The 25 Best Weezer Songs
Weezer is a fantastic alt-rock band that I have loved since I first heard “Buddy Holly” on the radio a decade ago. Since then, I’ve taken the time to get to know their music. I own every album and just about every EP and single, so I’ve observed the band’s evolution from misunderstood rockers to pop curiosity of recent years.
Though I in no way qualify as a “hardcore” Weezer follower, I am certainly a pretty big fan, and here is my opinion as to the twenty-five greatest songs they have recorded and released on major albums.
My ranking is of the studio versions, and no live tracks, B-sides, special editions, or unreleased material has been included. Particular care has been taken to judge the songs on their musical merit, and not consider them based on music videos or other factors external from the albums themselves. Plenty of singles have been included, but some haven’t been. Don’t be surprised to see an album track or two fighting their way up there.
Here’s a little bit of background on Weezer if you want to brush up.
Of course, these picks are just my educated opinion. Feel free to disagree (and let me know in the comments). Before I start, I also want to say that just about any track from Weezer’s blue album or Pinkerton could have pushed for a spot on this list. I love both of those albums in their entirety. And, without further ado, my picks. Enjoy!
25. Burndt Jam (Maladroit)
The draw to this song is the catchy guitar riff that the whole melody is built around. It’s one of a couple tracks on the album that has a distinct enough sound to stick in your head and keep you coming back.
24. December (Maladroit)
Finally a moment of lightness — after an album of hard-hitting jams, Weezer ends their fourth album with a poppy, upbeat number. Who can forget the chorus with the words “only love” repeated finishing off the song and album?
23. Island in the Sun (Weezer - green)
Why has this gone down as Weezer’s most popular, best-known song? It rocks the iTunes charts and has become the dorky four’s signature song. I always thought it was a bit overrated, though its mellowness and guitar hooks are charming. Hep hep.
22. Thought I Knew (Weezer - red)
Penned and sung by guitarist Brian Bell, Thought I Knew gives us a different spin on Weezer. After five albums of the usually excellent Rivers Cuomo taking the lead, his songwriting themes and vocal style have been relentlessly pounded into our heads, so the variety is nice. Plus the song is darn good — think Fastball in their prime with a Weezer shine on it.
21. We Are All on Drugs (Make Believe)
A tireless satire of drug abuse in the vein of Afroman’s Because I Got High (though not quite as great), We Are All on Drugs is also one of the few tracks on Make Believe worth repeated listens. Its driving guitar runs push elevate it from the shiny almost-pop that cluttered the rest of the album.
20. Photograph (Weezer - green)
Short and succinct, but with as timeless a hook as just about any Weezer song, Photograph is a vintage example of the exciting, though somewhat insubstantial power-pop that makes Weezer’s green album such an exciting listen. Not to be confused with the sappy Nickelback power ballad.
19. Pork and Beans (Weezer - red)
The lyrics are inane (intentially so, I hope), but the hook is so dang good you’ll still be shouting the lyrics as the song blasts from your car radio. It’s one of the catchiest, most interesting songs since Weezer’s green album.
18. Undone (Weezer - blue)
Somewhat of a novelty, Undone would have a shot at a top five or top ten spot on this list if it had trimmed the talking, skit-like interludes between the verses and refrains. The refrain has the sort of sunny guitar lick and melody that made Weezer so lovable and famous in the first place. How can you not love shouting “IF YOU WANT TO DESTROY MY SWEATER….”?
17. Space Rock (Maladroit)
Hidden in the fourth Weezer album is a gem of an album track. It doesn’t soar quite high enough nor have enough ambition to be a single, but it’s a delightful listen; the occasional song like this buried in album can do a lot to prove legitimacy of the talent of a band.
16. Getchoo (Pinkerton)
Perhaps the fiercest, edgiest song Weezer has released, Getchoo is unforgettable. Its cynicism is propelled by an exciting — almost violent — tune and sonic texture. The lyrics have a perfect rhythm and poetry to them. “It used to be a game / now it’s a crying shame.”
15. Across the Sea (Pinkerton)
Rivers Cuomo has written about vulnerability and loneliness more times than I care to remember, but rarely as honestly or touchingly as in this excellent song off of Weezer’s second album. A love song to a Japanese fangirl who wrote him a letter in one of his moments of isolation, Across the Sea penetrates both into a man’s rise to fame and his inner desperation.
14. Keep Fishin’ (Maladroit)
The syncopation of the guitar, the bounciness of the refrain, and the backup vocals bring a potentially boring song into a small pop-rock masterpiece. Though its lyrics aren’t as interesting as the stuff you find on the blue album or Pinkerton, the music might as well be straight out of Weezer’s glory days.
13. Pink Triangle (Pinkerton)
“Everyone’s a little queer / Oh, can’t she be a little straight?” A litte bit funny, a little bit heartbreaking, a little bit pathetic? All of the above. Pink Triangle is a love letter to a Lesbian and beautifully straddles the line of comedy and tragedy.
12. Beverly Hills (Make Believe)
Some Weezer fans despise it; I love it. The first single off of Make Believe might have been a more routine affair than the band’s early hits from the mid ’90s, but it brilliantly twisted the beat-driven pop scene into something distinctly guitar driven and pure Weezer.
11. Hash Pipe (Weezer - green)
The continuous bass run complemented by almost-falsetto vocals of Rivers Cuomo might be the most distinctive, memorable sound ever constructed in a Weezer song. The lyrics, purportedly written in the middle of night after Cuomo woke up and popped some Ritalin, are bizarre and nonsensical but memorable.
10. Butterfly (Pinkerton)
Instrumented with just an acoustic guitar, Butterfly is the closest thing Weezer ever wrote to a pure ballad. Concealed by the innocuous sound is one of the saddest, most haunting songs I’ve ever heard. A simple story of catching a butterfly thinly veils a tale of inner and outer destruction. The final notes of the song — and the album — are joined by Rivers croaks “I’m sorry,” forming one of the most chilling moments in music. Opera fans with a sharp eye might notice the parallels between this song and the end of Madame Butterfly, which only adds to the song’s intrigue.
9. The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Weezer - red)
Weezer built their career on creative hooks and charmingly insecure lyrics. Therefore it’s strange that this song, has such a familiar tune and displays bewildering self-confidence (”I am the greatest man that ever lived”) . Though it’s a different approach, it still feels like Weezer, in all its eclectic glory. It’s ballsy, it’s quirky, it’s brilliant.
8. Surf Wax America (Weezer - blue)
Bubbly, sunny guitar rock fills Weezer’s first album. However, a close listen revealed a true pathos in the lyrics of nearly every song. The one song from the album which has breezy lyrics to match the album’s melodies was Surf Wax America (though even it has a slight air of loneliness to it). The result is a masterful pop song, complete with a brilliant hooks and classic lines. For example:”I’m going surfing ’cause I don’t like your face.” Might be my favorite Weezer line to date.
7. Tired of Sex (Pinkerton)
From the screeching guitars to the band’s straining voices to the sporadic shouting, the first song of Weezer’s second album shows right away that sunniness of the debut is history. It’s as much a sonic assault as a straightforward song. Fortunately, the more intense, more stark sound yields a more profound, fully-formed piece of musical expression. A catchy Weezer melody is buried within a more complex sound, and the result is both bizarre and sublime.
6. Say It Ain’t So (Weezer - blue)
The brilliance of Say It Ain’t So relies on the fact that Weezer decided to take the song slow. If they had sped it up, it would’ve been far less distinguishable from a dozen and a half other songs by the band. As it stands, though, Say It Ain’t So is one of Weezer’s masterpieces. With the off-beat up-strum and a cool, constant beat, Say It Ain’t So is a blend of reggae, metal, and pop brought to life by heartbreaking lyrics about the Cuomo’s youth, troubled by his father’s alcoholism.
5. The Good Life (Pinkerton)
Most of the songs on Pinkerton deal with big troubles in life — loneliness, desperation, frustration — told through metaphors and images of little things. The Good Life ups the ante and wears its epicness on its sleeve. Instead of stories about butterflies, Lesbians, and groupies, this song is a straight-up confessional about falling out of happiness. “When I look in the mirror / I can’t believe what I see / Tell me who’s this funky dude / Staring back at me.” Equally epic is the melody, soaring higher and lower more dramatically than any Weezer song to date.
4. Dope Nose (Maladroit)
The best Weezer song of the past decade is fast, simple, and short. The guitar pounds out a peppy, high-voltage series of riffs not seen since from Weezer since Buddy Holly. The lyrics are weightless, accompanying the timeless licks with catchy lines instead of solid substance. Rather than a fault, the insubstantial lyrics allow to Dope Nose to rock out uninhibited. In 2:17, Weezer pumps out a tune that sounds like vintage power-pop, but faster and better.
3. Only In Dreams (Weezer - blue)
Regarded by some as one of the premier guitar tracks of the 1990s (in fact, Q Magazine picked it as the #9 guitar song of all time), Only In Dreams is a vast explosion of all the tension built up in the nine self-conscious, insecure tracks that precede it on Weezer’s debut album. The layered guitar riffs build and coalese into a stunning three-minute crescendo that is one of the defining points of Weezer’s career.
2. Buddy Holly (Weezer - blue)
With the most infectious guitar riff since the Beatles’ Twist and Shout and a little wink of self-conscious irony, Weezer’s second single is one of the most memorable tracks of the 1990’s. It’s silly without being annoying, it features guitar-work to lend it rock and roll legitmacy, and it’s nerdy in just right ways. Ultimately, it’s an odd little alt-rock masterpiece, the piece that put Weezer on the map, one of my favorite songs. And that’s for all of time.
1. El Scorcho (Pinkerton)
From the opening gurgle to the final chorus, El Scorcho is at once yanking our chains and crying tears of honest despair. Is it truly pathetic, or is it a self-knowing twist of melodrama? As the junky references to wrestling and snotty punk music are interwoven with opera allusions and the jangly rhythm guitar collides with a heartbreaking vocal performance, we listeners are still left hanging. And so we keep coming back, listening to it over and over, unable to get it out of our heads, until we realize that the song is intentionally an enigma, a perfect juxtaposition of dorky earnestness and consumable junk-culture. I rank it among my top half-dozen or so favorite songs of all time, and consider both a work of art and a guilty pleasure.
[Edit: If you enjoyed this list, you might also enjoy my ranking of Weezer's six albums]
Related posts:Ranking Weezer’s Albums From Best to Worst
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I respect your opinions and it seems like a lot of thought went into this list, but isn’t there an awful lot of “Maladroit” here? There are three or four tracks from the blue album that could easily be here instead of those “Maladroit” tracks. I know you want to encompass their whole career, but most of their great songs came from the first two albums, as you stated yourself. Why throw in inferior tracks from later albums?
That said, I do like the red album and I’m glad you got a couple of tracks from it on the list. I would have thrown “Dreamin’” in there too.
To me No. 1 is probably “Only in Dreams” or “Say it Ain’t So.” But I’m more of a blue album guy, I guess. Despite all of my criticisms I think this is a solid list full of enjoyable songs.
KReilly — I appreciate your input. My reasoning for having so many Maladroit tracks while placing Blue and Pinkerton higher as whole albums is the same reason the list of Time Magazine’s top forty Beatles songs included more from Help! than Rubber Soul, yet the magazine fully recognizes Rubber Soul as the better album. Maladroit is a set of catchy metal songs, good on their own, whereas Blue Album is full and complete and well-rounded. I don’t really like listening to Holiday on its own, but I do like listening to Space Rock and December on their own.
Perfect Situation?
My Name Is Jonas
“Choo-choo train left right on time.
A ticket costs only your mind.
The driver said, “Hey, man, we go all the way.”
Of course we were willing to pay.”
I liked this song before, but the other night at work while listening to my mp3 player, this song started to play. I had to listen to it about 20 times (no lie). This has got to be one of the greatest songs by any band ever.
“Guess what I received,
In the mail today.
Words of deep concern
From my little brother.
The building’s not goin’ as he planned.
The foreman has injured his hand.”
Why is this song not on your list greatest list?
Thanks, good site.
“The workers are goin’ home.”
Hey Dan,
I found this through your LJ. I’m glad I’ve met another real Weezer fan! Most fans fall into two categories:
-the Pinkerton diehards who won’t accept that the band has changed
-the bandwagon jumpers who know Beverly Hills and Pork and Beans
I grew up listening to blue (young parents), but then when I was old enough to develop my own musical tastes, I found love for all their other albums. I was always surprised to hear that Maladroit wasn’t received well!
I’ve always thought an underappreciated section of Weezer magic lies within the last half of Green. Smile and Simple Pages are two of my favorite songs of all time…just phenomenal, emotive pieces.
It’s interesting following the band’s progression through the ages. What was fun for me was the day it clicked that almost every guitar solo on green was the same melody as the verse. Then I realized one album later, you have Maladroit, with unique, rocking solos that are absolutely fantastic in their own right.
I’d also nominate “Peace”… that song just affects me on another level entirely. I can’t count how many times I’ve yelled that bridge in my car with tears in my eyes. That and “Hold Me” helped me cope with moving my senior year.
Man I could talk about and listen to Weezer all day. Can’t believe I’ve never seen them live
Couldn’t work out seeing them last tour because of distance and timing.
As someone unhealthily obsessed with Make Believe, but not a big fan of their other stuff, I have to say my list would be much different (if I could get to 25 songs). To me, the Weeze can generally sound a little abrasive after a few playings, but Make Believe is warm and heavenly.
Soaring vocals, pure melodies, lyrics that are refreshingly much less whiny than usual, and no bad songs. Hold Me, Perfect Situation, Haunt You Every Day, Pardon Me…whew. The interlude of Hold Me, or the “Ooohs” during Peace, the chorus of Haunt You…the songs sound like they’re from a different age, when bands weren’t afraid to be shamelessly grandiose and emotional. At their best, Weezer are one of the few bands around today who can pull that off.
[...] If you’re interested, you might also want to check out my ranking of their twenty-five greatest songs. [...]
I agree on El Scorcho!!!
Beverly Hills is probably my least favorite Weezer song, honestly it made me dislike Weezer after hearing it on the radio so often. Of course, a few years later my buddy would give me Blue Album and I was hooked. The rest of the list is great, but I do think “My Name is Jonas” deserves a spot on the list. “Perfect Situation” is also a favorite of mine that doesn’t show up on this list.
I would disagree on the order of some of these songs (Good Life should be a bit higher, IMO) but every song on this list is great.
Great list! I love Weezer so much (my favorite band) and I’ve heard all thier albums, most of thier rare stuff, and I’ve seen them live twice on the last to tours. I have to praise you for putting “El Scorcho” first, that song is my favorite of all time, because not only can I totally relate but I just love the quirkiness of the vocals and guitar sound. Good choices!
Great job on the list. But truly an underrated song that isn’t on the list is Troublemaker. I was trying to guess the number one song. I’ll be honest I didn’t even think El Schorco but that song makes an argument to be #1 on any fans list. I was thinking it was My Name is Jonas that was gonna be the choice. Also Best Friend is a good tune too.
perfect situation and falling for you shold be on the list.. the good life is my favorite i cant stop listening to it
Great list..very eclectic..my only criticism is how high tired of sex is..its a good song, but not one of their ten best..The only others I would add would be “death and destruction” off maladroit and “holiday” off blue
but overall nice job
Yes! It’s always good to find another Weezer fan who isn’t completely pedantic about their work. They STILL make amazing music; good Weezer didn’t die with Pinkerton. Personally I would have put The Greatest Man That Ever Lived in the number two spot and Butterfly first, but to each their own. Butterfly speaks to me like no other song has ever been able to. El Scorcho is amazing though; I’d probably put it at four or five. Ah, Buddy Holly… That song has SUCH a strong nostalgia value for me (I totally remember rocking out to it on the radio when I was about seven). I kinda disagree with putting “Perfect Situation” on there… Just not one of my faves. I think Green is pretty weak overall; I’ve always called it “Generic Weezer”. Definitely would have had My Name Is Jonas, Heart Songs, Dreamin’, and The World Has Turned and Left Me Here.
Just my opinion though. That really is a good list.
Great list
Of course My Name Is Jonas = a classic, but your list is wonderful and I love your opinions on all of the songs. Another favorite of mine which your list, and as far as I can see, no one else, mentioned, is Falling for You. But I’ve just always had a soft spot for that song!
Weezer is one of my all-time favorites and all of their albums rock. My personal favorites are Blue and Pinkerton, though I love the way Weezer has grown and changed throughout their career.
Thanks for a good read!
I can’t help but say that all of your “snubs” on this list sound like filler. Did I mention that Weezer makes the best filler ever?
I’d go more heavily towards the blue album but that’s just personal taste. In The Garage is my favourite Weezer song followed by The World Has Turned.
Nice list though
“Susanne” is definitely one of their best songs. It’s pretty short, but it’s cute and catchy. I’m not sure if it’s on any of their albums, I only know that it is at the very end of the Jay and Silent Bob movie, “Mall Rats.”
The opinions of Listosaurusrex are the opinions of Listosaurusrex alone and DO NOT reflect the opinions of all Weezer fans.
Suzanne and Smile from the Green Album are two I would’ve put in the top 25, possibly in the top 10, but the thing you have to love about Weezer is the diversity in the style and range of their hits. Having pretty much 4 band members who can harmonize is also quite a luxury. It’s hard to find bands that can bring out the emotion in their songs with simple lyrics and tone as well as Weezer does. I think we can all agree that these songs are awesome, and Weezer as a band is underrated as a whole.
My Name Is Jonas deserves to be on their but I also like “Say It Ain’t So,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Only In Dreams” as my favs. Yes, I am very much a blue album guy.