25 essential Weezer songs
As The Blue Album turns 25, we take a look at some key entries in Weezer's discography
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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.
45 Comments
When are you gonna do the 25 essential TISM songs?
There are none. Why keep trying to make 90s bands relevant? Theyâre as bad as pearl jam. This is music for financial advisors and republicans. Let it die.
Iâm no fan of Weezer, but 90% of the music covered here is either supermainstream pop , rap acts doing dumb but click engagement worthy things , or hipper than thou â oh I guess you havenât heard of them â lists that would make even a Pitchfork writer think â fuck me, thatâs a bit elitistâ . A list like this isnât making anything relevant.
What garbage are you listening to, sage of relevant music?Â
oasis, bob dylan
Someone who is an Oasis fan calling out 90s music and Weezer is rich. Wild for a Bob Dylan fan failing to recognize PJâs fights against Ticketmaster, and consistent railing against the right in their music as kindred ideals.
werenât they a one hit wonder? Can you just put sweater song 25 times?
I think Buddy Holly was probably more successful. People seem to love it more.Â
Buddy Holly is the bigger hit, that video used to be in heavy rotation.
Beverly Hills was the only one that made the US top 40 chart. Buddy Hollyâs video is great.
Undone, Buddy Holly, Say It Ainât So, Hash Pipe, Island in the Sun, Dope Nose were all massive hits on the U.S. alt rock charts.From Beverly Hills on they charted in the top 10 six times, scoring three #1s, two #2s and a #10.There are many other songs that charted which did not reach the same level of success. Weezer are objectively not one-hit-wonders.
I was just kidding. Â
Ask your mommy
Are there still only 25 essential songs even though the album is actually turning 30, not 25?
RIP to the days when Beverly Hills was #205, the second worst Weezer song in this painfully earnest and thoughtful version of the same listicle:Â https://www.avclub.com/every-weezer-song-ranked-from-worst-to-best-1847645973
Beverly Hills is terrible. I canât stand it. I would pinpoint what I hate about it but itâs actually everything.
Iâm sorry. But Beverly Hills is NOT essential Weez. Itâs barely tolerable.Â
Beverly Hills fucking gets played at my job on the 00s pop channel, a LOT. Right alongside Carrie Underwood, James Blunt, Nickelback, Pussycat Dolls, and Maroon Five.
Shut it down! (or look for a new job).
âtis a banger, itâs true.
I remember a couple years ago, there was an AV Club article that ranked every single Weezer song in order from worst to best. It was interesting to see that full list compared with this one. (TBF, I agreed with most of that full list. I think it was written in 2021.)Iâd argue that the 25 on this list arenât necessarily Weezerâs âbestâ songs (read: Beverly Hills and Africa – a COVER SONG!) but I understand the choice to include them here. Beverly Hills brought a new generation to Weezerâs music in the early/mid aughts, and then did it again for Gen Z with Africa. So from that perspective, I can see why both songs are âessentialâ even if BH isnât a particularly good song (itâs TWO CHORDS! With some incredibly basic riffing!). And also given that the Africa cover is almost exactly the same as Totoâs original. Is Beverly Hills or Africa on my rotation? Hell no. But when my Zoomer sister asked me if Iâd âheard of a band called Weezerâ in 2018, when Africa had a lot of playtime on the radio, it was evident of Weezerâs staying power. I guess I can see why someone would consider Africa essential, given it was released nearly 25 years after the Blue Album.
Point being: essential doesnât necessarily mean good. (That said…Â early every song on The Blue Album and Pinkerton are good AND essential.)
âFuck off with thisâ -Glen Benton, probably
First Blur, now Weezer? Essential? Youâre taking the piss, and I say that as someone who very much would have agreed with you 20 years ago.A.A. Dowd wrote this article three years ago and ten times better.
The Africa cover was the epitome of inessential.
âWhen Weezer released their eponymous debut album back in May of 1994, few wouldâve predicted that they would remain near the center of rock culture for the next three decadesâHave they? Really?
Iâm not a fan but theyâve stayed more relevant than I thought they would have.
âWhile the genesis of the cover lies in a joke, the trick to Weezerâs âAfricaâ is that they played it straight: thereâs never a sense the group is winking at their audience.âHence the involvement of Weird Al. Obviously.
I am ready to blast this listicle as ridiculous and designed to generate controversy and clicks, but whatâs with the Weezer bashing? If you donât like Weezer, why did you care enough to post you donât like them?
Because its not enough that we donât like weezer, we *hate* Beverly Hills. (I am actually a fan of the first two albums though)
Most Weezer fans donât like Beverly Hills. Try the White Album or Everything Will Be All Right In The End
Seconded. Those are their two best records since Pinkerton.
You could very easily find several songs from White Album, Everything Will Be Alright in the End, or OK Human more essential than âBeverly Hillsâ or âAfrica.â You could slot in âAcross the Seaâ or âThe Greatest Man That Ever Livedâ or âCanât Knock the Hustle.â This list acts like Weezer stopped making music in 2010 outside of a kitsch cover.
EWBAitE (Iâm not writing that out, come on) is criminally underrated. Itâs like, âwhat if Blue Album, but without the fun existentialism.â Itâs a very fun listen for anyone who enjoys the poppiness of Weezerâs earlier material.
The image of Rivers Cuomo drinking from a juice box at the end of Say It Ainât So is the only essential Weezer. That self-conscious cutesy little display put me off immediately upon seeing it when it was first airing.Everything they do is like pretty good quality music, but Cuomo seems very inauthentic (a 90s no-no if you recall) and calculated. The dude just seems so fucking fake to me.
Lotta haters on here today. Weezer is pure California power pop, and if you werenât around for the joy of the Blue album, you can beat it. Iâd take them any day over their peers in No Doubt or Third Eye Blind.
Fake news, thereâs no such thing as an essential Weezer song
Since this list contained only one song from the last 14 years, Iâd toss in 2022’s A Little Bit of Love as a latter-career âessentialâ
Fifteen songs from their first 3 years, one song from the last decade (and one that sucks). Seems about right.
Weezer is fine, but as far as Iâm concerned the only essential Weezer related song is âWe Opened for Weezerâ by Nerf Herder.Â
âfew wouldâve predicted that they would remain near the center of rock culture for the next three decades.âAnd, indeed, they havenât.
Their version of âRosannaâ is better than their version of âAfrica.â Full stop.
I never listened to Weezer. I was (still am) into hard rock/heavy metal and I hated 90’s alternative music. The first time I heard âHash Pipe,â I thought The Darkness came out with a new song, but losing their edge. Iâve heard âSay it Ainât Soâ and thought it was Sublime (theyâre all over the radio, you canât escape them). I skipped through the slideshow and played a little of each video and theyâre, meh.
Seems like the author has only listened to Blue and Pinkerton and just picked singles from the other albums.
And not a single track mention from EWBAITE seems suspect.
No itâs because Blue and Pinkerton are the only good albums.
Tell us youâve only heard their first two albums and then watched all their videos so you could make a quick $20 on an avclub article…..without telling us because that would have put you over your self-imposed 1000 word limit.