Pinkerton  by Weezer

Weezer, after the great success of their debut which granted them quick recognition and fame, returned in 1996, two years later, with Pinkerton, an album with a noticeably rougher sound. This particular result was intentional and directed by the band and guitarist/composer Rivers Cuomo, who wanted to convey the feeling of the group's live performances onto the record. For this reason, the album was recorded with the members themselves producing it.

The album's title comes from the character BF Pinkerton, one of the heroes of the opera "Madama Butterfly" by Italian Giacomo Puccini. Twenty-four hours before the album's release, the private investigation company Pinkerton Inc. sued the band for using the company’s name. The court dismissed the case and the album was released normally.

Pinkerton reached No. 19 on the Billboard, went platinum once in the U.S., and certainly did not achieve the success of the debut.