Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. 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, NOFX, Pennywise and Social Distortion, Green Day is credited with popularizing mainstream interest in punk rock in the U.S.
Insomniac is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 10, 1995, by Reprise Records. It was recorded at Hyde Street in San Francisco, and the band prioritized high-energy takes during the recording sessions. Released as the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum breakthrough Dookie, Insomniac featured a heavier, hardcore punk sound, with bleaker lyrics than its predecessor. Lyrically, the album discusses themes such as alienation, anxiety, boredom, and drug use. Insomniac also served as a reaction to many early fans who had turned their backs on the band after it achieved mainstream success with Dookie.
Dookie is the third studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's major label debut and first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in late summer 1993 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. Written mostly by frontman and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, the album is largely based on his personal experiences and includes themes such as boredom, anxiety, relationships, and sexuality. It was promoted with four singles: "Longview", "Basket Case", a re-recorded version of "Welcome to Paradise", and "When I Come Around".
Nimrod is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 14, 1997, by Reprise Records. The band began work on the album in the wake of the cancellation of a European tour after the release of their previous album, Insomniac. Recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, the album was written with the intent of creating a set of standalone songs as opposed to a cohesive album. Retrospectively, Nimrod is noted for its musical diversity and experimentation, containing elements of folk, hardcore, surf rock, and ska. Lyrical themes discussed include maturity, personal reflection, and fatherhood.
"Basket Case" is a song by rock band Green Day, released on August 1, 1994 by Reprise Records as the second single from the band's third studio album, Dookie (1994). The song spent five weeks at the top of the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and garnered a Grammy Award nomination in the category for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. Its music video was directed by Mark Kohr and filmed in an abandoned mental institution in California. In 2001, the song appeared on their greatest hits album International Superhits!. In 2021, "Basket Case" was ranked number 150 in Rolling Stone's updated list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". As of March 2024, "Basket Case" is the most streamed song by the band on Spotify, with over 1 billion streams.
"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (or "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)") is a song by American rock band Green Day, released in December 1997 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Nimrod (1997). It is one of their most popular songs and has also become a staple of their concerts, usually played as the final song.
"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 live EP Foot in Mouth that was only released in Japan. The lyrics expound the effects of methamphetamine on the human body; the word "geek" is slang for methamphetamine.
"When I Come Around" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It is the 10th track on their third studio album, Dookie (1994), and was shipped to radio in December 1994 before being physically released as the fourth single from that album in January 1995 by Reprise Records. It was played live as early as 1992.
"Stuck with Me" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the second single and third track from their fourth album, Insomniac. The song is about being too weak and too much of a push-over to stand up for yourself. The song also appears on the live album Foot in Mouth. It peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. Originally this song was titled "Alright" on demo and later "Do Da Da". The demo with the latter title would be later released on the band's B-side compilation Shenanigans.
"Hitchin' a Ride" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released in September 1997 as the first single from their fifth album, Nimrod, and is the second track on the album. The single reached number five on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number nine on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, and number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Walking Contradiction" is a song by American rock band Green Day, released as a promotional single from their fourth album Insomniac. Also the closing track on the album, the song reached number 21 on the Modern Rock Tracks in August 1996. The riff of this song was used as the guitar solo for "Haushinka" on the demo version on their previous album Dookie.
"Redundant" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from their fifth album, Nimrod (1997), and serves as the fourth track from that album. Released in April 1998, the song failed to match the chart positions of its predecessors but did reach number two in Australia when it was reissued as a double A-side with "Good Riddance ", becoming the band's highest-charting solo single there.
The American rock band Green Day has released 14 studio albums, four live albums, four compilation albums, one soundtrack album, four video albums, 12 extended plays, 4 box sets, 48 singles, 10 promotional singles, 3 anniversaries, and 56 music videos. The band has sold over 75 million records worldwide, including more than 24 million in certified album sales in the United States. Green Day released their first two studio albums, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1991) and Kerplunk (1991), through the independent label Lookout! Records before signing to major label Reprise Records. Dookie, the band's first album on the label and third studio album overall, was released in February 1994. It was a breakout success, selling over 10 million copies in the United States and 20 million copies worldwide. Dookie spawned five singles, including the international hits "Longview", "Basket Case" and "When I Come Around". The album placed Green Day at the forefront of the 1990s punk rock revival.
"Waiting" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from their sixth album, Warning, and is the tenth track. The song peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.
"21 Guns" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the second single from their eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown (2009), and serves as the sixteenth track from the album. The single was released through Reprise Records on May 25, 2009 as a digital download and July 14, 2009 as a CD single.
The American Idiot World Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Green Day in support of the group's seventh studio album, American Idiot, which was released in September 2004. The tour began in Los Angeles at the Grand Olympic Auditorium on July 29, and the last show was in Australia at the Telstra Dome. During the tour, the band played at the 2004 Reading Festival in England.
"Let Yourself Go" is a song by American rock band Green Day. The song is featured as the fourth track on their ninth studio album ¡Uno! (2012). Written by Billie Joe Armstrong and produced by Rob Cavallo, the song was released as the third and final single from the album on September 5, 2012. However, the "official live video" of the song was revealed on August 1, 2012. It is also the third single from the ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! & ¡Tré! trilogy.
"Bang Bang" is a song by American rock band Green Day, released as the lead single from their twelfth studio album, Revolution Radio (2016), on August 11, 2016. Regarded as combining elements of the band's early punk rock days with themes from their politically motivated later albums, the song was inspired by the events of mass shootings in the United States and is written from the viewpoint of a mass shooter.
"Still Breathing" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released on November 12, 2016, as the second single from their twelfth studio album, Revolution Radio (2016). It is considered to be an emotionally dark song that explores the theme of individuals finding strength in the face of hardship and tough times. The song's music video – released on November 7, 2016 – reflected upon that theme.
