Do you think green day are punk

[Bastard of 1967]

This is a thread from a few years ago - I think Angeline answered this question brilliantly, and since the question is coming up - yet again - I want to bump it.

http://www.greendaycommunity.org/Forum/index.php?showtopic=33530

Ummmm.....<jaw on floor>. Thanks for bumping that. And Angeline, that was just.fucking.incredible. Every word of it.

The definition of "sellout" offered by dictionary.com seems about right:

3. Informal . a person who betrays a cause, organization, or the like; traitor.

4. Informal . a person who compromises his or her personal values, integrity, talent, or the like, for money or personal advancement.

At least from my point of view, I'm can't think of any big picture changes or discrete choices Billie, Mike, or Tre have made in the band's history that suggests they ever made the decision specifically because they felt it would make them wealthy or popular. And it still amazes and stupefies me that this is even an issue 18 years after they signed with Warner. Gilman's do-it-yourself philosophy nourished the band in its formative days, but even surrounded by other Gilman St. punks there was something different about Green Day: these guys had talent and artistic ability that stood out against the rest of the crowd. "Selling out" would have meant Billie, Mike, and Tre somehow convincing themselves that they could be satisfied with that status quo -- and stifling the drive to achieve, to innovate, to explore -- that they so clearly had in them, just so they could still remain popular, well-liked, and accepted within the Gilman St. crowd. So basically they had two choices: conform or follow their dreams, and they chose the latter.

The one thing that really stands out for me in Angeline's editorial is:

When their needs changed and this system started to constrain them rather than free them, they moved on from it.

It's called growth.

[Maddy.]

GREEN DAY IS, NOT ARE.

GET IT RIGHT OMG.

I actually think bands can be used as single and plural.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

"Green Day are" is also correct.

Yep, I think they're punk, no, I don't think they're sellouts. As for their music, especially their later stuff isn't really punk, but that wasn't the question, nor does it matter. If you enjoy the music, does it really matter what label other people stamped on it?

This is a thread from a few years ago - I think Angeline answered this question brilliantly, and since the question is coming up - yet again - I want to bump it.

http://www.greendaycommunity.org/Forum/index.php?showtopic=33530

That is an amazing post/editorial. Everything of it.

[AndrewW91]

Absolutely they're punk.

I don't think they're sellouts. When people say "they're just in it for the money"... Um.. When aren't you in it for the money? People usually have careers and whatnot to make money.

But, I know they're not in it JUST for the money, cause they love what they do and they're damn good at it.

[TheSaltOfTheEarth]

If Billie, Mike and Tre say that they're still punk, they're still punk.

That's enough for me.

[GDM]

First of all, someone once told me never to apologize for my music, so I don't. When people tell me how they don't like Green Day or that they suck (and they do often since I've been blogging about Green Day's tour), I just shrug it off because Green Day might not be to their taste, but they are to mine, and I think they are one of the greatest performing bands and performers that I've ever encountered, and I've spent my life around theater and I know performance, lol.

As to whether they are punk or not... they are punks TO THEIR SOUL. That is their lifestyle and their philosophy of life, so then yes, they are punk.

Don't worry about what other people say is probably the bottom line to the entire conversation.

Ummmm.....<jaw on floor>. Thanks for bumping that. And Angeline, that was just.fucking.incredible. Every word of it.

The definition of "sellout" offered by dictionary.com seems about right:

3. Informal . a person who betrays a cause, organization, or the like; traitor.

4. Informal . a person who compromises his or her personal values, integrity, talent, or the like, for money or personal advancement.

At least from my point of view, I'm can't think of any big picture changes or discrete choices Billie, Mike, or Tre have made in the band's history that suggests they ever made the decision specifically because they felt it would make them wealthy or popular. And it still amazes and stupefies me that this is even an issue 18 years after they signed with Warner. Gilman's do-it-yourself philosophy nourished the band in its formative days, but even surrounded by other Gilman St. punks there was something different about Green Day: these guys had talent and artistic ability that stood out against the rest of the crowd. "Selling out" would have meant Billie, Mike, and Tre somehow convincing themselves that they could be satisfied with that status quo -- and stifling the drive to achieve, to innovate, to explore -- that they so clearly had in them, just so they could still remain popular, well-liked, and accepted within the Gilman St. crowd. So basically they had two choices: conform or follow their dreams, and they chose the latter.

The one thing that really stands out for me in Angeline's editorial is:

When their needs changed and this system started to constrain them rather than free them, they moved on from it.

It's called growth.

Nice, Angeline!!

[in_your_face]

Well, i think they're not sell-outs. They've been producing good music and definitly needs to be appreciated. they've influenced a number of celebrities and artists, such as the famous Lady Gaga. well, yeah.. they've changed a lot over the past few years, they've also changed their taste in music. i guess this is what they're supposed to be. =)

btw i don't know their music genre, it's sort of pop-alternative-punk. i don't care about their music taste and genre. i'm happy to listen to their albums.

[Rachel Nimrod Armstrong]

Green Day are punks and always will be punks

i hate it when my friends call them sellouts and that they arnt punks anymore

Green Day are the BEST punk band EVER and always will be and i LOVE them lol!!

Punk's not dead!!!

[Bastard of 1967]

Absolutely they're punk.

I don't think they're sellouts. When people say "they're just in it for the money"... Um.. When aren't you in it for the money? People usually have careers and whatnot to make money.

But, I know they're not in it JUST for the money, cause they love what they do and they're damn good at it.

I've heard one saying that I think applies *perfectly* to what you just said -- "If your job is doing what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Love that.

[Izzard]

Omg this shit is soooo old. And yet it keeps getting thrown back out here for pointless discussion! I don't get it. Punk or not they're a great band, that's all that matters.

[cherrybomb!]

First of all punk is way to personal and diverse to define as a whole, everybody has there own views of what it means for someone or a band to "be" punk. It's ideologies music and messages are constantly evoloving from the likes of the sex pistols, the clash and the rammones and giving birth to countless sub genres, but what it prodominantly boils down to is standing up for for what you belive in and providing a voice for the people. So if thats the way you interperate punk as a genre of music then yeah Green Day are punk as fuck, even there more commercial albums are punk because of the messages they send out about politics to modern culture. These days you don't have to have a 6 foot mohawk, be covered in patches or even scream about DIY ethics to be punk, it's become more than that!

It really comes down to being part of a community, a way of life outside the mainstream, it's about thinking outside the box, thinking for youself and not letting mass consuming sheepish culture tell you how to live your life. It's about UNITY!

Anyway who really cares what genre a band fits into??? All that matters is that you relate to the music and without sounding cheesy it makes you feel like you belong and you have a cause. Or even the fact you just love to have a sing and a dance along.

either way....Green Day are awesome.

( sorry for the essay! )

[Comedy & Tragedy]

People have different views of punk, so what I don't get is why people have this argument:

"Green Day are punk."

"No they're not, you're wrong!"

I personally see them as punk, but I can understand why people disagree.

I know that this has been said many times already, but it really doesn't matter. They put out kick-ass music and that's why I (and I'm pretty sure most people here) love them. I think the whole "sell-out" argument is pointless. A lot of people who call them sell-outs don't even have a valid reason, just "They're too famous, they sell too many records, they wear eye-liner, their songs are political!" As it was said on Static Noise, what's the difference between Dookie and American Idiot that makes them sell-outs? They're doing what they love and what they wanna do.

[cherrybomb!]

People have different views of punk, so what I don't get is why people have this argument:

"Green Day are punk."

"No they're not, you're wrong!"

I personally see them as punk, but I can understand why people disagree.

I know that this has been said many times already, but it really doesn't matter. They put out kick-ass music and that's why I (and I'm pretty sure most people here) love them. I think the whole "sell-out" argument is pointless. A lot of people who call them sell-outs don't even have a valid reason, just "They're too famous, they sell too many records, they wear eye-liner, their songs are political!" As it was said on Static Noise, what's the difference between Dookie and American Idiot that makes them sell-outs? They're doing what they love and what they wanna do.

I hate how people call them sell outs or emo's or whatever because they wear eyeliner, so what! so did the misfits, kiss, etc. I know everyone has there own opinions but hating a band cause they wear eyeliner is kinda immature.

[annimaria]

Who cares? The genre shouldn't matter when the music is so good.

[Steven Samuels]

Green Day are first and foremost a group of punks. (I believe this is proper grammar due to the fact "Green Day" is being used to supplement the names of multiple people.) They sing about anti-establishment ideologies, they question the normal way of thinking and try to get others to think independently. As far as their music, I'm not so sure. I've listened to only a few punk bands, most of them were pop-punk, but the few that I listened to that were "true" punk, had similarities to Green Day's Dookie era, while it had almost nothing in common with the latest 21CB.

[StevieT]

In my opinion Punks a personal thing so if u think something is punk then it is. I think green day are Punk

[st.idiot]

personally it's all opinionated. green day are green day no matter what and we as fans should accept and respect that. this argument is pointless.

[CarnageXB]

Everyone has there own opinion on how they sound

They don't sound punk to me at all. They're more like pop/rock