Neil Young has praised The Ronettes’ 1963 hit ‘Be My Baby’ as a song he will always love, describing its sound as part of his soul. The admiration illustrates the breadth of Young’s musical influences: despite his later reputation as the “Godfather of Grunge”, he drew inspiration from the girl group’s melody, harmonies and studio craft.

The article places this appreciation alongside Young’s commitment to artistic independence, including his frustration with record-label pressure to repeat commercially successful styles on 1986’s *Landing on Water*. Young singled out Ronnie Spector’s vocal, the song’s groove and backing vocals, and called producer Phil Spector and arranger Jack Nitzsche “genius”.