Out of all the post-Nirvana American
alternative bands to break into the pop mainstream, Green Day were second
only to Pearl Jam in terms of influence. At their core, Green Day were
simply punk revivalists, recharging the energy of speedy, catchy three-chord
punk-pop songs. Though their music wasn't particularly innovative, they
brought the sound of late-'70s punk to a new, younger generation with Dookie,
their 1994 major-label debut. Green Day weren't able to sustain their
success -- Dookie sold over eight million, while its follow-up, Insomniac,
only sold a quarter of its predecessor -- yet their influence was
far-reaching because they opened the doors for a flood of American neo-punk,
punk metal, and third wave ska revivalists.
Green Day were part of the northern California underground punk scene.
Childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Mike Dirnt
(bass; born Mike Pritchard) formed their first band, Sweet Children, in
Rodeo, CA, when they were 14 years old. By 1989, the group had added drummer
Al Sobrante and changed its name to Green Day. That year, the band
independently released its first EP, 1,000 Hours, which was well-received in
the California hardcore punk scene. Soon, the group had signed a contract
with the local independent label, Lookout. Green Day's first album,
1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour, was released later that year. Shortly after
its release, the band replaced Sobrante with Tre Cool (born Frank Edwin
Wright, III); Cool became the band's permanent drummer.
Throughout the early '90s, Green Day continued to cultivate a cult
following, which only gained strength with the release of their second
album, 1992's Kerplunk. The underground success of Kerplunk led to a wave of
interest from major record labels; the band eventually decided to sign with
Reprise. Dookie, Green Day's major-label debut, was released in the spring
of 1994. Thanks to MTV support for the initial single, "Longview," Dookie
became a major hit. The album continued to gain momentum throughout the
summer, with the second single, "Basket Case," spending five weeks on the
top of the American modern rock charts. At the end of the summer, the band
stole the show at Woodstock '94, which helped the sales of Dookie increase.
By the time the fourth single, "When I Come Around," began its seven-week
stay at number one on the modern rock charts in early 1995, Dookie had sold
over five million copies in the U.S. alone; it would eventually top eight
million in America, selling over ten million copies internationally. Dookie
also won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.
Green Day quickly followed Dookie with Insomniac in the fall of 1995; during
the summer, they hit number one again on the modern rock charts with "J.A.R.,"
their contribution to the Angus soundtrack. Insomniac performed well
initially, entering the U.S. charts at number two, and selling over two
million copies by the spring of 1996, yet none of its singles -- including
the radio favorite "Brain Stew/Jaded" -- were as popular as those from
Dookie. In the spring of 1996, Green Day abruptly canceled a European tour,
claiming exhaustion. Following the cancellation, the band spent the rest of
the year resting and writing new material, issuing Nimrod in late 1997.
Their long-awaited follow-up, Warning, was released three years later. ~
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
back to artist page