Back to the70s

As we're facing a decade of deflation and decline, I thought it appropriate to mark the occasion by coming to a 70s band: Big Star.

They're one of those cult bands more fawned over in old mens' music magazines than listened to, I suspect, but they were hugely influential on other bands - if you've heard R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub or BMX Bandits, you've heard paler echoes of Big Star.

However, they're definitely worth seeking out. They merged jangly guitar from The Byrds with power pop to make something rather wonderful. They didn't make it big at the time due to a combination of being shambolic, their record companies being shambolic and internal clashes, but their afterlife saw them seep into the consciousnesses at least of other musicians. Look out for the three 70s studio albums.