Personal Album Ranking

[lizziebix]

Don't forget to explain why you put your list together in that way.  Makes for better conversations.  Thanks.

[Sister of Grace]

1. Insomniac - Insomniac has so much energy. Not a single bad song on this album!

2. Nimrod - Love the lyrics to most of the songs on this album.

3. Warning - Got the energy and the melodic vibe. Songs like Castaway is perfection if you ask me.

4. American Idiot - Masterpiece. The way they get the story together throughout the whole album amazes me.

5. Dookie - The whole album has a feeling gratness. It's a classic, always works for me.

6. Revolution Radio - Had really high hopes for this one and it turned out very well. I think some songs have a good mixture of old and newer sound. Revolution Radio (the song) might be one of the best Green Day songs out there.

7. 21st Century Breakdown -  This album is a mixture of great songs and not so great songs. It's an ablum with a few hights and a few lows. But I still see this album as a good one.

8. Kerplunk -  Got a really good punk sound which makes it great.

9. Uno/Dos/Tre -  Kind of the same as 21st Century Breakdown. Got a few good songs that is so underrated but at the same time there are some songs on the album that really doesn't work for me.

12. 39/Smooth - It's just not as great as their other albums.

It's so hard to make this list Every album has its own charm. But the list is basically based on how many great songs there are on each album.

 

[lizziebix]

5 minutes ago, Sister of Grace said:

1. Insomniac

2. Nimrod

3. Warning

4. American Idiot

5. Dookie

6. Revolution Radio

7. 21st Century Breakdown

8. Kerplunk

9. Dos

10. Tre

11. Uno

12. 39/Smooth

 

 

 

33 minutes ago, lizziebix said:

Don't forget to explain why you put your list together in that way.  Makes for better conversations.  Thanks.

 

[Sister of Grace]

4 minutes ago, lizziebix said:

 

 

Sorry, I saw your post after posting. Editing...

[MissHoliday228]

1. American Idiot: First record I bought, got me into Green Day, love it forever because it’s a flawless masterpiece and love the story and it’s political side as well. What’s more to say?

2. Revolution Radio: First album that was released through my time as a Green Day fan, will therefore always have a special place in my heart, was on it’s tour already, masterpiece in my opinion, love its political side.

3. 21st Century Breakdown: Love the theme and the atmosphere it creates, also a masterpiece with many songs that are just: wow!

4. Warning: Has always been one of my favorites, pretty good songs and I love the more matured sound of it as you compare it to Green Day’s previous work.

5. Nimrod: Is such a good album to listen to while just doing anything. It always makes me happy and you can listen to it a lot without getting bored at all, also it has wonderful lyrics.

6. Dookie: Their breakthrough and that’s for a reason, some songs I don’t like that much such as F.O.D or In The End for example but still as a whole a very good album.

7. Insomniac: Many songs on that album sound the same (not if you know the differences but on first listen). As a whole it’s awesome to listen to and the lyrics are really great.

8. Uno: In my opinion the best from the trilogy, contains good and not so good songs (just as the other two records) but has some of my favorite songs as well (Oh Love, Stay The Night), those are just full of energy and I really enjoy those songs.

9. Tré: Second best from the trilogy, love its reflecting side and some of the lyrics are really impressing.

10. Kerplunk!: Green Day’s pre-dookie sound isn’t my favorite. Still this album is always a good listen and contains many songs that are really great.

11. Dos: The weakest from the trilogy, has its good songs though, is fun to listen to but just can’t be compared to the ones above.

12. 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours: As I said, I don’t love their older songs as much as most of the others but even my least favorite Green Day album is one of the best I’ve ever listened to!

That was tough but I guess if I have to rank them it has to be like this. Still most of their albums are at the same spot of my ranking.

[FallingFromTheStars]

I feel like other than American Idiot always being at the top and the trilogy and Kerplunk towards the bottom, this changes daily. There's been many times where Insomniac, Dookie, and 21st are much higher. I've gone thru phases when I couldn't get into Nimrod. Warning didn't initially appeal to me. It really is hard to rank these. That's why, despite GD being my favorite band, if I had to pick one band's discography to be stuck on a desert island with, it'd be GD because you have so much variety you wouldn't really get sick of them easily.

1. American Idiot (masterpiece. I love every single song and never skip. That says something)

2. Warning (The sound is very clean and I love it. The songs are very out there and I love the accoustic. Not for everyone though surely.)

3. Nimrod (so much fucking variety)

4. Insomniac (the guitars cut deeper for me than Dookie. Cleaner sound. This album is so hardcore. Not much variety, but awesome. Aquired taste though for sure. Used to hate it)

5. 21st Century Breakdown (kinda like a watered down AI. Some songs are awesome.....and a lot arent. But its a historic album and good nonetheless)

6. Dookie (Tre's drumming is not so good. Billie's voice gets a little too drowned out sometimes. Sometimes this album just seems like loud noise to me. But a lot of good stuff)

7. 39/ Smooth (great introduction, a lot of the songs still hold up)

8. Uno (has the least amount of bad songs but I still really am not a fan. felt like a huge step backwards for the band)

9. Dos (hard to not put this one last, Nightlife and Lady Cobra are pitiful. But in the end I look more songs on this than Tre)

10. Tre (I like 8th Avenue Serenade....that's about it. Dirty Rotten Bastards was a really half-assed attempt at American Idiot fanservice. And I cant believe they let a song be used in Twilight. wow.)

9. Revolution Radio (just can't get into it. I respect it more than the trilogy in some ways. But it all feels extremely generic. Mainly the guitar sound.)

10. Kerplunk (Aside from 2000 and My Generation [which is a cover] there's not much here to enjoy. Just a weird album. Strangeland sucks.)

[pouty bitch]

1. Nimrod - I love every song on it (except for maybe Last Ride In), especially Platypus, Hitchin' A Ride, Take Back, Jinx, Reject and The Grouch. Also, I think it is extremley underrated.

2. Insomniac - I find it similar to Dookie, but much louder, much more energetic and much more personal and honest. I love Brat, Armatage Shanks and the intro to Stuart and The Ave.

3. American Idiot - I love every song on it, apart from Extraordinary Girl.

4. Kerplunk - 2000 Light Years Away, One For The Razorbacks, 80, Who Wrote Holden Caulfield and Best Thing In Town are all in my top 15 Green Day songs ever.

5. Warning - Again, I find it extremley underrated and I love Minority, Church on Sunday and Misery.

6. 21st Century Breakdown - It shows a lot more talent, lyrically and vocally, than the earlier albums. I love American Eulogy (Mike's vocals tho) and Horseshoes and Hand-grenades.

7. Dos - Completely different to anything Green Day have ever done and I love the song Lady Cobra.

8. Revolution Radio - It was nice to here a fairly simple Green Day album, after years of concept albums and trilogies. I love Bouncing Off The Wall, Troubled Times and Revolution Radio.

9. 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours - I love the solos on Judge's Daughter and Dry Ice and the lyrics in most of the songs are really cute.

10. Tre - I love Tre's drumming on Missing You and I love Billie's vocals on Brutal Love.

11. Dookie - Similar to Insomniac, but not as enjoyable. The only memorable songs were Burnout, Longview, Basket Case and the second half of F.O.D.

12. Uno - The only songs I listen to regularly are Kill the DJ, Let Yourself Go and Troublemaker. None of the others are that memorable.

 

[Spoopy Doo]

#Opinions

1. American Idiot: This was the first Green Day album I heard in full. The lyrics are top-notch Green Day, there's no filler, and every/nearly every song is memorable and has relevance to the themes/concept of the album. 10/10.
Top 3 Songs: Jesus of Suburbia, Letterbomb, Wake Me Up When September Ends

2. Nimrod: As far as Green Day goes, Nimrod is probably their most varied album in terms of style/sound, and they pulled it off well. Again, the lyrics are great, the music is great, pretty much everything about this album is great. Redundant, Scattered, All the Time, and Worry Rock is probably my favorite consecutive stretch of songs on any Green Day album. 9.5/10.
Top 3 5 Songs: Scattered, Worry Rock, All the Time, Jinx, Prosthetic Head

3. Insomniac: This album and Nimrod are almost interchangeable in ranking for me; I love them both so much. Insomniac is short, not-so-sweet, and to the point; it's (generally) fast-paced, angry, in-your-face, and it does it well. I love the lyrics, the music is great and energetic, and in my opinion was a great follow-up to Dookie. 9/10.
Top 3 Songs: Panic Song, Stuck With Me, Stuart and the Ave.

4. Revolution Radio: This album to me felt like a much more natural progression from 21st Century Breakdown than the Trilogy did. It has some more political themes and is overall heavier (both in themes and sound) than the Trilogy, but also has some lighter moments such as Youngblood and Ordinary World. The album has a nice mix of the fast-paced, pissed off Green Day we've come to know and love, more reflective moments, and more light-hearted, "fun" moments. Another this this album has going for it is that the obligatory 7-minute song doesn't feel nearly as forced and clusterfuckish as Dirty Rotten Bastards. My only issue with this album is that BOTW and Youngblood are fairly weak lyrically when compared to the other songs on the album. In addition to this, they interrupt the flow of and drag down an otherwise fantastic album. 8.5/10.
Top 3 Songs: Still Breathing, Outlaws, Bang Bang

5. 21st Century Breakdown: I know this album isn't at the top of my list, but I still think it's gotten a lot of unnecessary hate over the years. I will admit that it's a bit long and can be a bit of a chore to listen to in one sitting (on a somewhat unrelated note, I hate that the only song they consistently play from this album is Know Your Enemy. WTH. ). It could stand to be a few songs shorter, but is overall a solid Green Day album. 8.5/10.
Top 3 Songs: Before the Lobotomy, ¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl), American Eulogy

6/7/8. Warning: I still tend to overlook this album a lot, and I have absolutely no idea as to why; it has a couple of weak spots but overall is very good. The band gets experimental again at some points on the album, which again work out well. 8/10.
Top 3 Songs: Deadbeat Holiday, Misery, Church on Sunday

6/7/8. Dookie: I honestly don't have a lot to say about this album that hasn't been said in the 23 years it's been out. I will however say that Coming Clean, Emenius Sleepus, and In the End are tremendously underappreciated. 8/10.
Top 3 Songs: Coming Clean, Emenius Sleepus, In the End

6/7/8. Kerplunk: I hate having this album so low on the list, because I really do like it. For as young as Billie Joe was at the time these songs were written, they're not that bad, and some would hold up on more recent Green Day albums, quality-wise. I quite like the coming-of-age/growing up themes that appear from time to time on the album. 8/10.
Top 3 Songs: One of My Lies, Android, 80

9. 39/Smooth: As this was Green Day's first album, and given that they were rather young at the time it was released, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that this album is lower down on the list. I do still like it though, and as with Kerplunk, there are some more mature (at least for an 18-year-old) themes found in some places on the album. A decent debut, and a sign of good things to come. 7.5/10.
Top 3 Songs: Road to Acceptance, Going to Pasalacqua, Rest

10. ¡Dos!: It's not saying much, but ¡Dos! is still my favorite of the three Trilogy albums. Compared to ¡Uno! and ¡Tré!, it had a somewhat more gritty sound, which I kind of like. There are also a few gems on here that some (at least when I used to be more active on here) didn't really notice. Apart from that, there's not really much I have to say about this album. 6/10.
Top 3 Songs: Lazy Bones, Ashley, Wild One

11. ¡Tré!: It's not as bland and forgettable as ¡Uno!; that's about all this album has going for it. 6/10.
Top 3 Songs: X-Kid; Brutal Love, 8th Avenue Serenade

12. ¡Uno!: Ew, no I still don't understand the appeal of most of the songs on the first half of this album, save for Stay the Night, which would be okay with better production; the second half IMO kicks the shit out of the first half. A lot of criticism toward the Trilogy is kind of how I feel about the Trilogy as a whole, but even more so for this album in particular: the half-assed and nonsensical lyrics, the songs begging for bigger guitars/production, the audible vocal filters, just everything tbh. 4/10.
Top 3 Songs: Rusty James, Angel Blue, Oh Love

Holy shit this was a long post. Sorry guys   

[pouty bitch]

14 hours ago, Spoopy Doo said:

#Opinions

1. American Idiot: This was the first Green Day album I heard in full. The lyrics are top-notch Green Day, there's no filler, and every/nearly every song is memorable and has relevance to the themes/concept of the album. 10/10.
Top 3 Songs: Jesus of Suburbia, Letterbomb, Wake Me Up When September Ends

2. Nimrod: As far as Green Day goes, Nimrod is probably their most varied album in terms of style/sound, and they pulled it off well. Again, the lyrics are great, the music is great, pretty much everything about this album is great. Redundant, Scattered, All the Time, and Worry Rock is probably my favorite consecutive stretch of songs on any Green Day album. 9.5/10.
Top 3 5 Songs: Scattered, Worry Rock, All the Time, Jinx, Prosthetic Head

3. Insomniac: This album and Nimrod are almost interchangeable in ranking for me; I love them both so much. Insomniac is short, not-so-sweet, and to the point; it's (generally) fast-paced, angry, in-your-face, and it does it well. I love the lyrics, the music is great and energetic, and in my opinion was a great follow-up to Dookie. 9/10.
Top 3 Songs: Panic Song, Stuck With Me, Stuart and the Ave.

4. Revolution Radio: This album to me felt like a much more natural progression from 21st Century Breakdown than the Trilogy did. It has some more political themes and is overall heavier (both in themes and sound) than the Trilogy, but also has some lighter moments such as Youngblood and Ordinary World. The album has a nice mix of the fast-paced, pissed off Green Day we've come to know and love, more reflective moments, and more light-hearted, "fun" moments. Another this this album has going for it is that the obligatory 7-minute song doesn't feel nearly as forced and clusterfuckish as Dirty Rotten Bastards. My only issue with this album is that BOTW and Youngblood are fairly weak lyrically when compared to the other songs on the album. In addition to this, they interrupt the flow of and drag down an otherwise fantastic album. 8.5/10.
Top 3 Songs: Still Breathing, Outlaws, Bang Bang

5. 21st Century Breakdown: I know this album isn't at the top of my list, but I still think it's gotten a lot of unnecessary hate over the years. I will admit that it's a bit long and can be a bit of a chore to listen to in one sitting (on a somewhat unrelated note, I hate that the only song they consistently play from this album is Know Your Enemy. WTH. ). It could stand to be a few songs shorter, but is overall a solid Green Day album. 8.5/10.
Top 3 Songs: Before the Lobotomy, ¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl), American Eulogy

6/7/8. Warning: I still tend to overlook this album a lot, and I have absolutely no idea as to why; it has a couple of weak spots but overall is very good. The band gets experimental again at some points on the album, which again work out well. 8/10.
Top 3 Songs: Deadbeat Holiday, Misery, Church on Sunday

6/7/8. Dookie: I honestly don't have a lot to say about this album that hasn't been said in the 23 years it's been out. I will however say that Coming Clean, Emenius Sleepus, and In the End are tremendously underappreciated. 8/10.
Top 3 Songs: Coming Clean, Emenius Sleepus, In the End

6/7/8. Kerplunk: I hate having this album so low on the list, because I really do like it. For as young as Billie Joe was at the time these songs were written, they're not that bad, and some would hold up on more recent Green Day albums, quality-wise. I quite like the coming-of-age/growing up themes that appear from time to time on the album. 8/10.
Top 3 Songs: One of My Lies, Android, 80

9. 39/Smooth: As this was Green Day's first album, and given that they were rather young at the time it was released, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that this album is lower down on the list. I do still like it though, and as with Kerplunk, there are some more mature (at least for an 18-year-old) themes found in some places on the album. A decent debut, and a sign of good things to come. 7.5/10.
Top 3 Songs: Road to Acceptance, Going to Pasalacqua, Rest

10. ¡Dos!: It's not saying much, but ¡Dos! is still my favorite of the three Trilogy albums. Compared to ¡Uno! and ¡Tré!, it had a somewhat more gritty sound, which I kind of like. There are also a few gems on here that some (at least when I used to be more active on here) didn't really notice. Apart from that, there's not really much I have to say about this album. 6/10.
Top 3 Songs: Lazy Bones, Ashley, Wild One

11. ¡Tré!: It's not as bland and forgettable as ¡Uno!; that's about all this album has going for it. 6/10.
Top 3 Songs: X-Kid; Brutal Love, 8th Avenue Serenade

12. ¡Uno!: Ew, no I still don't understand the appeal of most of the songs on the first half of this album, save for Stay the Night, which would be okay with better production; the second half IMO kicks the shit out of the first half. A lot of criticism toward the Trilogy is kind of how I feel about the Trilogy as a whole, but even more so for this album in particular: the half-assed and nonsensical lyrics, the songs begging for bigger guitars/production, the audible vocal filters, just everything tbh. 4/10.
Top 3 Songs: Rusty James, Angel Blue, Oh Love

Holy shit this was a long post. Sorry guys   

It's great to find somebody who ranks the Green Day albums similarly to how I rank them. Most people I know, Dookie is always in their top 3 and they laugh when I say I prefer Insomniac to Dookie (Dookie is way down the bottom end of my list). Also, I rarely see people who think Dos is the best of the trilogy, but I really like Dos. 

[Spoopy Doo]

4 hours ago, G-L-O-R-I-A said:

It's great to find somebody who ranks the Green Day albums similarly to how I rank them. Most people I know, Dookie is always in their top 3 and they laugh when I say I prefer Insomniac to Dookie (Dookie is way down the bottom end of my list). Also, I rarely see people who think Dos is the best of the trilogy, but I really like Dos. 

Part of me feels kind of weird having it so low on my because I like it, but it's not one of my favorites. I'm not sure if I'd say that ¡Dos! is the best of the Trilogy, but it's my favorite of the three . I think compared to the other two it got a disproportionate amount of hate, but it may just be me  

[pouty bitch]

3 minutes ago, Spoopy Doo said:

Part of me feels kind of weird having it so low on my because I like it, but it's not one of my favorites. I'm not sure if I'd say that ¡Dos! is the best of the Trilogy, but it's my favorite of the three 

I love every Green Day album, (apart from maybe Uno) so I don't feel any guilt from having Dookie so low on my list. I do really, really like Dos though.

[Caroline Truong]

here is mine:

21 Century Breakdown: "One of Billie's Best Song writing..(except for song "last of the American Girl) best sound,best concept)

Dos: (I know it is one of fan people least fave) but I thought it is very different and very mature/dark theme that G.D never done before)

Nimrod: Raw sound and all of songs in that ablum is great.

Uno: Sound and Songs in there is perfect..I think it is capture G.D energy and music just right.

Dookie: well what can I said..Classic Best Album for me..and G.D I like most of songs in there..(She,Welcome to P)

Al: Best selling album and it is timeless

[ThranaM]

21st Century Breakdown - By far the best album with the most creative songs. Also the best Green Day tour along with it - so bummed that I missed the tour in person.
I remember when I got the CD, playing through the whole record a few times.
The track that I always wanted to listen to everyime I put it on was track 18 - See The Light. That's my favorite song from the album. 

Top 3: See The Light, Know Your Enemy, 21st CB

American Idiot - Listening to this album when I was a kid was so fucking great. And it still is! Lots of amazing songs with a great story. All of my friends also listened to it with me. 
The song that tops this album, and the song that's my favorite Green Day song to this day, is Letterbomb. What an energy packed song. Always gives me the chills! 

Top 3: Letterbomb, Jesus of Suburbia, Homecoming

Nimrod - I just love the songs on this record. Lots of creativity, kinda like 21st CB. Scattered is one of my all time favorites.

Top 3: Scattered, Nice Guys Finish Last, Hitchin' A Ride

Revolution Radio - This is a killer album. Reflects very good at what kind of world we live in right now. Forever Now is just a fucking amazing song, espesially live!

Top 3: Forever Now, Bang Bang, Revolution Radio

Uno - I personally think this is a fucking awesome record, lots of energy and great songs. I never get bored of this album really. 

Top 3: Nuclear Family, Stay The Night, Rusty James.

Dookie - This album is just so great, lots of short, great songs.

Top 3: Welcome To Paradise, Burnout, Basket Case

Insomniac - The most underrated album BY FAR. The songs on this record just screams for anger and personal issues. I remember me and a friend just completely falling in love with Brain Stew after watching Bullet in A Bible over, and over, and over again 

Top 3: Brain Stew, Stuart and The Ave. and Stuck With Me

Warning - The only album I can listen to without getting bored of any song. The perfect album when you just wanna listen to some music. I remember Waiting was the song that really got me into Green Day. 

Top 3: Waiting, Minority, Deadbeat Holiday

Tre - 99 Revolutions. My second favorite song. Great album with a lot of nice songs. I love listening to this during christmas, because it was released right before christmas vacation, getting to play it all day long. I still love this album as much as I did back in 2012.
I recall Billie saying that 99 Revolutions was the best song he ever wrote, well, I agree. Simple, yet perfect  

Top 3: 99 Revolutions, X-Kid, Brutal Love

Kerplunk - Great album, but I have never really connected with it like I have with the rest of Green Day's albums.

Top 3: Christie Road, 2000 LYA, Private Ale

1039/Smooth - Same as above really - never connected so good to it. Don't Leave Me is really good.

Top 3: Don't Leave Me, Only Of You, Going To Pasalacqua

Dos - Well.. Yeah, I think most of us share the opinion that this was a bit of a set back. Lots of good energy in the songs tho.

Top 3: SWTRLF, Lazy Bones, Amy

[letsdanceon]

On 1/4/2017 at 8:12 AM, Private Ale. said:

Going to pasalacqua is the best thing ever.

IT REALLY IS. I still stand by my statement I made in another thread that it's one of the best songs they've ever written.

[Justin1]

1. Warning (Church On Sunday, Waiting, Hold On)

2. Trilogy (Missing You, 8th Ave. Seranade, Dirty Rotton Bastards Stay The Night, Rusty James, Oh Love, Stray Heart, Makeout Party, SWTRLF)

3. Dookie.  (Burnout, She, When I Come Around)

4. American Idiot (Holiday, Jesus Of Suburbia, St. Jimmy)

5. Nimrod (Scattered, Uptight, Good Riddance)

6. Revolution Radio (Still Breathing, Forever Now, Ordinary World)

7. 21st Century Breakdown (21st Century Breakdown, Last Night On Earth, Before The Labotomy) 

8. Kerplunk (2000 Light Years Away, Christie Road, 80)

9. Insomniac (Armatash Shanks, Stuck With Me, Geek Stink Breath)

10. 1039 SOSH (Going To Pasalacqua, At The Library, I Was There)

The only logical reason that I can come up with for the trilogy to be at the bottom of so many people's list is because they are associating it with the rehab stuff with Billie. If you have the mental strength to judge it solely on the music, The trilogy is/are the best rock albums made from 2005-2017.. most people are just too ignorant to see it, and can't digest something of that magnitude. Even professional reviewers and writers for rock music are saying things like 'those albums still haven't seen their peek', and weren't given their shot.. and I believe it!

 

[BetterThanAir]

Here is my list. It changes a little bit despite the first two albums and two last albums. I wrote my reason for liking the album and placing it where I did, and then the bolded is my favourite song on that album.

1. Nimrod (because a lot of the songs on that album express feelings I had trouble trying to explain, ex. Scattered) Reject

2. Kerplunk (I don't know why, but this album always reminds me of good memories, simplicity, and relaxes me) Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?

3. Insomniac (I love the energy and originality of that album) Armatage Shanks

4. 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (this was an album I really relate to, and influenced me a lot when I was a teenager) Green Day

5. 21st Century Breakdown + Warning are tied (21st Century because I got to see Green Day during this tour, and I feel like that was the best time to ever see them live and the music they played was amazing. Warning because I like how it sounds different from every album) Last Night on Earth and Fashion Victim

6. American Idiot (despite it being so relatable and impacting to me, it is my least listened to album...my favourite song is on this album and I listen to it every day, but not so much the other songs besides maybe Jesus of Suburbia) Give me Novacaine

7. Revolution Radio (I actually wanted to place this album a little bit higher. I feel like it is a genuine album and expresses a lot of raw emotion despite what some people might think; that they are trying to stay relevant or whatever). Bouncing off the Wall and Still Breathing

8. Dos (I don't even know why everyone thinks it is the worse of the trilogy; the songs are the most upbeat...if it didn't have Nightlife it'd be such a better album) Wild One

9. Uno (I like some of the songs and the lyrics are okay, some of them are cheesy though) Fell for You

10. Tre (I only like two songs on this album and I truly cannot stand Little Boy Named Train because the lyrics are too cringeworthy) Brutal Love

[Gwen Stacy]

Wall o' text inboud:

1. American Idiot - I think there's a reason that this was the album that revitalized Green Day's career. If they had put out an exact clone of Dookie, it wouldn't have done for them what this album did. It's all here. This is the album that brought concept albums back into the mainstream. It's not too attached to the characters and story like Tommy, so it's loose and interpretive enough that each song stands on it's own. It's got fast rock numbers like the title track, St. Jimmy, and Letterbomb, long epics such as Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming, and ballads like Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake Me Up When September Ends. I remember when this album came out and everyone was obsessed with it. It captured the spirit of young people at the time with both its political and personal message. Apart from being a fan this might be the defining rock album of the first decade of the 21st century. Like Band on the Run, it's not too long, it's perfect the way it is. I don't have a criticism to level against this album and most who do are attacking Green Day's image itself rather than the music as a work of art. The cover is iconic, the music is amazingly produced, it's both timely and timeles. Real lightning in a bottle here folks.

2. 21st Century Breakdown - Remember what I said about American Idiot not overstaying it's welcome? Sadly, the same cannot be said of 21st Century Breakdown. I think the idea behind this album was "American Idiot, but bigger", and I think that ended up working against it. Sadly, there's a little bit of Insomniac syndrome going on here. Dings out of the way, let's get on to the raving. Full disclosure, this was the first Green Day album I heard front to back and the one that made me a fan so my ability to be objective about it is limited. That being said, if I had to describe this album in one word, it would be epic. Whereas American Idiot was a narrative driven by a person, the drive in 21st Century Breakdown is really the socio-politcal backdrop that Christian and Gloria find themselves in. We aren't even introduced to the characters until the fourth song with the title song being a grandiose statement about the state of the country and the third being a political rallying cry. The narrative is looser than in American Idiot and this I think works in the album's favor as the listener is made to use their imagination more to fill in the story. Lazier? Some might say, but the end result is a more personal attachment with the story. Butch Vig as producer was an excellent move with all elements production feeling balanced, and nothing really getting lost in the mix. My only gripe here is that it sounds too digital. Throw this on a turntable after listening to Fleetwood Mac's Rumors and this album feels positively flat by comparison. Additionally, the album could really stand to cut the fat. I know they were going for "bigger" after American Idiot, but songs like Viva La Gloria (Little Girl) and See The Light could have been left on the cutting room floor and the album would have been the better for it. While it doesn't reach the same highs that American Idiot does, when you're drawing from the same well, it's hard to go wrong. Sadly overshadowed by it's predecessor and held back by it's safe single choices, if you haven't listened to this album in full lately, give it another chance.

3. Dookie - Similar to how American Idiot revitalized Green Day's career for a reason, this album broke Green Day out for a reason. I think I heard Cavallo say that he had a hard time choosing singles from this album becuase they all were candidates and it shows. If there were ever a template for pop-punk (if there even is such a thing) this is it. Each song is quick, packs a punch, and stays with you. This album perfectly encapsulates that late teens/early twenties angst of being held back by your past and being crushed under the expectations of your future and saying "fuck you" to it all. Burnout was an amazing pick to start the album "I declare I don't care no more"; was any album so perfecty encapsulated by it's opening lines? Maybe Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, which is in similar punk status. This album is hit after hit and I could devote a paragraph to each song, but I won't here to save space. If there's any valid criticism to be had it's that some songs sound a little same-y; but when they're all classics, it's hard to go wrong. It's a classic album for a damn good reason.

4. Revolution Radio - For such a high ranking Green Day album, this one went a little under the radar. So why put it up this high? If someone were to ask me to distill Green Day into just one album, it would sound most like this. There's personal songs, there's pump-ass songs, there's reflective ballads, there's epic songs, there's straight up fun songs, this album encapsualtes Green Day's career perfectly. Bang Bang is a song right in the tradition of the best of punk, political and kick-ass. Forever Now is an epic in the mold of the song 21st Century Breakdown and Jesus of Suburbia without trying too hard to imitate the latter. Outlaws is an elegaic reflection on the band as a whole. And someone put Bouncing Off The Wall on and I dare you not to dance. The mixing is back were it should be after the flatness of the trilogy, and the whole album is a return to form. If coffee was the only substance fueling this album, I say drink up boys!

5. Kerplunk - When anyone says that they don't like that Green Day got political or took a stand on social issues, I make them listen to One Of My Lies. As early as 1992 Billie Joe was questioning religion, and while this might not have been such a big deal at Gilman, one can draw a direct line from that sone to something like East Jesus Nowhere. This was the band really finding their footing and man alive did they find it. The album kicks off with a musical punch in the face that is 2000 Light Years Away. At 12 songs (yes 12, the Sweet Children EP that was tacked on the end of the album on the CD version does. not. count.) this album knows just how far it needs to go and what limits to push. Each song is ahead of it's time. 80 is amazingly introspective, Christie Road is an anthem for every kid that's ever been bored in suburbia, and Words I Might Have Ate is a bold choice to end the album on. The first Green Day song to feature acoustic guitar on a punk record shows the band's willingness to push boundaries, even at a formative stage. The lo-fi aethstetic that would be called back to on Stop, Drop, and Roll is in full and un-ironic display here and it works in the record's favor. If there ever was a classic "indie punk" record that could be appealing to the masses this was it; and that's an achivement.

6. Nimrod - This record was initally concieved as a double album and it shows. You know what you do when the formula gets stale? Experiment! And man alive did they experiment. This album is all sorts of all over the place and that is the record's charm. It goes from the straight up fast paced punk that they were known for at the time (Nice Guys Finish Last, Platypus, Jinx) to surpisingly emotionally mature (Redundant, Good Riddance), and everwhere in between. For Doctor Who fans, you know that scene in the episode The Eleventh Hour where the Doctor is trying on all sorts of different outfits to see which one suits him? That's what this album feels like. Let's try on a bunch of diffferent hats and have fun with it! The record is fun for sure, but behind the scrim of experimental joy, there's darkeness too. This is a complicated, emotionally mature record and I think it was exactly what the band needed. Did it reach the sales highs of Dookie? No. But does it stand on it's own as a piece of art years later? Oh yeah. Consistent? Lol. Interesting? Yas. If you like your Green Day scatttered (see what I did there?) then this is the record for you.

7. Insomniac - If you like the bass guitar or are a fan of Mike Dirnt, then this is the Green Day record for you. In terms of pure mixing, this is my favorite record. Put on a pair of nice headphones and you'll hear what I'm talking about. Fat FAT bass to line the outer edges of the soundscape, powerful drums at the bottom, and edgey guitars and vocals to fill the rest. People say the vocals get lost in the mix, but on the right equipment, it plays like a dream. At this point in time the band was still reeling from the overwhelming sucess of Dookie and putting out a record in such short time as a reaction shows its faults. While there are amazing songs dealing with that such as 86, this album is no stranger to filler. If anyonce can convincingly even tell me what Billie is saying on Babs Uvula Who? much less analyze it, I'll give you a million dollars. That being said, there are still some classics on this album so it's clear a little bit of the Dookie magic still lingered in the air. Combine that with some cranked up bass, and you've got a solid album.

8. Warning - This is grown up Green Day but without the edge and the focus that made them popular in the first place. This is a good album that just seems to lack a punch. Good tracks abound from Castaway, to Hold On. But the album doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Grown up? Well we've got Church on Sunday, Fashion Victim, and Macy's Day Parade. Old immature youngsters? Blood, Sex, and Booze and Jackass. Somewhere in the middle? Well, that's where this album lies. Unlike Nimrod that had the larger tracklist to denotate experimentation and the advantage of the first time to be doing it to work in it's favor. Again Warning isn't bad; it's just unfocused. The album cover itself seems to express this with the band walking around. Where? Who knows? It would take four more years and a scrapped album in the interem for the band to find their direction again. 

9. ¡Tré! - The third in Green Day's trilogy of albums is it's most sucessful in my opinion. Not because it was the most cohesive but in similar fashion to Nimrod, by this point the willingness to stick to the three album gimmick seemed to have gave way to a kitchen sink approach that allowed some real highs to sneak by. The opening track is a re-working of a Sam Cooke song, but Billie sings it with aplomb, especially the money shot line "Something for my troubled miii-ind". Probably singing autobiographically in this instance, ¡Tré! is the most vulnerable of all the trilogy albums. Missing You is a cool song that feels like it works better as a demo and needed more time to incubate. The album goes along well until X-Kid which is a fine enough song that needed to be more energetic and a minute shorter, in addition to being the side closer. But alas, we're subjected to Sex, Drugs, and Violence. With such a cool title once would hope for a song to live up to it; but sadly no. While attempting to be a bit more high-minded, overrly contrived lyrics drag the album down where it needed a boost the most. By the time we get to the beautiful album closer The Forgotten, most have already tuned out. Too bad, but that's what happend when the middle third drags that badly. The highs can get pretty high but the lows of the album more than counteract it. As a certain president likes to say; Sad!

10. 39/Smooth - For a freshman outing, this album is solid. The only reason I rank it behind ¡Tré!, is that the former has the benefit of emotional maturity behind songs like Drama Queen and X-Kid that make the album worth the bump. Not to say there aren't hints of that here. Road To Acceptance is a remarkably mature song for the age Billie was at. But fundamentally this is a rock album and boy does it succeed. Going To Pasalaqua was the opener through 1994 and it's easy to see why; it KICKS ASS! 39/Smooth is not a bad first outing but can't overcome the inherent flaws that come with it like a mix that leaves a lot to be desired and a band that knows how to rock live but doesn't yet know how to construct a compelling album package... yet.

11. ¡Uno! - While the most sucessful of the trilogy, it may be the most maddening to fans. This album gets a lot right; the first 5 tracks construct a pretty good flow (even if the final version of Carpe Diem leaves a lot to be desired compared to the live versions), it has a construction problem. Fell For You is no way to finish side 1; and the same guys who made 21st Century Breakdown and always talk about how important album flow should know this. Loss Of Control is a lost gem but then we go right back into the slog with Troublemaker. Are there highs here? Sure! But is this an album of a mature band that knows who they are? No. Midlife crisis in album format indeed. Oh, and Oh Love was a shit choice for a lead single. Just sayin'.

12. ¡Dos! - And then we get to the bottom of the studio albums. Look, there are some redeeming qualities to this album. Stop When The Red Lights Flash is downright fun. But this and ¡Uno! really should have been combined into one record. Lazy Bones is about as honest as Billie Joe got during the trilogy era but when it follows up with the Radiohead ripoff that is Wild One, it just wrecks the album sequence. Nighlife is a cool experiment and Wow! That's Loud is a genuinely amazing deep cut that deserved better. I was there the one time it got played live and it was an experience to behold. This song deserves your listening by itself. Amy is beautiful and a hauntingly effective album closer. But for every good track on this album there's another bad one that drags the album down. The trilogy was a double album at best streched out into three albums becuase nobody could tell an intoxicated Billie Joe no. Very little quality control going on here. Sad becuse it drags down the worthwile songs that are on the album, and they do exist, but the whole project just can't escape it's shortcomings. Oh well. They got better.

[pouty bitch]

12 hours ago, Justin1 said:

The only logical reason that I can come up with for the trilogy to be at the bottom of so many people's list is because they are associating it with the rehab stuff with Billie. If you have the mental strength to judge it solely on the music, The trilogy is/are the best rock albums made from 2005-2017.. most people are just too ignorant to see it, and can't digest something of that magnitude. Even professional reviewers and writers for rock music are saying things like 'those albums still haven't seen their peek', and weren't given their shot.. and I believe it!

 

The trilogy is near the bottom of my list purely because of Uno. I think Uno is okay, but it's the only Green Day album that I don't completely love. I certainly don't associate it with Billie's rehab, I just don't think it's that memorable. Maybe it's just because I haven't listened to it enough to properly get into it yet (I've only listened to it all the way through twice), but I don't know.

However, I can see why you think people associate it with Billie's rehab. From what I've seen, lots of people started hating on Green Day after the incident at iHeart Radio 2012, which just happened to be the same day that Uno was released, so there was a lot of backlash from that.

[pouty bitch]

11 hours ago, Gwen Stacy said:

Wall o' text inboud:

1. American Idiot - I think there's a reason that this was the album that revitalized Green Day's career. If they had put out an exact clone of Dookie, it wouldn't have done for them what this album did. It's all here. This is the album that brought concept albums back into the mainstream. It's not too attached to the characters and story like Tommy, so it's loose and interpretive enough that each song stands on it's own. It's got fast rock numbers like the title track, St. Jimmy, and Letterbomb, long epics such as Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming, and ballads like Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake Me Up When September Ends. I remember when this album came out and everyone was obsessed with it. It captured the spirit of young people at the time with both its political and personal message. Apart from being a fan this might be the defining rock album of the first decade of the 21st century. Like Band on the Run, it's not too long, it's perfect the way it is. I don't have a criticism to level against this album and most who do are attacking Green Day's image itself rather than the music as a work of art. The cover is iconic, the music is amazingly produced, it's both timely and timeles. Real lightning in a bottle here folks.

2. 21st Century Breakdown - Remember what I said about American Idiot not overstaying it's welcome? Sadly, the same cannot be said of 21st Century Breakdown. I think the idea behind this album was "American Idiot, but bigger", and I think that ended up working against it. Sadly, there's a little bit of Insomniac syndrome going on here. Dings out of the way, let's get on to the raving. Full disclosure, this was the first Green Day album I heard front to back and the one that made me a fan so my ability to be objective about it is limited. That being said, if I had to describe this album in one word, it would be epic. Whereas American Idiot was a narrative driven by a person, the drive in 21st Century Breakdown is really the socio-politcal backdrop that Christian and Gloria find themselves in. We aren't even introduced to the characters until the fourth song with the title song being a grandiose statement about the state of the country and the third being a political rallying cry. The narrative is looser than in American Idiot and this I think works in the album's favor as the listener is made to use their imagination more to fill in the story. Lazier? Some might say, but the end result is a more personal attachment with the story. Butch Vig as producer was an excellent move with all elements production feeling balanced, and nothing really getting lost in the mix. My only gripe here is that it sounds too digital. Throw this on a turntable after listening to Fleetwood Mac's Rumors and this album feels positively flat by comparison. Additionally, the album could really stand to cut the fat. I know they were going for "bigger" after American Idiot, but songs like Viva La Gloria (Little Girl) and See The Light could have been left on the cutting room floor and the album would have been the better for it. While it doesn't reach the same highs that American Idiot does, when you're drawing from the same well, it's hard to go wrong. Sadly overshadowed by it's predecessor and held back by it's safe single choices, if you haven't listened to this album in full lately, give it another chance.

3. Dookie - Similar to how American Idiot revitalized Green Day's career for a reason, this album broke Green Day out for a reason. I think I heard Cavallo say that he had a hard time choosing singles from this album becuase they all were candidates and it shows. If there were ever a template for pop-punk (if there even is such a thing) this is it. Each song is quick, packs a punch, and stays with you. This album perfectly encapsulates that late teens/early twenties angst of being held back by your past and being crushed under the expectations of your future and saying "fuck you" to it all. Burnout was an amazing pick to start the album "I declare I don't care no more"; was any album so perfecty encapsulated by it's opening lines? Maybe Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, which is in similar punk status. This album is hit after hit and I could devote a paragraph to each song, but I won't here to save space. If there's any valid criticism to be had it's that some songs sound a little same-y; but when they're all classics, it's hard to go wrong. It's a classic album for a damn good reason.

4. Revolution Radio - For such a high ranking Green Day album, this one went a little under the radar. So why put it up this high? If someone were to ask me to distill Green Day into just one album, it would sound most like this. There's personal songs, there's pump-ass songs, there's reflective ballads, there's epic songs, there's straight up fun songs, this album encapsualtes Green Day's career perfectly. Bang Bang is a song right in the tradition of the best of punk, political and kick-ass. Forever Now is an epic in the mold of the song 21st Century Breakdown and Jesus of Suburbia without trying too hard to imitate the latter. Outlaws is an elegaic reflection on the band as a whole. And someone put Bouncing Off The Wall on and I dare you not to dance. The mixing is back were it should be after the flatness of the trilogy, and the whole album is a return to form. If coffee was the only substance fueling this album, I say drink up boys!

5. Kerplunk - When anyone says that they don't like that Green Day got political or took a stand on social issues, I make them listen to One Of My Lies. As early as 1992 Billie Joe was questioning religion, and while this might not have been such a big deal at Gilman, one can draw a direct line from that sone to something like East Jesus Nowhere. This was the band really finding their footing and man alive did they find it. The album kicks off with a musical punch in the face that is 2000 Light Years Away. At 12 songs (yes 12, the Sweet Children EP that was tacked on the end of the album on the CD version does. not. count.) this album knows just how far it needs to go and what limits to push. Each song is ahead of it's time. 80 is amazingly introspective, Christie Road is an anthem for every kid that's ever been bored in suburbia, and Words I Might Have Ate is a bold choice to end the album on. The first Green Day song to feature acoustic guitar on a punk record shows the band's willingness to push boundaries, even at a formative stage. The lo-fi aethstetic that would be called back to on Stop, Drop, and Roll is in full and un-ironic display here and it works in the record's favor. If there ever was a classic "indie punk" record that could be appealing to the masses this was it; and that's an achivement.

6. Nimrod - This record was initally concieved as a double album and it shows. You know what you do when the formula gets stale? Experiment! And man alive did they experiment. This album is all sorts of all over the place and that is the record's charm. It goes from the straight up fast paced punk that they were known for at the time (Nice Guys Finish Last, Platypus, Jinx) to surpisingly emotionally mature (Redundant, Good Riddance), and everwhere in between. For Doctor Who fans, you know that scene in the episode The Eleventh Hour where the Doctor is trying on all sorts of different outfits to see which one suits him? That's what this album feels like. Let's try on a bunch of diffferent hats and have fun with it! The record is fun for sure, but behind the scrim of experimental joy, there's darkeness too. This is a complicated, emotionally mature record and I think it was exactly what the band needed. Did it reach the sales highs of Dookie? No. But does it stand on it's own as a piece of art years later? Oh yeah. Consistent? Lol. Interesting? Yas. If you like your Green Day scatttered (see what I did there?) then this is the record for you.

7. Insomniac - If you like the bass guitar or are a fan of Mike Dirnt, then this is the Green Day record for you. In terms of pure mixing, this is my favorite record. Put on a pair of nice headphones and you'll hear what I'm talking about. Fat FAT bass to line the outer edges of the soundscape, powerful drums at the bottom, and edgey guitars and vocals to fill the rest. People say the vocals get lost in the mix, but on the right equipment, it plays like a dream. At this point in time the band was still reeling from the overwhelming sucess of Dookie and putting out a record in such short time as a reaction shows its faults. While there are amazing songs dealing with that such as 86, this album is no stranger to filler. If anyonce can convincingly even tell me what Billie is saying on Babs Uvula Who? much less analyze it, I'll give you a million dollars. That being said, there are still some classics on this album so it's clear a little bit of the Dookie magic still lingered in the air. Combine that with some cranked up bass, and you've got a solid album.

8. Warning - This is grown up Green Day but without the edge and the focus that made them popular in the first place. This is a good album that just seems to lack a punch. Good tracks abound from Castaway, to Hold On. But the album doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Grown up? Well we've got Church on Sunday, Fashion Victim, and Macy's Day Parade. Old immature youngsters? Blood, Sex, and Booze and Jackass. Somewhere in the middle? Well, that's where this album lies. Unlike Nimrod that had the larger tracklist to denotate experimentation and the advantage of the first time to be doing it to work in it's favor. Again Warning isn't bad; it's just unfocused. The album cover itself seems to express this with the band walking around. Where? Who knows? It would take four more years and a scrapped album in the interem for the band to find their direction again. 

9. ¡Tré! - The third in Green Day's trilogy of albums is it's most sucessful in my opinion. Not because it was the most cohesive but in similar fashion to Nimrod, by this point the willingness to stick to the three album gimmick seemed to have gave way to a kitchen sink approach that allowed some real highs to sneak by. The opening track is a re-working of a Sam Cooke song, but Billie sings it with aplomb, especially the money shot line "Something for my troubled miii-ind". Probably singing autobiographically in this instance, ¡Tré! is the most vulnerable of all the trilogy albums. Missing You is a cool song that feels like it works better as a demo and needed more time to incubate. The album goes along well until X-Kid which is a fine enough song that needed to be more energetic and a minute shorter, in addition to being the side closer. But alas, we're subjected to Sex, Drugs, and Violence. With such a cool title once would hope for a song to live up to it; but sadly no. While attempting to be a bit more high-minded, overrly contrived lyrics drag the album down where it needed a boost the most. By the time we get to the beautiful album closer The Forgotten, most have already tuned out. Too bad, but that's what happend when the middle third drags that badly. The highs can get pretty high but the lows of the album more than counteract it. As a certain president likes to say; Sad!

10. 39/Smooth - For a freshman outing, this album is solid. The only reason I rank it behind ¡Tré!, is that the former has the benefit of emotional maturity behind songs like Drama Queen and X-Kid that make the album worth the bump. Not to say there aren't hints of that here. Road To Acceptance is a remarkably mature song for the age Billie was at. But fundamentally this is a rock album and boy does it succeed. Going To Pasalaqua was the opener through 1994 and it's easy to see why; it KICKS ASS! 39/Smooth is not a bad first outing but can't overcome the inherent flaws that come with it like a mix that leaves a lot to be desired and a band that knows how to rock live but doesn't yet know how to construct a compelling album package... yet.

11. ¡Uno! - While the most sucessful of the trilogy, it may be the most maddening to fans. This album gets a lot right; the first 5 tracks construct a pretty good flow (even if the final version of Carpe Diem leaves a lot to be desired compared to the live versions), it has a construction problem. Fell For You is no way to finish side 1; and the same guys who made 21st Century Breakdown and always talk about how important album flow should know this. Loss Of Control is a lost gem but then we go right back into the slog with Troublemaker. Are there highs here? Sure! But is this an album of a mature band that knows who they are? No. Midlife crisis in album format indeed. Oh, and Oh Love was a shit choice for a lead single. Just sayin'.

12. ¡Dos! - And then we get to the bottom of the studio albums. Look, there are some redeeming qualities to this album. Stop When The Red Lights Flash is downright fun. But this and ¡Uno! really should have been combined into one record. Lazy Bones is about as honest as Billie Joe got during the trilogy era but when it follows up with the Radiohead ripoff that is Wild One, it just wrecks the album sequence. Nighlife is a cool experiment and Wow! That's Loud is a genuinely amazing deep cut that deserved better. I was there the one time it got played live and it was an experience to behold. This song deserves your listening by itself. Amy is beautiful and a hauntingly effective album closer. But for every good track on this album there's another bad one that drags the album down. The trilogy was a double album at best streched out into three albums becuase nobody could tell an intoxicated Billie Joe no. Very little quality control going on here. Sad becuse it drags down the worthwile songs that are on the album, and they do exist, but the whole project just can't escape it's shortcomings. Oh well. They got better.

It took me forever to read this post (so many words ), but it was worth my time. You gave such an interesting analysis of each album, with both positives and negatives. It also seemed very professional - I felt like I was reading an actual article from a real magazine. 

[straighttohell]

1 NIMROD - my personal favorite, the first gd record i ever got so i can admit I'm completely biased. this came out when i was in middle school discovering punk and rock n roll music and it just meant the world to me at the time. still does to this day. i think its their saddest and most bittersweet album. redundant, scattered, worry rock, uptight, haushinka, walking alone, good riddance... all just really beautiful and sad songs, so tastefully done. those lyrics and melodies have so much yearning, pain and beauty. i also think mike's harmonies and bass playing just absolutely kill on this record. all three of them are firing on all cylinders here. the production is really crisp and heavy, it doesn't sound overly produced, just perfect. i fucking love the artwork, the cover, the back, the insert, how all the lyrics are written out and how some lines are blotted out, just all of the packaging for this record i think was beautiful, tasteful, weird, interesting, i just fucking love it. the b-sides were sick, all the music videos for the singles were sick, especially redundant's video which is just so brilliant and strange and kind of sad. like i said I'm completely biased because of the time in my life when this record came out, but this will always be my favorite.

2 WARNING - first record i remember waiting so anxiously for, read every interview, every article, watched every video leading up to its release when i was in high school. so much hype for me. then when it came out, got it on the first day, and it subverted all my expectations. was not expecting its stripped down rootsy vibe. didn't take long for it to grow on me, and the fact that its so different from all their other records, is why i rank it so high. i also think its their most optimistic album. they are the same guys, but more at peace with themselves i feel. despite a lot of songs about feeling out of place, the way they are packaged, melodically and sonically, they just feel so at peace. they know they are different, and they are okay with it. beautiful album.

3 DOOKIE - the best album probably ever written about being young, imo. still a masterpiece. dysfunctional suburban kids will be listening to this for the next 100 years.

4 KERPLUNK - i romanticize those earlier years because i wasn't there for them. i'd do anything to go back in time and see them live in a basement or a backyard during the Kerplunk era. they were firing on all cylinders, three kids going fucking crazy who knew their way around a pop punk tune, nothing more nothing less. all captured so well on this record.

5 INSOMNIAC - so dark and angry and perfect, kind of hard to listen to sometimes cause they don't sound like they are having much fun, but that discontent sure makes for a great record.

6 AMERICAN IDIOT - masterpiece of a record, i can appreciate it from front to back, but if I'm being honest I'm tired of hearing boulevard of broken dreams, holiday, are we the waiting and wake me up when september ends. great songs, but they've just been played to death for me. i guess I'm less a fan of the slower power ballad songs. i can still recognize the albums brilliance as a whole though, and i think jesus of suburbia, letterbomb and whatsername are three of the best songs they've ever written. ever.

7 UNO! DOS! TRE! - the whole idea behind these records i absolutely fucking love. the thought of them just partying in oakland, orange county, texas and new york, and goofing around writing dozens and dozens of power pop and garage songs, i think its so fucking fun. and about 75% of the final product i love (stay the night, missing you, x-kid, sweet 16, kill the dj, tons more). the other 25% i still dig, but just isn't my favorite of theirs and i don't revisit much (nightlife, the forgotten, ashley, fuck time, troublemaker). I'm still so glad they did this, and I think they should be proud to be a band who takes fun, and crazy risks, like this.

8 REVOLUTION RADIO - some of these songs i think are GREAT (somewhere now, bang bang, forever now), others are solid but not necessarily exceptional (bouncing off the walls, youngblood, too dumb to die), and others i think are kind of generic (revolution radio, troubled times, ordinary world). i also can't stand the artwork. i feel like they needed a palette cleaner after the somewhat disastrous release of uno! dos! and tre! and I'm hoping this album kind of serves as that cleanser, reassuring them that they are still a great and relevant band, and hopefully gives them the platform to do something more bold and inspired on whatever they do next.

9 21ST CENTURY BREAKDOWN - this is somewhat similar to rev rad for me, i dig some of the songs (!viva la gloria!, last night on earth, the static age, american eulogy, last of the american girls), but a lot of the other songs come off kind of generic to me (know your enemy, restless heart syndrome, 21 guns, see the light). i don't hate those songs, but i feel like they think they are more important than they really are. perhaps a bit pretentious at times also. i still applaud them for swinging for the fences, i dig that they had such high ambitions. a lot of it just misses the mark for me.

10 39/SMOOTH - i like some of the songs on this record but its their record i listen to the least. i feel like they hadn't found themselves quite yet. for me, kerplunk is really where they became green day, in billie's songwriting, his voice, his melodies, his lyrics, mike's bass playing and his harmonies, with tre joining, its the first REAL green day record, as we know them today, imo. still, this has some solid songs on it, but just my least listened to, and my least favorite of theirs.

[Montclare]

21 hours ago, BetterThanAir said:

Here is my list. It changes a little bit despite the first two albums and two last albums. I wrote my reason for liking the album and placing it where I did, and then the bolded is my favourite song on that album.

1. Nimrod (because a lot of the songs on that album express feelings I had trouble trying to explain, ex. Scattered) Reject

2. Kerplunk (I don't know why, but this album always reminds me of good memories, simplicity, and relaxes me) Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?

3. Insomniac (I love the energy and originality of that album) Armatage Shanks

4. 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (this was an album I really relate to, and influenced me a lot when I was a teenager) Green Day

5. 21st Century Breakdown + Warning are tied (21st Century because I got to see Green Day during this tour, and I feel like that was the best time to ever see them live and the music they played was amazing. Warning because I like how it sounds different from every album) Last Night on Earth and Fashion Victim

6. American Idiot (despite it being so relatable and impacting to me, it is my least listened to album...my favourite song is on this album and I listen to it every day, but not so much the other songs besides maybe Jesus of Suburbia) Give me Novacaine

7. Revolution Radio (I actually wanted to place this album a little bit higher. I feel like it is a genuine album and expresses a lot of raw emotion despite what some people might think; that they are trying to stay relevant or whatever). Bouncing off the Wall and Still Breathing

8. Dos (I don't even know why everyone thinks it is the worse of the trilogy; the songs are the most upbeat...if it didn't have Nightlife it'd be such a better album) Wild One

9. Uno (I like some of the songs and the lyrics are okay, some of them are cheesy though) Fell for You

10. Tre (I only like two songs on this album and I truly cannot stand Little Boy Named Train because the lyrics are too cringeworthy) Brutal Love

What about Dookie?

[BetterThanAir]

31 minutes ago, Montclare said:

What about Dookie?

OMG HOW COULD I FORGET I will have to edit this, thank you so much! <3 

[Gwen Stacy]

9 hours ago, G-L-O-R-I-A said:

It took me forever to read this post (so many words ), but it was worth my time. You gave such an interesting analysis of each album, with both positives and negatives. It also seemed very professional - I felt like I was reading an actual article from a real magazine. 

Well thank you for sticking through and reading it all! I guess that rambly post is what a college education plus a few too many beers does to me (remember kids, don't drink and GDC).

[Hero_Of_The_Hour]

1. American Idiot  - The greatest album in my opinion. Every song is strong. The singles were excellent. Personally the album spoke to me at a time when I was going through a dark phase so it will forever have a lot of meaning to me and I'm grateful that it came out when it did and that Billie had such brilliant lyrics back then when I needed them most.

2. Insomniac - honestly AI and Insomniac are tied at no 1 because Insomniac is pure brilliance but AI means so much to me.

3. Nimrod - so many songs and yet there still isn't filler. Epic album that showcases a band at their creative best. Amazing lyrics.

4. 21st Century Breakdown - I hate the criticism this album gets because of people comparing it to AI, it is an amazing album in its own right. Songs like 21 Guns, American Eulogy and Restless Heart Syndrome are examples of Billie at his best.

5. Dookie - perfection and so fantastic to see it live in 2013.

6. Kerplunk - I love this album especially songs like No One Knows, Christie Road, Welcome To Paradise and Who Wrote Holden Cauldfied. I mean this was only their second album but these songs are amazing. 

7. Warning - I do love Warning but it had to go somewhere! I guess I love it slightly less than the others  Castaway is soooo good though.

8. 39/Smooth - Going To Pasalaqua is literally one of my favourite songs ever but overall I listen to this album very little compared to the others if I'm honest.

9. Tre - Has a few good songs like Walk Away, 99 Revolutions and DRB (which is catchy). Best of a Terrible lot.

10. Uno - I haven't listened to the trilogy since 2013

11. Dos - I thought, at the time, this was the worst thing that ever happened to the band especially with songs like Nightlife  

12. Revolution Radio - I can't tolerate the lyrics on this album. It's the first time ever I downloaded the leak and haven't purchased the album because I actually hated a Green Day album so much.

[Hero_Of_The_Hour]

On ‎10‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 6:51 AM, Gwen Stacy said:

 

If anyonce can convincingly even tell me what Billie is saying on Babs Uvula Who? much less analyze it, I'll give you a million dollars.

 

"Bab's Uvula Who?"
 

I've got a knack for fucking everything up
My temper flies and I get myself all wound up
My fuse is short and my blood pressure is high
I lose control and I get myself all wound up
Tension mounts and I fly off the wall
I self destruct and I get myself all wound up
Petulance and irritation sets in
I throw a tantrum and I get myself all wound up

I lose myself and I'm all wound up
Petulance and I'm all wound up
I lose control and I'm all wound up
I lose myself and I'm all wound up

Chip on my shoulder and a leech on my back
Stuck in a rut and I get myself all wound up
Killed my composure and it will never come back
Loss of control and I get myself all wound up
Blown out of proportion again
My temper snaps and I get myself all wound up
Spontaneous combustion panic attack
I slipped a gear and I get myself all wound up

I lose myself and I'm all wound up
Petulance and I'm all wound up
I lose control and I'm all wound up
I lose myself and I'm all wound up

I've got a knack for fucking everything up
My temper flies and I get myself all wound up
My fuse is short and my blood pressure is high
I lose control and I get myself all wound up
Tension mounts and I fly off the wall
I self destruct and I get myself all wound up
Petulance and irritation sets in
I throw a tantrum and I get myself all wound up

I lose myself and I'm all wound up
Petulance and I'm all wound up
I lose control and I'm all wound up
I lose myself and I'm all wound up

 

I'll take that million whenever you're ready