a bit of an AC/DC sound to them. Nothing really caught my ear so I doubt Ill be seeking out more.

30 seconds in and this is somewhere between Led Zeppelin and Cheap Trick soundwise. Now at track 3, In the Street, I didn't realize this wasn't written by Cheap Trick which is amusing considering my first comment. The India Song was nice, reminded me of the band America. The ballads are kind of dull and there's a few of them.

Simply ok! 3/5

On first listen, I didn't think much. 6 out of 10 tops. Maybe 4 or 5. But on second listen, well, it's still not going to make it past the "7 out of 10" hump where so many good, but not great albums wind up, but "The Ballad of El Goodo" and "Thirteen", in particular, are quite good. It's good, not great, and given the awful initial sales (10,000 copies), it clearly wasn't terribly influential (though I suppose there are some exceptions to cases like that, e.g., the infamous Velvet Underground -- not popular, but very influential. Big Star is no VU.) I know it's random, but I got this recommendation right after a Thin Lizzy recommendation. These both have too much "white boy rock" (e.g., "Dont Lie to Me") for my tastes (and I'm a "white boy".) 3 stars

Overall, just an ok album. It does have the original "That 70s Show" theme on it! Also, the song, "Thirteen" is fantastic. Most of the other songs are like a poor man's Led Zeppelin.

I knew I'd eventually get to an album where my gut reaction was, "I need this on CD, and I need to be stuck in a situation where it's the only CD I have on hand because it's in my Walkman, and then, and only then, would I like it." Unfortunately, those days are long gone, and I somehow missed Big Star back when those days were very real, even though I knew they were important and influential and a point of reference for so many bands. A part of me wants to say this is two records. The first part belongs to Bell, who I don't really see as an "forefather of alternative rock," but rather a fairly mediocre mimic of CCR and other one-hit-wonder rootsy blues-based hard rock groups like Kansas from that era. I don't particularly like that sound, really at all, but I especially don't get this version as an alternative to mainstream rock. I find most of these songs to be filled with too many bells and whistles, and I also find Bell's singing to be annoying. But, then again, sometimes, the Bell songs are very tight and the guitar fucks, and I'm sold. Obviously there's a bit of nostalgia for the That 70s Show theme song "In the Street," an obvious lightbulb moment, sure, but I think my favorite Bell song is "My Life is Right." Then, of course, there's the Chilton songs. Recently, my Spotify has been suggesting "September Gurls" as an autoplay song, and I do like that song, so I'm not surprised that of the two, I like Chilton's songs more. "Thirteen" is obviously a standout, not only for this half of the record, but for the album in general. But at the same time, some of the Chilton songs on this half are wayyy too drab, way too quaint, and felt like Paul McCartney pastiche, and I mean that as an insult. And here's the thing, I want to say it's 2 records from two different solo projects, but I can't. "The India Song" ruins that, not just because it's bad, but because it's by neither of the band leaders. And then the closer is a duel-song of nothingness. But even when I want to make this clear distinction, I can't, because I can hear Bell and Chilton cross-pollinating, especially on Side B. And that cross-pollination? It's not for me, but sometimes, it's almost for me. If I'm generous and say this is a 10-song record, I like more than half of it, and I like 3/5 songs each songwriter brings to the table. But do I *love* them? Ehhhh, not really. I get how this is cool, but I don't find it particularly interesting for its time. On top of that, I can see the seeds of a great band, but they're also not ✨there✨ yet, not just because they're allowing shit like "The India Song" to slide into the track list to appease their poor bassist – they're still learning from each other as collaborative songwriters, and they're not done learning, and it shows. Still, I like enough material here to be intrigued. I wouldn't buy this on vinyl today, but I could imagine revisit it and liking it more. Honestly, the hype may have fucked with my brain chemistry, but while I don't get it, I at least get its allure now, which is enough to justify a relisten once I'm further on with this list.

Some decent moments

Good rock. Not special.

Pretty standard pop rock. Just ok

Its fine

Not bad for what it is (70s pop/rock) but not at all memorable.

Pretty solid. I hear how they influenced 80’s indie bands like: the replacements and guided by voices and REM.

I like to go into these albums fresh and not look up any information about the artist or music beforehand, so I knew absolutely zero about Big Star and #1 Record. And after listening, I am extremely baffled as to why this exceedingly average sounding early '70s rock album needs to be listened to before I die. Are there member(s) of this band that go on to create a much more famous band later on? Did this album inspire the Eagles to start making music? No clue, but after clicking the Vote button, I'm going to Wikipedia to do some research on this. Best track: "Feel" maybe? It had horns in it, which made it sound a bit different. "When My Baby's Beside Me" sounded like pure bubblegum Partridge Family stuff.

A seriously great mix of relaxed and, well, powerful power pop. This really is another somewhat obscure 70s rock-and-roll album, but its conformity doesn’t mean it isn't enjoyable, and in fact this album was seminal to its sound. It might have been done better since, but that does not distract from this album’s enjoyability.

This album reminded me of something that I don’t think this list does or will do. I’m wondering if at the end we are able to provide feedback because what I’d say is that so many albums on here had descriptions or sound that told me why it shouldn’t be on this list. This list should be telling us each time why the albums SHOULD be on the list. Whatever the reason. This album didn’t really standout to me but this is on here because this is an early rock album that influenced a lot of other American bands. That’s pretty cool. But based on the above description I’d guess it’s on here because he had a second life in the UK more so than The Rolling Stones accolades.

It is likely that music historians are the ones looking at this album with any fondness to make this list. The album itself is good, but not remarkable, it is a generally good experience in listening that begs why Big Star was never as prominent as their contemporaries. There is probably a way to blame Neil Young for this.

My first listen to a Big Star album. The album title sorta sums up what this album is to me, every song here sounds like it could've been a number-one hit back in its time, for better or worse. Like many pop-rock albums around the time, this album sounds pretty derivative to me. There aren't many new ideas or interesting instrumental bits, aside from the hypnotic backing flute instrumentation to the serene "The India Song". With that said, I think there are quite a few solid songs here, as well as a few great ones. I loved "The Ballad of El Goodo", it's such a powerful little ballad that warms my heart. The chorus here is uplifting and the backing harmonization and lead vocals are great. I honestly think lead vocalist Chris Bell sounds way better on these slower and more intimate tracks. Like on Big Star's hit "Thirteen", which is a cute ballad detailing tweenage love. I think his vocals on the opener for example, which are louder and higher pitched, come off as derivative and grating. Songs like "Watch the Sunrise", another one of my favorites, have the band filling up the space with gorgeous sounds that come off as simplistic but wholistic at the same time. I also just really like the singing, harmonies, and writing of these slower songs. The instrumentation and playing here are generally pretty good, even on the louder songs. I like the blaring sax on the opener "Feel". The entire instrumental, and subtle instrumental switch-up of "In the Street" was very great too. It's one of the better hard tracks here. The acoustic guitar on "Watch the Sunrise" is warm and soft and nicely captures the song's mood. I did enjoy this album, even though there wasn't much that "wowed" me. It's just solid oldies pop music that sounds like it would pop off in the time in which it was released. Sorta still pops off.

Thought it sounded dull on the first lesson. Read up on the album on wiki and thought I must have not being attention given what was written about it. Second listen, still dull. Third listen, still dull. It's not bad, there's just nothing particularly good about it. 2.5*.

I was yesterday years old when I learned that the opening song from That 70s Show was an actual song.

This album was a wild ride. Don’t Lie To Me rocked hard. And then it was followed up by the sounds of frolicking through a dewy meadow. I don’t think the band knew what their identity was for this debut album.

This passed me by a little. Generic album for me but didn't hate it!

Not bad, but nothing special for me

Calling youself Big Star and being bang on average is pretty tragic.

Sounded okay, but nothing more.

No idea that In the Street was their song. Always remember that it was Cheap Trick. Overall pretty interesting. Probably wouldn't listen to it much again, however.

Serviceable pop-rock from the early 70's. Has the occasional Byrds feel with nice vocal harmonies. The repetitiveness of the lyrics (it feels in some cases that the whole song is just the title repeated over and over) is annoying once you notice it.... and not sure i have an explanation for a song titled "Thirteen" that talks about outlaw love.

I am the cosmos.

This is pretty good. A good mix of rock and roll, some folk rock, and certain something else I can’t place. The voice is interesting, I’m torn between liking it and it getting annoying after a while. A worthwhile use of my time. Gives me very classic rock vibes. 3.5

This record is pretty fun. I didn't think I was going to like it based off of the opening track, but over the course of the album I actually enjoyed it. Cool to hear the original version of That 70's Show's theme song. 3/5

Decent album. Didn't leave a big impact though. I'd listen to it again 3/5

Fun

Jangly guitar led power pop with nice harmonies. Nice is the word. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Thirteen Date listened: 02/03/24

An easy album that can sneak through and get forgotten by all of the genres because it covers them all. This easy-listening album from the 70s is definitely not in the easy listening genre. 3/5

4 great songs to start then the quality falls off a cliff.

This was fine. I remember two songs. Plus Eric Foreman jumpscare.

it takes a certain kind of man to drink the big star kool aid and it seems, after many tries, that i am not that kind

An ok album

Nice! 13 är bra och kul att Håkan översatte!

3.5

не са лоши

The ‘That 70s Show’ theme song was a shock for me …. Sorry, but the cover was better. I really liked the song “Thirteen” the rest was meh

Not my #1 record but an alright background listen

Big

Nice. Basic British Rock with familiar rock elements.

Wasn't bad.

The Ballad of El Goodo // Thirteen // 3.5/5

Good, classic rock. I was surprised to recognize the theme song to "That 70's Show!"

Not bad.

I was surprised to hear the That 70's Show theme here. Really good alternative album from a band I had never heard of before this.

A good-sounding album but nothing really stood out as exceptional.

0 stars for nominative determinism, as this was emphatically not a #1 record, and the band did not become big stars. 3 big stars for the music, which is consistently tuneful and pleasant on the ear. I’m not sure how much we can credit these guys as being trailblazers, given the clear nods to 60s bands, but it’s testament to the strength of the songs that I reckon this album deserves to be on the list regardless.

Nice rock folk music

Power pop is a really fun genre that definitely owes a lot to this album. I do think that it has since been largely surpassed by others in the genre, but you can't deny its influence there and it still contains a lot of catchy as hell bangers.

Generic feel IMO, nothing amazing

I love the top review that says this record is missing an ingredient because that’s exactly how I felt. Elements here are far ahead of their time, great sound that took the Glam movement that was growing and whipped it up into a Powerpop forerunner long before that was a thing…but it’s not quite there. The ideas aren’t fully realized yet, I can hear the influence it had on the famous example of R.E.M. but it’s lacking that next step to really grab me. Top tracks: In The Street, Thirteen, Don’t Lie To Me, When My Baby’s Beside Me

Not bad, but not really good either. Boring and missing that big single

Pretty good pop rock 3/5

lol that 70’s show

• Not owned: Streaming. • Solid pop tunes with licks that range from honky-tonk to glam, all with well-used Beatle influence. "Thirteen" and "Don't Lie to Me" stand out. • 3/5

The guitar work was pretty good, but I found the vocals to be inconsistent.

It was a pretty good album. I think had heard most of it before. There were not any hits on it. I wouldn't complain if I heard it again. I will round up

There is something missing from #1 Record and I can’t put my finger on it. It has the markings of the “your favourite indie rock band’s favourite album”. Pleasant listening though. Overall: 5/10

Great vocal harmony on this album. The lead singer sounds like Robert Plant. I was surprise to learn this is an American band from Memphis, too. There are some very "listenable" tracks on this album, and it was good overall. The theme from That 70s Show is on this one. Pretty good!

This album starts off very strong. I really liked "The Ballad of El Goodo" and had no idea this was where the "That 70's Show" theme song came from (I wanted to yell "Hello, Wisconsin!"). It peters out pretty hard on the 2nd half though. The flipside drags it down a little to under 4 star territory. 3.5 stars

Ágætis 70s rokk með köntrí-ívafi við og við.

Hmmmm some good stuff 3

3.7 + In my mind I had lumped this record together with T.Rex and other early-70’s glam acts. While there are whiffs of glam on here, it leans more in the realm of the Eagles and other sunny California guitar rock of the era. The songs are written and performed with conviction. Standouts: “Try Again” (gorgeous), “Thirteen.”

Fun listen. 70s show song lol

Disjointed and forgettable. Sounds like it was recorded by 3 different bands. Definitely not _bad_ musically.

Good old fashioned power pop. I knew Thirteen from Elliot Smith's version which I feel is a bit more haunting. Fave track on this album is When My Baby's Beside Me.

I don’t think I’ve heard of Big Star before, but you have to admire the chutzpah of a band name long their album “#1 Record”. It’s just occurred to me… will some people read that in their heads as “hashtag one record”? I hope not. Oh god I feel old. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: The Ballad Of El Goodo, Give Me Another Chance This album was a pleasant listen, but I didn’t quite find it to live up to its #1 name. The music reminded me a little of Sweet. I don’t know if Big Star wore sparkles and big hair (I’ve just looked and slightly big hair, shockingly no sparkles) but they give off that 70s glam vibe. I don’t think any of their songs will stick with me from this, but I still had fun listening to it. Not great, but not bad.

With so many albums on this list I cannot figure out the need to listen to them before I die

3.5

Won't go out of my way to hear it again but not awful

Another middling one. 2.5, nothing wrong with it per se and maybe fifty years ago this was great but I'm not sure what has it on this list.

"#1 Record" is a classic album that deserves more recognition. The songs are both catchy and emotional, and the album's unique blend of power pop, folk rock, and hard rock influences is both innovative and timeless. "Feel" has a great groove that makes you want to dance. I love the catchy guitar riff and the way the vocals build up to the chorus. It's a fun song that puts me in a good mood. "The Ballad of El Goodo" is one of my favorite songs on the album. I love the way the song builds up from a simple acoustic guitar riff to a full-blown rock anthem. The lyrics are both poetic and emotional, and the harmonies are beautiful. "Thirteen" is another standout track on the album. I love the simplicity of the song and the way the lyrics capture the innocence and wonder of youth. The acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies are both beautiful and haunting.

C'est du rock vraiment solide, des bonnes compositions, une bonne production, généralement un album vraiment très bien fait. Mais il n'y a aucune chanson qui se démarquait tellement du lot. Je n'ai pas tellement eu de moment mémorable. 7/10

Ok. Solid craft.

I think this one could grow on my with a few more listens. Not outstanding. But I enjoyed my second run through and could listen again.

Rock

Not heard of the group but decent album.

Middle of the road soft rock

Fin rockplade fra 70'erne. Kunne lide den mere end jeg havde troet, fordi jeg ikke kendte kunstneren. Det hele virkede bare lidt for generisk.

Jangle pop is not really my thing but there were some nice songs on this. Now I know where they got the theme for That 70s Show.

Solid

3.5

Si même mon père n'a jamais entendu parler de ces tocards, c'est qu'ils n'ont vraiment rien à foutre ici.

J'ai déjà oublié de quoi il en retournait, merci de farie cesser au plus vite cette horrible aventure.

Pop, y algo de rock, de comienzos de los 70, con canciones con buen estilo y estilo incipiente de lo que más adelante sería. Buenas canciones, aunque no me han terminado de enganchar

pretty good pop rock album, doesn't massively stand out in any area

A few good songs, but kinda boring

I'm sorry, this isn't great. Good but not great. Solid but not special, if you know what I mean. Best song: In The Street

Kunnioitettava tai sekopäinen yritys valjastaa selittämätöntä neroutta, jota ei välttämättä tosiasiassa olekaan. Vain Thirteen onnistuu täysin. Toisaalta levy pursuaa vähintään miellyttäviä melodioita, ja on sillä hyviä biisejäkin. Lisäksi sen sointi ja rytminen ilme on aidosti outo, muttei luotaantyöntävällä tavalla. Voin kuvitella levyn muotoutuvan neloseksi jossain vaiheessa - jokin syvä koukku tässä piilee.

There are better Big Star albums

Credit where credit is due, this album has got a pretty sweet cover. And it was cool to hear the original version of the That 70's Show theme. But aside from a few of the slower hits. Most of the tunes here seem fairly run-of-the-mill for 70s rock. Not the worst listen, but nothing I'd come back to as a whole. (Also I would like to retroactively grade yesterday's album as a 2, this was better than that.) Highlight: In The Street Lowlight: ST 100/6 Surprise Hit: Thirteen

Light Zeppelin

I hadn't heard of them and I enjoyed most of the songs on this record. I had to remind myself a few times that they preceded other bands and musicians I like that sound a bit like this, although I can also hear the strong influence of bands that came before them. (None of that is meant as a criticism; I think it's fair to say we can make the same observations of just about any band at any point in time.)

not bad too

Surprised That 70s Show song was a good one.

Wasn't in the right frame to listen to this today. From what I sampled it seems like something I could get into. Will give it a placeholder three

Totally competent pop-rock but it just feels a bit all too polished for my tastes. I know Big Star are kind of a cult band but right now I'm not seeing it.

I may have to listen again to see why Scott loves this so much.

It was okay. Very generic.

Ok

Nothing remarkable.

Beetje standaard poprock uit de 70s. Liep er niet persé warm van

Ok

Fun hearing the original "That 70's Show" song!

Nearly every indie rock hipster and fan of The Posies or The Replacements knows what is expected of them when it comes to Big Star. And yet, as someone who has been tagged with at least two if not all three of those labels at times, I've always thought Big Star was just okay. Decent records with some great singles, but they never floored me. The review of "the band" overall matches #1 Record.

This was nice. I liked this. I'd never heard of the band really, but have heard one of the songs.

Was ok. Was expecting more after hearing great things over the years.

Not bad but pretty generic

Nice and un-assuming.

Mediocre not sure why this is on the list Edit: I was too harsh on this and amend my 1 star to 3 after another listen.

Neat sounding, but I agree with another review that says all the ingredients are there but they are missing something.

#1 Record is the debut album by the American rock band Big Star. This is an important album within the power pop genre - since it's one of the first that was produced well, but it sold poorly at release due to distribution issues. Sales picked up after the album was reissued in the late 70's. Critically, the album was lauded by critics at release, but the record label could not provide enough albums to stores for their sales. This was a great feel-good album containing sweet harmonies along with strong guitar playing. I liked this album, and I think most people would too.

3.5

Nice oldschool

Sounds of the radio of my youth…

I don’t know that I’d recognize Power Pop if I heard it – or at least be able to distinguish it from early 70s rock, like the James Gang, for example. Big Star is often referred to as a prototype Power Pop band, though much of the LP is acoustic. All the cool guys at CKCU raved about Big Star and Alex Chilton. I’m not as impressed, but looking at the other releases of 1972, I'd say they definitely have their own sound.

This album has me split down the middle, I really don't like the songs that feature Chris Bell, they sound like a typical 70s hair band. Like really, yuck! OTOH the songs featuring Alex Chilton are quite nice and 13 is simply gorgeous. So I'll split the difference and give it 2.5, grudgingly rounded up to a 3.