Thirteen (song)
"Thirteen" is a song by the American rock band Big Star. Rolling Stone describes it "one of rock's most beautiful celebrations of adolescence", and rated it #396 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.[4] It was written by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell.
"Thirteen" | |
---|---|
Song by Big Star | |
from the album #1 Record | |
Released | March 1972 |
Recorded | Late 1971 |
Studio | Ardent, Memphis |
Genre | |
Length | 2:34 |
Label | Ardent |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | John Fry |
Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom writes in his AllMusic review of the song, "There are few songs that capture the aching innocence of adolescence as well" and calls it a "perfect melancholy ballad".[5] The song encompasses folk and pop characteristics with its use of simple lyrics and the acoustic guitar.[5][1]
The song was originally featured on the 1972 album #1 Record. It was released as a single by Big Star with “Watch the Sunrise” as the B-Side, on Ardent Records, but was mislabeled as “Don’t Lie to Me”.
"Thirteen" was featured in the season 6 and season 8 finale of That '70s Show. The song was covered by Grace VanderWaal and Graham Verchere in the 2020 movie Stargirl on Disney+ with a Grace Vanderwaal only performance appearing as a bonus on the soundtrack.
Covers
"Thirteen" has been covered by several notable musicians. They include:
When asked if there was a Big Star cover he was especially fond of, lead singer Alex Chilton mentioned Garbage's version of this song.[6]
References
- Sarig, Roni (1998). The Secret History of Rock: The Most Influential Bands You've Never Heard. Billboard Books. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-8230-7669-7.
- McMillan, Graeme (May 2, 2013). "Big Star: The Ultimate American Pop Band". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- Molanphy, Chris (June 29, 2018). "The Deadbeat Club Edition, Part 1". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- "500 Greatest Songs of All Time — Thirteen: Big Star". Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- Janovitz, Bill. "Thirteen - Big Star". AllMusic. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
- Luerssen, John D. (February 28, 2000). "Alex Chilton Set to Go". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 26, 2009.