Ranking Every Green Day Studio Album
14. Father Of All (2020)
Let me first get out of the way that I think this album is overhated. It's not as bad as most of the fanbase and critics in general will have you think. But I do agree that as far as Green Day albums go, this one is the worst. It's less than half an hour long, and so it feels rushed, and the lyrics are kinda corny and the music feels kinda generic. It feels like the main problem I have with Blink-182 nowadays - this album makes them come across as middle-aged men who think they're still teenagers.
Favorite Track: "Graffitia"
When a band has a career as long and prolific as Green Day has had, you're inevitably gonna find a characteristic style, and your earlier stuff will probably pale in comparison because you hadn't found that style yet. Unfortunately, this is true of Kerplunk, their second album. It has some bangers and is a decent album, but you can just tell that they weren't exactly fleshed out yet.
Favorite Track: "Christie Rd."
In 2012, Green Day released a trilogy of albums called ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!, this one being a pun off of the drummer's name. The problem when you write like 40 songs for a trilogy of albums to be released in the same year is that at least some of them are gonna suffer in quality. Quality over quantity. While none of these songs are particularly bad, it feels kinda like canned music, if you know what I mean. Like it'll be quick and easy for a meal, but it may not be exactly good.
Favorite Track: "The Forgotten"
Remember what I was saying about Kerplunk, their second album? Yeah, that obviously applies to their first album too. But I feel like this album is catchier and the lyrics are a little smarter. Yeah, they're still just teenagers that decided to start a punk band, but it's good enough that they're showing you they have massive potential.
Favorite Track: "At The Library"
The second part of the aforementioned trilogy is worse than the first but better than the third. I appreciate the experimentation of them trying somewhat of a garage rock sound and some of this album is really good. It's some of the sus themes and the fact that "Nightlife" (the worst Green Day song) is on it that bring this one down so low.
Favorite Track: "Stray Heart"
I feel kinda bad putting this one here because I don't really have anything against it. It's a good album. But the thing is, it's just good. It doesn't particularly stand out all that much. But I do appreciate it for bridging the gap between old and modern Green Day, and some of the tracks here are iconic.
Favorite Track: "Waiting"
The first part of the trilogy is the best. It feels like of the plethora of songs they wrote for this era, they pushed most of the best ones to the front and let the rest just kinda fall into place. Some of this album misses, but overall it's a fun listen start to finish.
Favorite Track: "Rusty James"
If you want edgy, punk rock Green Day, this is the album for you. We're getting to the real cream of the crop at #7. I wrote a blog explaining the story of why this one is so dark, but long story short, they're mad. But even still, this isn't them at their best.
Favorite Track: "Stuck With Me"
This album represented pretty much a return to form after the somewhat messy era that was the trilogy. This feels like Green Day back to doing what they do best. This is the first album since 2000 where Green Day wasn't doing a concept album or a big trilogy, just going back to writing a set of songs that aren't really connected. I love concept albums, of course, but it's nice to see Green Day making a normal album again, and a good one at that.
Favorite Track: "Still Breathing"
After the letdown that was Father Of All, I think the vast majority of the Green Day fanbase was concerned about what they were gonna do next. To our relief, the follow-up was much, much better. As of this writing, this album hasn't even been out for a month. All the songs are good, even the ones that are less good than the other ones. It's a breath of fresh air, and it's incredibly topical and is just the album we needed about the 2020's so far.
Favorite Track: "Dilemma"
Their second concept album, this one is long at eighteen tracks, and it's energetic. Green Day told you society was falling apart in American Idiot, and here they're telling you that it's only gotten worse. The songs are biting but also absolutely bang, and the flavor is very similar to what we got from American Idiot. And you best believe "Last Night On Earth" will be playing at my wedding.
Favorite Track: "Before The Lobotomy"
I feel like a large part of the fanbase would come after me for putting this one at anything lower than 1 or 2. Coincidentally, their third album is also their third best on my list! This album is literally genre-defining. Just about every punk band today will point back to Dookie as inspiration. It's that impactful. This album showed the world that Green Day was here to leave their mark, in a collection full of teenage angst and apathy.
Favorite Track: "Basket Case"
It was kinda hard to decide who got the second spot between this one and Dookie. But I feel like I like the songs here a little more. Dookie essentially jogged so Green Day could continue running at full blast with Nimrod. It's a pop-punk opus and I'd say it's unarguably one of the best albums to come out of the nineties.
Favorite Track: "Redundant"
If you know anything about my music taste, you knew this one was gonna be #1. You probably read this whole blog knowing this would be here and were just watching the path to it. This is Green Day at their peak, telling a story through epic songs that line up perfectly into the story while also standing perfectly on their own. I will never tire of this album. This album shows each member doing their best work and genuinely pouring their heart and soul into their music to create a masterpiece.
Favorite Track: "Homecoming"
Is this their best album? Absolutely, yes. Is this the best album by anyone?
...Yes.
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