When the wave of grunge had receded in the mid-‘90s, Weezer were among the purveyors of a new kind of radio rock. Quirky, self-referential and led by poetic everygeek Rivers Cuomo, Weezer were influenced by ‘70s power-pop legends like Cheap Trick and KISS while drawing on more contemporary and dynamic Pixies-like songwriting. Their self-titled 1994 debut (referred to as ‘the Blue Album’) was certified triple-platinum on the strength of singles (and corresponding videos for) “Undone – The Sweater Song,” “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So,” and the darker follow-up, 1996’s ‘Pinkerton’ has become legendary. The band released seven more albums to varying degrees of success as Cuomo took the band dangerously close to the brink of self-parody, but returned to straightforward rock with 2014’s ‘Everything Will Be Alright in the End.’
- Selected Discography: ‘Weezer (The Blue Album)’ (1994), ‘Pinkerton’ (1996), ‘Weezer (The Green Album)’ (2001)
- Further Reading: 10 Best Weezer Songs, You Think You Know Weezer?, 10 Best Weezer Videos