When I saw that Green Day was releasing a new record at the beginning of 2024, I thought that now was as good a time as any to give a listen to their lengthy discography and rank them all. I knew this was a big task, but let me tell you; it was quite the daunting exercise. Green Day has a ton of music out there, and not all of it is the most dynamic, varied, easy listening experience. With that being said, there is also plenty of great, fun, anthemic pop punk classics to keep things interesting. Some ground rules to get out of the way: I counted 'Uno', 'Dos', and 'Tre' as one big mega triple LP, since it technically did get released as a bundle. Also, I'm considering 'Kerplunk' their debut as opposed to '39/Smooth' as it had a pretty limited release and served more as a full length demo. With that out of the way, here we go!
11. Father of All...(2020)
I'm gonna be honest with you here. When I first heard the 2020 record 'Father of All...' ('Father of All Motherfuckers' if you wanna get technical and edgy with it), my first thought was that we were listening to the end of Green Day (As we now know, that was incorrect). The record reeks of a band who was hitting a creative wall, and hitting it hard. 'Father of All...' is filled with songs that would be at home in a car commercial or as background music at a sporting event, and that's about as nicely as I can put it.
Almost every track is derivative, annoying, and bland. It's not a stretch to say that most of the songs are completely unrecognizable as the Green Day we all knew and loved. The closest we really get is a track like 'Sugar Youth', which has a hint of the frantic, explosive stylings that they made their name on. It's pretty short, but most of the tracks are; the 11 track LP clocks in at a brisk 26 minutes. Which, in this instance, might be a benefit for the listener.
The production is fine, if not a little overproduced. Lyrically, it's as safe and milquetoast as anything you'll hear in their entire catalogue. I don't mean to sound overly negative or harsh, but I'm honestly having trouble finding almost any redeeming qualities in what is a big time stinker of a record.
Standout tracks: 'Sugar Youth'
10. 'Uno', 'Dos', & 'Tre' (2012)
Thankfully, the next album on the list is a significant step up from the bottom entry in this list. After releasing two big, operatic, flashy back to back with 'American Idiot' and '21st Century Breakdown', Green Day decided to go all in with their next project, giving us three LP's over a four month span, all meant to be one great big project. That is admittedly ambitious and I tip my hat to them for producing that much music at a later stage of their careers, but a project that big in scope is bound to have some misses on it.
They take lots of swings over the length of 'Uno', 'Dos', and 'Tre', and for every triple they hit they strike out two or three times in between. There are some pretty catchy, fun, and classic sounding Green Day tracks on offer, but too much of the project is clear filler. Every 'Let Yourself Go' has its own 'Kill the DJ', if you will. Many of the tracks blend together, making things a bit of a slog at times.
From a production standpoint, the triple LP project sounds really great. The songs sound raw, but not rough. The focus is right where it should be, on the fuzzed out guitars, generally great bass work, and the pounding and frenetic drums, all with Billy Joe's classic vocal work over the top. If you are a diehard Green Day fan, this is definitely worth diving into, but it's a bit hard to recommend to just anybody.
It was nice to see the band go back to a simpler, more straightforward sound with 'Uno', 'Dos', and 'Tre', but a more trimmed and streamlined offer would have helped a lot.
Standout tracks: Let Yourself Go, Loss of Control, Wild One, Baby Eyes, Dirty Rotten Bastards
9. Kerplunk (1991)
After releasing '39/Smooth' as an introduction to the world, Green Day would release 'Kerplunk' in 1991, which served as a proper debut for the young Cali Punks. Their signature sound was pretty much there from moment one of the record, albeit a much more messy and loose version.
'Welcome to Paradise', which would be re-recorded and released with 'Dookie' in 1994, is arguably the high point on an album that can be juvenile, odd, and unstructured. I'm never going to hold debuts to the highest standard in the world though, and it's clear they had something. For 1991, it's clear that Green Day were on the cutting edge of a style of Pop Punk that would continue to grow and emerge throughout the 90's. There's also a cover of 'My Generation' of the Who fame, and it's a fun and actually pretty good cover of the iconic song.
'Kerplunk' delivers, loud, in your face pop punk that can definitely be abrasive at times, and kind of ridiculous at others. But the blueprints for their next few records was there from the very start, and it's evident as you listen through the record.
Standout tracks: Welcome to Paradise, Private Ale, My Generation
8. 21st Century Breakdown (2009)
Following up 2004's smash hit LP 'American Idiot' was never going to be easy, and five years would go by before that follow up, 2009's '21st Century Breakdown', would be released. Focusing on the more epic, rock opera aspects that made 'American Idiot' such a mainstream success, '21st Century Breakdown' finds Green Day at an interesting point in their career. It's a long record, a double LP clocking in with a runtime of just over 69 minutes.
The musical arrangements are more varied and carry an air of grandeur, but this isn't always for the better. In my opinion, Green Day is at their best when they are making fast, brash, loud pop punk. While nothing on this album is downright terrible, but the wide net they are casting leads to some very mixed results. Some of the more poppy and operatic moments on the record just feels forced, flat, and uninspired. That's not to say all the songs reflect that, as there are plenty of good songs on offer as well.
I wouldn't have too hard of a time recommending this album to most listeners, despite some of the shortfalls at play. It's a relatively easy listen if nothing else, and nothing is really bad. The high points are pretty high, and the low points are just bland and a little dull.
Standout tracks: Know Your Enemy, Christian's Inferno, Peacemaker, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, 21 Guns
7. Revolution radio (2016)
While 2016's 'Revolution Radio' might not be the best album in their catalogue, I do think it's one that is often overlooked. It's much more focused than 'Uno', 'Dos', and 'Tre', and also mostly ditches the grandeur and glossy production from the likes of '21st Century Breakdown' and to an extent even 'American Idiot'.
The result is a pretty decent LP that at the time was better than anything we had seem them put out in several release cycles. 'Revolution Radio' is 12 tracks of good sounding, classic Green Day with just enough of a modern touch to make it relevant. It showed that they still had that dawg in them, so to speak.
Lyrically, things take on a political slant, comparable to the highest points of 'American Idiot'. They don't hit the depths that groups like 'Rise Against' or 'Rage Against the Machine' will go, but the message of revolution and discontent is there, and at the perfect time.
While 'Revolution Radio' is still pretty self-serious and doesn't really reach the frantic heights of their earlier output, it's a pretty easy recommend for fans of the band and certainly holds its own with the releases it found itself sandwiched between.
Standout tracks: Bang Bang, Revolution Radio, Bouncing Off the Wall, Still Breathing, Too Dumb to Die
6. Warning (2000)
At the time of its release, 'Warning' served as the biggest experiment Green Day had up to this point in their career. They traded in their loud, pounding, juvenile pop punk stylings for a more subdued, very alternative, almost folk punk sound. Don't get me wrong, the songs on offer still sound very much like Green Day, just a slightly new flavor.
'Warning' is certainly an album that is bound to split the fanbase, and I'm firmly on side 'it's pretty good'. I'm not going to tell you it's their best release (as you can see it just misses the top 5), but there's enough good on offer to keep this in the rotation. The high points find Green Day releasing some of their most memorable tracks with offerings like 'Warning' and 'Minority', and even at its lowest there is nothing scoff at or anything skip worthy per se. We even get a harmonica feature on 'Hold On', and it doesn't sound out of place at all.
Production wise, things are pretty bright throughout, with lots of jingly percussion and shimmering acoustic guitar leading the charge. The mix is solid enough, and allows each member of the band to shine in their own way. Don't skip 'Warning' if you are looking for a Green Day record that has something different to offer.
Standout tracks: Warning, Waiting, Minority, Macy's Day Parade
5. Saviors (2024)
Kicking off our top five is Green Day's most recent release, 2024's 'Saviors'. To say that Green Day needed a solid release was an understatement, coming off of their career low 'Father of All...' in 2020. Not only did they release a solid record, they released their most memorable and best album in over a decade in the process.
From the very first track, 'The American Dream is Killing Me', it's evident that Green Day are finding their footing in their classic sound without it being overly derivative. The track list is full of reflections of our current geopolitical nightmare we are living in, with the fun hooks and sing along worthy choruses that Green Day made their name on all those years ago.
'Dilemma' is maybe their catchiest song in their past several release cycles, with the hook and chorus sure to be lodged in your ears for awhile after listening.'1981' is similarly catchy, and helps continue to set the tone of 'Saviors' as fast, frantic, and fun, even if not as angsty and raw as before (naturally).
It's certainly not without faults, as my own review of the album pointed out earlier this year. However, they don't drag down the release all that much, and it's an album I can easily recommend to longtime Green Day fans and the younger generation who is also taking them under their wing.
Standout tracks: The American Dream is Killing Me, Dilemma, 1981, Coma City, Strange Days Are Here to Stay, Saviors
4. Nimrod (1997)
After two smash hit records in a row, the pressure was on Green Day to step up their game. In some ways, I'd argue that they did, even if the cost of doing so began to show.
Where 'Dookie' and 'Insomniac' were fast, reckless, frantic records that were mostly compact and straightforward, 'Nimrod' saw the trio try new things from a songwriting and production standpoint, with admittedly mixed results. It leads to career highlights like 'Hitchin a Ride', the alternative tinged 'Redundant', and the acoustic ballad 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)'. It also comes at the cost of a record that comes in at a bloaty 18 tracks, which may just overstay its welcome, if ever slightly.
There's still way more good than bad here, and the record is a mostly enjoyable listen all the way through. They were really finding their place in not only the Pop Punk music scene, but also the larger Alternative Rock industry that was booming in the late 90's. The group would just push their experimentation even further with 'Warning' 3 years later, and it's easy to see how 'Nimrod' lead to its creation. Give 'Nimrod' a listen if you somehow already haven't.
Standout tracks: Hitchin' a Ride, Redundant, Haushinka, Jinx, King for a Day, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
3. insomniac (1995)
Just one year after releasing their hit LP 'Dookie', Green Day would return with their follow up record 'Insomniac' in 1995. The trio wasted no time in following the momentum they gained from 'Dookie', as they just continued to build on what made them catch on just one year prior.
From a songwriting and production standpoint, 'Insomniac' does more of what 'Dookie' did well, without necessarily pushing the band forward in any real creative way. Not that that is entirely a bad thing, as striking while the iron was hot kept the band in the public eye and built on their burgeoning success in the Punk scene.
The result is 14 raw, fun, fast tunes that doubled down on the brash, juvenile lyrical themes from their earlier work. If someone is looking for prime 90s Green Day, this album is an easy one to recommend. 'Brain Stew' and 'Jaded' make for one of the most playful, impactful one two punches in pop punk history. 'Geek Stink Breath' features some excellent bass and guitar work. 'Walking Contradiction' is a wonderful, if not slightly puzzling, choice for a closing track.
'Insomniac is a really fun listen from front to back, and stands up with anything else in their library. I'd recommend it to just about any Pop Punk/Punk fan, but let's be real here; They already KNOW the album from beginning to end.
Standout tracks: Armatage Shanks, Geek Stink Breath, Panic Song, Brain Stew, Jaded, Walking Contradiction
2. American idiot (2004)
Let's face it: You know at least a handful of songs off of 'American Idiot'. We all do. The 2004 record took the airwaves by storm upon its release, and it's not hard to see why. In many ways, 'American Idiot' nearly felt like a re-debut for the California trio.
No record in their library makes a stronger first impression, with the first 5 to 6 tracks on offer are all standouts that can individually stand up to any other song in their now vast backlog. Many songs on 'American Idiot' are politically charged, lyrically sharp, and the entire record is tightly produced, with a thick wall of compressed guitar and well mixed vocals just over top of the big, loud mix.
'American Idiot' kicks the record off with a stark, biting political message, before transitioning into the equally political (albeit in a different way) 'Jesus of Suburbia', a 9 plus minute epic about the pains of growing up in a mid 2000s lower class suburban America. 'Holiday' is just as biting and harsh as the title track, and might be the best song in their entire library.
There's really only one thing holding this record back from taking the top spot, and that is the admittedly pretty weak second half. Quite a bit of momentum that carried the 'A' side of 'American Idiot' slowly dissipates as the fast, heavy, politically charged songs give way to lyrically generic, overproduced pop rock that would stain their library for several release cycles to come.
That's not to say the second half of 'American Idiot' are full of skips, as there are still gems to be found throughout the track list. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt my view on the record as a whole, if only slightly. The album is still an easy recommend, and it's easy to see why it propelled Green Day to an entirely new level.
Standout tracks: American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Letterbomb, Wake Me Up When September Ends
1. dookie (1994)
As I'm sure was the case with many people in my age range/generation, 'Dookie' was the first Green Day record I remember hearing, and it stand the test of time as a generational release and milestone for Pop Punk in the 90s. Yes, it's juvenile. Yes, the production is raw and noisy. Yes, it's called DOOKIE. But those facts just make the release even more endearing.
Something that impresses me about 'Dookie' still to this very day is just how timeless some of the songs feel. Most folks who love this kind of music can relate to the feelings of being a burnout, being hopeless, being lazy and unmotivated. They would fit right in to the Gen Z music scene, and in fact many of the songs have crossed over generations, and that's something that is exceedingly rare in Punk music. 'Longview' has one of the tastiest bass lines to ever grace human ears, the re-recorded and polished version of 'Welcome to Paradise' is a great addition, and 'Basket Case' is an absurd bop with an anthemic, sing along worthy chorus.
Green Day knew who they were from very early on in their career, and there's something very respectable about that. They saw their vision through with 'Dookie' in a way few bands do at such an early point, and delievered a timeless classic in the process. If you somehow haven't given this record a listen, have a beer, smoke a J, or do WHATEVER you do to unwind, and put it on. I can almost guarantee you'll have a good time.
Standout tracks: Burnout, Longview, Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case, She, Sassafras Roots, When I Come Around
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