The title of “California Gurls” is Katy Perry’s salute to Chilton and to Big Star’s classic 1974 song “September Gurls.” Perry wasn’t a huge Big Star fan. Instead, the nod was a ...

Before the doom-and-gloom of real life took over, the breezy “California Gurls” became one of five No. 1 hits from Perry’s album Teenage Dream, matching the record set by Michael Jackson’s ...