Furthermore, the list of excellent acts that got nowhere has to be as endless as a list gets, esp. since it's always growing. It's true in every field.
I think your draw to Big Star was that they were clever and confident promoters, like yourself.
Indeed - so much so, that Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman made a "mockumentory" LP on the subject:
Even Black Sabbath was there with After Forever. One of the best bands ever.