Green Day

Green Day (formed 1987)

Green Day is an American punk rock band that has had huge global success since it's debut major label release, Dookie in 1994.

Green Day: Formation

As teenagers, Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt started up a band named Sweet Children. The band's first show was in October 1987 in Vallejo, California, at Rod's Hickory Pit, where Mike's mother worked at the time.

The next year, the band began working with John Kiffmeyer who played drums but also booked shows for the band. In 1989, the band changed their name to Green Day and released their debut EP '1,000 Hours' on Lookout! Records.

In 1990, Lookout! Records also released Green Day's debut album, 39/Smooth, as well as two more EPs, 'Slappy' and 'Sweet Children'. The next year, they released 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, which was a combination of the debut EP and the debut LP. The drummer at the time, Sobrante, left to attend college and was replaced by Tré Cool.

Green day's second album, Kerplunk sold over 50,000 copies in the USA, which was an impressive amount for an underground punk band at the time.

Green Day: Hitting The Mainstream

Green day signed to Reprise Records and recorded their major label debut, Dookie, which was released in 1994. The singles, 'Basket Case', 'Longview' and 'When I Come Around' all received heavy MTV airplay and the band was added to the Lollapalooza and Woodstock bills. Dookie won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album in 1995.

Insomniac was released in 1995 and spawned the singles 'Geek Stink Breath', 'Brain Stew/Jaded', 'Walking Contradiction' and 'Stuck With Me'. The video for 'Walking Contradiction' won the 'Best Video, Short Form' Grammy Award in 1996. The band cancelled a European tour in 1996, due to exhaustion.

Released in 1997, Nimrod provided more of a diversion from the band's standard punk-pop fare. The album entered the US charts at number 10 and the single 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)' earned the band an MTV Award for Best Alternative Video. The song was twice featured in separate episodes of E.R..

Warning was released in 2000. The single 'Minority' was a hit for the band and so, to a lesser degree, was the title track. Warning earned a gold certification, though all of the band's previous albums had achieved at least a double platinum status at this point in their career.

Green Day then released a greatest hits compilation entitled International Superhits! In addition to this, they released a compilation of B-sides entitled Shenanigans and a collection of videos, International Supervideos! From Shenanigans, 'Espionage' was featured on the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and was nominated for a 'Best Rock Instrumental Performance' Grammy Award.

In 2003, Green Day collaborated with Iggy Pop on his album Skull Ring. The next year, their American Idiot album debuted at number one in the US album charts. American Idiot won the 2005 Grammy Award for 'Best Rock Album'. Recordings from the supporting tour were released as Bullet in a Bible.

In 2006, 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' was named 'Record of the Year' at the Grammy Awards.

Green Day: Side Projects

PINHEAD GUNPOWDER (feat. Billie Joe Armstrong)

THE FRUSTRATORS (feat. Mike Dirnt)

THE NETWORK (it has been reported that all three members of the band are in this band, under assumed names).

FOXBORO HOT TUBS (all three members of Green Day are in this band and played on its debut album Stop, Drop and Roll).

In 2006, Green Day collaborated with U2 and Rick Rubin to record a cover of The Skids' 'The Saints Are Coming', to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Green day's version of The Simpsons' theme tune was released as a single in July 2004.