Pixies "Doolittle" 30th Anniversary

Released in April 1989, "Doolittle" is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Pixies. The album's offbeat and dark subject material contrasts with the clean production sound. Pixies released two singles from Doolittle, "Here Comes Your Man" and "Monkey Gone to Heaven", both of which were chart successes on the US charts. The album itself reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart, an unexpected success for the band. In retrospect, album tracks such as "Debaser", "Wave of Mutilation", "Monkey Gone to Heaven", "Gouge Away", and "Hey" are highly acclaimed by critics, and the albumis often seen as the band's strongest work.

The Pixies were associated with the birth of Alternative Rock, and draw on elements including punk rock and surf rock. Their music is known for its dynamic "loud-quiet" shifts and song structures. They were more commercially successful in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe than they were in the US. Their jarring pop sound influenced bands such as Nirvana, Radiohead, Bush, Blur and Weezer. Their popularity grew in the years following their break-up, leading to sold-out world tours following their reunion in 2004.

"Doolittle" has continued to sell consistently well in the years since its release, and in 1995 was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album has been cited as inspirational by many alternative artists, while numerous music publications have ranked it as one of the most influential albums ever. A 2003 poll of NME writers ranked Doolittle as the second-greatest album of all time, Rolling Stone placed the album at 227 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and Pitchfork ranked it as the fourth best album of the 80s.