Weezer

Weezer's 1994 debut yielded the band two big hit singles in "Buddy Holly" and "Undone - The Sweater Song," whose quirky appeal gave the initial impression that the group was some kind of novelty act. Despite the wiseacre veneer though, Weezer went on to successfully combine bracing, punk-poppy alternative rock with a deep sense of irony that often made it impossible to tell whether the band was rocking out or "rocking out." This conceptual tension endeared Weezer to indie aesthetes, while the band's charging riffs and pummelling rhythms endeared them to a larger audience.

• rock