In 1988, one year before Nirvana released their debut album Bleach, another band quietly changed alternative rock forever. Pixies released Surfer Rosa, an album that would later become one of the most influential records of its time.
At first, Surfer Rosa was not a big commercial success. It did not top the charts or sell millions right away. But what it did was much more important — it inspired musicians. One of those musicians was Nirvana’s frontman, Kurt Cobain.
Cobain was deeply impressed when he first heard the Pixies. He loved how their songs moved between soft, quiet moments and loud, explosive sections. This “loud-quiet-loud” style became a key part of Nirvana’s sound. Cobain later admitted that when he wrote “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” he was basically trying to copy the Pixies’ style. He once said he connected with the band so much that he felt like he should have been in the Pixies.
One song from Surfer Rosa stood out to Cobain in particular — “Gigantic.” While many fans today talk more about “Where Is My Mind?,” “Gigantic” was a special track on the album. It featured bassist Kim Deal on lead vocals and songwriting, which was rare for the band. Most Pixies songs were written by frontman Black Francis, but “Gigantic” allowed Deal’s voice and creativity to shine.
The song is about a “big, big love,” and it mixes catchy melodies with powerful guitars. It shows the softer, more emotional side of the Pixies while still keeping their raw energy. Cobain believed it was the best Pixies song. In 1992, he even said he wished Kim Deal had been allowed to write more songs for the band because he thought her songwriting was incredible.
Unfortunately, Deal did not get many chances to contribute songs to the Pixies’ next album, Doolittle. She co-wrote only one track there as well. Still, her contributions, though limited, became some of the band’s most loved moments.
Even though Surfer Rosa did not achieve massive success when it was first released, its impact is clear today. The album helped shape the sound of 1990s alternative rock and influenced bands that would later dominate the music world. Without the Pixies, Nirvana’s music might have sounded very different.
Sometimes, the most important albums are not the ones that sell the most copies right away. Sometimes, they are the ones that quietly inspire the next generation. Surfer Rosa is one of those albums — a record that changed music by inspiring artists like Kurt Cobain and helping define the sound of a generation.