What do you think of the American Idiot era?

[mechanicalman]

It sucked.

[Burritos!]

I had always listened to Green Day because my parents used to listen to them when I was growing up. I started getting really into them for realsies about a year before AI came out, but I was listening to Dookie, Insomniac and Nimrod pretty exclusively. I was really excited when AI came out, but then totally disappointed when I heard the album. But! I came to love it just like the others pretty quickly, despite the differences.

As far as the media attention goes, I really couldn't have cared less. I never really listened to the radio or watched too much TV, so it didn't make much of a difference to me.

[-Billiejoezee-]

Ahh now i wish i was into shopping back then.

[lawrahday]

I jumped on the American Idiot bandwagon and actually started listening to rock music so for that I loved it. I hated AI when i first heard being my shallow self...then i listened to the album in full and completely changed and fell in love with Green Day. Also they were everywhere which was great seeing as all i had was german mtv. i was sad when it ended though...lots of people forgot about Green Day and started dissing them 'cause they disappeared off the face of earth while doing FBHT and 21CBD. anyway i loved that era and all its excitement but love the 21CBD era more 'cause i was old enough and lucky enough to see them twice

[warding_off_regrets]

Haha, good times.

I was a moderator of one of more active Green Day communities on LiveJournal at the time, and I remember lots of award shows, specials, documentaries...and controversy. The video for Wake Me Up When September Ends was sooooooo controversial among fans, it was unbelievable. And then there was this resurgence of the whole "Green Day sold out" crowd which was intensely frustrating. Those people have never gone away of course, but they got a little louder again during the AI era. The community I was moderating, favorite_son, had a rival community called ai_made_us_cry. It was a bunch of "fans" who were so disappointed that Green Day would put out such an album that they actually devoted a part of their free time to hating on not only the album, but the band as well (really juvenile, mean spirited stuff).

But I have really fond memories of that time and all the attention the guys got. I remember being so proud of them. Things like on New Years Eve when Billie totally fucked over the censors, or playing that goddamn VMA game. Does anyone remember that? The thing were there was a picture of the guys in a speedboat and you had to keep clicking to collect moonmen or something, and every moonman you got was a vote towards them winning the award...

The concerts may have been more scripted, but they were still a blast and I treasure hearing "Maria" and later wilding grasping at confetti while singing "We Are the Champions"

[Nimrod99]

But I have really fond memories of that time and all the attention the guys got. I remember being so proud of them. Things like on New Years Eve when Billie totally fucked over the censors, or playing that goddamn VMA game. Does anyone remember that? The thing were there was a picture of the guys in a speedboat and you had to keep clicking to collect moonmen or something, and every moonman you got was a vote towards them winning the award...

The concerts may have been more scripted, but they were still a blast and I treasure hearing "Maria" and later wilding grasping at confetti while singing "We Are the Champions"

yeah, I played that game. lol. The goal was to shoot the moonmen at them. lol. I also remember playing the game where Maria was the background song and you had to jump over stuff... I sucked at that game. lol.

[fadi_7]

i think it's a great era a fantastic era but i think 21CB era is better

[Sheehan Rysa]

I think the American Idiot era was the best era, EVER.

And AI is my fav album, ever as well.

It always helps me in all kinds of ways

[whatsup?]

Anyone had stole the Cigarettes and Valenites , god bless for it!

I'm sure it wouldn't have been wrong,but perhaps never really taken to this epochal album,and with it a whole new era, which affected the whole punkrock musical life, but perhaps even more!

-*

[Pres]

I like this era better because i wasnt really old enough to enjoy the american idiot era

[21st century idiot]

It was a cool era to be a green day fan, but there were so many "scene fans" and it was kinda lame to see my friends just liked the singles because they were on the top 200 music chart for that week. It was also a nice brake from all the rap and garbage music that was out there. Plus it started a whole new wave of guyliner :eyebrow:

[SixtiesJunkiie]

It was a great era. They accomplished so much. I think that's when they really started become more pop punk, but whatever genre, it's still good music.