Kim Deal

With her slyly sweet vocals, elliptically catchy songwriting, and effortless charm, Kim Deal is an indie rock icon. As the founding bassist for Pixies, her insistent eighth-note basslines and honeyed vocals brought a spark to songs like Surfer Rosa's "Gigantic" (one of a handful of songs on which she sang lead). Deal came into her own with the hooky pop and experimental tangents of the Breeders, who went platinum with 1993's Last Splash and the smash hit "Cannonball." The raw rock of 1995's Pacer, the lone album from her project the Amps, and the Breeders' tough yet vulnerable 2018 album All Nerve reflected the breadth of Deal's music, as did the tender playfulness of her 2024 solo album Nobody Loves You More. By that time, her enduring influence was apparent in the work of artists like Courtney Barnett, Lucy Dacus, and Olivia Rodrigo.