Weezer

One of the most influential bands of the alternative rock movement, Weezer came together in 1992 in Los Angeles. After playing their debut show opening for Keanu Reeves' Dogstar, the group was signed to Geffen Records 1993 with their extremely popular self-titled debut album, also known as The Blue Album, coming the following year. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo would take some time off following the band's success to enroll at Harvard University, where he honed a darker songwriting style for the band's sophomore release, 1996's Pinkerton. The record proved a commercial disappointment, though critics would later regard the album as a masterpiece. The group would eventually return to their more pop-friendly roots for another self-titled album released in 2000, this one known as The Green Album, which proved a smash hit. From the 2000's onward, Weezer would continue to record at a prolific pace. For 2002's Maladroit, the band experimented with an online system through which fans could listen to demos made during the recording process and provide feedback on songs. The feedback system was ultimately dropped, with only one fan-chosen song placed on the album, but Weezer continued to nurture their experimental leanings, especially for their 2008 self-titled album, also known as The Red Album. The critically acclaimed record featured Southern rap, baroque influences, drum machines, and members of the band playing different instruments than they had before. In 2010, on the heels of their album Raditude, Weezer played at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, the Reading Festival, and at the Voodoo Experience festival. They would also continue to release new material at an impressive pace, releasing Hurley, Everything Will Be Alright in the End, and Weezer, also known as The White Album over the next six years.