The Pixies formed in 1986. The American alternative-rock band began in Boston, Massachusetts, when guitarist Joey Santiago and songwriter Charles Thompson—later known as Black Francis—started building a group after meeting at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Kim Deal joined soon afterward after responding to an advertisement seeking a bassist who liked both Peter, Paul and Mary and Hüsker Dü. David Lovering later became the drummer, completing the classic original lineup. The band chose the name Pixies after Santiago selected the word from a dictionary.
Although the Pixies did not initially achieve major commercial success, their inventive music became hugely influential. Their loud-quiet dynamics, unusual song structures, and blend of punk, surf rock, noise pop, and alternative rock helped shape the sound of later artists. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain cited the Pixies as an important influence on Nevermind.
The band released the Come On Pilgrim EP in 1987 and the acclaimed album Surfer Rosa in 1988. Their original run ended in 1993, but the Pixies reunited in 2004 and continued performing and recording.