Green Day isn't just one of the greatest pop punk bands of all time, but one of the greatest bands of any genre. They're Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and their career is held in rarefied air. With origins dating back to the late 1980s when the founding Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt weren't even old enough to drive, Green Day would produce 14 albums over the next three decades—some more acclaimed than others.
Armstrong and Dirnt formed Green Day with fellow high schoolers Sean Hughes and Raj Punjabi in 1987 under the banner Sweet Children. Amazingly, it only took the band just a few years (and some personnel changes) to release their first studio album with label in 1990. Following this album, Tré Cool officially ed, and the lineup took its final form, with Dirnt on bass and Armstrong on guitar. From there, the rest was history, and the trio fans loved were ready to rock the world.
14 39/Smooth
Lookout Records (1990)
39/Smooth holds a special place in history as Green Day's first studio album, but since the album didn't feature Tré Cool, it doesn't represent the full trio fans have come to love. The album itself is still great, but in many ways, it evokes the same feeling of old Blink-182 without Travis Barker. Nonetheless, the album did put Green Day on the map and led to the cultural relevance they still possess today.
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Ultimately, the album produced some great songs, such as "I Was There" and "The Judge's Daughter." The original 10-song record received a boost when the band released 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours in 1991, which combined the original album with two earlier works from the band, including the hit "Paper Lanterns."
13 ¡Tré!
Reprise Records (December 2012)
In 2012, when Green Day released a three-part album, the idea of it commercially was great. It was exciting for fans, and provided more Green Day than they had ever had before in a short period of time, as the albums were released only months apart. The final album that was released was ¡Tré!, which featured drummer Tré Cool on the cover.
The record included tracks such as "X-Kid," "99 Revolutions" and "The Forgotten." By all s, the album is quite good, landing Green Day on five US Billboard charts, peaking as high as number two for alternative albums. It just had the unfortunate task of being third in the order of releases in 2012 and, thus, had a lot to live up to.
12 ¡Dos!
Reprise Records (October 2012)
Green Day's second album in the series of their 2012 three-album release was ¡Dos!, which featured bassist Mike Dirnt on the cover. This record also faced the tough task of living up to a vast body of work being released all at once. However, it was a little easier as it fell in the middle.
Much like ¡Tré!, this album also landed Green Day on multiple US Billboard charts, but the reception was greater, even earning a gold certification in the United Kingdom. The record is fondly ed for featuring the hit song "Stray Heart," and the track "Amy," which was dedicated to the late Amy Winehouse.
11 Revolution Radio
Reprise Records (2016)
Revolution Radio was a highly anticipated album for Green Day. Many fans wanted to see what the band would do when they just focused on a short 12-track record, rather than the major projects they had been producing for over 10 years prior. Ultimately, they were met with an album that mixed multiple elements the band had incorporated throughout their career.
No, this wasn't a concept album, and it didn't have a clear direction like some of the albums before, but with hits like "Bang Bang," "Still Breathing," and the title track "Revolution Radio," it succeeded. It landed as Billboard's "Top Rock Album," and went gold in a few countries. It may not be critically acclaimed just yet, but perhaps, like some of their other albums, it will gain momentum in the future.
10 Father of All...
Reprise Records (2020)
The songs from this album did a lot of great things for Green Day. Both "Fire, Ready, Aim," and "Father of All..." were used by the National Hockey League for NBCSN's Wednesday night broadcasts. Then, the song "Oh Yeah!" was used for the 2020 edition of WWE Backlash. Both provided huge platforms for the band and helped with the album's promotion.
Both "Fire, Ready, Aim," and "Father of All..." were used by the National Hockey League for NBCSN's Wednesday night broadcasts.
Unfortunately, part of the marketing was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour Green Day was supposed to go on didn't happen until 2021, well over a year past its initially planned date. Also, the full title of the album did contain an explicit word, which made promotion a bit tougher. Luckily for the band, the title Father of All... was good enough for streaming platforms.
9 ¡Uno!
Reprise Records (2012)
Green Day had an amazing run of albums with the releases of 21st Century Breakdown and American Idiot. There were high expectations of what they would do next, and the band didn't disappoint. ¡Uno! was the first album released in the series of three and got the trio of records off to a major start.
The album featured a slew of exceptional songs, including "Stay the Night," "Let Yourself Go" and "Nuclear Family." Also on the album was the major hit "Oh Love," which may be one of the strongest closing songs the band has ever produced. With over a million records sold, the album is considered a great triumph for Green Day.
8 Warning
Reprise Records (2000)
The last studio album before Green Day transcended into megastardom in 2004 was Warning. Debuting in 2000, the album, in many ways, felt upbeat, and showcased the strength of lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong's songwriting abilities. The record featured three legendary tracks: "Warning," "Waiting" and "Minority."
Debuting in 2000, the album in a lot of ways felt upbeat, and showed the strength of lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong's songwriting abilities.
At the time, the album experienced a lot of turmoil as it was leaked onto Napster, which hurt its initial sales. Although the sales were lower than what Green Day had become accustomed to, the record held strong and sold over three million copies. In the United States alone, it has achieved gold status and is much more appreciated today than it was back then.
7 Kerplunk
Lookout Records (1991)
Kerplunk was the first Green Day album released with Tré Cool as the drummer. The album featured themes of isolation and boredom, which set the stage for future subject matter the band would tackle. The record drew on concepts from the pop-punk and punk-rock genres. It performed well with the pop audience, landing the top spot on the US Billboard "Top Pop Catalog Albums" chart.
This album was crucial to the career of Green Day and played a major role in building their legendary status. When combining the arrival of Tré Cool with lauded tracks like "Welcome to Paradise," "2000 Light Years Away" and "Christie Rd.," it makes the platinum-selling Kerplunk unforgettable.
6 21st Century Breakdown
Reprise Records (2009)
How did Green Day follow up one of their biggest albums of all time? They did so with the release of 21st Century Breakdown, which featured some of their best work ever. In fact, some songs were so great, they ended up making the tracklist for the hit musical American Idiot, which has seen 10 years of various productions.
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"Know Your Enemy," "21st Century Breakdown," "¡Viva la Gloria!" and "21 Guns" are just a few of the legendary tunes from the album that have helped it achieve notable status. The record was not only named the fifth best in 2009 by Rolling Stone, but it also won a Grammy Award. Across the globe, it has achieved either gold or platinum status and etched its place in rock history.
5 Insomniac
Reprise Records (1995)
One of the most important aspects of Green Day's longevity is their ability to consistently follow up their own work with material equal to or greater than what they previously produced. In 1995, they faced the tough task of attempting to do this after their huge record Dookie. As they have come to do repeatedly, the band succeeded and capitalized greatly on the major victories they achieved.
One of the most important aspects of Green Day's longevity is the way they are able to constantly follow up their own work with equal or greater material.
Insomniac was filled with great tracks like "Geek Stink Breath," "Jaded" and "Walking Contradiction." However, there was also an iconic song on the album: "Brain Stew." This song is known for its simple yet effective opening guitar riff, and holds a prominent place in Green Day history. With the help of "Brain Stew," this album is now certified 2x platinum in the United States.
