Weezer are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1992, currently consisting of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Brian Bell (rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott Shriner (bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards). Weezer has sold 9.2 million albums in the US and over 17 million worldwide.
After signing to Geffen Records in 1993, the band released their self-titled debut album, also known as The Blue Album, in 1994. Backed by successful music videos for the singles "Buddy Holly", "Undone -- The Sweater Song", and "Say It Ain't So", The Blue Album became a triple-platinum success and received critical acclaim. Weezer's second album, Pinkerton (1996), featuring a darker, more abrasive sound, was a commercial failure and initially received mixed reviews, but went on to achieve cult status and critical acclaim years later. Both The Blue Album and Pinkerton are now frequently cited among the best albums of the 1990s. Following Pinkerton, bassist Matt Sharp left the band, and Weezer went on hiatus.
In 2001, Weezer returned with another self-titled album, also known as The Green Album, with new bassist Mikey Welsh. Promoted by singles "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun", The Green Album was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews. After the album's release, Welsh left the band and was replaced by current bassist Scott Shriner. Weezer's fourth album, Maladroit, was released in May 2002 to mostly positive reviews, but did not match the sales of The Green Album.
Weezer's fifth album, Make Believe, was released in May 2005; despite mixed reviews, its single, "Beverly Hills", became Weezer's first single to top the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and the first to reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. In June 2008, Weezer's third self-titled album, also known as The Red Album, featuring "TR-808s, synths, Southern rap, and baroque counterpoint," was released to mixed reviews. Its lead single, "Pork and Beans", became the band's third song to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart, backed by a successful YouTube music video.
Weezer's seventh album, Raditude (2009), and eighth album, Hurley (2010), featuring more "modern pop production" and songs co-written with other artists, achieved further mixed reviews and moderate sales. The band's ninth and tenth albums, Everything Will Be Alright in the End (2014) and the self-titled album also known as The White Album (2016), returned to a guitar-driven rock style and achieved more positive reviews. Their eleventh album, Pacific Daydream (2017), returned once again to a more mainstream pop sound. In 2018, they released two additional self-titled albums: the surprise Teal Album (2019), comprised of pop covers, and the Black Album (2019), which involved a darker sound of pop rock and electropop. In 2021, the band released OK Human, which featured an orchestral pop sound, followed by the hard rock-inspired Van Weezer. In 2022, they released a series of extended plays based around the four seasons, a project known as SZNZ.
