Green Day

In 1987 14 year old friends Billie Armstrong(guitar/lead vocals) and Mike Dirnt(bass/back up vocals) started their own band called Sweet Children. Their first show was where Armstrong's mother worked at Rods Hickory Pit in Vallejo, California, October 17, 1987. In 1988 Armstrong and Dirnt recruited Al Sonbrante as their drummer and also their buisness manager.

Larry Livermore, owner of Lookout! Records, signed the group to his label after watching an earlier show. In 1989 they recorded their first extended play called 1,000 Hours, but before it was released they changed there name to avoid confusion with a local band called Sweet Baby. So, due to their liking of marijuana, they changed their name to Green Day. Very soon after their name was changed Lookout! Records released their first album 39/Smooth early in 1990. While the album was being sold I.R.S Records tried signing a deal with the group, but Green Day replied with a turndown to them making it very clear they were loyal to Lookout! Records, and that I.R.S was a "cheesy and washed-up" label. In late 1990, a little while after the bands first Nationwide tour, Sonbrante left the band to attend college, Tre Cool is Sonbrante's replacement.

Through 1992 and 1993 the band went on tour through the US and most of Europe, shortly after there second full length album Kerplunk was released and sold 50,000 copies in the US alone. Kerplunks succes aroused interest to many record labels, and soon after Green Day left Lookout on friendly terms and signed with Reprise Records whos producer was Rob Cavallo. After signing with Cavello many punk rock fans of Green Day took them as sellouts.

In February,1994 the band released their first album with Reprise "Dookie", and only after 3 weeks the album became a commercial success, helped by MTV which showed the videos for "Longview", "Basket Case"([lyrics were based on Armstrongs "panic attacks"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=XKOwGffqlbM) and "When I Come Around". Later that same year Green Day embarked on a nationwide tour with queercore guest band Pansy Division who were their opening acts in the shows. During the show a security gaurd mistook Dirnt for a stage invading fan and punched out some of his teeth. Millions saw it on via pay per view television which aided Green Days publicity and recognition and also helped pushed their album to diamond status. In 1995 Dookie was awarded Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album of the Year.

In the fall of 1995 their new album was released named "Insomniac", being alot darker then there recent more pop album Dookie. Insomniac recieved 4/5 stars from Rolling Stones Magazine, and its singles were "Geek Stink Breath", "Brain Stew/Jaded", "Walking Condradiction"(lyrics warning the effects of drugs) and "Stuck With Me"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE4oVTdPY9U). The album was not as popular as there album Dookie but still sold seven million copies in the US.

After taking a break from exhaustion in 1966, Green Day started their next album in 1967. The band and Cavallo both agreed they needed something new and different from their recent albums and came up with Nimrod. Nimrod was a more pop punk then the recent more hard punk albums, it was released in October, 1997. They even added an acoustic ballad called "Good Riddance(Time Of Your Life)"( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEJ5m429AI) which showed people undergoing major changes in their lives. The other singles released from Nimrod were "Nice Guys Finish Last"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAj7DcSQeWY&feature=related), "Hitchin A Ride" and "Redundant".

In 2000 the group released the album "Warning", a step forward with their new kind of music All Music Guide gave them 4.5/5 stars, but Rolling Stone Magazine gave them 3/5 stars. "Who wants to listen to faith, hope and social commentary from what used to be snot-nosed biggest-selling band ever?" says Rolling Stone Magazine. Although it produced the single "Minority"( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW_H7hF8rYI) and an even smaller hit "Warning" Green Days popularity was faltering with only a gold status unlike their recent albums that had at least double platinum.

In 2001 they released a few albums with their recent hits and were won 8 awards they were nominated for such as Outstanding Male Vocalist, Outstanding Group, Outstanding Artist, Outstanding Song Writer, and a few others. In 2002 the group co-headlines with Blink-182 in the Pop Disaster Tour. Even though they were co-headlined Green Day played first at each show. The tour was documented on the DVD "Riding In Vans With Boys".

During the summer of 2003 the band went into a studio to write and record new material for the next album named "Ciggarettes and Valentines". After writing about 20 tracks there tapes were stolen overnight from the studio, the band was upset but decided not to rewrite it. They created all new material vowing to be even better then last. Later in the year the band went under serious theropy undergoing a few long talks from Cool and Dirnt who said Armstrong was being "the bands Nazi" and taking the limelight from the them.

Their 2004 album American Idiot was their first album to hit #1, it also won the 2005 Grammy for "Best Rock Album" with a mention for the song "Jesus of Suburbia"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbmZw2croxI). Through 2005 they toured in support of the album, going through Japan, The UK, South America, and Australia. While touring they recorded two of there shows at Milton Keynes National Bowl in England which was called "The Best Show On Earth" in a Kerrang! magazine. These recordings were released as a CD and DVD called "Bullet In a Bible" which featured hits from American Idiot and previous albums. It also had footage of the band preparing before the show and how they put on the show.

In September 2006 Green Day teamed up with U2 and producer Rick Rubin to record a cover song of "The Saints Are Comming", originally recorded by the Skids. The song was to benefit Music Rising which is an organization to help raise money for musicians who lost their instruments in Hurricane Katrina. Green Day released a cover song of "Working Class Hero" ,originally from John Lennon, that was featured on the album "Instant Karma". The Band performed the song on the season finale of "American Idol". Also in 2006 Green Day won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for the song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxfpMGLMZ7Y) that was on the album American Idiot. That summer the band appeared in a cameo role in The Simpsons Movie where they performed the movies theme song. Their version was released July 24, 2007.
In an interview with Kerrang Armstrong revealed that in 2008 there is a fair estimate that their new album would be released. In October Armstrong also revealed that he has been working more on the piano for his new material and he has about 45 songs ready. He said he wants the new music to dig into whats hes feeling more and more lately, middle-age. They have just started recording it all this January.

Most fans say they are a new wave punk and compare them to earlier punk bands like The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and several others. The mojority of their songs are composed of fast beat, distorted guitar, manic drums, and lower heavy bass(mostly the newer ones). Armstrong has mentioned that a few of his influences are semi alternative bands such as The Replacements and Husker Du. In fact a few of their songs were based on other bands songs.
Beginning with there major album Dookie, Green Day has recieved alot of criticism from those who see punk as more of a social movement then a type of music and look. With the release of American Idiot and millions of new fans alot of the criticism has been revived. More recently Oasis guitarists Noel Gallagher accused the band of ripping off his song "Wonderwall" for their song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPtTS0TYtU). One of the more continuous criticism is the genre labeling. Many fans believe that due to there music and background Green Day are "posers" of punk. A comment issued by John Lydon, former frontman of the 1970's Sex Pistols: "So there we are fending off all that and it pisses me off that years later a wank outfit like Green Day hop in and nick all that and attach it to themselves. They didn't earn their wings to do that and if they were true punk they wouldn't look anything like they do." A few more artists have commented on how they go and play American Idiot over in England and they aren't taking it the same way punk should be meant.

I think their music is fun to listen to and they diffinately stand out which is what all bands need and want. They make their point in their lyrics, they are also very loyal to there record dealers and to each other sticking together through it all. Good job Green Day.