Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band has consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool for the majority of its existence.Green Day was originally part of the punk scene at 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley, California. The band's early releases for independent record label Lookout! Records earned it a grassroots fanbase. Nevertheless, its major label debut Dookie (1994) became a breakout success and eventually sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. and 15 million worldwide. As a result, Green Day was widely credited, alongside fellow California punk bands The Offspring and Rancid, with reviving mainstream interest in and popularizing punk rock in the United States. Green Day's three follow-up albums, Insomniac, Nimrod and Warning did not achieve the massive success of Dookie, but they were still successful, reaching double platinum, double platinum, and gold status respectively. Green Day's 2004 rock opera American Idiot reignited the band's popularity with a younger generation, selling five million copies in the U.S. The band's eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, was released in 2009.
Green Day has sold over 65 million records worldwide and 24.5 million in the US alone. They have won four Grammy Awards; Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot, Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", and Best Rock Album for the second time for 21st Century Breakdown.
Musical style and influences
Green Day's sound is often compared to first wave punk bands such as the Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam, and the Buzzcocks. Billie Joe Armstrong has mentioned that some of his biggest influences are seminal alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü and The Replacements, and that their influence is particularly noted in the band's chord changes in songs. In fact, Green Day has covered Hüsker Dü's "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" as a B-side for the "Warning" single, and the character "Mr. Whirly" in their song "Misery" is a reference to the Replacements song of the same name. Among other influences, Green Day have also cited Queen, The Who, and power pop pioneers Cheap Trick.In reaction to both the style of music and the background of the band, John Lydon, former front man of the 1970s punk band the Sex Pistols commented:
So there we are fending off all that and it pisses me off that years later a wank outfit like Green Day hop in and nick all that and attach it to themselves. They didn't earn their wings to do that and if they were true punk they wouldn't look anything like they do.
In another interview, Lydon stated that:
Look, I'm sorry, they're a bit fake for me. They change their image. Fake mockneys. The London twang and vocal is a little out of place. Enjoy your own culture and stick with what you know.
English rock musician Noel Gallagher of Oasis also complained about the band semi-jokingly, claiming that they ripped off his song "Wonderwall" with their song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".
Cool mentioned in a July 2009 interview that while Armstrong is the primary songwriter, he looks to the other band members for organizational help.
Band members
Current members
* Billie Joe Armstrong – lead vocals, guitars (1987–present)
* Mike Dirnt – bass, backing vocals (1987–present)
* Tré Cool – drums, percussion (1990–present)
Former members
* John Kiffmeyer – drums, percussion (1987–1990)
* Sean Hughes - bass (1987-1989)
Current touring members
* Jason White – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)
* Jason Freese – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (2003–present)
* Jeff Matika – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals (2009–present)
Former touring members
* Timmy Chunks – rhythm guitar (1997–1999)
* Garth Schultz – trombone, trumpet (1997–1999)
* Gabrial McNair – trombone, tenor saxophone (1999–2001)
* Kurt Lohmiller – trumpet, timpani, percussion, backing vocals (1999–2004)
* Mike Pelino – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2004–2005)
* Ronnie Blake – trumpet, timpani, percussion, backing vocals (2004–2005)
Studio Albums
- 39/Smooth (1990)
- Kerplunk (1992)
- Dookie (1994)
- Insomniac (1995)
- Nimrod (1997)
- Warning (2000)
- American Idiot (2004)
- 21st Century Breakdown (2009)
site: Greenday.com
