#248 Green Day, 'American Idiot' (2004)

Previously #225

In 2004, Green Day were essentially dead in the water. They hadn’t had any hits since 1997’s ‘Nimrod.’ Its follow up record, ‘Warning,’ had been disappointing commercially, there was serious in-fighting between the three members and it felt as if Green Day’s best days were behind them. They had started on their next record, ‘Cigarettes and Valentines,’ but the master tapes were stolen, forcing the band to start on their next record from scratch. It was a world post 9/11, Bush was in power and he was perceived by many to be a warmonger and a bit of an idiot. To be honest, no matter which side of the political fence you sit, at some point you’re guaranteed to feel that the American in power is an idiot. The band consulted producer, Rob Cavallo, who helped the band shift direction. The album follows a middle class adolescent, Jesus Of Suburbia, who hates his town so leaves for the city. The second character to St Jimmy, a punk rock freedom fighter and Whatshername, the nemesis of St Jimmy. The album is a coming of age of sort of America.

This album was a major surprise for everyone and to be honest, it’s simply brilliant. A Punk Rock Opera for the 21st Century, this album transcends boundaries and genres to stand the test of time as one of the best Rock albums of our time. ‘American Idiot,’ into ‘Jesus Of Suburbia,’ into ‘Holiday/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.’ Song after song. Even the non-singles are brilliant. And of course, there’s ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends.’ Over and above the great songwriting is the top class production, which really plays such a part in the sound of this record. The album was nominated for 7 Grammys and won 2. Worldwide the album has sold 16 million albums. It firmly put Green Day back on the map and solidified them as one of the top Rock bands of our time.

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