Back in the early ‘90s, when Lollapalooza and MTV’s 120 Minutes were the barometers of cool, you would have been excused for laughing if someone told you that Green Day would be one of a handful of bands of that era to stay relevant for two decades and would also get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
But the band who got famous for singing about being bored and stoned exceeded all expectations through soul, ambition, and sheer songwriting chops. They started out as an indie-label punk band, but their songs were just so catchy… and they were signed during the post-Nirvana rush, when major labels were looking to sign anyone credible and moderately popular on indie labels. Unlike a lot of those bands, Green Day transcended the era. 1994’s Dookie — with the help of an opening slot on Lollapalooza, an iconic and muddy set at Woodstock ’94 and a fistful of unforgettable tunes that MTV and radio couldn’t get enough of — made them one of the biggest bands of the alternative rock era.
Towards the end of the ’90s, as the Lollapalooza bands started to fade as TRL and nu-metal gained influence, Green Day’s album and ticket sales (like many of their peers) went down. But 2004’s American Idiot was one of the most surprising comebacks of all time. The album was both lyrically and musically more ambitious than anything they’d done before, it saw them diving into politics… which no one expected from Green Day. It was a big swing and they knocked it out of the park: it was their first #1 album, sold over six million copies in America and saw them headlining stadiums. They haven’t quite reached that peak on their subsequent albums, but they remain a huge concert draw, headlining stadiums and festival shows.
We ranked their best songs from their days on indie label Lookout! Records through the new tracks, including radio hits, deeper cuts and even a few things from their side-projects. What’d we miss?
40. “Brutal Love” from ‘TRE’ (2012)
ShareIt’s so close to “Bring It On Home To Me” that Green Day share a writing credit with the late Sam Cooke. Hey, if you’re going to “borrow,” borrow from the best. It’s one of the best songs from the ‘UNO’/’DOS’/’TRE’ era, which would have benefitted from some editing. The highlights would have made a solid album.
39. “East Jesus Nowhere” from ‘21st Century Breakdown’ (2009)
ShareThe title came from a line in the 2007 film ‘Juno’ (when Juno’s step-mom asks her, “Why would you drive all the way to East Jesus Nowhere?”) and inspired by Bill Maher’s 2008 anti-religion documentary ‘Religulous.’ The lyrics include, "I wanna know who's allowed to breed All the dogs who never learned to read Missionary politicians And the cops of the new religion!"
38. Green Day and the Cast of ‘American Idiot’ – “21 Guns” (2010)
ShareThe idea of a Broadway musical based on Green Day’s songs was a bit ridiculous. This was a punk rock trio that toured in a van for years. But the Green Day of the 2000s was nothing if not ambitious. Billie Joe cited musicals (like 'West Side Story') as an influence on 'American Idiot.' Some of the parts of the Broadway show really worked, including this song. But it was even better when the cast of the show and Green Day recorded this new version together.
37. “Troubled Times” from ‘Revolution Radio’ (2016)
ShareOne of the highlights of the underrated ‘Revolution Radio’ album, the song marked something of a return to politically-charged songs. Some might have gotten bummed out by lyrics like "What good is love and peace on Earth When it's exclusive? Where's the truth in the written word If no one reads it?" But, hey, Armstrong had grown up and he wasn't wrong: we were living in troubled times.
36. The Network – “Roshambo” from ‘Money Money 2020’ (2004)
ShareWho were the Network? Their lineup included singer/guitarist Fink, singer/bassist Van Gough and a drummer known only as The Snoo, and they suspiciously talked an awful lot of smack about Green Day. The band also -- allegedly -- included members of Devo (you can hear them on another song, “Hungry Hungry Models”).
35. “See The Light” from ‘21st Century Breakdown’ (2009)
ShareIt’s nearly as great of an album closer as “Whatsername” from ‘American Idiot,” and is another underrated Green Day song. The song starts with the same chords as the album's opening track, "21st Century Breakdown." And it has a bit of hopeful vibe: " just want to see the light And I need to know what's worth the fight," feels a bit optimistic.
34. “Kill The DJ” from ‘UNO’ (2012)
ShareFirst off: we do not endorse the message in this song’s title! The Clash was always a big influence on Green Day, but it tended to be the band’s ‘70s output. Here, Green Day seems under the influence of the Clash’s sprawling 1980 triple album, ‘Sandinista!’ And like ‘Sandinista!,’ the ‘UNO’/’DOS’/’TRE’ trilogy would have benefitted from some editing.
33. “Father Of All…” from ‘Father Of All…’ (2020)
ShareHow many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bands still make records where they are experimenting? How many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bands still make albums where they sound like they have something to prove? This first taste of the new album shows that the band still think they have something to prove.
32. “Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?” from ‘Kerplunk!’ (1992)
ShareA gem from the band’s Lookout Records era, this is a tribute to the main character in J.D. Salinger’s ‘The Catcher In The Rye.’ Holden Caufield was a angry but painfully honest young guy with no tolerance for phoniness. You could see how Armstrong - and the band's fans - could relate to that.
31. “Working Class Hero” from ‘Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur’ (2007)
ShareOne of John Lennon’s most lyrically heavy songs, by 2007, Green Day had earned the respect and gravitas to be able to do the song justice. And it does get dark: Lennon wrote, "They hurt you at home and they hit you at school They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool/ 'Til you're so f---ing crazy you can't follow their rules/ A working class hero is something to be." A sadly timeless song, it has also been covered by Ozzy Osbourne and David Bowie (with his band, Tin Machine).
30. “Brain Stew”/”Jaded” from ‘Insomniac’ (1995)
ShareBillie Joe, Mike and Tre seem to be having a blast with a huge hard rock riff for “Brain Stew,” before returning to punk form for “Jaded.” It’s the perfect combonation for the arenas that they were now headlining. Even though they are two separate songs, they are inseperable, kind of like Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker"/"Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)" or side two of the Beatles' 'Abbey Road.'
29. “2000 Light Years Away” from ‘Kerplunk!’ (1992)
ShareOne of the best songs from their Lookout Records era, it shows Billie Joe Armstrong’s romantic streak: “I sit alone in my bedroom/Staring at the walls/I've been up all damn night long/My pulse is speeding/My love is yearning.”
28. “King For A Day” from ‘Nimrod’ (1997)
ShareA rocking acoustic shuffle with a horn section, this song kind of fit in with the ska music that was dominating the airwaves. Billie Joe Armstrong told Billboard, “It would be funny for a bunch of macho fraternity guys to be singing along and, little do they know, the song's about being in drag." Maybe they were dunkiing on "frat guys" here but when they play it live, they often go into classic frat house anthem "Shout" by the Isley Brothers.
27. “Horseshoes And Handgrenades” from ‘21st Century Breakdown’ (2009)
ShareSounding like an outtake from Green Day’s garage rock side-project the Foxboro Hot Tubs (more on that later), Billie Joe Armstrong introduces the song by roaring, “I’m not f---ing around!” And he wasn’t. They drop another classic reference here, when Armstrong yells "G-L-O-R-I-A!" at the end of the song: that's from "Gloria," by Them (a '60s garage rock band, Van Morrison was their singer). This is another one that should have been a hit.
26. U2 + Green Day – “The Saints Are Coming” (2006)
ShareOne of the few covers on this list, this song from 1979 was originally by the Scottish punk rock band the Skids (who probably would not have imagined that a quarter-century later, two of the biggest bands would cover the song and perform it at an NFL game; they performed at the first post-Katrina Saints game.
25. “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” from ‘American Idiot’ (2004)
ShareNoel Gallagher of Oasis was a bit annoyed about this song, believing that Green Day ripped off “Wonderwall.” “They should have the decency to wait until I am dead [before stealing my songs]” he complained. “I, at least, pay the people I steal from that courtesy.” He should have taken the compliment and moved on. It's one of the first great Green Day power ballads.
24. “Nice Guys Finish Last” from ‘Nimrod’ (1997)
ShareThe song is great, and so is the video, which poked fun at football. Ironically, years later in 2006, Green Day would perform at the New Orleans Superdome with U2 before a Saints/Falcons game. Green Day often seems to be a "walking contradiction," playing to huge crowds while still being outcast punks at heart. As Armstrong sings, "When you are the outcast/Don't pat yourself on the back/You might break your spine!"
23. “J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)” from the ‘Angus’ soundtrack (1995)
ShareSomehow this song didn’t make it to ‘Dookie,’ but that didn’t matter. Green Day were so hot at the time and this song was so great it went to number one on Billboard’s Modern Rock charts. And it deserved to stand on its own from the ‘Dookie’ songs anyway - it was a tribute to Mike Dirnt’s friend Jason Andrew Relva, who died in 1992 from injuries suffered in a car accident.
22. “Coming Clean” from ‘Dookie’ (1994)
ShareOne of the first rock songs to address an LGBT person’s coming out, the lyrics “Secrets collecting dust but never forget/Skeletons come to life in my closet/I found out what it takes to be a man/Now mom and dad will never understand/What's happening to me” were revolutionary. Armstrong has long been an ally to the LGBT community.
21. “Warning” from ‘Warning’ (2000)
ShareWe always knew that Green Day were big Kinks fans, but it didn’t usually get this obvious. Listen to this song and “Picture Book” back to back. That’s not a knock; this song was an amazing kickoff to their 2000 album, and it showed that they could be just as badass strumming acoustic guitars as they were bashing electric ones.
20. “Pulling Teeth” from ‘Dookie’ (1994)
ShareWe’ll hand the mic -- or the keyboard -- to Corey Taylor here. Yes, Corey Taylor of Slipknot. On his solo acoustic tour, he noted that he’s such a big Green Day fan that if *you* aren’t a fan, you can’t be friends with him. And this is his favorite song from ‘Dookie.’ If you haven’t listened to this jam in a while, give it a spin and then explain to us how it wasn’t a huge hit.
19. “Armatage Shanks” from ‘Insomniac’ (1995)
ShareThe leadoff track on “Insomniac.’ It showed fans that, despite selling millions of ‘Dookies,’ the band hadn’t let success get to their head. They could play arenas, but still go toe to toe with any of the young bands playing the Warped Tour.
18. “Whatsername” from ‘American Idiot’ (2004)
ShareMost of Green Day’s best songs have ended up on the radio, but somehow this one didn’t. Was Green Day thinking of bringing ‘American Idiot’ to Broadway even in 2004? If you saw the stage production, you know that this song was the perfect high-energy ending to the show. But Green Day’s own version is the definitive version.
17. “When I Come Around” from ‘Dookie’ (1994)
ShareGreen Day strayed from the punk rock formula often over the years, but this is one of the first examples of it; “When I Come Around” was a perfect bit of pop-rock, and was irresistible even to those who don’t care about punk rock.
16. “Hitchin’ A Ride” from ‘Nimrod’ (1997)
ShareOne of the highlights of their concerts, the song’s subject matter -- alcohol dependency -- is dark. “Troubled times/You know I cannot lie/I'm off the wagon and I'm hitchin' a ride.”
15. “She” from ‘Dookie” (1994)
Share“Scream at me until my ears bleed/I'm taking heed just for you” was a line that Billie Joe Armstrong wrote for a girlfriend, and it showed a sensitivity that made him stand out from his peers. So did feminist lines like “She's figured out/All her doubts were someone else's point of view/Waking up this time to smash the silence with the brick of self-control.”
14. “Geek Stink Breath” from “Insomniac’ (1995)
ShareThe first single from the follow-up to ‘Dookie’ showed that the band weren’t changing direction too much (at least, not yet).
13. “Welcome To Paradise” from ‘Dookie’ (1994)
ShareThey recorded an earlier version of the song for 1992’s ‘Kerplunk!,’ but the ‘Dookie’ version is better. The song, about moving out of your parents’ home… something ‘Dookie’ certainly enabled all the guys in the band to do.
12. Foxboro Hot Tubs – “Stop Drop and Roll” from ‘Stop Drop and Roll!!!” (2008)
ShareIf you’re not familiar with Foxboro Hot Tubs, stop what you’re doing and get a copy of their album, it’s some of the best, and most fun, garage rock that you’ll ever hear. After ‘American Idiot,’ Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool decided to have some fun, and they formed a new band. Their 12-song album (their only one so far) lasts just 30 minutes, and all of those minutes are perfection.
11. “Wake Me Up When September Ends” from ‘American Idiot’ (2004)
ShareWhen they started out in punk rock clubs, a full-on power ballad like this might not have gone over too well. By 2004, punk rock’s stringent rules weren’t as important, thankfully.
10. “Know Your Enemy” from ‘21st Century Breakdown” (2009)
ShareBy the 2000s, few current rock bands were addressing politics, but “Know Your Enemy” seemed like the perfect blend of Rage Against The Machine and the Ramones, two bands who were sadly long gone by then.
9. “16” from ‘1,039/Smooth’(1990)
ShareIn which Billie Joe Armstrong perfectly captures the angst of a teenager who thinks too much. “Every night I dream the same dream,” he yelped. “Of getting older and older all the time.” The song boasts one of Mike Dirnt’s funkiest basslines.
8. “Minority” from ‘Warning’ (2000)
ShareBy 2000, MTV’s accursed ‘TRL’ was steering pop culture from alternative rock to nu metal, boy bands and Britney. Green Day wanted no part of it, and they let us know on this acoustic rocker: “Stepped out of the line/Like a sheep runs from the herd/Marching out of time/To my own beat now,” indeed.
7. “21st Century Breakdown” from ‘21st Century Breakdown’ (2009)
Share‘American Idiot’ (and ‘Warning’ before that) showed Green Day’s fans that they were stretching out musically; still, it was surprising to hear the piano intro that introduces this song. But very quickly, the title track of their 2009 opus moves into the operatic punk rock road that they started traveling on with ‘American Idiot.’ At this point, they were equally influenced by the Ramones *and* Queen.
6. “Holiday” from ‘American Idiot’ (2004)
Share‘American Idiot’ was musically and thematically more ambitious than anything than Green Day had attempted up to this point, but “Holiday” showed that they could still knock out great, simple punk rock jams.
5. “Walking Contradiction” from ‘Insomniac’ (1995)
ShareWhat do you do when you come from the punk rock underground and you suddenly realize that you’re a millionaire? That’s something that Billie Joe Armstrong seemed to struggle with early on, and you can hear him working it out here.
4. “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” from ‘Nimrod’ (1997)
ShareWould a goofy bunch of guys like Green Day ever be able to grow up? This acoustic ballad -- which was really a Billie Joe Armstrong solo song -- showed that the band’s singer/songwriter had more range than he’d been given credit for. This was a Green Day song that you could impress your parents with.
3. “Basket Case” from ‘Dookie’ (1994)
ShareThe second of three #1 modern rock radio singles from ‘Dookie,’ (the first was “Longview,” the third was “When I Come Around”), it was a fun song about going crazy.
2. “Longview” from ‘Dookie’ (1994)
ShareGreen Day had been around for five years by the time they *cough* dropped ‘Dookie,’ but this is the song and video that brought them into the homes and hearts of America. Like their peers from the north in Seattle, Green Day had their share of angst. But unlike those guys, they actually had some fun with it.
1. “American Idiot” from ‘American Idiot’ (2004)
ShareThis song, and the album that it came from, are probably why Green Day became one of the first bands of their generation to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Like a lot of their ‘90s peers, their cultural cache was slipping by 2000s. “American Idiot,” the leadoff track and first single from the album of the same name, showed an older, angrier and more ambitious Green Day, and the album was so strong, it catapulted them to the pop charts and stadium headlining status.
