With noise and power-pop inspirations, The Pixies were a key influence on the alternative rock that dominated the early 1990s. Discover how they shaped their unique sound with power pop and art rock inspirations, to help define the new sounds of Grunge and noise pop.
Which Artists Influenced The Pixies’ Music?
The bands and artists that influenced The Pixies came mostly from art rock, power pop, and punk rock. Among The Pixies’ main inspirations we can find The Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, and Neil Young, as well as Iggy Pop (solo and with The Stooges), Hüsker Dü, Talking Heads, and The Gun Club. Other influences include Velvet Underground, Cheap Trick, The Who, R.E.M., and even the Bee Gees.
Beach Boys (and The Bee Gees!)
To create their signature pop-infused sound, The Pixies drew heavily from what was happening in the 1960s music scene. The Beach Boys are an essential reference: the powerful pop melodies of their surf music, along with their experimentation, are a major reason Black Francis loves them so much.
Another influence from the ’60s and ’70s that Black Francis and Joey Santiago have also mentioned is the Bee Gees. This makes perfect sense, as The Pixies really know how to blend strong pop elements into their songs. So, if you were wondering how they came up with those catchy choruses and harmonies, well, that’s one of their pop influences.
The Gun Club
Particularly in The Pixies’ “quiet-loud” dynamic, 80s post punk band The Gun Club is an obvious reference. Critics have noted the similarities between the sounds of the two bands, and when asked about this, Black Francis has avoided giving a definitive answer.
Still, if you listen to The Gun Club’s Miami (1983) makes it clear that they crafted a similar mix of punk, blues, and folk. And they did that a few years before The Pixies perfected that same formula.
Talking Heads
According to Black Francis himself, the song Dig for Fire from the album Bossanova is “a bad imitation of the Talking Heads.” Emerging in the ’70s, David Byrne’s band was known for its satirical style and clever lyrics, paired with a quirky, sometimes eccentric aesthetic. Coming from the same scene as New York punk, Talking Heads were as danceable as they were interesting, making them a clear influence on The Pixies.
Hüsker Dü
Legend has it that Black Francis posted an ad looking for a bassist “who likes Peter, Paul and Mary and Hüsker Dü.” Kim Deal was the only one to respond. Beyond this anecdote, Joey Santiago has cited Hüsker Dü as a key influence on his distinctive guitar sound.
Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly’s influence on The Pixies is especially evident in the “compression” of their songs. Frank Black recalls that while approaching the recording of the classic Doolittle, he showed producer Gil Norton the direction he wanted for the album: not long songs, but short and dynamic ones: “There’s no more rock ’n’ roll than this. Look how short the arrangements are.”
Iggy Pop
Black Francis has said he was obsessed with Iggy Pop’s first two albums, The Idiot and Lust for Life (both 1977). He even made sure to bring them on cassette when he traveled to Puerto Rico before forming the band. Iggy, known as “the godfather of punk,” is celebrated for the power of his songs and explosive performances, a truly one of the most dynamic artists of the ’60s and ’70s.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. is certainly one of the bands that most influenced alternative rock. Black Francis has mentioned that the album Murmur had a big impact on him as a songwriter.
We’ve published a separate post on R.E.M.’s music influences for more details.
David Bowie
This is really a two-way influence. As a final note, we mention the great Ziggy Stardust, who was not only an artistic reference for Black Francis and company but also a fan of The Pixies. According to Bowie, the Pixies were among the most interesting acts to emerge in the late ’80s. Even his project Tin Machine was inspired by them.
Other bands that influenced The Pixies include The Beatles, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Velvet Underground, and The Cars.
Which Artists Were Influenced by The Pixies?
The Pixies also had a major impact on ’90s alternative rock: none other than Kurt Cobain of Nirvana cited them as a reference. Additionally, bands like Blur, Radiohead, Veruca Salt, and singer P. J. Harvey have mentioned them as an inspiration. Post-2000, bands like Arcade Fire, Cage the Elephant, and Wolf Alice have also been influenced by The Pixies.
Nirvana
We already referenced this on Nirvana’s influence chart: Kurt Cobain cited Surfer Rosa as one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite albums. The dynamic between loud choruses and more structured verses was a trick The Pixies had already used on Doolittle (1989). Years later, Cobain admitted that while composing Smells Like Teen Spirit, he was trying to emulate Black Francis’ songwriting.
P. J. Harvey
Another huge fan of Surfer Rosa, she even brought in the same producer, Steve Albini, for her second album Rid of Me. The sonic similarities are evident, particularly the calm-aggressive dynamic, which appears on Polly Harvey’s early works (Dry and Rid of Me) and also on later tracks, such as on Uh Huh Her (2004).
We also explain this in P. J. Harvey’s influence diagram.
Radiohead
In 2004, when The Pixies reformed, Thom Yorke refused to have them as a support band. “It’s like having The Beatles opening for us.” Guitarist Johnny Greenwood explained that Radiohead continued to use fewer guitars to avoid simply copying The Pixies. While The Pixies’ influence is especially audible in Radiohead’s first three albums, they served as a creative inspiration throughout their career. (
We have also covered more about this in our post on Radiohead’s music influences.
Cage the elephant
Many fans and critics have compared Cage the Elephant’s sound to The Pixies. You can certainly hear those Pixies’ echoes on their album Thank You, Happy Birthday. The combination of noise and melody makes the connection between the two bands undeniable.
Blur
If Blur weren’t fans of The Pixies, Song 2 might never have existed. Guitarist Graham Coxon called them “brilliant”. All four members agree that The Pixies were a band ahead of their time. As a Britpop band, Blur is known for experimentation and risk-taking, and The Pixies were a clear reference for them to break beyond that label.
Veruca Salt
As a final example, Veruca Salt’s sound was strongly shaped by The Pixies’ noise. From the beginning, Veruca Salt borrowed heavily from grunge and alternative rock’s roots. Especially on their acclaimed 1997 album Eight Arms to Hold You, the sharp guitars, aggressive dynamics, and pop choruses clearly reflect The Pixies’ influence.
No Doubt
Another mid-’90s reference band, No Doubt owes part of their sound to The Pixies. Gwen Stefani’s band also relied on strong pop choruses and melodic verses to achieve success.
Many other artists influenced by The Pixies include Weezer, Elastica, The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, Hole, and Wolf Alice.