Much like Rivers Cuomo’s heroes in KISS,Weezerhas one of rockmusic’s most controversial back catalogs. Their debut album saw them become the toast of the alternative scene in the middle of the 1990s, enjoying a run of hit singles that are still played on rock radio stations to this day. Since that very first album, everyone has had a different take on their creative output.
In picking the songs that define the band’s career, it’s important to show all sides of Weezer. From the rawness ofPinkertonto videos with The Muppets and collaborations with Lil Wayne, the Californian rockers have always refused to be pigeonholed.Weezer’s dedication to variety is both a blessing and a cursefor their long-suffering fanbase.
10Buddy Holly
Weezer’s International Breakthrough Hit Remains A Classic
With alternative rock thriving like never before in the mid ’90s,Weezer’s first three singles went platinum.The Blue Albumwas the perfect halfway point between the unpolished sound of Nirvana and the pop melodies of Green Day, capturing the zeitgeist perfectly. It was their ode to one of the ’50s greatest songwriters that made them household names.
There is so much about the song that captured the world’s imagination, but"Buddy Holly" has one of the most iconic music videos of all time. Parodying Happy Days and seeing the band playing for The Fonz, the Spike Jonze-directed clip transcended music to become part of wider pop culture as part of the launch of Microsoft’s Windows 95. The guitar solo is immaculate, the chorus is unshakable, and it was Weezer’s highest-charting single in the US for the first 11 years of their career.
9Say It Ain’t So
Weezer Inadvertently Become The Godfathers Of Emo
One of the underrated feathers in the band’s cap,Weezer were vital in opening the door for emo. Despite leading the charge in killing the “girls and excess” themes of the ’80s, the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam would emote by wrapping their lyrics in metaphors. Rivers Cuomo was happy to put his innermost thoughts into his words, with the likes of “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here” and “In The Garage” beingsad boy emo anthemswritten by (and for) the guy who didn’t get the girl.
It would take another few years for the likes of Jimmy Eat World and Rival Schools to break the genre commercially, but"Say It Ain’t So" spoke to millions of disenfranchised men. With another excellent guitar solo, several timeless licks in one song, and a heart-wrenching vocal performance from Cuomo, the song cements itself as a classic from the first note to the last.
8Suzanne
Even Weezer’s B-Sides Can Be Solid Gold
When you strip everything away,Rivers Cuomo is a classic American songwriterat his core. Cut from the same cloth as the likes of Phil Spector, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, his melodies are as American as cherry pie. This is a fixture of almost every Weezer album and a trick that Rivers pulls regularly, and is at its peak on the B-side, “Suzanne.”
Perhaps best known for playing during the credits of the Kevin Smith classicMallrats,Weezer have a wealth of excellent B-sides, unreleased songs, and acoustic sessions that are essential listening for fans. “Suzanne” is one of the best of the bunch, still regularly making its way into Weezer’s live set to this day.
7Tired Of Sex
A Messy And Explosive Slice Of Genius
Opening with Pat Wilson smashing his drums with the kind of power that John Bonham would be proud of,“Tired Of Sex” perfectly captures the vibe of Weezer’sPinkerton. Self-produced by the band and written while Rivers was studying English at Harvard, it’s brimming with attitude and purposely obtuse. It was also a commercial disaster, derided by the press as a flop that suffered the dreaded “sophomore slump” and saw bassist Matt Sharp leave the band after its release.
It’s genius, but it’s a long way from the safe and lovable sound of “Undone - The Sweater Song.”
Justice would be done in later years, asPinkertonwas eventually praised for being ahead of its time. Coming from the same disillusioned train of thought as Nirvana’sIn Utero, “Tired Of Sex” is a combination of howled screams, frenzied melody, and off-kilter guitar work. It’s genius, but it’s a long way from the safe and lovable sound of “Undone - The Sweater Song.”
6Hash Pipe
Rivers Fights Back Against The Doubters
After a few years out of the spotlight and with the disappointment of the public’s response toPinkertonfinally behind them, Weezer returned with a bang in 2001. Aided by another great music video that saw the band rocking out while surrounded by sumo wrestlers,“Hash Pipe” features an unforgettable main riffthat blew away any thoughts that the band were one-album wonders. The truth is that Weezer were arguably more relevant than ever.
Coming in the same year as Jimmy Eat World’sBleed Americanand the year before Taking Back Sunday released the seminalTell All Your Friends, Weezer were celebrated as heroes to the new wave of emo bands. Their popularity soared, and while the quality of their output is very subjective,Weezer never questioned their future as a band again.
5Island In The Sun
One Of The All-Time Summer Rock Anthems
Having just discussed Cuomo’s love of the 1950s,Weezer’s best songs have a timeless quality to them. “Island In The Sun” is the band’s biggest hit to date, having their biggest numbers on both Spotify and YouTube. Its breezy guitar melody and peppy vocals could fit in literally any era, and appeal to any age group.
Only Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell, and Pat Wilson are in “Island In The Sun”’s safari music video, as bassist Mikey Welsh left the band after it was recorded.
Incredibly,Weezer originally left “Island In The Sun” off ofThe Green Album, with producer and former Cars frontman Rik Ocaseck fighting for the song’s inclusion. It’s impossible to imagine a world without this song, and it’s likely to be included onsummer rock playlistsfor the rest of time.
4Beverly Hills
The Most Devisive Hit Of Weezer’s Career
You could ask ten different Weezer fans for their opinion on “Beverly Hills” and easily get ten different answers. It’s a debate that rages on as the provocative song is almost child-like in its simplicity. Rivers delivers the verses like he spent his summer learning to rap. There’s an elite, wah-pedal-driven guitar solo, and an undeniable chorus, that all ensured"Beverly Hills" became Weezer’s first number-one singlein the United States.
Whether they knew it or not,fans drew the line with Weezer after this song. This derivative pop rock anthem became too much for some folks, who saw this as one step too far from their roots. Weezer themselves also seemed to shed a degree of seriousness after releasing “Beverly Hills” too, as they became more comedic and unpredictable from that moment on.
3Pork And Beans
Weezer Embrace Becoming A Meme On This Nonsense Anthem
Eminem once answered the question of what good it is to be attacking a man who strangles himself, and that was exactly the approach that Weezer took on “Pork and Beans.” Embracing the public perception that they had pretty much given up being a serious band,Weezer embraced meme cultureon the song’s nonsense lyrical theme. As if to compound their accuser’s claims, they then doubled down on that for the song’s incredible music video.
After chasing The Muppets on the legendary clip for “Keep Fishin'” and donning an ’80s metal aesthetic in the video for the criminally underrated “We Are All On Drugs,” “Pork and Beans” collected the Internet’s biggest viral sensations with superb effect. From the grooving guy who danced to Refuzion’s “Drift Away (Numa Numa Yay)” to the “leave Britney alone” guy,the “Pork and Beans” video employed several meme legendsand mimicked other viral moments to pretty hilarious effect. It consequently did nothing to quell accusations that Weezer weren’t really trying anymore.
2Can’t Stop Partying
The Weezer And Weezy Joke Writes Itself
Rivers and his band’s dedication to silliness has meant thatnothing is off limits for Weezer. Throughout the years, Cuomo has been open in the press about his love for dance clubs and hip-hop. It was on 2009’s ludicrously titledRaditudealbum that these things would be committed to wax for the first time.
Outside their names sounding alike,there is no reason for this Lil Wayne and Weezer collaboration to exist. The New Orleans rapper made an ill-fated detour into rock with his critical and commercial flopRebirthalbum, and his badly constructed bars in “Can’t Stop Partying” do nothing to improve his rock credibility. For Weezer, it also did nothing but further provoke an already alienated fanbase.
1Africa
Because “Why Not?” At This Point
Despite their appearance on the surface,Weezer have had plenty of great moments in the last decade of their career.The White Albumwas rammed full of classic Weezer anthems, their tributes to hair metal (Van Weezer) and The Beatles (OK Human) both had incredible lead singles, and they’re still an incredible live act. As if to rubber stamp that final fact, Weezer added an incredibly satisfying cover to their arsenal.
Continuing their meme theme,a Twitter campaign led to Weezer covering Toto’s “Africa”(though they covered the band’s hit “Rosanna” first to troll the whole thing). The song gathered momentum online and culminated in giving Weezer their first Hot 100 hit since 2009. Not prepared to settle there,Weezerended up recordingThe Teal Album, a collection of faithful covers of the biggest hits by the likes of Michael Jackson, Black Sabbath, and Tears For Fears.
