Weezer just announced the release of their latest album, the 4th eponymously named one in their catalog. In honor of the return of everyone's favorite lovable weirdos, I'm ranking every single Weezer album, from their amazing highs to their embarrassing lows. Having been a Weezer fan since I first learned to enjoy music, I welcome any discussion involving the band's albums, as ranking lists are a great conversation starter. Let me know what your top Weezer albums are, I'd love to hear them.
11. Raditude
As young pop superstar Hannah Montana once intoned: everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days. If any album in Weezer's catalog could be described as a misstep, its Raditude. When a Weezer song features Lil' Wayne, I think its time for some self reflection. Don't get me wrong, the album has its good moments. "If You're Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To)" is a catchy number, but the album as a whole is stale. "In the Mall" is regarded often as Weezer's worst song, and "The Girl Got Hot" is a superficial mess. Its worth a listen as a comparison to how good Weezer's other albums are, and makes you appreciate the predecessors and successors.
10. Make Believe
Make Believe has what is arguably Weezer's most popular songs, "Beverly Hills." In all honesty, its not that great a song. The talk box is cool within it, but its just three power chords repeated ad-nauseum. The rest of the album for the most part is a downer in mood, and could quite possibly send you in a self reflective spiral. With songs like "Hold Me" and "We Are All on Drugs" (hilariously retitled and sung "We Are All in Love" for the radio edit) its not hard to see why. "Perfect Situation" received a lot of radio play as well, and for the longest time I couldn't listen to it without tearing up for some reason. The album is just too depressing at times, and can't match up against Weezer's other works. At least it's not Raditude.
9. Death to False Metal
A compilation of various Weezer cuts that ultimately didn't make their prospective albums, Death to False Metal does what it sets out to do: present various songs that didn't quite fit in. This has a charm of its own, as Weezer is a band of misfits releasing an album of misfits. Sure, there's no real standout song on the album, but it makes for easy listening and a fun time, especially hearing Rivers belting out "Unbreak My Heart" in the highest falsetto imaginable.
8. Weezer (Red Album)
This album is the most work put forth by the whole band, not just Rivers Cuomo. Each member gets a song or two to sing on it, and its the first time really that Weezer was a true collaborative effort. "Pork and Beans" is a simple yet powerful song, managing to accomplish what "Beverly Hills" tried and failed to be. "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived" is almost orchestral in its various movements that each represent a musical style that Weezer looks up to, but ends up being a tad pretentious. Its an eclectic album in the best sense, and it is great to see each member get a moment in the spotlight.
7. Songs From the Black Hole
Songs From the Black Hole is the Weezer album that never was and the rock opera Rivers Cuomo almost killed himself composing. Some of the songs ended up on Weezer's true sophomore album Pinkerton, with the rest trickling down the Weezer vine for years. This is a concept album about space travel and works as an allegory for Weezer's rise to fame. It was an ambitious effort that ultimately fell through and ended up being scrapped for parts. The concept itself is a clever idea, and the songs are great in reflecting its story, but it was never officially released.
6. Hurley
Hurley makes up for the mistakes of Raditude by having some decent tracks that embraced the direction that Weezer thought it was going in. The songwriting vastly improves (besides "Where's My Sex" which can be chalked up to Weirdzer I guess) and there are some really great songs within this album. "Unspoken" is a great soft into loud buildup song that is nice and poignant, and "Trainwrecks" is also a great number. Though the album is nowhere near the quality of classic Weezer, it was a small consolation to the disaster that was Raditude. However, they would not get back to form until the album after this one, covered farther up on the list.
5. Maladroit
Maladroit is possibly Weezer's heaviest album, and really manages to evolve the sound of its poppy predecessor the Green Album. From the two cheery singles "Dope Nose" and "Keep Fishin'" to the dark and moody "Slob", the album shows a lot of range while still remaining cohesive. Maladroit is also the first album to feature current bassist Scott Shriner, which may be a key factor in how heavy the album is. The album isn't quite as memorable as the ones higher up on the list, but definitely has some quality material that is not to be overlooked.
4. Weezer (Green Album)
The Green Album is a fun time, but so short at 29 minutes that its almost difficult to call it an album. Since its too long to be a standard EP (extended play), I'll refer to this as an albumella. This albumella is a happy-go-lucky romp dripping with sweetness and joy, a stark contrast to its successor Make Believe. This is a cheer-up shot for those who find themselves with the shades pulled shut and wanting of a pick-me-up. "Island in the Sun" and "Simple Pages" are dripping with saccharine in the best way, and "Hash Pipe" has a great jamming riff and a vocal performance that pays homage to Lita Ford's "Kiss Me Deadly". The Green Album isn't anything groundbreaking, but a solid albumella nonetheless. (I have just put in the copyright for the term albumella, so please respect its creator.)
3. Pinkerton
An album that wasn't well received when it first came out, Pinkerton is an example of a musical piece that was ahead of its time. The sadness of this album is atmospheric, and the frustrations felt by Rivers Cuomo attempting to avoid a sophomore slump is evident. This album is a raw, emotional wound that we all have experienced in our lives, though maybe not quite as lyrically as this album. From obsessing over faraway fans ("Across the Sea") to missing the days without depression ("The Good Life"), this album could serve as a stream of consciousness for the lead singer and primary songwriter of the band. Its ultimately almost a work of art in its conception and has a really unique sound that puts Pinkerton in a category all its own. Sure, the subject matter on most of the songs might be dark and weird (there's a song about falling in love with a lesbian, for crying out loud), but what is Weezer without weird?
2. Everything Will Be Alright in the End
Everything Will Be Alright in the End starts off with a heavy rocking mind blower with "Ain't Got Nobody", then offers an apology to Weezer fans for the direction the band took with Raditude and Hurley and ends up being the return to form for a group people lost hope in. Reminiscent of the early days of Weezer, EWBAitE managed to capture that Weezer spirit and tenacity in a way that they seemed to have been afraid to go back to. However, they bring the lessons from their past works and make a cohesive, impressive album. Plus who doesn't love a song about the Revolutionary War? "The British Are Coming" is fun, and I'm not ashamed to say that. This album is the closest to Weezer's best as they have gotten without overtaking their true greatest album.
1. Weezer (Blue Album)
What can be said about Weezer's debut album that hasn't already said. Weezer almost plays like a greatest hits album, featuring classic tracks like "My Name is Jonas", "Buddy Holly", and "Undone (The Sweater Song). However, what makes this album the best Weezer album is the last track, "Only in Dreams." A song that starts and ends with a melodic baseline, this song is a mountain in both the effort put into it and its structure. It ebbs and flows from soft to heavy with tremendous buildup and cool down, and is still one of my favorite songs ever. As I write this article, I still get chills thinking of the various movements this album manages to pull off. From poppy riffs to dark melodies, the Blue Album is Weezer at its finest.
Though the band doesn't have a perfect track record when it comes to quality albums, each work put forth by the band is to be applauded for the steps it took in evolving the band to what it is today. Their very best albums stand as cornerstones of their genre, and staples of people's best albums lists everywhere. Though we may never know which Weezer we'll get with each subsequent release, we know that whatever Rivers Cuomo and company produce will be a comfort for those of us who love the band.
