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American rock band renowned for their geeky persona, catchy power-pop hooks, crunchy guitar riffs, and self-referential lyrics, achieving massive success across decades.Formed in Los Angeles in 1992 by Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Matt Sharp (bass), and Jason Cropper (guitar). Cropper was replaced by Brian Bell (guitar) before their self-titled debut album ('The Blue Album', 1994), produced by Ric Ocasek, became a multi-platinum hit driven by singles like 'Buddy Holly' and 'Say It Ain't So'. The darker, more personal follow-up 'Pinkerton' (1996) initially flopped but later achieved cult status. After hiatus and lineup changes (Mikey Welsh, then Scott Shriner on bass), they returned to massive success with 'The Green Album' (2001). They have since released numerous albums, experimenting with styles while maintaining their core sound and enduring popularity.

• Rivers Cuomo wrote much of the divisive 'Pinkerton' while recuperating from leg surgery and attending Harvard University. Its raw emotion and departure from 'The Blue Album''s polish alienated critics and fans initially.
• The band went on hiatus after 'Pinkerton''s commercial failure, with Cuomo returning to Harvard and bassist Matt Sharp leaving to focus on The Rentals. Many thought Weezer was finished.
• Against expectations, Weezer returned in 2001 with the self-titled 'Green Album', produced by Ric Ocasek again, scoring hits like 'Hash Pipe' and 'Island in the Sun', cementing their comeback.
• Rivers Cuomo is known for his meticulous songwriting methods, sometimes using spreadsheets and algorithms to analyze pop hits for structure and melody, blending geekiness with pop craft.
• Weezer has maintained a remarkably stable core lineup since 2001: Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar), Brian Bell (guitar, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass, backing vocals), and Patrick Wilson (drums).