25 essential Weezer songs

When Weezer released their eponymous debut album back in May of 1994, few would’ve predicted that they would remain near the center of rock culture for the next three decades. Weezer—now commonly called “The Blue Album,” thanks to a proliferation of color-coded self-titled albums the group has released over the years— seemed very much the product of its time. Rife with pop culture references and maximizing the quiet-loud-quiet structure popularized by Pixies, the album also had deep roots in pop and metal, genres leader Rivers Cuomo would continue to explore over the years, accompanied by his faithful drummer Patrick Wilson, guitarist Brian Bell, and bassist Scott Shriner, who wound up replacing original member Matt Sharp once Weezer mounted a comeback early in the 2000s.

Weezer is still an active band, taking the time to explore new musical territory, as on 2021's baroque OK Human. Still, the band’s core catalog remains forged in the 1990s and 2000s, when the band dominated modern rock radio with songs that were simultaneously catchy, funny, and emotional. The 30th anniversary of The Blue Album allows us to take a look at 25 songs that explain why Weezer has proved unexpectedly enduring.

1. “Undone—The Sweater Song” (1994)

A rare instance of a debut single capturing so much of the band’s essential personality, “Undone—The Sweater Song” spins familiar alt-rock elements into something that seems distinctly Weezer. The woozy, off-kilter opening riff, the chugging tension of the verse, the cathartic release of the chorus all have antecedents in alt-rock—it’s part Pixies, part Pavement at its core—but Weezer’s thudding riffs overlapping vocals convey a sense of camaraderie that helps turn Rivers Cuomo’s twitchy images of unraveling into something that unifies misfits instead of alienates them.