HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a
power trio A power trio is a rock and roll band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit (drums and cymbals), leaving out a second rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...
with drummer Tré Cool, who replaced John Kiffmeyer in 1990 before the recording of the band's second studio album, '' Kerplunk'' (1991). Touring guitarist Jason White became a full-time member in 2012, but returned to his touring role in 2016. Before taking its current name in 1989, Green Day was called Sweet Children, and they were part of the late 1980s/early 1990s Bay Area punk scene that emerged from the 924 Gilman Street club in
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...
. The band's early releases were with the independent record label Lookout! Records. In 1994, their major-label debut '' Dookie'', released through Reprise Records, became a breakout success and eventually shipped over 10 million copies in the U.S. Alongside fellow California punk bands Bad Religion, the Offspring, Rancid, Pennywise and Social Distortion, Green Day is credited with popularizing mainstream interest in punk rock in the U.S. Though the albums '' Insomniac'' (1995), ''
Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...
'' (1997), and '' Warning'' (2000) did not match the success of ''Dookie'', they were still successful, with the former two reaching double platinum status, while the latter achieved gold. Green Day's seventh album, a rock opera called '' American Idiot'' (2004), found popularity with a younger generation, selling six million copies in the U.S. Their next album, '' 21st Century Breakdown'', was released in 2009 and achieved the band's best chart performance. It was followed by a trilogy of albums, ''
¡Uno! ''¡Uno!'' (stylized in all caps) is the ninth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2012, by Reprise Records. It is the first of three albums in the ''¡Uno!'', ''¡Dos!'', ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of stud ...
'', '' ¡Dos!'', and '' ¡Tré!'', released in September, November, and December 2012, respectively. The trilogy did not perform as well as expected commercially, in comparison to their previous albums, largely due to lack of promotion and Armstrong entering rehab. Their twelfth studio album, ''
Revolution Radio ''Revolution Radio'' is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on October 7, 2016 through Reprise Records. A self-produced effort, it marked their first release since touring guitarist Jason White returned to his origi ...
'', was released in October 2016 and became their third to debut at No. 1 on the '' Billboard'' 200. The band's thirteenth studio album, ''
Father of All Motherfuckers ''Father of All Motherfuckers'' (also known by the censored title ''Father of All...'' or ''Father of All M***********s'', and frequently abbreviated as ''FOAMF'') is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on Februa ...
'', was released on February 7, 2020. In 2010, a stage adaptation of ''American Idiot'' debuted on Broadway. The musical was nominated for three Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design, and Best Lighting Design, winning the latter two. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, their first year of eligibility. Members of the band have collaborated on the side projects Pinhead Gunpowder,
The Network The Network was an American six-piece new wave band. they released their debut album '' Money Money 2020'' on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. After a 15-year hiatus, the band became active again in 2020, releasing a follow-up album tit ...
,
Foxboro Hot Tubs Foxboro Hot Tubs is the garage rock side project of Green Day, formed in 2007.Green Day side ...
,
The Longshot ''The Longshot'' is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Tim Conway. Plot Four friends enjoy betting on horses at the race track. Someone tells them that he's got something to give his horse to make it run faster, an ...
, and
The Coverups The Coverups is an American cover band that serves as a side project for Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt. Founded in January 2018 as an outlet for performing cover songs, the band consists of guitarists Armstrong and Dirnt ...
. They have also worked on solo careers. Green Day has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling artists. The group has been nominated for 20 Grammy awards and has won five of them with Best Alternative Album for '' Dookie'', Best Rock Album for '' American Idiot'' and '' 21st Century Breakdown'', Record of the Year for " Boulevard of Broken Dreams", and
Best Musical Show Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more pla ...
for '' American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording''.


History


Formation and Lookout! years (1987–1993)

In 1987, friends and guitarists Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt, 15 years old at the time, along with bassist Sean Hughes and drummer Raj Punjabi, formed a band under the name Sweet Children. One of their first songs written together was "Best Thing in Town". The group's first live performance took place on October 17, 1987, at Rod's Hickory Pit in
Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to th ...
. In 1988, Armstrong and Dirnt began working with former Isocracy drummer John Kiffmeyer, also known as "Al Sobrante", who replaced original drummer Raj Punjabi. It was also around this time that bassist Sean Hughes left the band, causing Dirnt to switch from guitar to bass. Armstrong cites the band Operation Ivy (which featured Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, who would later contact Armstrong to fill in as a possible second guitarist for their band Rancid) as a major influence, and a group that inspired him to form a band. In 1988, Larry Livermore, owner of Lookout! Records, saw the band play an early show and signed the group to his label. In April 1989, the band released its debut
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
, ''
1,000 Hours ''1,000 Hours'' is the debut EP by American rock band Green Day. It was released on May 26, 1989, through Lookout Records with the catalog number LK 17. Album information “1,000 Hours” was written by Billie Joe about his best friend's sister ...
''. Shortly before the EP's release, the group dropped the Sweet Children name; according to Livermore, this was done to avoid confusion with another local band Sweet Baby. The band adopted the name Green Day, due to the members' fondness for
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
. The phrase, "Green day", was slang in the
Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
, where the band originated, for spending a day doing nothing but smoking marijuana. Armstrong once admitted in 2001 that he considered it to be "the worst band name in the world". Lookout! released Green Day's debut studio album, ''
39/Smooth ''39/Smooth'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on April 13, 1990, by Lookout Records. It was the band's only album to feature second drummer John Kiffmeyer. Jesse Michaels of Operation Ivy contributed the a ...
'' in early 1990. Green Day recorded two extended plays later that year, ''
Slappy ''Slappy'' is the second EP by American rock band Green Day. It was released in 1990 through Lookout! Records. Upon its release, several different colors of vinyl were available in limited quantities. Billie Joe Armstrong cited the extended play ...
'' and '' Sweet Children'', the latter of which included older songs that the band had recorded for the
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...
independent record label Skene! Records. In 1991, Lookout! Records re-released ''39/Smooth'' under the name ''1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours'', and added the songs from the band's first two EPs, ''Slappy'', and ''1,000 Hours''. In late 1990, shortly after the band's first nationwide tour, Kiffmeyer left the East Bay area to attend
Humboldt State University California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt also known as Cal Poly Humboldt, Humboldt or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California or California State Polytechnic Universit ...
in Arcata, California. The Lookouts' drummer Tré Cool began filling in as a temporary replacement and later Cool's position as Green Day's drummer became permanent, which Kiffmeyer "graciously accepted". The band went on tour for most of 1992 and 1993, and played a number of shows overseas in Europe.Thompson, Dave. "Green Day". ''Alternative Rock''. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books, 2000. The band's second studio album '' Kerplunk'' sold 50,000 copies in the U.S. Green Day supported another California punk band, Bad Religion, as an opening act for their '' Recipe for Hate'' Tour for most of 1993.


Signing with Reprise Records and breakthrough success (1994–1996)

''Kerplunks underground success led to interest from some major record labels and a bidding war to sign Green Day. The band eventually left Lookout! and signed with Reprise Records after attracting the attention of producer
Rob Cavallo Robert Siers Cavallo (born March 21, 1963) is an American record producer, musician, and record industry executive. He is among the biggest-selling producers in history, and has produced or had creative involvement in albums that have sold over ...
. The group was impressed by his work with the fellow Californian band
The Muffs The Muffs were an American pop punk band based in Southern California, formed in 1991. Led by singer and guitarist Kim Shattuck, the band released four full-length studio albums in the 1990s, as well as numerous singles including "Lucky Guy" a ...
and later remarked that Cavallo "was the only person we could talk to and connect with". Reflecting on the period, Armstrong told '' Spin'' magazine in 1999, "I couldn't go back to the punk scene, whether we were the biggest success in the world or the biggest failure ... The only thing I could do was get on my bike and go forward." After signing with Reprise, the band went to work on recording its major-label debut, '' Dookie''. Recorded in three weeks, and released in February 1994, ''Dookie'' became a commercial success, helped by extensive MTV airplay for the videos of the songs " Longview", " Basket Case", and " When I Come Around", all of which reached the number one position on the Modern Rock Tracks charts. The album went on to sell over 10 million copies in the US. At a performance on September 9, 1994, at Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston, mayhem broke out during the band's set (cut short to seven songs) and by the end of the rampage, 100 people were injured and 45 arrested. The band also joined the lineups of both the Lollapalooza festival and Woodstock '94, where the group started an infamous mud fight. During the concert, a security guard mistook bassist Mike Dirnt for a stage-invading fan and punched out some of his teeth. Viewed by millions by
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
television, the Woodstock 1994 performance further aided Green Day's growing publicity and recognition. In 1995, ''Dookie'' won the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for Best Alternative Album and the band was nominated for nine MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year. In 1995, a single for the '' Angus'' soundtrack was released, entitled " J.A.R.". The single debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was followed by the band's fourth studio album, '' Insomniac'', which was released in fall 1995. ''Insomniac'' was a much darker and heavier response to the band's newfound popularity, compared to the more melodic ''Dookie''. The album opened to a warm critical reception, earning 4 out of 5 stars from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', which said "In punk, the good stuff unfolds and gains meaning as you listen without sacrificing any of its electric, haywire immediacy. And Green Day are as good as this stuff gets." The singles released from ''Insomniac'' were "
Geek Stink Breath "Geek Stink Breath" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released on September 25, 1995 as the lead single and fourth track from their fourth studio album, '' Insomniac'' (1995). The song, along with " Stuck with Me", appeared on the ...
", " Stuck with Me", " Brain Stew/Jaded", and " Walking Contradiction". Though the album did not approach the success of ''Dookie'', it sold three million copies in the United States. The album earned the band award nominations for Favorite Artist, Favorite Hard Rock Artist, and Favorite Alternative Artist at the 1996 American Music Awards, and the video for "Walking Contradiction" got the band a Grammy nomination for Best Video, Short Form, in addition to a Best Special Effects nomination at the MTV Video Music Awards. After that, the band abruptly canceled a European tour, citing exhaustion.Di Perna, Alan.
Young, Loud, and Snotty
. ''Guitar World''. August 1996.


Middle years and decline in commercial success (1997–2002)

After a brief hiatus in 1996, Green Day began work on its next album in 1997. From the outset, both the band and Cavallo agreed that the album had to be different from its previous albums. The result was ''
Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...
'', an experimental deviation from the band's standard pop-punk brand of music. The album was released in October 1997. It provided a variety of music, from pop-punk, hardcore, surf rock, ska, and the acoustic ballad, " Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)".Myers, 2006. pp. 152-153 ''Nimrod'' entered the charts at number 10. The mainstream success of "Good Riddance" won the band an MTV Video Award for Best Alternative Video. The song was also used in the second "clip show" episode of '' Seinfeld'' and on two episodes of '' ER''. The other singles released from ''Nimrod'' were " Nice Guys Finish Last", " Hitchin' a Ride" and " Redundant". The band made a guest appearance in an episode of '' King of the Hill'', which aired in 1997. In late 1997 and most of 1998, Green Day embarked on a tour in support of ''Nimrod''. In 1999, guitarist Jason White began supporting the band during concerts as a rhythm guitarist. In 2000, Green Day released their folk punk-inspired sixth studio album '' Warning''. In support of the album, the band participated in the Warped Tour in 2000. In November 2000, the band performed for free on the steps on San Francisco's City Hall to protest the eviction of artists from the city in a show produced by Ian Brennan. The band also had an independent tour to support the album in 2001. Critics' reviews of the album were varied.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
gave it 4.5/5 saying "''Warning'' may not be an innovative record per se, but it's tremendously satisfying." ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' was more critical, giving it 3/5, and saying "''Warning''... invites the question: Who wants to listen to songs of faith, hope and social commentary from what used to be snot-core's biggest-selling band?" Though it produced the hit " Minority" and a smaller hit with " Warning", some observers were coming to the conclusion that the band was losing relevance, and a decline in popularity followed. While all of Green Day's previous albums had reached a status of at least triple platinum, ''Warning'' was only certified gold. At the 2001 California Music Awards, Green Day won all eight of the awards for which the group was nominated. The group won the awards for Outstanding Album (''Warning''), Outstanding Punk Rock/Ska Album (''Warning''), Outstanding Group, Outstanding Male Vocalist, Outstanding Bassist, Outstanding Drummer, Outstanding Songwriter, and Outstanding Artist. The release of two compilation albums, ''
International Superhits! ''International Superhits!'' is the first greatest hits album by American rock band Green Day, released November 13, 2001, through Reprise Records. It collects all of the band's singles released between 1994 and 2000 as well as a rerecording of ...
'' and '' Shenanigans'', followed ''Warning''. ''International Superhits!'' and its companion collection of music videos, ''
International Supervideos! ''International Superhits!'' is the first greatest hits album by American rock band Green Day, released November 13, 2001, through Reprise Records. It collects all of the band's singles released between 1994 and 2000 as well as a rerecording of ...
''. ''Shenanigans'' contained some of the band's B-sides, including "Espionage", which was featured in the film '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. In spring 2002, Green Day co-headlined the
Pop Disaster Tour The Pop Disaster Tour was a concert tour co-headlined by American rock bands Blink-182 and Green Day. The two groups, with supporting acts Jimmy Eat World, Kut U Up, and Saves the Day, toured for two months across the United States and Canada, ...
with Blink-182, which was documented on the DVD ''Riding in Vans with Boys''.


''American Idiot'' and renewed success (2003–2006)

In summer 2003, the band went into a studio to write and record material for an album, tentatively titled '' Cigarettes and Valentines''. After completing 20 tracks, the master recordings were stolen from the studio. Instead of re-recording the stolen tracks, the band decided to abandon the entire project and start over, considering the taken material to be unrepresentative of the band's best work. It was then revealed that a band called
The Network The Network was an American six-piece new wave band. they released their debut album '' Money Money 2020'' on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. After a 15-year hiatus, the band became active again in 2020, releasing a follow-up album tit ...
was signed to Armstrong's record label Adeline Records with little fanfare and information. After the band, who concealed their identities with masks and costumes, released an album called '' Money Money 2020'', it was rumored that The Network was a Green Day side project, due to the similarities in the bands' sounds. However, these rumors were never addressed by the band or Adeline Records, except for a statement on the Adeline website discussing an ongoing dispute between the two bands. The bands "feuded" via press releases and statements from Armstrong. Several journalists openly referred to the group as a Green Day side project, although it was not confirmed as such until 2013. Green Day collaborated with Iggy Pop on two tracks for his album '' Skull Ring'' in November 2003. On February 1, 2004, a cover of " I Fought the Law" made its debut on a commercial for
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
during NFL
Super Bowl XXXVIII Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) ch ...
. '' American Idiot'' (2004), debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, the band's first album to reach number one, backed by the success of the album's first single, " American Idiot". The album was labeled as a ''punk rock opera'' which follows the journey of the fictitious " Jesus of Suburbia". The album depicts modern American life under the control of an idiot ruler who lets people be misinformed by the media and a "redneck agenda". It gives different angles on an everyman, modern icons, and leaders. Released two months before U.S. President George W. Bush was reelected, the album became protest art. ''American Idiot'' won the 2005 Grammy for Best Rock Album. The band also won a total of seven out of eight awards for which the group was nominated, including the Viewer's Choice Award at the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
in 2005. The album went on to sell 6 million copies in the US. In 2005, ''American Idiot'' won a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for Best Rock Album and was nominated in six other categories including
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
. The album helped Green Day win seven of the eight awards it was nominated for at the 2005
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
; the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" video won six of those awards. A year later, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. In 2009, ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...
'' named ''American Idiot'' the best album of the decade, '' NME'' ranked it number 60 in a similar list, and ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' ranked it 22nd. ''Rolling Stone'' also listed "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "American Idiot" among the 100 best songs of the 2000s, at number 65 and 47, respectively. In 2005, the album was ranked number 420 in ''
Rock Hard "Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission, causing the record to be withdrawn. ...
'' magazine's book ''The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time''. In 2012, the album was ranked number 225 on ''Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. While touring for ''American Idiot'', the group filmed and recorded the two concerts at the
Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...
National Bowl in England. These recordings were released as a live CD and DVD called '' Bullet in a Bible'' on November 15, 2005. The DVD featured behind-the-scenes footage of the band, and showed how the band prepared to put on the show. The final shows of its 2005 world tour were in Sydney and
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
in Australia, on December 14 and 17, respectively. On August 1, 2005, Green Day announced that it had rescinded the master rights to its pre-''Dookie'' material from Lookout! Records, citing a continuing
breach of contract Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other part ...
regarding unpaid royalties, a complaint shared with other Lookout! bands. On January 10, 2006, the band was awarded a People's Choice Award as favorite musical group or band.


''21st Century Breakdown'' and ''American Idiot''s stage adaptation (2007–2010)

Green Day engaged in many other smaller projects in the time following the success of ''American Idiot''. In 2008, the group released a garage rock-inspired album under the name
Foxboro Hot Tubs Foxboro Hot Tubs is the garage rock side project of Green Day, formed in 2007.Green Day side ...
entitled '' Stop Drop and Roll!!!'' The Foxboro Hot Tubs went on a mini-tour during the same year to promote the record, hitting tiny Bay Area venues including the Stork Club in Oakland and Toot's Tavern in Crockett, California. In an interview with Carson Daly, Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson revealed that
Butch Vig Bryan David "Butch" Vig (born August 2, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the drummer and co-producer of the alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of the diamond-selling Nirvana album '' Nev ...
would be producing Green Day's forthcoming album. The span of nearly five years between ''American Idiot'' and ''21st Century Breakdown'' was the longest gap between studio albums in Green Day's career. The band had been working on new material since January 2006. By October 2007, Armstrong had 45 songs written, but the band showed no further signs of progress until October 2008, when two videos showing the band recording in the studio with producer Butch Vig were posted on YouTube. The writing and recording process, spanning three years and four recording studios, was finally finished in April 2009. '' 21st Century Breakdown'', was released on May 15, 2009. The album received a mainly positive reception from critics, getting an average rating between 3 and 4 stars. After the release, the album reached number one in fourteen countries, being certified gold or platinum in each. ''21st Century Breakdown'' achieved Green Day's best chart performance to date. The band started playing shows in California in April and early May. These were the group's first live shows in about three years. Green Day went on a world tour that started in North America in July 2009 and continuing around the world throughout the rest of 2009 and early 2010. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010. As of December 2010, ''21st Century Breakdown'' has sold 1,005,000 copies in the US. Wal-Mart refused to carry the album as it contains a Parental Advisory sticker and requested that Green Day release a censored edition. The band members did not wish to change any lyrics on the album and responded by stating, "There's nothing dirty about our record... They want artists to censor their records in order to be carried in there. We just said no. We've never done it before. You feel like you're in 1953 or something." In 2009, the band met with award-winning director Michael Mayer and many cast and crew members of the
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
-winning musical '' Spring Awakening'' to create a stage version of the album ''American Idiot''. '' American Idiot'' opened in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre during the end of 2009. The show features an expanded story of the original album, with new characters such as Will, Extraordinary Girl, and Favorite Son. On April 20, 2010, ''American Idiot'' opened on Broadway, and Green Day released the
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...
to the musical, featuring a new song by Green Day entitled " When It's Time". In June 2010
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
released "When It's Time" as a single. During the Spike TV Video Game Awards 2009, it was announced that Green Day was set to have its own ''Rock Band'' video game titled '' Green Day: Rock Band'', as a follow-up to the last band specific ''Rock Band'' game, '' The Beatles: Rock Band''. The game features the full albums of '' Dookie'', '' American Idiot'', and '' 21st Century Breakdown'' as well as select songs from the rest of Green Day's discography. During the second leg of the 21st Century Breakdown World Tour the band members stated that they were writing new material. In an interview with ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...
'' magazine, Armstrong spoke about the possible new album: "We did some demos in Berlin, some in Stockholm, some just outside of Glasgow and some in Amsterdam. We wanted get he songsdown in some early form." The band members also stated that the group was recording a live album of the tour, featuring the previously unreleased song "Cigarettes and Valentines". In October 2010, Dirnt was interviewed by Radio W, mentioning that the group had completed the writing process of the ninth studio album. In the interview, Dirnt also mentioned that a new live album would "most likely" be released. The live CD/DVD and CD/Blu-ray entitled ''
Awesome as Fuck ''Awesome as Fuck'' (marketed as ''Awesome as F**k'', ''Awesome as ****'', or ''Awesome: Live'') is a live album by American rock band Green Day, released on March 22, 2011, by Reprise Records. The album is composed of tracks recorded during Gr ...
'' was released on March 22, 2011.


''¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!'' (2011–2014)

During the end of 2011, the band played several secret shows (under the name
Foxboro Hot Tubs Foxboro Hot Tubs is the garage rock side project of Green Day, formed in 2007.Green Day side ...
) whose setlists consisted almost entirely of previously unheard songs. Green Day entered the studio and began recording new material in February 2012, later announcing a trilogy of albums titled ''¡Uno!'', ''¡Dos!'', and ''¡Tré!'' which would be released in fall 2012. The trilogy marked longtime touring guitarist Jason White's induction as the fourth member of the band. That summer Green Day played several festivals and promotional shows including the Rock en Seine festival in France, the Rock am See festival in Germany, and the Reading Festival in the United Kingdom. ''
¡Uno! ''¡Uno!'' (stylized in all caps) is the ninth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2012, by Reprise Records. It is the first of three albums in the ''¡Uno!'', ''¡Dos!'', ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of stud ...
'', '' ¡Dos!'', and '' ¡Tré!'' were released on September 21, November 9, and December 7, 2012, respectively, and were met with generally positive reviews from critics, though fans were more lukewarm towards the albums. On January 22, 2013, the band announced that '' ¡Cuatro!'', a documentary about the making of ''¡Uno!, ¡Dos!'' and ''¡Tré!'', would premiere on January 26 in Aspen, Colorado as part of the X Games FILM showcase, and would be released on DVD April 9, 2013. Another documentary was announced called ''Broadway Idiot'' which focuses on the creation on the American Idiot musical and Armstrong's run as playing the character of St. Jimmy. On March 10, 2013, Green Day began its
99 Revolutions Tour 99 Revolutions Tour was a concert tour by American punk rock band Green Day in support of the band's trilogy, ''¡Uno!'', '' ¡Dos!'' and ''¡Tré!'', that took place in 2013. The tour was named after the song "99 Revolutions" from ''¡Tré!''. ...
to support the trilogy. In June, Green Day broke
Emirates Stadium The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. It has a current seated capacity ...
attendance record with 60,000 tickets sold. The band played ''Dookie'' from start to finish on several dates on the tour's European leg, including during the Reading Festival 2013 headline show. '' Demolicious'', a compilation album that contains alternate versions and demos of songs from ''¡Uno!'', ''¡Dos!'' and ''¡Tré!'' recorded during the studio sessions of these albums, was released on April 19, 2014, for
Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
. It also contains a previously unreleased song called "State of Shock" and an acoustic version of "Stay the Night", from ''¡Uno!''.


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and ''Revolution Radio'' (2014–2018)

Green Day performed its first concert in a year on April 16, 2015. The group first played a set as Sweet Children with John Kiffmeyer, followed by a set as Green Day. On April 18, 2015, Green Day were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...
. On April 24, 2015, Rob Cavallo revealed Green Day were recording a twelfth studio album. Cavallo claimed to have heard "five new songs that Billie has written and demoed", and that the fans should be "sure that when they do return, the music will be amazing". On December 24, 2015, Green Day released a Christmas song, " Xmas Time of the Year". On August 11, 2016, Green Day released the first single, " Bang Bang", from the group's album ''
Revolution Radio ''Revolution Radio'' is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on October 7, 2016 through Reprise Records. A self-produced effort, it marked their first release since touring guitarist Jason White returned to his origi ...
'', which was released on October 7, 2016. Likely due to his tonsil cancer diagnosis, Jason White decided to return to his role as a touring member and did not participate in the album's recording sessions. The band went on a world tour supporting the album. In November 2016, the band performed at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles and made a political statement about the then-recent US election of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
by chanting "No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA" during their rendition of "Bang Bang". Aaron Burgess at '' Alternative Press'' observed, "It's the first time in years Green Day haven't had all the answers. But as a statement on how it feels to fight, it's the closest to the truth they've ever gotten." Gwilym Mumford of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' stated " fter their last few albumsthe band have decided to get back to basics: ''Revolution Radio'' is their most focused work in years. Lead single Bang Bang sets the tone, with a caustic consideration of the fame-hungry psychosis of a mass shooter. The band released their second greatest hits compilation, '' God's Favorite Band'', on November 17, 2017. It contains 20 of their hits, along with two new tracks: a different version of the ''Revolution Radio'' track "Ordinary World", featuring country singer Miranda Lambert, and a previously unreleased song titled "Back in the USA".


''Father of All Motherfuckers'' and future (2019–present)

On April 13, 2019, for
Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
, the band released their
Woodstock 1994 Woodstock '94 was an American music festival held in 1994 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival of 1969. It was promoted as "2 More Days of Peace and Music". The poster used to promote the first concert was ...
performance on vinyl for the first time. It contains all 9 songs they played live, as well as audio of the ensuing mud fight. On September 10, 2019, the band announced the Hella Mega Tour with
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...
and
Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing ...
as headliners alongside themselves, with
The Interrupters ''The Interrupters'' is a 2011 documentary film, produced by Kartemquin Films, that tells the story of three violence interrupters who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed. It examines a year in which C ...
as the opening act. They also released the single, " Father of All..." off their thirteenth album, ''
Father of All Motherfuckers ''Father of All Motherfuckers'' (also known by the censored title ''Father of All...'' or ''Father of All M***********s'', and frequently abbreviated as ''FOAMF'') is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on Februa ...
''. The same day, in an interview with KROQ, Armstrong announced the band would be parting ways with Reprise after the album's release, as they were off their contract with Warner. On September 30, 2019, Green Day signed a two-year agreement with the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL). The album's second single, "Fire, Ready, Aim", was released on October 9, 2019. The album's third single, " Oh Yeah!", was released on January 16, 2020. The album was released on February 7, 2020. The album's fourth single, "Meet Me on the Roof", was released on the same day as the album. On April 6, 2020, Armstrong revealed that he had written six songs intending to record new music with the band once the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
had passed. On May 21, 2020, the band released a cover of Blondie's " Dreaming". On October 30, 2020, the band's secret side project,
The Network The Network was an American six-piece new wave band. they released their debut album '' Money Money 2020'' on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. After a 15-year hiatus, the band became active again in 2020, releasing a follow-up album tit ...
, teased upcoming activity with a video entitled "The Prophecy" and mentioned their upcoming sequel album. Then on November 2, 2020, the Network released a music video for their first song in 17 years, named "Ivankkka Is a Nazi". After a couple of weeks of small hints on social media, as well as Green Day claiming they were not The Network, the band released an EP on November 20, 2020, titled ''Trans Am''. On December 4, 2020, The Network released their second album '' Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So!''. In February 2021, Green Day announced a single, titled "Here Comes the Shock", which was later released on February 21, 2021. The band would release a remastered version of ''Insomniac'' in March for the belated 25th anniversary of the album's release, with bonus live tracks. On May 17, 2021, Green Day released the single "Pollyanna". Following this, on November 5, 2021, the band released the single "Holy Toledo!". ''BBC Sessions'', the fourth live album by Green Day, was released on December 10, 2021. Eight days later, they put out a teaser video with the captions "RAK Studios. London, England. Green Day. 1972". On October 26, 2022, Green Day was announced as a headliner for the fifth annual Innings Festival in Arizona.


Musical style and influences

Green Day's sound is often compared to first wave American and British punk rock bands such as the Ramones, Sex Pistols,
The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...
, The Dickies, and Buzzcocks. Stylistically, several publications have characterized as punk rock, skate punk,
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
, and
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, an ...
. Critics have disputed the qualification of the band as power pop. The band has casually explored other musical styles including
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
and
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
with ''21st Century Breakdown'', and garage rock on ''¡Dos!'' and ''Father of All..''.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...
of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
described Green Day as " punk revivalists who recharged the energy of speedy, catchy three-chord punk-pop songs." Among the labels of the band by critics, members Billie Joe Armstrong and Tre Cool have stated in interviews with '' Livewire'' and ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...
'' that Green Day is just a punk rock band. While Armstrong is the band's primary songwriter, he looks to the other band members for organizational help. Billie Joe Armstrong has mentioned that some of his biggest influences are seminal
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
Hüsker Dü and the Replacements, and that their influence is particularly noted in the band's chord changes in songs. Green Day has covered Hüsker Dü's " Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" as a B-side to the "Warning" single, and the character "Mr. Whirly" in the group's song "Misery" is a reference to the Replacements song of the same name. Among other influences, Green Day have also cited power pop/hard rock bands the Kinks,
the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
, and
Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen a ...
." English rock musician Noel Gallagher of Oasis complained about the band semi-jokingly, claiming that the band had ripped off his song " Wonderwall" with its song " Boulevard of Broken Dreams". Green Day has cited Operation Ivy as a big influence. In August 1996, Billie Joe Armstrong told '' Guitar World'' he "can remember a few different instances" of when he first discovered punk rock: "There were these two guys who introduced me to things like D.O.A. and the
Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing ...
. Then, in the seventh grade, there was a girl at school who would bring in records like T.S.O.L. and say, 'Here, listen to this.'" Armstrong said he thinks he "really started getting into" punk rock "in 1987 with '' Turn It Around!'', a double seven-inch compilation record put out by unk fanzine'' Maximumrocknroll''." Armstrong cited ''Turn It Around!'' as an influence, calling it "a pretty big record" for him. Armstrong would cite fellow East Bay punk bands Operation Ivy and
Crimpshrine Crimpshrine was an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California. The group was formed in 1982 by Aaron Cometbus, founder of the seminal punk rock zine ''Cometbus'', and future Operation Ivy vocalist Jesse Michaels. They grew out of the East ...
as influences. Tré Cool as stated that the band is influenced by music that they didn't like, he stated artists like Hall & Oates, Cyndi Lauper and other 1980s music. Although Green Day has been compared to the Buzzcocks, the Ramones and the Clash, Mike Dirnt said he had never heard the Buzzcocks when Green Day began. Dirnt said: "First off, you can't sound like any of those bands. And secondly, those are probably the last ones in my record collection." Armstrong responded to Dirnt, saying: "Mine too. Those are all bands I got into later." The Dickies is another band Green Day has been compared to. Dirnt said he "never owned a Dickies album, although" he "did see" the Dickies live "around the time of" ''Kerplunk!''. Dirnt said "by that time, we'd played so many shows it had no bearing." Armstrong referred to the Dickies as "just another Ramones rip-off". Although in August 1996, Armstrong said bands like the Ramones are bands he listened to later, in June 2010, Armstrong cited the Ramones as an influence. He also said his "range of favorite songwriters goes anywhere from the Sex Pistols to Lennon–McCartney. During the '' American Idiot'' and '' 21st Century Breakdown'' era of Green Day, the band was influenced by The Who, U2, Motown albums, and musicals such as '' Grease''.


Legacy

The band's 1991 album ''Kerplunk'' is one of the best-selling independent albums of all time, selling over 4.5 million copies worldwide. It was also listed in 100 greatest indie albums by Blender in 2007. Green Day is credited (alongside Bad Religion, The Offspring, Social Distortion, and Rancid) with popularizing mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States, particularly with the album '' Dookie'', which was cited by
Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...
as the most important pop-punk album of all time, the best alternative album of 1994 by ''Rolling Stone'', and as one of the best punk rock albums of all time by ''Rolling Stone'', ''Kerrang!'', ''Revolver'', and ''LA Weekly''. It was also placed on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "Definitive 200" list of 200 classic albums. Both ''Dookie'' and ''American Idiot'' appeared on ''Rolling Stone''s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2011, they were voted best punk rock band of all time by ''Rolling Stone''. Diffuser.fm listed ''Dookie'' as the greatest album of the 90s. Green Day has sold more than 90 million records worldwide making them one of the highest-selling artists of all time. The group has been nominated for 20 Grammy awards and has won five of them with Best Alternative Album for '' Dookie'', Best Rock Album for '' American Idiot'' and '' 21st Century Breakdown'', Record of the Year for " Boulevard of Broken Dreams", and
Best Musical Show Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more pla ...
for '' American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording''. In 2010, a stage adaptation of ''American Idiot'' debuted on Broadway. The musical was nominated for three Tony Awards: The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2015, their first year of eligibility. The band has been cited as an influence by a variety of artists, including Avril Lavigne,
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...
, Blink-182,
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
, Wavves, Fidlar, Tegan and Sara,
Bowling for Soup Bowling for Soup (abbreviated as BFS) is an American rock band formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994. The band consists of Jaret Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Burney (guitar, backing vocals), Gary Wiseman (drums, percussion, backing voc ...
and Sum 41.


Related projects

Since 1991, members of the band have branched out past Green Day, starting other projects with various musicians. Notable projects related to Green Day include Billie Joe Armstrong's Pinhead Gunpowder with Jason White and
The Longshot ''The Longshot'' is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Tim Conway. Plot Four friends enjoy betting on horses at the race track. Someone tells them that he's got something to give his horse to make it run faster, an ...
with Jeff Matika,
The Frustrators The Frustrators are an American punk rock band with Jason Chandler (lead vocals), Terry Linehan (guitar, vocals), Art Tedeschi (drums), and Mike Dirnt (bass, vocals). All are members of other bands, Terry Linehan from Waterdog, Jason Chandler a ...
with Mike Dirnt, and
The Network The Network was an American six-piece new wave band. they released their debut album '' Money Money 2020'' on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. After a 15-year hiatus, the band became active again in 2020, releasing a follow-up album tit ...
, a collaboration between Green Day and friends in which all members play under fake stage names. Green Day has also released an album titled '' Stop Drop and Roll!!!'' on May 20, 2008, under the name
Foxboro Hot Tubs Foxboro Hot Tubs is the garage rock side project of Green Day, formed in 2007.Green Day side ...
, which the band uses to book secret shows. In late December 2011, Armstrong formed a family band called The Boo which recorded a one-off Christmas record for their friends and family making a few copies available in a local store. Since January 2018, Armstrong, Dirnt and White have played in the band
The Coverups The Coverups is an American cover band that serves as a side project for Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt. Founded in January 2018 as an outlet for performing cover songs, the band consists of guitarists Armstrong and Dirnt ...
along with Green Day audio engineer Chris Dugan and tour manager Bill Schneider. The band sporadically performs one-off shows, usually in small clubs, and cover the songs of classic rock and alternative rock bands such as
Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen a ...
, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,
The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...
, and
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
. In September 2006, Green Day collaborated with U2 and producer Rick Rubin to record a cover of the song " The Saints Are Coming", originally recorded by the
Skids __NOTOC__ Skid or Skids may refer to: * Skid, a type of pallet * Skid (aerodynamics), an outward side-slip in an aircraft turn * Skid (automobile), an automobile handling condition where one or more tires are slipping relative to the road * Skid ...
, with an accompanying video. The song was recorded to benefit Music Rising, an organization to help raise money for musicians' instruments lost during
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, and to bring awareness on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the disaster. In December 2006, Green Day and NRDC opened a web site in partnership to raise awareness on America's dependency on oil. Green Day released a cover of the
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
song "
Working Class Hero "Working Class Hero" is a song by John Lennon from his 1970 album ''John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band'', his first album after the break-up of the Beatles. Theme Stridently political, the song is a commentary on the difference between social class ...
", which was featured on the album '' Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur''. The band performed the song on the season finale of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...
''. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008 but lost to The White Stripes' " Icky Thump". That summer, the band appeared in a cameo role in '' The Simpsons Movie'', where the band performs the show's theme song; Green Day's version was released as a single on July 23, 2007. In 2009, the band collaborated with theater director Michael Mayer to adapt the group's rock opera ''American Idiot'' into a one-act stage musical that premiered at the Berkeley Rep on September 15, 2009. The show then moved to Broadway on April 20, 2010. The reviews of ''American Idiot: The Musical'' have been positive to mixed. Charles Isherwood of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote an enthusiastic review for the Broadway production. He called the show "a pulsating portrait of wasted youth that invokes all the standard genre conventions ... only to transcend them through the power of its music and the artistry of its execution, the show is as invigorating and ultimately as moving as anything I've seen on Broadway this season. Or maybe for a few seasons past." Jed Gottlieb of the ''
Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Puli ...
'' enjoyed the premise of the show but found that "the music and message suffer in a setting where the audience is politely, soberly seated". Michael Kuchiwara of the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
found the show to be "visually striking ndmusically adventurous", but noted that "the show has the barest wisp of a story and minimal character development". Paul Kolnik in ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' enjoyed the contradiction that Green Day's "massively popular, starkly disenchanted album ... would be the feel-good musical of the season". ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine's Richard Zoglin opined that the score "is as pure a specimen of contemporary punk rock as Broadway has yet encountered, etthere's enough variety. ... Where the show falls short is as a fully developed narrative." He concluded that "''American Idiot'', despite its earnest huffing and puffing, remains little more than an annotated rock concert. ... Still, tdeserves at least two cheers—for its irresistible musical energy and for opening fresh vistas for that odd couple, rock and Broadway." Peter Travers from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', in his review of ''American Idiot'', wrote "Though ''American Idiot'' carries echoes of such rock musicals as '' Tommy'', '' Hair'', ''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
'' and '' Spring Awakening'', it cuts its own path to the heart. You won't know what hit you. ''American Idiot'' knows no limits—it's a global knockout." The musical has been nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Scenic Design. It was also nominated for several Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards. In October 2009, a Green Day art project was exhibited at StolenSpace Gallery in London. The exhibition showed artworks created for each of the songs on ''21st Century Breakdown'', was supported by the band, and led by the group's manager Pat Magnarella. He explained in an interview that " rtists arebasically like rock bands. Most are creating their art, but don't know how to promote it." For Billie Joe Armstrong, "Many of the artists... show their work on the street, and we feel a strong connection to that type of creative expression." On April 13, 2011, a film version of '' American Idiot'' was confirmed. Michael Mayer, director of the Broadway musical, will be directing the film. It will be produced by Green Day, Pat Magnarella (Green Day's manager who also produced '' Bullet in a Bible'', ''
Awesome as Fuck ''Awesome as Fuck'' (marketed as ''Awesome as F**k'', ''Awesome as ****'', or ''Awesome: Live'') is a live album by American rock band Green Day, released on March 22, 2011, by Reprise Records. The album is composed of tracks recorded during Gr ...
'', and '' Heart Like a Hand Grenade''), Playtone ( Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman) and Tom Hulce. However, in February 2020, Billie Joe Armstrong revealed to ''NME'' that plans for a film adaptation of the stage musical had been "pretty much scrapped", without providing any more details as to the reason. On January 23, 2013, it was announced that a documentary showing Armstrong's journey from punk rock to Broadway was to be released. Called ''Broadway Idiot'' and showing a lot of behind-the-scenes of the ''American Idiot'' musical production, the movie was directed by Doug Hamilton, veteran television journalist for
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the '' CBS Evening News'', '' CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 4 ...
' '' 60 Minutes'' and PBS documentaries such as '' Nova'', ''
Frontline Front line refers to the forward-most forces on a battlefield. Front line, front lines or variants may also refer to: Books and publications * ''Front Lines'' (novel), young adult historical novel by American author Michael Grant * ''Frontlines ...
'' and '' American Masters''. A trailer was released on January 30, 2013. The documentary premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 15, 2013. Green Day served as executive producers of '' Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk'' (2017), an extensive documentary film about the San Francisco Bay area punk scene from the late 1970s to the 1990s.


Controversies

Green Day has generated controversy over whether their musical style and major-label status constitutes "true punk". In reaction to both the style of music and the background of the band, John Lydon, former frontman of the 1970s punk band the Sex Pistols commented, "So there we are fending off all that and it pisses me off that years later a wank outfit like Green Day hop in and nick all that and attach it to themselves. They didn't earn their wings to do that and if they were true punk they wouldn't look anything like they do." However, others in the punk rock scene would come to the defense of the band on their punk status. Bad Religion lead guitarist Brett Gurewitz and founder of the independent punk label Epitaph Records would state, "They reen Dayare a punk band, but you know, punk is the legacy of
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
, and Green Day are the biggest band in the genre." Armstrong has discussed the group's status of being a punk band on a major record label, saying, "Sometimes I think we've become redundant because we're this big band now; we've made a lot of money—we're not punk rock anymore. But then I think about it and just say, 'You can take us out of a punk rock environment, but you can't take the punk rock out of us.'" In 2021, Armstrong condemned the band's labeling as "pop-punk" by critics in a Vulture magazine interview, stating, "I never really liked that term (pop punk), it turned into sort of a genre. I never thought of myself as a pop artist. I’ve always been left of center. To say you're a pop-punker … it never sat well with me." Armstrong acknowledged the band's more melodic punk style compared to other bands from the Bay Area scene it emerged from, but also brought up the band's performance alongside East Bay hardcore bands like Neurosis, Engage, Spitboy, Blatz, and Filth. On September 21, 2012, while Green Day was performing at the iHeartRadio music festival, Armstrong stopped while performing " Basket Case", because he believed the group's time was being shortened, possibly to extend R&B artist Usher's performance. Angered, Armstrong began ranting while a screen in the rear of the audience was labeled "1 Minutes Left", saying "You're gonna give me one fucking minute? You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" He also told the crowd he "was not
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
" and labeled the festival as a "joke". When the screen went blank, Armstrong smashed his guitar, while bassist Mike Dirnt smashed his bass. Armstrong then gave the finger, and declared that Green Day would be back before throwing his microphone down and walking off the stage. Two days later, the band's representative apologized for the incident on the group's behalf stating that "Green Day would like everyone to know that their set was not cut short by Clear Channel and to apologize to those they offended at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas" also adding that Armstrong would be headed to rehab, for abuse of alcohol and prescription pills. However, Dirnt would later say in an interview with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' that he agreed with what Armstrong meant by his rant. The band later made amends with the company and played an album release party for their 2016 release, ''Revolution Radio''. They also returned to the festival in 2019 supporting the album ''Father of All Motherfuckers''. On July 7, 2017, about 20 minutes before Green Day headlined Mad Cool, a festival in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, an acrobat fell about from a cage above the stage and died. Some fans were upset at the band and festival organizers for continuing the show, which was attended by about 35,000 people. On their website, Armstrong said the band did not know about the accident before their set, and likely would not have played if they had.


Band members

Current members * Billie Joe Armstrong – lead vocals, guitars (1987–present); keyboards, harmonica (2000–present) * Mike Dirnt – bass (1988–present); backing vocals (1987–present); guitars (1987–1988) * Tré Cool – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1990–present) Current touring musicians *
Jason Freese Jason Freese is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. As a professional studio musician he has performed on over 50 albums, including for artists Green Day, Dr. Dre, Pitbull, Avenged Sevenfold, Goo Goo Dolls, and Jewel. He is the ...
 – keyboards, saxophone, trombone, backing vocals (2004–present) * Jason White – guitars, backing vocals (1999–2012, 2016–present; official member 2012–2016) * Kevin Preston – guitars, backing vocals (2019–present) Former members * Raj Punjabi – drums, backing vocals (1987) * Sean Hughes – bass (1987–1988) * John Kiffmeyer – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1987–1990; one-off guest appearance in 2015) Former touring musicians *
Aaron Cometbus Aaron Elliott (born May 20, 1968), better known as Aaron Cometbus, is an American musician, songwriter, roadie, and magazine editor, best known as the creator of the punk zine ''Cometbus''. Career Born in Berkeley, California, Cometbus started ...
 – drums, backing vocals (1990) * Dave "E.C." Henwood – drums, backing vocals (1990) * Garth Schultz – trombone, trumpet (1997–1999) * Gabrial McNair – trombone, saxophone (1999–2001) * Kurt Lohmiller – trumpet, percussion (1999–2004) * Mike Pelino – guitars, backing vocals (2004–2005) *
Ronnie Blake Ron Francis Blake (born May 23, 1972) is a trumpeter from Los Angeles. He has recorded and performed alongside numerous artists such as Elton John, Aaliyah, Ben Harper, Dr. Dre, and Ziggy Marley. Blake also played with Green Day on their '' America ...
 – trumpet, backing vocals, percussion (2004–2005) * Bobby Schneck – guitars, backing vocals (2004–2005) * Jeff Matika – guitars, backing vocals (2009–2019) Timeline


Awards and nominations

Green Day has earned 214 award nominations and 92 wins.


Discography

Studio albums * ''
39/Smooth ''39/Smooth'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on April 13, 1990, by Lookout Records. It was the band's only album to feature second drummer John Kiffmeyer. Jesse Michaels of Operation Ivy contributed the a ...
'' (1990) * '' Kerplunk'' (1991) * '' Dookie'' (1994) * '' Insomniac'' (1995) * ''
Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...
'' (1997) * '' Warning'' (2000) * '' American Idiot'' (2004) * '' 21st Century Breakdown'' (2009) * ''
¡Uno! ''¡Uno!'' (stylized in all caps) is the ninth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2012, by Reprise Records. It is the first of three albums in the ''¡Uno!'', ''¡Dos!'', ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of stud ...
'' (2012) * '' ¡Dos!'' (2012) * '' ¡Tré!'' (2012) * ''
Revolution Radio ''Revolution Radio'' is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on October 7, 2016 through Reprise Records. A self-produced effort, it marked their first release since touring guitarist Jason White returned to his origi ...
'' (2016) * ''
Father of All Motherfuckers ''Father of All Motherfuckers'' (also known by the censored title ''Father of All...'' or ''Father of All M***********s'', and frequently abbreviated as ''FOAMF'') is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on Februa ...
'' (2020)


See also

*'' Green Day: Rock Band'' * Green Day related projects * List of best-selling albums in the United States


References


Further reading

* * *Spitz, Marc. ''Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day''. New York: Hyperion, 2006.
The Green Day Story
(Broadcast on Radio 1 Mon June 20, 2005) (Alternat
Link
(rpm. file))


External links

* * {{Authority control 1987 establishments in California Adeline Records artists Alternative rock groups from California Brit Award winners Grammy Award winners Kerrang! Awards winners Musical groups established in 1987 Musical groups from Berkeley, California Musical quartets American musical trios Pop punk groups from California Punk rock groups from California Reprise Records artists Warner Music Group artists Juno Award for International Album of the Year winners Skate punk groups American power pop groups American punk rock groups