Tours Through Discographies: Green Day

   I finally saw Green Day the other night! I loved the show so much I have made the decision that they are now my #1 favorite band (sorry, Bastille). Not every album is great, but the ones that are great are more than great - they're legendary. 

  I know I don't shut up about American Idiot, but it's not even just that one. Dookie, Nimrod, 21st Century Breakdown, and even the newest one, Saviors, are arguably just as legendary. They've created literal stories with their music, maintained their relevance since the eighties and on, and their literally in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Plus, all three of them are insanely talented. My sister even said that she liked that Billie Joe Armstrong sounds live exactly like he does in recordings.

   I was gonna break this one into two different parts since they have a whopping fourteen albums and counting, but screw it: I'm just gonna do a really big episode!

1. 39/Smooth (1990)

   Angsty teens! This one and Paramore's debut have a few things in common: they're both a little rough around the edges but do a great job showing the potential of the band that made it. While the stuff that succeeded this album dwarfs it in comparison, 39/Smooth certainly isn't anything to complain about. If you want punk rock Green Day, this is it. It's catchy, but it keeps the rawness and speed that you'd expect from teenage punk kids in California.

Favorite tracks: "Rest", "I Was There", "At the Library"

2. Kerplunk! (1992)

   If 39/Smooth showed that they had potential, Kerplunk! showed that they were definitely finding their footing. It's not quite 2,000 light years away from Dookie. It showcases a bit more of a pop-punk lean than 39/Smooth, and it still holds up pretty solidly today. The hit "Welcome to Paradise" originated on this album, but that was remade for Dookie and the Dookie version was vastly more successful, so I won't count this version of it.

Favorite tracks: "One of My Lies", "2,000 Light Years Away", "Best Thing in Town"

3. Dookie (1994)

   All my homies love a good breakthrough album. If Kerplunk! showed that the band was finding their footing, Dookie showed that they found it and they're here to take the world by storm. This album is absolutely legendary, and is not only regarded as one of the best albums of the nineties, but it was also crucial for the pop-punk explosion and is influential to pretty much every punk band today. This was their major label debut, and that sadly caused the DIY punk scene they came from to ditch them and label them sellouts. But, better off without them, right? I think those guys were just mad that they'll never make something as great and iconic as Dookie.

Favorite tracks: "Basket Case", "Welcome to Paradise", "Burnout"

4. Insomniac (1995)

    Actually, if you want punk rock Green Day, this one is probably the album to go to. Billie was going through a lot during the making of this album, so it reflects a lot of the anger and edge. It's dark, it's fast, it's rough - not only was the band angry that they had been abandoned by 924 Gilman Street and the like, Billie was battling insomnia (hence the title) and fighting addiction. It's a good album, but if you listen to it, just know what you're getting into.

Favorite tracks: "Brain Stew", "Geek Stink Breath", "Walking Contradiction"

5. Nimrod (1997)

   I don't know why the picture is so small, but oh well. I love Nimrod. In fact, I may even argue that it's ever so slightly better than Dookie. It's a whopping eighteen songs, but nary a track is wasted. It's like they settled down from the rage that caused Insomniac and that allowed them to get back to the creativeness and passion that made Dookie. Plus, this album has one of the best Green Day love songs as well as the song they usually end concerts with.

Favorite tracks: "Redundant", "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", "Haushinka"

6. Warning (2000)

    The first Green Day album released in my lifetime! This is held by many to be an underrated album, and I agree. They took almost a folk-punk approach here, with harmonicas and stuff, and it works. This album also has "Minority", which to this day is a live staple and was really their first song to get political.

Favorite tracks: "Minority", "Waiting", "Church on Sunday"

7. American Idiot (2004)

   Oh boy. If you're reading this, you've heard me ramble about how much and why I love this album a hundred times, so I'll spare you this time. I'll just say this: at the concert, I nearly cried actual tears when they finished the closing track ("Whatsername"). My favorite album of all-time, hands down.

Favorite tracks: "Homecoming", "Whatsername", "Wake Me Up When September Ends"

8. 21st Century Breakdown (2009)

   They followed a concept album with another concept album. I'll admit this one is a little weaker than American Idiot, but it still bangs through and through. It really does a good job of making you hate society and see that things are falling apart. It's a lament about the modern world, and a hope for love amidst the chaos. And I know you know "21 Guns". Plus, "Last Night on Earth" will play at my wedding or I'm not getting married. Insanely beautiful love song.

Favorite tracks: "21 Guns", "Last Night on Earth", "Before the Lobotomy"

9. ¡Uno! (2012)

    The first of the trilogy. I'd argue that this is the best one of the three. It feels like they wrote a whole bunch of songs to squeeze into three albums released in the span of a few months, and kinda shoved a bunch of the best songs to the front. It's not Green Day's best work by a long shot, but the first of the trilogy is probably the best.

Favorite tracks: "Rusty James", "Oh Love", "Stay the Night"

10. ¡Dos! (2012)

      I can't forgive this album for having two of the worst Green Day songs there are. But, the rest of it is okay. It feels kinda lazy, like they made songs just because they needed to make songs and they thought it would be cool to make a whole bunch at once. I do like the whole garage rock vibe this album has - and there are strong parts.

Favorite tracks: "Stray Heart", "Amy", "Ashley"

11. ¡Tré! (2012)

     My opinion on this one has warmed up a bit now that I've listened to it more. It's better than ¡Dos!, but worse than ¡Uno!. I don't really know what else to say about it. It's fine.

Favorite tracks: "Brutal Love", "The Forgotten", "Missing You"

12. Revolution Radio (2016)

     Some YouTuber pointed out that this was their first album since Warning to not be a concept album or part of the trilogy - just a collection of songs like most albums - so that's interesting. And hey, it's really good! It's no American Idiot, but it's not too far. It's kind of a soundtrack to the times it was made in, and "Somewhere Now" and "Forever Now" are pretty much anthems for the modern life. 

Favorite tracks: "Still Breathing", "Bang Bang", "Forever Now"

13. Father Of All (2020)

      The worst Green Day album! I mean, look at it: the cover itself is a desecration of the cover of American Idiot. They couldn't even come up with original cover art. It's short, and the brief runtime isn't even used well. It feels very bland and just leaves with a feeling that you know they can do so much better. But, all that said, despite all the hate, even this mess has some redeemable moments.

Favorite tracks: "Graffitia", "Father Of All", "Oh Yeah!"

14. Saviors (2024)

     Talk about a return to form! I think I and most other Green Day fans were worried about this album after the mess that was Father Of All, but they gave us a pleasant surprise. It's a breath of fresh air, and the relevance and soundtracking of the times makes it feel like a spiritual successor to American Idiot and Revolution Radio. Green Day themselves said that they feel like Saviors could join Dookie and American Idiot among the defining albums of their career, and I agree. They killed it here. Even the weaker parts make me feel like Father Of All could've been like that.

Favorite tracks: "Dilemma", "1981", "Saviors"