Weezer

Wait this wasn’t one of the 1000?

Normally the first thing I do is listen to my daily album, but this morning I woke up with "Back on the Streets" by Saxon in my head. Why ANYONE would wake up with a Saxon song in their head is beyond me, but I now need to listen to some Saxon before doing my album of the day. I've decided not to question the universe on this one. Back in an hour or so. Ok, I'm pretty familiar with this album - I've never been an outright Weezer fan but they've been on the edge of my radar for a long time and were involved in a lot of pop culture moments (eg. Jackass, Tony Hawk games) from my teenage years. The singles are all great tunes and if you don't know them you must have spent the 90s under a rock. Full album is just as good as the singles tbh. It has that nerd rock element but also a pop punk thing that really works. Vocal harmonies really send it home. 5/5 going straight to the pool room. Wish I’d given it more attention in the past. NB. ok, that’s the 4th album in the user-submitted list and the 4th album from the 1990s. I think I can see where this is going, haha. That isn’t a criticism; my submission was from the 1990s as well. Seems my fellow site users have better taste than the book’s author.

Good call. Another glaring omission from the book. Every song on this album is an anthem. Not an ounce of fat. It's the second coming of power pop from a nerd's POV.

So the editors of the original 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list decided that 1994 albums like 'Haunted Dancehall' by Sabres of Paradise, 'Snivilisation' by Orbital or The Sun Rises in the East' by Jeru The Damaja deserved a place on the list, but not this fkin' masterpiece that is Weezer's debut? Shame on them forever. And thanks to the person who added this entry to try to make amends for such an injustice (for the record, it wasn't me)

I mean, one of the totemic titans of post-80s rock. It hurts my brain, stomach, and heart that this album is turning 30 this year. I still remember going to Best Buy first thing in the morning to pick up the Deluxe Edition on its 10th anniversary! And that was 20 years ago! Every single track is an absolute classic. Weezer is a bit divisive nowadays. Most people are firmly in the "they still exist?" or "they suck now!" camp, with a few people in the "they are the greatest band this side of the Beatles" camp. I'm somewhere in the middle. They're nowhere near as good as they used to be, but they still produce bangers now and then. But this is a classic. This is required. It is a CRIME that this isn't actually on ANY edition of the official 1,001. A lot of people go to bat for Pinkerton being the "better" album, and on some days I think that's probably true, but I'm usually in the Blue camp. Hard to pick a favorite track but today I was feeling "Garage" and "The Sweater Song". Actually I think my favorite track is "Jamie" on the deluxe edition.

NERDS! 10/10

Well this certainly takes me back to middle school! Quite possibly the best alternative album of all time. It's a shame what Weezer turned into, because at one point (well, at 2 points) they were the best alt band in the world. This is certainly a Gen X/Older Millennial must-listen.

Holy shit. How is this not in the top 1001 already? Thanks for suggesting.

Just a GD classic. I bought this CD when I was 13 and studied it when I was a kid; I feel like listening to it again is just a natural thing, like riding a bike.

It's a shame this album is not included in the books. The energy this album contains is insane. And it includes some timeless songs. Couldn't resist to sing along most of the songs

Oh my God, I almost forgot that this could be one of de user's choices. So grateful that someone did, because this album fabulous from head 'til toe. Not a single bad song on it. And 'Say It Ain't So' is still one of my all time favorite tracks. So 5 stars it is.

Shocked this wasn’t on the list. I don’t really get into Weezer much but this album does what it is trying to do quite well. Do I enjoy it? Not a ton. Is it good? Yeah pretty much. I think the uniqueness of the ground is down to the vocals. Best song: Undone - The Sweater Song

I'll just echo the "this is probably the biggest snub" sentiment everyone has got. Although I still think it is insane Sublime doesn't have an entry.

What a banger! And a crime this wasn't in the original list. One of my favorite albums of all time with only excellent and catchy songs. The layered guitar sound just gives me goosebumps everytime. A shame that after Matt Sharp left the band, Rivers took the Weezer sound to a more and more cliché sounding rock-band with each consecutive album they released. Everything that came after the first two albums lacks the actual drive, energy and urgency that made this debut and Pinkerton such perfect albums.

Weezer gets some hate but 30 years on I have to say the hits hold up (as insubstantial as entries like the Sweater Song are) and the deeper tracks on this aren't filler. Solid Pop.

Great pick for the list – well before Weezer sold out and became a shadow of their selves, they burst onto the scene with this still LP that still feels fresh and new even today. The instrumentation draws on earlier grunge elements, but the overall feel is decidedly slackerish and goofy, a combo that works amazingly well. Hard guitars against some clever and even dark lyricism fits just right, thanks in part to Matt Sharp, who would leave the band post-Pinkerton and lead to the creative downward spiral that's still happening today. History aside, however, I'm glad Weezer managed to produce both this LP and Pinkerton. Both albums shine bright even today, and there are some anthems here ('Buddy Holly' especially) that feel timeless, instant classics that will stay with pop culture forever.

Strange to end in, indeed, the closest to dream of Weezer's ten tracks. Any description would argue against the choice, leaving a curl at the end of the tail. The impression cannot be both true and dreamlike. Instead, esteem for Weezer's nostalgic, but its immediacy is necessary, too. Read the record as about records, bands, music; None of it's in the text.

What a massive gap this list made for itself by not including any Weezer. Few bands hit both the critical acclaim and pop heights that they have, and with an interesting story in their artistic trajectory. Thanks for putting it here!

ooh wee ooh

A really strange omission from the original list considering how iconic it is. It's very good, the one album of theirs I go back to, but not quite top class - the guitars chug a bit too much for me. Sweater Song, Surf Wax America and Buddy Holly are classics though

Definitely better than other American post punk bands like Green Day, the highlight of course is Buddy Holly

Bon album, très nostalgique et pas trop long. Hashpipe me rappèle de bon souvenirs. 3.5

6/10. I could definitely relate to In The Garage, I love spending time in spaces with 12-sided dice where no one can hear Weezer.

I'm not a big fan of this "pop-punk" genre. I will say I like this better than the Blink-182 album I had recently, but it all sounds like 14 year old brats whining about stuff. 3 stars.

Solid record, should have been on the list 100%, for example replacing some bob dylan bullsh*t.

Could easily be on here Not that it should but 2

Weezer's first album is their best. Their signature blend of nerdy pop/punk/indie/rock arrived fully formed. As some other commentators have noted, there is not any wasted space here; every song is essential. I was really surprised to see this here. That fact that it was not in the original list is criminal.

This one should have been included in the original list

I am not accepting the fact that this album is in none of the original lists...

This is actually the first album I tried to submit, but you beat me to it and I had to pick another album. I guess great minds think alike! I was a junior in college when this album came out. It fit in perfectly with the time in which it was made, yet also stood out starkly against the mood of everything else that was going on. It's melodic, but noisy; casually cool, but deeply nerdy; ironic, but big-hearted; seemingly straightforward, but slyly complex. This is music that's catchy and charming and incredibly relatable on a basic level, but with an approach to songcraft that's so much smarter than it pretends to be. It's a nearly perfect album, one that still sounds as crisp and compelling as it did the day it was made. Its omission from the official list has me side-eyeing this whole project. I mean, how? Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Buddy Holly, Only in Dreams, Say It Ain't So, Undone - The Sweater Song, The World Has Turned and Left Me Here, My Name Is Jonas, Holiday, In the Garage, Surf Wax America, No One Else

I’m already a Weezer fan and like many others, pretty shocked that this wasn’t in any editions of the book. It is a seminal album in the nerdy college alt rock domain, and though I’ve found Pinkerton to have more enduring interest, there isn’t a bad track on this album and Say It Ain’t So is one of my 5 favorite songs of all time.

Yeah this is an all timer and so is the follow up. There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said a thousand times, just some perfect power pop that should be cranked up loud.

May be colored by the fact that I just saw them play the entire album live. But, nah, amazing album.

My next door neighbour listens to The Sweater Song very loudly every morning, regardless if he likes it or not.

I mean five for the nostalgia alone. But I can't believe it was missing from the list anyway?

This was possibly the biggest miss on the list. The band may have inconsistencies over the years, but this was a classic when I first heard it.

FINALLY!!! This is a tragic omission from the original list. This album IS the sound of 1994 for so many of us. Not only is it a stellar debut record, it’s an early pioneer of the alt-indie hipster don’t want to be cool coolness. All of these songs are fantastically quirky yet self-aware. I love Weezer. I love this record. My name is Jonas.

A classic, by a band who definitely deserve to be in the book. Maybe the next edition!

Very surprised this wasn't on the original list.

I feel guilty for becoming spotty on checking in since finishing this project, and that's out of jealousy more than anything else. Jealous that I didn't choose a damn good album like this one to add to the list. Shame on me. Props to whoever chose this one.

Wow. No idea that we never had a Weezer album. That's just insane. Pinkerton is probably my favorite of the bunch. And maybe people doing the research got lazy by the time they got to Weezer and Yaz. Who knows? It's just a phenomenal album. Love Surf Wax America.

A bit misleading, they have like 4 albums named weezer.... I'm guessing it's the blue album, but most of these albums are 4-5 stars anyway.

Can we all just agree that Weezer is the best band of all time?

This album propelled music into a true Indie Rock era. Until "the Blue Album" there was heavy metal, grunge, and classic rock. Weezer came in and shook things up with a new sound and style. The songs are bangers too.

At last, here I am leaving a few words about the *most glaring omission* in the 1001 Albums You Must Listen Before You Die book, here rightly rehabilitated in this users' list (highest global score last time I checked, and not a *single* one-star review). Don't get me wrong, I also love *Pinkerton*, actually found in Dimery's list. But honestly, one can't go without the other. It is madness, folly and sheer cruelty to leave out this incredible debut, c'mon! Even Weezer themselves didn't recover from it. I'll be charitable and avoid mentioning any of the band's post-hiatus LPs released during the 21st century, by the way. Rivers Cuomo will get a pass for any hackneyed stuffed he has since released. And this forever. Because honestly, what can you do when the first album of your project instantly reaches such an iconic status? I guess the answer is just to have fun and sow your wild oats without thinking too much about the (mixed) results. As long as we can all still listen to this record... This is the list of songs: 1. "My Name Is Jonas" 2. "No One Else" 3. "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" 4. "Buddy Holly" 5. "Undone – The Sweater Song" 6. "Surf Wax America" 7. "Say It Ain't So" 8. "In the Garage" 9. "Holiday" 10. "Only in Dreams" And EACH and EVERY ONE of them is an absolute banger -- playful, evocative, fun, memorable, melodic, witty, goofy, suddenly tearful and emotional, constantly sharp and on-point. So many infectious vocal hooks and guitar licks. The pitch-perfect, no-nonsense production values of Ric Ocasek, of Cars fame. The can of earworms jumping at you from one song to the next. It was the proverbial lightning, caught in a small blue bottle. I'd be hard-pressed to name only three or even four favorite cuts. That ternary riff -- partly played on acoustic guitar -- on "My Name Is Jonas" just tears out rock heaven from the start. It makes you want to grab your skateboard and explore the nooks and crannies of your small town for hours. "No One Else" is driven and lively. "The World Has Turned And Left Me Here" spins forever and ever in nineties rock wonderland, just as it expresses the feelings of a lovestruck young man / teenager in such a timeless fashion. "Buddy Holly" explores the 50's rock influences further through its legendary chorus. Speaking of choruses, "Undone (The Sweater Song) is simply the platonic ideal of nineties loud-quiet-loud dynamics, only bested by Pixies and Nirvana -- with weirder and/or darker tones for the latter that comparatively makes the wide-eyed, pop-crazed Weezer unique. Starting the second side, "Surf Wax America" provides rhythmical tensions and release to the 50s-by-way-of-alternative-90s formula, and the results are musically spectacular. "Say It Ain't So" offers another perfect loud chorus, adding to a more muted, slyly executed chorus. The simplicity of both the themes and music on "In The Garage" makes the latter timeless and iconic. As for "Holiday", it is the only track that might be considered as a deeper cut, and yet the way the word "heartbeat" is pronounced during its conclusion still makes it legendary. And finally, finally, you have "Only In Dreams". The epitome of a "heavy" song about a young nerd smitten by a love interest that's forever out of his reach. Bluntly put, it's also a song about masturbation (that insane instrumental climax at the end!). And yet there's nothing gross about it, there are just tons and tons of very human and touching feelings being expressed here. Which frankly, makes it the *best song ever written about masturbation*. And beyond its subject matter, the composition is just a perfect closer for a perfect record. How many times did I write "perfect" in this review? Well, maybe not enough, all things considered. What a ride, even after all these years. I swear that I didn't want to mention each and every track of this LP, at first, but I just couldn't help it. I'm gonna stop yaking now. Just one thing: this album also has one of the most ridiculous album covers of all times, and yet this artwork is such an apt way to present Weezer's music, I guess. Yeah, even THAT is the stuff of legend. 5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 10/10 for more general purposes (5 + 5) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 14 (including this one) Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 20 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 37

I mean…endlessly garage charming…

A lot better than what I thought it would be

A really good album that should have been on the original list. Standouts: Buddy Holly, Say it isn't So, Undone Sweater Song 4/5

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Buddy Holly, Surf wax America, Say it ain’t so, In the garage

Well chosen, thank you! Shows that erudite and fun rock music could still be made during the heyday of grunge and fey Brit-pop.

Enjoyed it. Some nice guitar hero and windows 95 nostalgia

An absolute manger of an album. Weezer made Pinkerton for the music nerds but made the Blue album for everyone else. The songs are quick catchy and fun. The album is relatively short and quick but it’s pretty exceptional. A great choice for the list and should’ve been on the original. Either way this is Weezers best album and really a top album from the 90s. It still is great. 8.6/10

Weezer debut album with lots of great catchy songs, fun and energy.

Svo gott. Og svo vanmetið á sínum tíma!

I’ve been expecting this one for a while. On the subreddit it’s probably the most talked about for being left off the list and for good reason. Even if I don’t love this album it had a huge cultural moment and weezer ruled a huge chunk of the alternative scene in the 90s plus songs like say it ain’t so and buddy holly are still popular today. I don’t get why this got left off.

I love the song Buddy Holly and remembered the Sweater song. Likeable album from a likeable band.

4.5

Was this seriously not on the main list? For my money, their best album, no contest. The huge hits that have persisted for decades at this point, very fresh and exciting stuff. One of the crowning achievements of my youth was perfecting "My Name is Jonas" on Guitar Hero 3 on expert. If I were to pick it up and try again today, I bet I could get it in three. 4.5/5

Great addition! I’ll always remember my brother 100%ing My Name is Jonas on Guitar Hero 3. Say it Ain’t So and Buddy Holly are classics too. This album came out a day before my 3rd birthday I noticed.

Again I'm mystified why this was overlooked? Distinctive sound all their own it was a counterpoint to the Grunge bands at the time. It plays well even now.

You could ask what's with these homies and why do they gotta front, but you should know it's just 90s music

I knew several songs. It was a relatively short album. It was alright. I don't have a desire to listen to the whole album again, but I would revisit a couple of songs.

The highest rated user generated album. I really, really tried to get into this. I listened a few times, I waited for and listened to the '1001 Album Complaints' episode in order to learn about the album's context and why it's considered a classic. After all that, I still have very little to say about it. It's good and it's quite melodic, but I just don't get any feels. Perhaps if I had been at High School in America in the 90s I'd have nostalgia, but without personal context, it just seems 'fine'. Rating: 3 Playlist track: Buddy Holly Date listened: 03/10/24

don't really "get" this band, pleasant enough 2.7

I know how missed this album is on the original list, but I never cared for their sound. And a lot of the songs here seem repetitive to me.

Power pop, geek rock, pop-punk, alternative rock, indie rock, emo. Ni fu ni fa.

Weezer

I like Weezer but without ever listening to them in full length album form, only ever been a singles guy, and I think that'll still be the case after this one. It's a good album but not always my vibe, they're kinda just permanently on the periphery of stuff I really like and occasionally cross over into it (My Name is Jonas, Surf Wax America, Holiday) but not consistently enough to be an always listen. This is a good album with some very good tracks, 3/5 because I enjoyed the albums we had the last two days more than this, not by a lot though.

I don't think this is masterpiece, or even anything close to one, but it definitely deserved to be on the original list. One of the landmark 90s albums, super nostalgic, and songs like "My Name is Jonas" and "Say It Ain't So" are still certified bangers. Shame on the dumb fucking anti-Emo bias the book had. So insanely stupid to write off an entire genre - one of the biggest ones of all time - just because Robert Dimery's not a fan. And yes, that's actually the reason this and many other Emo albums weren't on the list. The Arcade Fire entry of the book talks about how the band is saving music from "Emo trash". Suck my nuts, man. Still the funniest album cover of all time though. They're just standing there. Favorite activity of mine is photoshopping the guys into backgrounds of various photographs.