"Thirteen" is a song by the American rock band
Big Star
Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guitar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). They have been described as the "quintessential American ...
. ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' 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. It was written by
Alex Chilton
William Alexander Chilton (December 28, 1950March 17, 2010) was an American musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock bands the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops ...
and
Chris Bell.
Bill Janovitz of
Buffalo Tom
Buffalo Tom is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986. Its principal members are guitarist Bill Janovitz who also sings the majority of lead vocals, bassist and singer Chris Colbourn, and drummer Tom Maginn ...
writes in his
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
review of the song, "There are few songs that capture the aching innocence of adolescence as well" and calls it a "perfect melancholy ballad".
The song encompasses
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
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** Folk music
*** Folk metal
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*** Folk rock
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* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Fo ...
and
pop characteristics with its use of simple lyrics and the acoustic guitar.
''Classic Rock History'' critic Brian Kachejian rated it as Big Star's 2nd best song, calling it "a gorgeous song" that "goes straight to the heart."
Kachejian particularly praised the "beautiful harmonies" and felt that it influenced bands such as
the Replacements.
[
''SingersRoom'' critic Simon Robinson rated it Big Star's best song, praising the "catchy melody and jangly guitars that perfectly capture the carefree and optimistic spirit of youth" and the "simple yet poignant" lyrics that evoke the "experience of teenage romance and heartbreak."]That '70s Show
''That '70s Show'' is an American television teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from 197 ...
''. The song was covered by Grace VanderWaal and Graham Verchere in the 2020 movie '' Stargirl'' on Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
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.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thirteen
Songs about teenagers
1972 songs
American rock songs
Magnapop songs
Garbage (band) songs
Elliott Smith songs
Songs written by Alex Chilton
Rock ballads
Big Star songs