GREEN DAY'S 50 GREATEST SONGS

[mas2694]

Hey guys.  I published an article ranking (not just a simple list, but also includes explanations and footnotes) what I believe are Green Day's 50 greatest songs.  Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think!

https://medium.com/@michaelsilverstone/green-days-fifty-greatest-songs-ranked-80897fcf5579

[Chin for a Day]

I personally don't agree with your ranking, I also don't agree with all of your interpretations. However, I think this is extremely well done. You put alot of effort into it and crafted it in such a way that it was an enjoyable read for any GD fan, but also might peak the interest of someone that is not a fan.

Well done.

[mas2694]

Appreciate the input @Grubby Poop!  Thanks for reading.

[Trotsky]

Pretty good list. I would have put X-Kid on it, because I find it to be a very powerful song and it has strong lyrics, and I would have put Letterbomb a lot higher.

[pacejunkie punk]

OMG thank you for pointing out the American Idiot line in Rock and Roll Girlfriend   I’d never noticed that either I had to go and listen. Cool!

[mas2694]

@Trotsky - Letterbomb really does seem to be a fan favorite, doesn't it?  And X-Kid is a really awesome song, could totally see that in a ranking.

 

@pacejunkie punk - Yeah, I was pretty surprised to hear that right there in the song.  It's well-hidden, but definitely noticeable once you finally hear it.

[Daddy.]

21 minutes ago, pacejunkie punk said:

OMG thank you for pointing out the American Idiot line in Rock and Roll Girlfriend   I’d never noticed that either I had to go and listen. Cool!

You're shattering my illusion that you know everything about the band and their songs!

 

Good list. Everyone's top 50 would be different (disappointed about the lack of a classic like Nightlife)  but you put the effort into making one instead of procrastinating like me. 

[pacejunkie punk]

1 minute ago, Smoldering Panda said:

You're shattering my illusion that you know everything about the band and their songs!

 

Wow, I apologize if that was your perception 😉😘

And @mas2694 while no two fans will agree on every ranking, I’m sorry for your lack of trilogy love. 😕

[mas2694]

@pacejunkie punk I wasn't a big fan of Uno as an album, but I enjoy Dos and I LOVE Tre (the latter more so as an album rather than a collection of individual songs).

[Montclare]

42 minutes ago, pacejunkie punk said:

OMG thank you for pointing out the American Idiot line in Rock and Roll Girlfriend   I’d never noticed that either I had to go and listen. Cool!

Same here.  I first noticed it when listening to a vocals only version and was shocked that I had never noticed it before.  Now it's all that I can hear.

[The Bellie]

Have I dreamed or did you just not put Still Breathing on it?  my #1. I forgive you though, great work you've done, I have done my top 15 once but have never tried top 50 

A good part of your 50 favorite songs would not be on my top 50 (though I like your choices as a whole, there are just too many songs that are missing to me), and I would have ranked higher some songs (maybe not Letterbomb, or only a little higher), such as Forever Now, Bang Bang, She, Christie Road, Nuclear Family, Waiting, Little Girl, but lower other songs: Jesus of Suburbia, Nice Guys Finish Last and Basket Case. 

Also, there are hits I love and especially love hearing live but that won't belong to my top 50 : St Jimmy, American Idiot, Longview, Good Riddance.

I would certainly put other songs from 21st Century Breakdown : Restless Heat Syndrome, See The Light, Last Of The American Girls, 21 Guns, and a hell of a lot more songs from the trilogy : Stay The Night, Walk Away, Lazy Bones, Brutal Love, Stray Heart, Amy, Rusty James, The Forgotten, 99 Revolutions, Amanda possibly all in my top 50 (I also love Tre!) and also more songs from RevRad ranked rather high : Troubled Times, Somewhere Now, Outlaws, Ordinary World.

On Warning (album), Hold On. As for Insomniac, Panic Song, Armatage Shanks, 86. 1,039 SOSH: I love The One That I Want (make fun of that as much as you want ). And in American Idiot, my fave is Extraordinary Girl (plus Holiday, but not that high ranked). On Nimrod, Walking Alone. I also love When It's Time a lot. For the rest of GD songs, don't know yet as to belong in my top 50 (I think I may have spelled 50 songs already? )

There's for my observations. Once again, congrats.

[Christian's Inferno!]

Nice article.

I hate seeing comments to videos and articles like this though because they're usually all "Why isn't this song on the list"! Like stfu, it's an opinion! And if there's any of GD's Greatest hits outside of the top 10, people always whine. I wouldn't rank songs like Basket Case, 21 Guns or Good Riddance too high (in fact GR would probably be in my 10 least favourite GD songs) even though I still enjoy them

Though I couldn't actually make a ranking of GD songs. It's hard enough to rank all the albums when I love them all so much. Even songs that would rank outside my top 100 GD songs would still be songs I really enjoy and listen to regularly.

[mas2694]

@Kuromignonne this is what makes Green Day so awesome.  So many songs to choose from!

@Christian's Inferno! thanks!  I'm with you on "21 Guns."

[Christian's Inferno!]

Just now, mas2694 said:

@Kuromignonne this is what makes Green Day so awesome.  So many songs to choose from!

@Christian's Inferno! thanks!  I'm with you on "21 Guns."

Yeah even though 21CB is my favourite album, that song is overrated and there's at least 15 songs from that album better than 21 Guns 

[1039Revolutions]

50. Castaway

49. She's A Rebel

48. Amanda 

47. Know One Knows 

46. I Was There

45. Little Boy Named Train 

44. Extraordinary Girl

43. Sex Drugs and Violence 

42. When Its Time

41. American Idiot

40. Hold On 

39. Know Your Enemy 

38. Before the Labotomy

37. Missing You

36. 80

35. Don't Leave Me

34. Makeout Party 

33. Last Night on Earth 

32. St. Jimmy 

31. At the Library 

30. She

29. 8th Avenue Serenade 

28. Let Yourself Go

27. Youngblood 

26. Uptight 

25. Rusty James

24. Stuck with Me

23. Basket Case

22. Bouncing off the Walls

21. Hearts Collide 

20. Geek Stink Breath 

19. Burnout

18. Nuclear Family 

17. 99 Revolutions 

16. Jesus of Suburbia

15. JAR

14. Macy's Day Parade

13. Scattered

12. When I Come Around 

11. Oh Love 

10. Good Riddance 

9. Stray Heart

8. Wake Me Up When Sept. Ends

7. 21 Guns

6. Holiday 

5. Waiting 

4. Armatash Shanks

3. Church on Sunday

2. X-Kid

1. Stay The Night

[Spike]

Cool read, and well written. I can see the effort that's gone into it. Personally I don't agree at all but these things are entirely subjective anyway. I'd have put Restless Heart Syndrome on there, somewhere near the top actually, at the very least. Longview is an interesting choice for number 1, not least because it's one of the least Green Day sounding songs there is, but I guess in terms of commercial success despite its content it makes sense.

[jengd]

Great article.  I don't even try to list my top five or ten albums, I just can't sort them, I turn into a frazzled heap trying and change my mind every 20 seconds.  I love so many of their songs, I went through your list going "oh yeah, that's a great one" and I too would put Macey's Day Parade really high as I love it to bits, also Letterbomb but not committing myself more than that haha!  What a great problem to have, your favourite band has such a back catalogue that you can't pick their best songs!

Re Billie singing "don't want to be an American Idiot" in the background when Tre is singing, they have done that live too.  I think you can see it in Heart Like A Hand Grenade and I know I've seen it a couple more times, it's worth listening out for.

[Hermione]

Oh I love song interpretations so looking forward to reading this later. Longview at number one I hear? I've always considered that a quintessential Green Day song (and the quintessential quirky Green Day song, which is my favourite kind) and a personal favourite so high five for that  

[That Dude]

Very interesting read.  Looking through it I realized that I am a total weirdo because nearly all my favorites are covers or b-sides!  

Of course the list fluctuates but The Saints are Coming is often on top of mine.  The live version is one my favorite songs of all time.  !

A Quick One is nearly tied with that song.  

Hybrid Moments......I wish Green Day would release more studio covers.   They do such a fantastic job that I often fall in love with the original artist just because the Green Day cover was so well done.   

Working Class Hero.   All these covers move me.  This one brings me to tears.  

We are the Champions should still get played live.  I'd be up for the guys doing Bohemian Rhapsody!  

Alision is on my list.  I Fought the Law.   

B sides:     Too Much Too Soon.   Hearts Collide.   When It's Time.  

Live tracks:   

The live version of Hitchin a Ride.   I will never forget feeling like my face would melt when the pyro went off durying this track.

Chocolate Rain with Tre Cool on vocals.   Because we need more Tre.

Album tracks:  

I'd have to go with all of American Idiot.  All of Warning and 98% of Nimrod (Haushinka and Last Ride In don't do much for me!)

American Eulogy is one of my all time album cuts ever.  I am not doing my top 50 but I'll run some highlights for me:  

Armatage Shanks, Stuart and the Ave, about half of 21st Century Breakdown, a few songs from each Trilogy album and a few from Revolution Radio.    

 

 

[god61]

Very nice list! I would say I have to agree with pretty much everything on there. I might find a way to get The Forgotten on there somewhere as I really think it shows some of the elevation of songwriting that the band has evolved into. I would also add Warning in place of Nuclear Family. I like Nuclear Family as a whole, but Warning was the first track on the Warning album which came after the classic Green Day styling of Dookie, Insomniac and Nimrod, and for me signaled the beginning of a newer, more evolved sound. It may be a simple song, but the power of buying a new Green Day album to be greeted by an acoustic melodic protest song instead of loud distortion guitar for me was a powerful statement and a prelude to what was to come.

[aydge89]

I'll be honest, my list would be pretty different. But that's the great thing about Green Day. They have an amazing back catalogue. For a fan to come up with a list of the best 50 songs and for another fan to have another 50 songs they can think of that should be on the list is a testament to how awesome this band is.

Also, great to see some love for Worry Rock!

[Hermione]

I enjoyed this! Good descriptions of the songs and I feel like you picked a lot of the most interesting/experimental ones, which is exactly what I like, so I'm totally on board with your selection.

[Thatsername]

I love what you write about Macy's Day Parade, it's one of my all-time favorites too and it's such an underrated song. My list would look pretty different because Still Breathing, 21 Guns, Brutal Love, Whatsername, Somewhere Now and No One Knows would have to be on that list for me, but that's the wonderful thing about GD, they have so many great songs!

[NOVAGD]

4 hours ago, aydge89 said:

I'll be honest, my list would be pretty different. But that's the great thing about Green Day. They have an amazing back catalogue. For a fan to come up with a list of the best 50 songs and for another fan to have another 50 songs they can think of that should be on the list is a testament to how awesome this band is.

Also, great to see some love for Worry Rock!

I love Worry Rock, absolutely one of my favorite Green Day songs!  I wish they would give more love to the song live and sneak it in there during the acoustic portion...

I always interpreted the "Worry Rock" in the song as a metaphor symbolizing the relationship between two lovers - describing how it got to the point of the "Rock" being damaged/destroyed (Yelling....punching....the Worry Rock has turned to dust) but trying to work together pick up the pieces/put it back together (what did you do with the directions), and promising to give their all to the other person as long as they promise the same (Promise me no dead end streets) - with that, the relationship will be better and strong than ever (and I'll guarantee we'll have the road).

Great work OP...glad Worry Rock made it to your list!

[mas2694]

On 2/9/2018 at 11:50 AM, NOVAGD said:

I love Worry Rock, absolutely one of my favorite Green Day songs!  I wish they would give more love to the song live and sneak it in there during the acoustic portion...

I always interpreted the "Worry Rock" in the song as a metaphor symbolizing the relationship between two lovers - describing how it got to the point of the "Rock" being damaged/destroyed (Yelling....punching....the Worry Rock has turned to dust) but trying to work together pick up the pieces/put it back together (what did you do with the directions), and promising to give their all to the other person as long as they promise the same (Promise me no dead end streets) - with that, the relationship will be better and strong than ever (and I'll guarantee we'll have the road).

Great work OP...glad Worry Rock made it to your list!

Nice interpretation of "Worry Rock." It's such an underrated song.