Many Weezer fans were baffled with the direction of 1996's Pinkerton upon its initial release, but the sophomore collection has proved to be a grower and a huge favourite in the group's catalogue. Just ahead of the record's 20th birthday, it's now been certified platinum.
The band posted the big news via Facebook, explaining that, as of September 15, the record has sold in excess of 1 million copies in the U.S. Pinkerton was officially released in North America on September 24, 1996.
While the record has since become a cult classic, Pinkerton was met with divisive fan and critic reaction in the mid-'90s. The full-length followed Weezer's popular self-titled 1994 debut, colloquially known as "The Blue Album" and was written during off-and-on periods between 1995 and 1996.
Parts of the record came from an abandoned rock opera titled Songs from the Black Hole ("Tired of Sex," "Getchoo," "No Other One"), while other tracks were recorded while frontman Rivers Cuomo was on leave from his studies at Harvard.
Driven by now-classic singles like "El Scorcho" and "The Good Life," the personal, sex-and-relationships-exploring record was initially met with mixed response. Cuomo later regretted the confessional approach.
"It's a hideous record," he told Entertainment Weekly in 2001. "It was such a hugely painful mistake that happened in front of hundreds of thousands of people and continues to happen on a grander and grander scale and just won't go away. It's like getting really drunk at a party and spilling your guts in front of everyone and feeling incredibly great and cathartic about it, and then waking up the next morning and realizing what a complete fool you made of yourself."
In related news, Weezer and Wavves are due to release a split 7-inch via Ghost Ramp. While Weezer are contributing a new tune titled "Fake Smiles and Nervous Laughter," Wavves cover Pinkerton-era B-side "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly," which had appeared on the "El Scorcho" single.
The band posted the big news via Facebook, explaining that, as of September 15, the record has sold in excess of 1 million copies in the U.S. Pinkerton was officially released in North America on September 24, 1996.
While the record has since become a cult classic, Pinkerton was met with divisive fan and critic reaction in the mid-'90s. The full-length followed Weezer's popular self-titled 1994 debut, colloquially known as "The Blue Album" and was written during off-and-on periods between 1995 and 1996.
Parts of the record came from an abandoned rock opera titled Songs from the Black Hole ("Tired of Sex," "Getchoo," "No Other One"), while other tracks were recorded while frontman Rivers Cuomo was on leave from his studies at Harvard.
Driven by now-classic singles like "El Scorcho" and "The Good Life," the personal, sex-and-relationships-exploring record was initially met with mixed response. Cuomo later regretted the confessional approach.
"It's a hideous record," he told Entertainment Weekly in 2001. "It was such a hugely painful mistake that happened in front of hundreds of thousands of people and continues to happen on a grander and grander scale and just won't go away. It's like getting really drunk at a party and spilling your guts in front of everyone and feeling incredibly great and cathartic about it, and then waking up the next morning and realizing what a complete fool you made of yourself."
In related news, Weezer and Wavves are due to release a split 7-inch via Ghost Ramp. While Weezer are contributing a new tune titled "Fake Smiles and Nervous Laughter," Wavves cover Pinkerton-era B-side "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly," which had appeared on the "El Scorcho" single.
