Beck Hansen was born in Los Angeles, California, to David Campbell (a musician, Scientologist and son of a Presbyterian minister) and Bibbe Hansen (a visual artist of half Norwegian, as well as Swedish and Jewish descent, also a Scientologist). When his parents separated, Beck stayed with his mother and brother in Los Angeles, California, where he was influenced by that city's diverse musical offerings—everything from hip hop to Latin music—and his mother's art scene – all of which would later reappear in his recorded and published work. He didn't have many friends in his childhood, which gave him time to develop his musical talent. Like his parents, Beck is a Scientologist.

Beck's music--with its pop-junk culture collage of musical styles, oblique, ironic lyrics, and post-modern arrangments incorporating samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and heady sound effects--was among the most idiosyncratic of '90s alternative rock. Although Beck's work defies easy description, his eclecticism and genre experiments have sparked comparisons with Prince, though Beck was undoubtedly a less prolific artist, and drew on an absurdist, free-flowing lyrical style totally original when first exposed to mainstream audiences (indeed, some critics labeled him and his breakthrough single "Loser" as novelties-see below). Despite this individualism, Beck's music was very much a product of the '90s and the media age in general, with hip hop, indie/underground rock, electronic music and genre-benders like the Beastie Boys as notable touchstones; in addition, some critics could not resist likening his head-spinning lyrical aesthetic to a post-modern Bob Dylan sensibility.