Ranking every track 1 on every full length Weezer album.

Ranking every track 1 on every full length Weezer album.

So here we go.  If you aren’t down with the weez, then this might not be a fun post for you. 

But then again, maybe you haven’t given them enough of a chance and should check this list out.

So as the title would suggest I am going to give you a 12 through 1 ranking of the 12 full length weezer albums.  12 includes the upcoming Pacific Daydream, due out October 27^th.

I am also including 2010’s Death to False Metal.  Which, in case you are wondering was sold as a Weezer album to fulfill their contract with Geffen, but it was really a compilation album, patched up by Rivers with little input from the rest of the band.

 But more on that later.

Let’s get Going.

12. Don’t Let Go from 2001’s Green Album

So, initially there is an excitement when a band comes back after a 5 year hiatus. But once you get past this song, you realize there are better songs later.

The whole green album was filled with weird cryptic lyrics with no personality.  This started that mold. And as a comeback song, you can see why it was never a single.  

The album should have opened with Hashpipe.  This was just cookie cutter, there were a few old school sounding riffs. But the solo was just a copy of the vocal track. 

 Rivers would later improvise better solos.

 But it was such a dismal way to start an album.

Here is a redone version from 2005. You can look for the original on your own. 

So, the guy in the back is Bobby Schneck, a guitar tech for the band who played during some songs on the Make Believe tour.  Also, some people have dubbed this version the “New Wave” version of the song due to Brian’s synthesizer duties.  The solo section on this version is much different as well.  

11. Turning Up The Radio from 2010’s Death to False Metal

So this was a song that came out of a whole conglomerate of Rivers Cuomo and anyone following him on YouTube. 

I participated, it was weird, but it showed the whole world a facet of his writing process.

The project was called, Let’s Write a Sawng

Go ahead, click it.

Right up there where it says Let’s Write a Sawng

So, yeah, this is a decent song, but this was a completely solo project.  Cuomo offered the song for the band; they didn’t want it so it ended up on this album. 

Here ya Go.

10. Beverly Hills from 2005’s Make Believe

Here We go,  

I have held a grudge against this song since 2005, and it’s time to end that beef.

If this is what brought you into the weezer world, cool.

If you haven’t checked out any of the older stuff, or anything since, you are really missing out.

The summer of 2005 and the Make Believe tour was overrun with 13 year olds, who only knew 1 song, and they would rush the stage as soon as this song came on.  I try hard not to be a snob, or a hipster, but sadly when it comes to weezer, I kind of am. Sorry

So this was the band’s biggest single of all time, and the number 2 most downloaded song of 2005. If you are under the age of 30, I have probably offended you already

Anyways.  The song was just too poppy for me. And as good as Stephanie Eitel’s gimme gimmes are, I like it better when the band does it.

Also, there is a better live version of this.  You don’t need the original, everybody fucking owns it.

Yeah, how about that solo huh?  Also, did you hear rivers accent. When he plays live sometimes his r’s and L’s become w’s.  I don’t know if that is on purpose, or is that a Connecticut thing that he masks when he records.  Anyways.  Good, it’s done.

9. California Kids from 2016’s White Album

Look, this song is good. It gets a lower rating though, in particular because as far as lead songs go, it’s just not the best. Plus we just came from Everything Will Be Alright In The End, and for me that was a phenomenal album.

Now granted this wasn’t the lead single.  In fact it was the 5^th single.  But still the first song.

Look it’s just kind of boring and based on just weird meet ups that Rivers had through tinder.

However, the one positive I would say is that it did set the tone for the album.  Which is cool.

To my knowledge this was the only song that had been written before recording the white album. 

Well.  Here it is.  By the way the video pays homage to the other videos from the album.  Make sure you check those out too.

8. Memories from 2010’s Hurley

Ahh, that’s right, Weezer was on Epitaph for 1 album.  So they got a bit harder.  Maybe you like it.  It didn’t feel real to me.  But hey

So the song itself is definitely a cool look back at the history of weezer, however, for as much as they say they want to go “back there”  it took them 4 years to actually go back there.

The song is decent.  Rivers screaming is a bit awkward. 

A killer solo would have been nice.  But hey what can you do

I think I like this song more because of the video.

Decide for yourself.

7. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To from 2009’s Raditude

I don’t know

A lot of people didn’t like this song, and in general Raditude is highly regarded as weezer’s worst album.

I actually liked the album.  

Ok except Love is the Answer, but-

Nobody liked that song.

Look if anything, this song should be noted for the background “yep shouted after the line - The rest of the summer was the best we ever had- unofficially I think of it as a nod to that song Shine by Collective soul. But hey maybe I am wrong

The song itself is not half bad; it definitely has its own sound. But that was true of the whole album.  It’s pretty straight forward. About a guy wanting a girl to make the first move

It was also the lead single off the album, but everyone was waiting for Can’t Stop Partying.

6. Mexican Fender from 2017’s Pacific Daydream

Look, you probably haven’t heard this yet.

The weez has been getting us ready for this album for a while.

You owe it to yourself to get hip to this. 

Out of the first 3 songs released from the album, this is my favorite.  There are a lot of modern sounds to it, but it has a very pinkertonesque breakdown.  But no solo.

I think this might grow on me, and hopefully you. 

Check out the video, and yes this is the real video

Finally, the top 5

5. Troublemaker from 2008’s Red Album

This is top 5 because it is a great song. 

The red album was sort of all over the place, but this was a hip song to start it all off. 

Good hook, good breakdown.  I mean, It’s missing a solo, but there weren’t many on the red album. 

But this song has the ability to get you going.

Oh plus my son loved this song.

Check out the very different video

4. American Gigolo from 2002’s Maladroit

Maladroit as an album is always overlooked. But I mean they had cool videos for other songs, this one just got missed.

It is a pretty hard rocking number. And a great opening number. Keep in mind that this came out almost a year after the green album.  So there was a tradeoff, where the green album seemed rushed, Maladroit was almost over produced.

The song features a lot of distortion and a whiny guitar sort of shredding in the background, and just a great crunchy snacky cake of a solo.

I have always liked Maladroit. And I love using this song as an entry way, to show people that weezer is more than just the pop you see them putting out.

Dig it.

3. Tired of Sex from 1996’s Pinkerton

Gasp

“This is not number 1?”

So this song has lived in obscurity for most casual fans.

I mean when you think about Pinkerton, most of it has wasted away.

But when I say solo, these are the kind of solos I am looking for.  Rivers just shredding his heart out.  He hated the album, but fans loved it.

So anyways, it is only number 3 because; there are 2 songs that mean more to me… kinda…

It’s just

Ok here it is, it’s top 25 and with 12 albums to choose from. Top 25 is saying a lot.

Here’s a live version from 2001

Here’s the original from the album

Both worth your time.

2.  My Name is Jonas from 1994’s Blue Album

If you are doing the math, right now you are probably very confused.

Pinkerton at 3, blue at 2?

And, hey think about this, my son’s middle name is Jonas.

The song rocks and I mean loudly. 

Then all of a sudden, a harmonica.  How often do you hear a harmonica if you aren’t a huge blues fan?

I mean it has a cool break/solo and really just chomps down on you. 

This was always a good first set closer.

Just listen

So if you haven’t figured it out yet… it’s time for number 1

It’s a bit of a shocker…

1.  Ain’t Got Nobody from 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright in the End

The song has everything that I have been saying the others haven’t.

Kick ass intro, hand claps, solos, breaks, shreds, crunchies,  it is all there. 

The lyrics might not make much sense. But ehh what does Ape the Goomba mean?

So here is what it is.  For years, the weezer fanbase has begged for Pinkerton 2.0, in my opinion, this album was it. 

As soon as I heard this song, I was so excited; weezer was back, and not just back, but true to form.

This one does it for me.

Guilty pleasure? Maybe, but after you hear it, it’s going to be yours too.

That is it for now, I will amend this if a new album comes out.  Until then, check out all of the other ones, and get ready for Pacific Daydream.

One Love

=w=