Weezer released their debut album, simply titled Weezer, in 1994. Met with immediate acclaim from critics and listeners, largely in part to the band’s massively successful music video produced for Buddy Holly, Weezer was put on the center stage of the alternative rock scene in the 1990s. In an attempt to follow this success, Weezer’s lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo released Pinkerton. The album bravely explored harsher sounds and vulnerable lyrics; audience reception was subpar. This public failure led the band to believe their career was over. Rivers claimed the band was never good, and blamed their fame on their Buddy Holly Music Video. Throughout the next five years, critics and fans began to revisit the album, transforming it into a cult classic. It bolstered a perfect review from Pitchfork, one of the largest music music publication outlets in America. The review brought Weezerback together, but it would be 20 years before the band released an album with any musical depth. Of course being due to Rivers being afraid of making the same mistake again, leaving Weezer fans with corporate sounding, overproduced albums in the meantime.
Radiohead released their debut album Pablo Honey in 1993 in the United Kingdom. While they were met with moderate success in their home country Radiohead struggled to find an American audience. However, the lead single from the album, Creep, achieved major success in the US, bringing the group into the limelight. Following this success, the band released The Bends in 1995. This album, while not revolutionary, brought Radiohead into the eyes of major critics and labels, allowing them time and money to work on their pet project, OK Computer. Immediately upon release, critics unanimously agreed this was a major step not just for Radiohead, but for alternative rock as a whole. To this day, OK Computer is still brought up in discussions of the greatest albums of all time, earning the number twelve spot on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums just this year– beating the likes of Dark Side of the Moon, Revolver, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. After this incredible success, Radiohead took one of the biggest risks in music history, releasing Kid A, an album almost entirely devoid of guitar, and instead, featuring electronic instruments. Despite debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and climbing to the number one spot in the US days after release, critics and fans had mixed feelings. Many critics praised Radiohead for continuing to innovate mainstream music, while others described Kid A as cryptic and unenjoyable. In a similar fashion to Pinkerton, support for Kid A is practically universal now, with it holding the 33rd spot on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums. To this day Radiohead continues to evolve their sound, even exploring collaborations with the London Contemporary Orchestra.
Both Weezer and Radiohead were faced with the challenge of succeeding albums that achieved critical acclaim while defining their sound. While Radiohead met the challenge with open arms, giving them a powerful legacy and cementing them as one of the most influential bands since the Beatles, Weezer became afraid of another failure, trapping them into a commercialized version of their own band.
