Weezer (commonly known as The Blue Album) is the debut studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on May 10, 1994, by DGC Records. It was produced by Ric Ocasek of the Cars. Weezer was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1992, and initially struggled to engage audiences, who were more interested in grunge rock. The band recorded a demo, The Kitchen Tape, which brought them to the attention of DGC owner Geffen Records. Weezer selected Ocasek to produce because of his work with the Cars. Most of the album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City between August and September 1993. The group treated the guitars and bass as a single, 10-string instrument, playing in unison. Guitarist Jason Cropper was fired during recording, as the band felt he was threatening their chemistry; he was replaced by Brian Bell. Weezer was supported by the singles "Undone – The Sweater Song", "Buddy Holly", and "Say It Ain't So", which were accompanied by music videos. The album received critical acclaim and reached number sixteen on the Billboard 200, and was certified 5× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2024. It remains Weezer's best-selling album, with more than 15 million copies sold worldwide by 2009. It has been named one of the best albums of the 1990s by several publications. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it number 294 on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".