Jody Stephens has a marketing degree but he never learned this strategy in class.

“Make three albums over three years. Break up and then wait 18 years for an audience to develop,” Stephens says. “It’s an interesting marketing experience.”

Stephens makes his living as a marketer for Memphis’ Ardent Studios, but he’s famous for playing drums with a band that recorded there, Big Star.

Famous now, that is. The band flew well below most radar during its brief existence in the early 1970s.

In fact, its first two albums, 1972’s “No. 1 Record” and 1974’s “Radio City,” quickly fell out of print and were only available as imports in the U.S. until the two albums were combined on one CD in 1992.

That CD now has been reissued with two bonus tracks, single mixes of “In the Street” and “O My Soul.” The albums also are available individually on vinyl.

Like The Velvet Underground before them, Big Star sold few records but inspired lots of musicians. The guitar wing of the ‘80s underground-college radio scene owes its existence to Big Star, with R.E.M. singing the band’s praises in interviews and The Replacements singing them in song, notably “Alex Chilton.”

Chilton and Chris Bell were the band’s singers, songwriters and guitarists. Bassist Andy Hummell and Stephens manned the rhythm section. The band’s musical roots lay in the British Invasion and West Coast folk-rock, melding elements of The Beatles, The Who and The Byrds.

It couldn’t have been less in step when rock was dominated by acoustic guitar-wielding singer-songwriters and prog-rock’s synthesizer bombast. 

Add to that distributions problems that kept the album out of stores, very little touring and the departure of a key band member between albums one and two, and you have the makings of a cult band.

But the music finally found its audience, and with good reason. It’s excellent.

“No. 1 Record” is pristine, with shimmering pop. “Radio City,” made after Bell’s departure, is tough and raw, if just as melodic.

“The first album had a bit more of a studied approach,” Stephens recalls. “I think Chris had definite ideas, directions he wanted to head in, which is not to say Alex wasn’t a strong participant.

“The first album was a bit of a production effort,” Stephens continues. “There are more layers in background parts and keyboards, backing vocals and horns.”

Bell left the band and the sound changed dramatically.

“The second album is a little sonically rawer,” Stephens says. “”O My Soul” wouldn’t sit quite comfortably on “No. 1 Record.””

No kidding. “No. 1 Record” ended with the gorgeous, acoustic-based “Watch the Sunrise” and “ST 1006,” “Radio City” kicks off with “O My Soul,” which barrels along for five minutes, threatening to fall apart ‘til the very end.

The songs still sparkle, though, with “September Gurls” becoming one of the band’s signature moments. But even a cut as melodic as “Back of a Car” is turned into a rough-and-tumble affair thanks to Stephens’ outstanding, visceral drum part.

“It’s almost like Chris left the band and we all had a minute to absorb other influences,” Stephens says. “We got back together and those influences came to the surface.”

But like the first album, “Radio City” didn’t sell. Hummell left, and Chilton, Stephens and various studio musicians laid down tracks for what became “Third/Sister Lovers,” released in various formats over the years although never officially completed.

Bell recorded a solo album, “I Am the Cosmos,” to be reissued by later this year, and died in a 1978 auto accident. Stephens went to college and Chilton continued the downward spiral he was on until the early ‘80s when he cleaned up and began a sporadic solo career.

Chilton and Stephens, with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow, have resurrected the big Star name, first for a one-off show recorded and released as “Columbia,” and then for occasional gigs short and even an album of new material, 2005’s “In Space.”

Big Star’s second life was unexpected, but Stephens never had that many expectations in the first place.

“To tell the truth, I’m grateful for having done some great records,” Stephens says. “IA career seemed to be a long shot, I was living right here right now. What happened after wasn’t as much of a concern.”