The B-52's

Cindy Wilson departed the next year, not returning until touring began for a 1998 (see 1998 in music) greatest hits collection entitled Time Capsule: Songs For a Future Generation. The reunited Big Star returned to Ardent Studios in early 2004 to work on a new album, and a biography of the group was planned for publication later in that year. In 1999, Pierson recorded with Nina, a Japanese/American/British band. Around 2000, Big Star was introduced to a whole new generation of fans after a version of their song 'In The Street' was used as the title song for the sitcom That '70s Show.. In 1992 they released the album Good Stuff. Other Big Star releases include Columbia: Live at Missouri University 4/25/93, a recording of the first reunion show; Big Star Live, a 1974 radio broadcast from Long Island; and Nobody Can Dance, a recording of the last Big Star show, at Memphis' Overton Park. The band spent three years recovering, and returned with Cosmic Thing in 1989 (see 1989 in music), which launched three hits, "Roam", "Deadbeat Club" and "Love Shack", which is perhaps their most well-remembered song today. This was followed by tours of Europe and Japan, as well as an appearance on The Tonight Show..

After Whammy! in 1983 (see 1983 in music), a Schneider solo album and Bouncing Off the Satellites (1986; see 1986 in music), Ricky Wilson died of what was later revealed to be AIDS-related causes. Chilton and Stephens reunited in 1993 with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the American pop band the Posies taking the place of Bell (who died in a car crash in 1978) and Hummel (who left music to go into engineering) at the University of Missouri. Though recording sessions with David Byrne (of Talking Heads) failed, the recordings were released as Mesopotamia in 1982 (see 1982 in music). The 1980s saw a generation of new alternative bands, such as R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub and the dB's, citing Big Star as a major influence. Although part of the new wave movement, their music was weirder and more experimental than most new wave, indulging in all manner of odd vocal and synth effects, creating a quirky dance sound that became very popular in the fringes of the music world. In the late '70s, critics began to cite Big Star's albums as among the finest of the decade, and an important precursor to new-wave rock music. Their debut, The B-52's, was a minor hit, and the follow-up, Wild Planet, reached the Top 20 on the album charts. In addition, Third is considered one of the most lyrical pop albums ever recorded.

Their first single, "Rock Lobster" in 1978 (see 1978 in music), was an underground success that led to the B-52's performing at CBGB's and Max's Kansas City in New York City. This album was finally released four years later, on the PVC label, as Third. Although ramshackle and by all accounts left incomplete, Third (retitled Third/Sister Lovers for its 1992 CD release, and also known as Beale Street Green) combines the confessional approach of John Lennon with a distinct pop sensibility that recalls everyone from the Left Banke to the Velvet Underground. Along with Wilson and Pierson, Keith Strickland, Ricky Wilson and Fred Schneider formed the band after a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant. After recording tracks for a planned double album in late 1974, Big Star again disbanded. The name comes from the bouffant wigs that are a part of the band's distinctive look, worn by singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson. Big Star soon disbanded for a brief period, but then reformed and released Radio City (1974), the group's magnum opus, which features two of Big Star's most famous songs, "September Gurls" and "Back of a Car." (Bell seems to have contributed to the album.) In spite of unanimous critical acclaim, the album did not sell well; Hummel quit and was replaced by John Lightman. The B-52's are a rock band from Athens, Georgia, the first of many from the college town that has become one of the most important centers in alternative rock. Bell, who seemed to resent the fact that many writers regarded Alex Chilton as the group's frontman, and who was bitterly disappointed by the failure of #1 Record to sell, left the group in 1972 for a solo career.

Nude on the Moon [anthology] (2002). Ray didn't last long, and was replaced by the former singer of the Box Tops, Alex Chilton. Their first album, # 1 Record, was released in 1972, but distribution problems with their label (Ardent) meant the album barely sold. Time Capsule: the Remixes [compilation]. Originally called Rock City and Ice Water, the group was formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971, consisting of Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Steve Ray (guitar), Andy Hummel (bass) and Jody Stephens (drums). Time Capsule [compilation] (1998). They were not the first power-pop group (that honor could go to any number of artists, including the Everly Brothers and Badfinger), but they are regarded by many critics and listeners as the quintessential group of the genre. Good Stuff (1992). Their reputation, negligible in 1974, has steadily grown, and they are today considered one of pop's classic groups.

Cosmic Thing (1989). In an era of singer-songwriters and heavy-metal groups, they played melodic, concise songs with hardly a wasted moment. Bouncing Off the Satellites (1986). Their spare and elegant approach not only recalls the British Invasion groups but also brings to mind the minimalist, relaxed style of Stax Records, the Memphis soul label. Whammy! (1983). Drawing upon the pop-music past--especially the Beatles, the Byrds, the Who, the Zombies, Moby Grape and the Beach Boys--Big Star re-invented literate, powerful and at times melancholic pop for the post-'60s generation. Party Mix / Mesopotamia [re-release]. Big Star was an American rock and roll band of the early 1970s whose work is often cited as a prime example of power pop.

Mesopotamia (1982). Party Mix. Wild Planet (1980). The B-52's (1979).