10 Legendary Music Artists That Never Got Better Than Their Debut Record

6. Weezer

Looking back on the state of rock music in the mid '90s, Weezer's debut album was something that many rock fans needed. Compared to the sorrow that had just gone down with the death of grunge, this and Green Day's Dookie were the two records that made us lighten up a little bit, with Rivers Cuomo giving us a '90s ironic update of what the Beach Boys may have sounded like. When it came time to top it though, Rivers ended up making a commitment on the second album that he didn't realize at the time.

Despite people hating Pinkerton upon release, Weezer were definitely on the right track, going for something a lot more raw and emotional from their debut. In the years since its release and people reevaluating Pinkerton, most of the fans have warmed up to it, which has been an extremely mixed blessing. Even though the songs might sound good, it came at the expense of Rivers' confidence as a songwriter.

For almost every release that Weezer have put out in the '00s and beyond, they've always had somewhat of an identity crisis of what they want to be, either going back to their roots on the Green Album, trying to sell out on Raditude, and then trying their hand at millennial pop on Pacific Daydream. That classic pop songwriter is still in Rivers' system, but he may not have been prepared for all of the baggage that came with being in a successful rock band.