Billie Joe's Vocals.

[A_Dog_In_Heat]

I'm sure most of you have noticed that his vocals between Dookie and 21stcb has changed quite a bit as he matures as a musician. His Dookie vocals were very congested sounding and made the songs work that they used to play. The sound carried over to Insomniac and to Nimrod, but he had a little bit cleaner vocals on Nimrod and Warning. Here is an example from my favorite concert they have ever done: Jaded In Chicago.

On American Idiot and 21stcb, his vocals were more easy to understand and opened the doors to sweet balleds like 21 Guns( not the biggest fan because it's overplayed.) Restless heart syndrome, and Last Night On Earth. Here is an example from present day.

My main question is which do you prefer? What time period of vocals do you like the best? I love his vocals from Dookie and Insomniac that most. Very unprofessionally done, but still sounds great somehow.

P.S.: I didn't forget about 1039 and Kurplunk, I just think he was trying to find himself out as a musician around those times, and his voice had not changed completely, although I do love his voice during that time too. It really made the songs work as I said before.

P.S.S: Sorry if this is a dupe topic.

[xjernpqvrnbfv]

I think his voice sounded a bit overproduced on 21st Century Breakdown, but that's not necessarliy Billie's fault. Other than that, I really like his voice on American Idiot. Dookie sounds great too, but i can't really explain why :L

and Kerplunk and 1,039 are quite unprofessionely done and raw, and that' what I like about it. But if I had to choose, I'd say his vocals on AI sound the best.

[Sanity Loan]

I agree with zomphie, I like AI's vocals the best. I like re powerfulness of them. Almost like half screamo (if that makes sense)

[ConfirmPassword]

I love his voice in Warning

[Desensitized09]

Same here, AI and Warning are the albums where I think Billie's voice sounds the best. It might just be me, but it seems as though his voice has gotten higher pitched as well throughout the years.

[fadi_7]

I love his voice in Warning

i can agree more not only in the song his vocals is great in all of the album

[AnnA™]

I really don't know which I prefer. I love his younger, youthful voice though I think he does sound better these days with a more mature, clean voice. More perfected in a way. It just depends on what mood I'm in, but I love his voice no matter what, there's something about it...

When It's Time from the musical recordings is the only song where I don't like it as much. To me it's just way overproduced in that one.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

I really like American Idiot's vocals as well, I love the way it sounds and the way his voice sounds in it. 21stCB was a bit overproduced, I like his vocals better live for that album, and I think on 1039/SOSH his voice is really nasal, I think is the word? Not sure.... sometimes a little too much for me. It won't stop me from listening, but eh. It's my least favourite CD vocals-wise.

For the rest... I think all his vocals from Dookie to American Idiot fit with the album. Although in some songs on Warning (Hold On for example) his voice is a little weird Absolutely nothing wrong with Warning (or Billie's vocals on it), but sometimes it sounds a little weird.

I think his voice has changed a lot over the years, just compare 1039, Kerplunk or even Dookie with 21stCB and there is miles of difference, but I've also seen people say his voice hasn't actually changed a lot. Anyone agree or disagree with me?

[ConfirmPassword]

Same here, AI and Warning are the albums where I think Billie's voice sounds the best. It might just be me, but it seems as though his voice has gotten higher pitched as well throughout the years.

Yeah I think the same

But his voice is amaizing in all of the albums I just love Warning the most

[sampy]

I think this is great topic, because I've been thinking about this too sometimes!

But yeah, I prefer AI and 21st Century Breakdown-vocals. They sound cleaner, and in slow, ballad kind of songs the sound of his vocals are so much softer. Of course I like the voice of older songs too, but I prefer these ones

[Juliette]

AI & Warning are probs my fave, I agree that 21CB is a little over-produced. Live though, they're perfect

[Kayfabe]

Yeah yep. When I was just getting in to green day I was listening to AI and stuff, then I went on to Dookie and Kerplunk and I was like 'ffs'! but then I got used to it. I'm not sure which one I prefer. Probably later on when he sorts it out

[DecanoLP]

In "21st Century Breakdown", his voice is a bit overproduced in my opinion although I think it started with "American Idiot" since you can hear a very big difference compared to "Warning".

Billie's voice in "1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours" is awesome, I love the high notes he hits in "Road To Acceptance" for example. You can hear that way better at a live show though. Anyway, "Nimrod" - voice is my favourite one It's a mix of new and old which is great.

[Guest]

American Idiot~era.

[Catsername]

I really like American Idiot's vocals as well, I love the way it sounds and the way his voice sounds in it. 21stCB was a bit overproduced, I like his vocals better live for that album, and I think on 1039/SOSH his voice is really nasal, I think is the word? Not sure.... sometimes a little too much for me. It won't stop me from listening, but eh. It's my least favourite CD vocals-wise.

For the rest... I think all his vocals from Dookie to American Idiot fit with the album. Although in some songs on Warning (Hold On for example) his voice is a little weird Absolutely nothing wrong with Warning (or Billie's vocals on it), but sometimes it sounds a little weird.

I think his voice has changed a lot over the years, just compare 1039, Kerplunk or even Dookie with 21stCB and there is miles of difference, but I've also seen people say his voice hasn't actually changed a lot. Anyone agree or disagree with me?

Agreed!! I think it's really cool listening to his vocals on older songs and then the newer songs and thinking "Wow this is the same guy singing!" haha. And like some of you guys said, I really like Billie's vocals in the American Idiot era too. It just sounds really powerful and sounds like he wants to scream out his message to the world but he remains melodic at the same time. It's like he's fierce but sweet.....Rage and Love?

[A_Dog_In_Heat]

I'm not a "punk purist" by no means, but I think his voice from Dookie and Insomniac sound the most punk. It's just full of raw emotion. I also like it because it proves you don't have to be able to sing very well to sound good. That's how it is for the band I'm in. We prefer unique vocals over "good vocals"(the kind with vibrato and full of tried perfection)

[Stormy Haze]

Yeah, I guess his vocals improved a little bit during the past years, but I gotta admit I love that raw voice on the first albums. 21st Century Breakdown might be a little bit overproduced, yes, but gosh, that voice live blows my mind.

[Ilda_25]

I really love his voice. I don't know which vocals I prefer, I like both. His voice is simply perfect *.*

[B.Good]

I'm like 50/50 on this one.

I like the early years vocals for their raw emotion behind them but I like Warning and AI and some of 21CB's vocals for their refined power.

Billie didn't want to sing in the beginning and just wanted to be in the background. So, I think in the early days he just drew from the other punk rock vocals and styles and made it his own.

I think as he got older, he discovered his voice and how to use it which is why the newer albums it has more technical aspects to it. I think the biggest flag as to how far his voice has come along is that man's lung capacity. You watch live videos and go to concerts and he holds these crazy long notes. That ability doesn't come instantly.

[Hermione]

I love how his voice has developed over the years, it gets better and better but I enjoy it at all stages. LOVE the range of his vocals on 21st Century Breakdown. That much greater range of soft/powerful/high/low in his singing really took off with The Saints Are Coming and Working Class Hero and continued with the Foxboro Hot Tubs, and by 21st CB it sounded absolutely beautiful. He can convey different emotions even more effectively with his voice now. I can't wait to hear what it's like on future albums.

Is it just me or was his voice really different during Warning? My sister and I have a theory that because he chipped his front tooth after Nimrod and didn't get it fixed until after Warning, on Warning his voice has a uniquely different sound. Nowhere near an actual lisp , but just the very beginning of one. You could hear it when he spoke too

[Laura!]

I love how his voice has progressed through the years. He's become such a good singer and it'll only get better from here.

He's one of my all time favorite vocalists.

[euphoric-pareidolias]

i love the fact his vocals have changed. i think they have become way much better as he matured and id say they will continue to get better! i love his voice

[mechanicalman]

I always thought his voice just got slightly deeper as he went through puberty.

[A_Dog_In_Heat]

Ever since Dookie (I don't notice it on their first two albums) he has held his "s". It's hard to explain, but it's even more drawn out during the Warning era. Listen to any song on Warning and whenever a word starts with a hard s or ends with an s. Here is an example, and really listen to his s'es.

[CzechIdiot]

I love his vocal on American Idiot most. But I like really closely Warning and Dookie vocals