When Green Day broke through, they brought with them the power pop structures that many emerging alt-rock bands would latch onto. That's not to say Green Day was a direct descendent of Elvis Costello or The Romantics, just that their focus on melody and simplicity above all else made them kindred spirits. And no other group took the ball and ran with it quite like Weezer. By their own admission, Weezer never had a chance at capturing the hearts and minds of rock fans while grunge was the hot thing.
"I remember just being totally shocked at how little people responded to us...We were playing the same songs that eventually became big hits...and we'd play 'em out in the L.A. clubs. They would just be like, 'Go away. We want a grunge band.'"
They were a band that took self-depracation to an even higher level than Green Day, but their sound was so confident--in a quirky, subtle way, but confident no less--that you probably didn't notice right away. That was the other great thing about a song like "Say It Ain't So" and a band like Weezer, you might not have "gotten" them right away, but their sound was so upbeat and precise that you didn't mind listening a few more times to try and figure them out. Honorable Mentions: Bush - "Glycerine," Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know," Gin Blossoms - "Til I Hear It From You," Oasis - "Wonderwall"
