Green Day (music group)
Green Day is an influential American punk rock band that emerged in the early 1990s, gaining widespread fame with their 1994 album, *Dookie*, which sold over fifteen million copies and won a Grammy Award. The band, formed in Rodeo, California, by childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt, began as Sweet Children before rebranding as Green Day in 1989. Their music played a crucial role in reviving punk rock in the United States, particularly through their energetic performances and catchy melodies.
With significant albums like *American Idiot* (2004), which was later adapted into a Broadway musical, Green Day tackled political themes and showcased their evolution as artists. Despite facing ups and downs over their more than thirty-year career, including a public struggle for Armstrong, the band continued to produce music and tour into the 2020s. They have released multiple albums, including *21st Century Breakdown* (2009) and *Revolution Radio* (2016), reflecting their ongoing engagement with socio-political issues. Green Day was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, solidifying their legacy in the music industry. Their most recent album, *Saviors*, is set to release in 2024.
Green Day (music group)
Green Day is an American punk rock band. The band exploded onto the music scene in 1994 at a time when grunge rock and alternative music was waning in popularity. Its third album, Dookie, sold more than fifteen million copies worldwide and won Green Day legions of fans and a Grammy Award. Green Day is credited with helping punk rock music regain popularity in America. Its 2004 album American Idiot was adapted into a Broadway show. After a few ups and downs in its thirty-plus-year career, Green Day continued to release music and perform into the 2020s.
Background
Friends Billie Joe Armstrong, a guitarist and vocalist, and Mike Dirnt (also known as Mike Pritchard), a bassist, had been playing and performing music since they were children. They formed the band Sweet Children in Rodeo, California, when they were just fourteen years old. They later added Al Sobrante (also known as John Kiffmeyer), a drummer, and changed the name of the band to Green Day in 1989. The band released its first EP (extended play), 1,000 Hours, that same year with the punk label Lookout. It then recorded its first full-length album, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, and released two more EPs.
Sobrante left the band right after this time and was replaced by Tre Cool (also known as Frank Edwin Wright III), a drummer who previously played with Armstrong in the band the Lookouts. In 1992, the new trio released the album Kerplunk. By this time, Green Day had gained a solid fan base in the Berkeley area. In 1993, the label Reprise signed the band, and Green Day released its third album, Dookie. The album, which became credited for introducing punk rock to a new generation, was very popular and catapulted the band to stardom. The album rose to number four on the music charts. It spawned the singles "Longview," "Basket Case," and "When I Come Around," which helped to garner the band a cult following. Green Day boosted its popularity by appearing on MTV and performing at popular music festivals such as Lollapalooza and Woodstock. Dookie won the band a Grammy Award for best alternative music performance, further boosting Green Day's star power.
In the summer of 1995, Green Day contributed the single "J.A.R." to the Angus soundtrack. Later that year, it released its fourth album, Insomniac. It debuted on the music charts at number two, but it failed to attract as much attention as Dookie. Singles such as "Brain Stew/Jaded" fell flat with fans. The band then embarked on a tour but cancelled its European leg in the spring of 1996. After a brief break from touring, the band emerged with its 1997 album Nimrod. It had a different sound from the band's previous material and included singles such as "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" and "Nice Guys Finish Last."
Green Day then spent the next three years working on the follow-up, Warning. The 2000 album, which had mixed reviews from both critics and fans, had more of a pop and folk sound than the band's older material. It generated singles such as "Minority" and "Warning" but was a commercial failure. Green Day followed this with the compilations International Superhits! (2001), and Shenanigans (2002). Finally, in 2004, Green Day saw some of its earlier success return with the release of its seventh album, American Idiot, which played on the administration of President George W. Bush. It contained politically charged lyrics and spawned the singles "Holiday," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and "Wake Me Up When September Ends." The album topped the music charts and went multiplatinum. Many critics at the time called it the best album of Green Day's career. The band then spent the next year touring and released its concert album Bullet in a Bible in late 2005.
Continued Career
American Idiot helped to revive Green Day's career, and the band then worked on other projects. It covered Beatles legend John Lennon's song "Working Class Hero" for the album Karma and worked on an album of 1960s-inspired rock and roll music under the band name Foxboro Hot Tubs. In 2009, Green Day released its eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, a continuation of the political punk rock opera that began in American Idiot. The album, which contained religious overtones, spawned the singles "East Jesus Nowhere" and "21 Guns." However, it was overshadowed by the 2010 Broadway adaptation of American Idiot. Green Day contributed to the show's original cast recording. In 2011 came the live album Awesome as F**k.
Green Day then announced it was releasing a trio of albums: ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! The albums were released in September, November, and December 2012, respectively, and their covers featured each individual band member. ¡Uno! produced the singles "Kill the DJ" and "Oh Love." However, right before the album's release, Armstrong had a public meltdown when playing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. He then entered rehab, and the band cancelled its 2013 tour. The albums did not sell well and were not as popular as the band had envisioned. Material recorded during the making of the trio of albums was released as Demolicious in 2014.
Green Day was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. The band then hired producer Rob Cavallo to work on material for its next album. In December 2015, it released the holiday-inspired tune "Xmas Time of the Year." Next came the single "Bang Bang" from the band's long-awaited album Revolution Radio, which was released the following October. Like previous albums, songs from Revolution Radio tackled political topics. The band embarked on a tour immediately after the album's release. Also in 2016, Armstrong made his debut as an actor, starring in the independent film Revolution Radio. Green Day then released Father of All Motherf**kers in 2020. The band followed Father of All Motherf**kers with their 2024 release Saviors.
Bibliography
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