Album · Big Star
#1 Record by Big Star
#1 Record is an album by Big Star, released in 1972. 3 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 11 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Thirteen”, on 8 lists with a best position of #47.
#1 Record, Big Star's debut, came out on Memphis's Ardent label on April 24, 1972, cut at Ardent Studios by a band that had only come together the year before: Alex Chilton and Chris Bell on guitars and vocals, Andy Hummel on bass, Jody Stephens on drums. The title is a dare, and the songs back it up, all bright Beatles-and-Byrds jangle, stacked harmonies and tunes sharp enough to draw blood, from the tender hush of "Thirteen" to the raveup of "Feel".
The trouble was nobody could find it. Reviewers raved, but Stax fumbled the marketing, distribution was a mess, and fewer than 10,000 copies sold. The letdown frayed the band, and Bell was gone not long after. Justice came slowly: a late-'70s UK double-LP pairing with Radio City, a 1992 CD, and a standing today as a cornerstone of power pop.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from #1 Record on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thirteen | 8 | #47 | – | 2001–2023 | |
| 2 | When My Baby's Beside Me | 2 | #575 | – | 2003–2025 | |
| 3 | Feel | 1 | #556 | – | 2024 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.