Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Alex Chilton Edition

He started as a star, and then became a Big Star resigned to cult status. Alex Chilton tasted success at a young age, his soulful vocals leading The Box Tops, who scored big with "The Letter". After they fell by the wayside, Chilton returned to Memphis, where he helped form a band that failed spectacularly, but became incredibly influential. Big Star's two proper albums, and the after-the-fact third album, for everyone from The Replacements to R.E.M. to Teenage Fanclub to quirky power pop legends like The dB's and Game Theory. While Chilton was ultimately part of sporadic Big Star reunions that certainly drew crowds, he spent the bulk of his career singing an odd mix of standards and his own tunes, continuing to make music on his own terms, accountants and critics be damned. And he left us too soon. Let's pay tribute to Mr. Chilton by hitting shuffle on your iPod or MP3 player and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.

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