https://youtu.be/8bmuMcjN0rQ?si=NqmpJXldfpKaYml2
# 46-September Gurls — Big Star
September Gurls, the tragically overlooked 1974 single from Big Star’s Radio City, channels the Beatles’ early‑to‑mid‑’60s pop sensibility more clearly than almost any other power‑pop song of its era. Its jangly guitar tone, melodic clarity, tight song structure, and stacked harmonies make it unmistakably Beatlesque.
Several elements highlight the Beatles influence:
Rickenbacker‑style chime — The bright, ringing 12‑string guitar evokes George Harrison’s signature sound from A Hard Day’s Night and Ticket to Ride.
McCartney‑like melodic lift — The chorus has that bittersweet, soaring quality Paul McCartney often used in early Beatles pop.
Economical, hook‑driven songwriting — In less than 3 minutes, the song packs in multiple hooks, a very Lennon/McCartney trait.
Harmonies with a Lennon/McCartney blend — Alex Chilton’s vocal layering mirrors the tight, bright harmonies of the Beatles’ 1964–65 period.
Emotional tone: upbeat but yearning — The mix of joy and melancholy is classic Beatles DNA, especially reminiscent of songs like “I’ll Be Back” or “If I Fell.”
Though it never charted, September Gurls has since become a power‑pop landmark, praised by artists from The Bangles (Who did a remake of the song) to The Replacements, and often cited as one of the greatest Beatles‑influenced songs ever written.
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