Green Day Biography
Out of all the post-Nirvana
American alternative bands to break into the pop mainstream, Green
Day was second only to Pearl
Jam in terms of influence. At their core, Green Day was simply punk
revivalists, recharging the energy of speedy, catchy three-chord punk-pop songs.
Though their music
wasn't particularly innovative, they brought the sound of late-'70s punk to a
new, younger generation with Dookie,
their 1994 major-label debut. Green Day wasn't always able to sustain their
success -- Dookie
sold over eight million, while its follow-up, Insomniac,
only sold a quarter of its predecessor -- yet their influence was far-reaching
because they opened the doors for a flood of American neo-punk, punk metal, and
third wave ska revivalists.
Green Day was part of the northern California underground
punk scene. Childhood friends Billie
Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Mike
Dirnt (bass; born Mike
Pritchard) formed their first band, Sweet Children, in Rodeo, CA, when they
were 14 years old. By 1989, the group had added drummer Al
Sobrante and changed its name to Green Day. That year, the band
independently released its first EP, 1000
Hours, which was well received in the California hardcore punk scene. Soon,
the group had signed a contract with the local independent label Lookout. Green
Day's first album, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour, was released later that year.
Shortly after its release, the band replaced Sobrante
with Tre Cool
(born Frank Edwin Wright III); Cool
became the band's permanent drummer.
Throughout the early '90s, Green Day continued to
cultivate a cult following, which only gained strength with the release of their
second album, 1992's Kerplunk.
The underground success of Kerplunk
led to a wave of interest from major record labels; the band eventually decided
to sign with Reprise. Dookie,
Green Day's major-label debut, was released in the spring of 1994. Thanks to MTV
support for the initial single, "Longview," Dookie
became a major hit. The album continued to gain momentum throughout the summer,
with the second single, "Basket Case," spending five weeks on the top
of the American modern rock charts. At the end of the summer, the band stole the
show at Woodstock '94, which helped the sales of Dookie
increase. By the time the fourth single, "When I Come Around," began
its seven-week stay at number one on the modern rock charts in early 1995, Dookie
had sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone; it would eventually top
eight million in America, selling over ten million copies internationally. Dookie
also won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative
Music Performance.
Green Day quickly followed Dookie
with Insomniac
in the fall of 1995; during the summer, they hit number one again on the modern
rock charts with "J.A.R.," their contribution to the Angus
soundtrack. Insomniac
performed well initially, entering the U.S. charts at number two, and selling
over two million copies by the spring of 1996, yet none of its singles --
including the radio favorite "Brain Stew/Jaded" -- were as popular as
those from Dookie.
In the spring of 1996, Green Day abruptly canceled a European tour, claiming
exhaustion. Following the cancellation, the band spent the rest of the year
resting and writing new material, issuing Nimrod
in late 1997. Three years later, their long-awaited follow-up, a refreshingly
poppy record titled Warning,
was released. Another long wait preceded 2004's American
Idiot, an aggressive rock opera that became a surprise success -- a
chart-topper around the world, a multi-platinum seller, and easily the best
reviewed album of their career. Green Day reveled in the album's success,
hitting numerous award shows and performing as part of Live 8 in July 2005. That
fall brought Bullet in a Bible, which documented the trio's expansive Idiot
live show. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide