American Idiot

Expert witness account of this album incoming. It is easy to forget how big this album was, and Green Day were after this one hit. Going into it though in 2004, popular culture had passed them by. Dookie had hit 10 years earlier and while the following Green Day albums were hits, they were never going to reach the heights their breakthrough did. At the start of the 2000s, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sum 41 and Simple Plan had taken what Green Day were doing in the 90s and replicated it (to lesser artistic success) and dominated the charts, MuchMusic airtime (yes I’m Canadian) and magazine covers. At the same time, a narrative had been going on in music conversations that rock and roll was dying, the pendulum had swung to pop and hip hop (very short sited and mostly perpetuated by people who only get music through TV and top 40 radio, of which I was mostly too) which had contributed to the overall decline in relevancy of guitar-bass-drum acts. By time fall 2004 had come around there already were the next generation of popular rock acts coming up (The Killers and Frank Ferdinand had hit earlier in the summer, Arcade Fire would hit mainstream this fall). So here came Green Day with a new album, and it had been a few years since they had put out new music. I think there was some level of hype, and it was known this was going to be a concept album. People forget though, Green Day had changed their image in preparation of this album. For a band that had been at the height of their relevancy 10 years earlier, the refreshed look absolutely helped their appeal, as they somehow looked cooler and ahead of the curve than the other bands that had surpassed them. This was sort of a clean entry point for new fans too as they’re visually striking at this point, sound as good as they ever have and are riding this Anti-Bush wave that’s happening right before the 2014 US election. So when the American Idiot single came out, I remember the music video had gotten a lot more play than singles from previous Green Day had been. But this album just kept growing with each successive single. Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake Me Up When September Ends we’re all massive hits and had endless radio play. This album landed like nothing else in rock had. They stayed in the public spotlight for at least 2 years off the strength of this record. I remember seeing them on the cover of Entertainment Weekly in 2016 still promoting American Idiot, and the band won the Grammy a few weeks later which kept them going. Now this album has been adapted into a Broadway show and Green Day is the only other band that got a Rock Band game besides the Beatles (AC/DC had a disc, but that was just songs, no band representation) So I say all of this because looking back at the 2000s decade because of when American Idiot hit, the case could be made Green Day was at the top of the rock pile, along with U2, RHCP, Coldplay and I suppose the Killers. So while people had this conversation that rock was dying in the 2000s we have to count ourselves pretty fucking lucky we had Green Day that rode the mainstream. You may hate this album but it’s better than most of the other slush pile the 2000s had to offer. The album itself though; it is still absolutely killer and it’s obvious why they became the biggest band in the world again because of this. There’s nothing challenging here about the music; it’s immediate, every song is catchy, lyrics are great (if dated criticism of America in the 2000s). So many of the songs have been ridden into the ground (anything released as a single) so the real winners here are the longer concept album saga songs (Jesus of Suburbia, Homecoming). What I have had to contend with doing this 1001 album project is putting into perspective when I would have been listening to this album before. American Idiot doesn’t seem like it’s that old. Im assuming this is because the songs in this have been played to death on the radio as well as movies and video games. I’ve also been thinking about Green Day lately as I listened to the excellent episode of the podcast Bandsplain did on Green Day a few months ago. But to place it, I would have been listening to this one when I started university. I would have listened to it on my 3rd Gen iPod (the one with the four red action buttons across the top and the first touch click wheel). I wouldn’t have even had a laptop yet, I would have still had my Compaq desktop PC. In terms of where this lands in Green Days legacy I have the unpopular opinion that this is their best album. Still incredible that this is a comeback on the level it was considering how they had fallen out of fashion, but listening to the album, it seems obvious. Could Green Day make another comeback? Sure. Apparently Green Day is hot with teenagers. They make music that sounds like what it’s like to be a teen. Among the best albums of this decade, deserved all of its sales and the success the band had from it.

“American Idiot” by Green Day (2004) Not familiar with this album or this group. Punk political opera - intriguing. Good music, shallow politics. But the music is good enough to persuade the listener to overlook the political naivety. These gentlemen would have been well advised to read a few lines of Zbigniew Brzezinski on the Iraq War before writing this opera. They still would have been wrong, but at least they would have sounded intelligent. Or are they affecting intentional unintelligence? Are they just joshing? Anyway the music is very entertaining. Head banging punk rage, with a unifying operatic theme. Plenty of creative innovations. Some real gems here. “A steady diet of soda pop and Ritalin” is a great line. Conceptually this album follows the line of “Tommy” by The Who, without being overly derivative. “Dearly Beloved” is truly good music. Integrating acoustic guitar in this genre is a stroke of genius. And the glockenspiel! Ya-ya. But check out this quatrain: Oh, therapy, can you please fill the void? Am I retarded or am I just overjoyed? Nobody's perfect and I stand accused For lack of a better word, and that's my best excuse One could step back and reflect on that for awhile. Very good drum work. Bass contributes much counterpoint. Vocals appropriate for the genre. Billie Joe Armstrong can really sing. Extraordinary musical range for punk (admittedly, my experience with punk is limited), reminiscent of what The Beatles did for rock ‘n roll on “Sgt. Pepper” and “Abbey Road”. I enjoyed this one. 4/5

Look. I know the rating should be lower. But I fucking love this album. I love it. Its a no skip album for me. I remember loving it since I was four. So many great tunes. 9/10 F. T. : A tie between Holiday and Are we the Waiting. I can't choose among my children.

I might be biased, but this album marked a generation. I've always enjoyed it as a decent rock/punk album. It's fun and full of energy, but manages to express quite well the frustration and disillusionment felt at that time.

Billie Jo doesn’t care if I don’t care. Well that’s lucky... Anodyne, over polished, facile, faux outrage, mock punk, unit shifting, safe rebellion, fake, fake, fake.

Look, we all loved some "Dookie." It was dumb punk fun. But we're not gonna pretend that Green Day didn't go gradually downhill from there in their next several albums. There were some hits in there, but nothing that hinted that they had "American Idiot" in them. I don't think Green Day was taken very seriously before "American Idiot." They were a raucous punk band, but mainstream enough to be MTV darlings and probably the band most responsible for the unfortunate wave of pop-punk of the late 90s and early 00s. (Take a star off for that if you want.) But holy crap was "American Idiot" ambitious. And I think it's the best they've ever sounded. (Who knows, maybe I would eat my words if I went back and listened to all of "Insomniac" or "Nimrod.") They cleaned up and polished their sound, and while that may sound bad for a punk band, they pulled it off so well. Regardless of any concept in the story or lyrics, Green Day really matured sonically. The punk is still there, but the songs are varied, well-structured, with great build and rise-and-fall throughout. You may not love Billy Joe's voice - it's nasally and a bit whiny - but I think you can tell here that he is becoming a better singer. It's really a great album, start to finish. It may not be the Great American Novel of the 21st century, but it's a solid concept with good lyrics for a vaguely political punk album. And it became a musical! Are Green Day sell-outs? Or did they just perfect what they do and be accepted for it?

A punk rock opera concept album? Johnny Rotten would be rolling in his grave, if he were dead. Shame he's not dead really, rather than selling his soul on I'm A Celebrity and butter adverts.

When this album came out, I was listening to "real" punk, metal, and hardcore and couldn't be bothered with Billie Joe's pop nonsense. I like to think I've mellowed a bit since then. And I must have because I enjoyed this WAY more than I expected to. It's fun. "American Idiot," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" are great but none of the tracks are snoozers. Every song seems to have a thesis and each track makes its point well. That said, I am not here for 9-minute punk songs. And I'm not talking about the four tracks that are two songs mashed. Those get a pass because of the format. None of them break 9 minutes anyway. No, I'm talking about "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming" here. There's no excuse for that. You're padding your term papers, fellas. Just make the point and move on.

A protest rock opera that protests... something? I understand the thrust of songs like "American Idiot" and "Holiday", but "Jesus of Suburbia" seems like a protest song without a cause and more of the album resembles the latter than the former. An album that claims to protest the state of America, but magically omits any mention of race or gender or class is probably not a very effective protest album. The protagonist (the aforementioned Jesus of Suburbia) just comes off as an edgy kid with no political consciousness. At the very least, it sounds a lot better than The Offspring.

This isn’t a bad album, just not for me. The constant power chords and unsubtle social commentary got boring after a couple of tracks. The album is too long and I didn’t like the rock opera elements. They never produced anything better than Dookie in my opinion.

Used to listen to this all the time back in the emo kid days. I still know every single word.

poggers

This is how a band does a sound change and comes out on top for it. Excellent pop rock fun.

Parts of this are dated, and I don’t like this album as much as Dookie, but I’ll be damned if Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Holiday aren’t just as great as they’ve always been. I will say that the second half feels like a bit of a letdown, at least musically.

Of all the pop punk bands, I think Green Day is the only one I actually enjoy on some level. I've only heard Dookie through Nimrod before though. I've seen this album get alot of praise and I wanted to give it a 3 when I first started listening but as the album goes on I feel like it collapses under its own weight. I respect the ambition but it was a bit of a chore to get through.

Thought it was purile and shite when it came out and was “pleased” to be proved right. Horrendous listening experience and I curse myself for not having enough self respect to have turned it off.

I went into this fully expecting for it to not have aged well. I was wrong. This album still bangs.

The first album we have gotten that I have listened to all the way through before this project. The way they pair two songs for the middle four tracks(plus Jesus and Homecoming both have 5 subtracks in them) is a cool concept and helps underline the bands desire to put out something they enjoyed creatively rather than something that would necessarily do well commercially - luckily this did both. I mean Punk Rock Opera? Nostalgia+Strong Songs+Creativity= 5 stars

My boyfriend said this album radicalized him when he was 12 so I'd have to give it a four.

We already had a Green Day album. What do I get for being polite the first time? A concept album. If that's not bad enough, they have a character named St. Jimmy? Doesn't at all sound like Dr. Jimmy. Pete Townshend at 80 y.o. is still infinitely cooler than these nerds with tats.

I'm dating myself here, but American Idiot is the first album I ever owned. There are legitimate criticisms that can be made about it - it's firmly rooted in the Bush era and hasn't aged particularly well; it's a whiny sort of pop-punk for white kids in the 'burbs - but none of that is enough to detract from my rose-tinted nostalgia. Even today, I find the album's pure sincerity a very charming break from the 2010s ever-present air of irony.

Focused and meaningful. Successfully conveys its story and message.

Pretty formulaic stuff here. Well produced vanilla indie schmindy punky rocky stuff.

I'm too old for this, and so are they. Singles are fine, but the rest is filler. Teen punk rock for people who think the Matrix is 'deep'.

10/10 no notes perfect album

This album already has three hits that absolutely blew up. Then I listened to the rest of the album. It didn't disappoint. I learned that this album "expresses the disillusionment and dissent of a generation that came of age in a period shaped by the tumultuous evens such as 9/11 and the Iraq War." And i'm a sucker for a politically charged album. This one hits just right.

A rock opera in everything but intention, this segued album is easily one of the best of the punk-pop-idiot rock that came about in the era of the Iraq war. Easily one of the best albums of the 2000's

I'd never heard of Green Day prior to the release of "American Idiot" as a single and it was massive. The rest of the album is quite good, especially "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", but it comes nowhere near the title track.

No. 74/1001 American Idiot 5/5 Jesus of Suburbia 4/5 Holiday / Boulevard of Broken D. 5/5 Are We The Waiting / St. Jimmy 4/5 Give Me Novacaine / She's a Rebel 4/5 Extraordinary Girl / Letterbomb 4/5 Boulevard of Broken Dream 5/5 Homecoming 4/5 Whatsername 4/5 Average: 4,33 Musically this is nothing revolutionary. It's just so damn fun to listen to.

wake me up when september ends

Not a fan of the genre, but there were a couple good hits. Rest of the album didn't change my opinion of the genre.

i was really not looking forward to this. i do not like green day and i told myself i would never listen to an album of theirs. it's not as bad as i thought it would be, but jesus fucking christ its so corny. im 18 and i feel like im too old for this album. best track is whatsername 6/10

Sounding like the Broadway musical it eventually became, for me this is the real Bat Out Of Hell II; perhaps even better. The music may be cribbed from The Ramones and Bryan Adams (appropriately enough) and the dynamics from The Who, but the overall effect is punchy and catchy as hell. Playing on every pop radio station 24/7 with the band screaming "Fuck George Bush" at the same time; say what you like about "punk" but I don't recall "White Riot" achieving this kind of exposure (not that either amounted to very much, but Green Day definitely knew the game). Lots of fun, shameless 5.

I'm in awe. For some reason, I had never heard any track from this album — I only knew “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” (In my defense: I got married in 2004, and my wife and I didn’t listen to the radio or follow new releases.) Tears are rushing to my eyes. This is the kind of album discovery I was hoping for from this list.

Is it the best pop album? No. Is it the best punk album? No. Is it the best political album? No. Is it the best rock opera? No. Is it the best pop punk political rock opera? Yes.

## In-Depth Review: Green Day's *American Idiot* - A Punk Rock Opera for the Ages **American Idiot** (2004), Green Day's seventh studio album, is a landmark punk rock opera that revitalized the band's career and became a generational anthem. This review dissects its lyrics, music, production, themes, and legacy, alongside its strengths and weaknesses. --- ### **Lyrics: Rebellion, Narrative, and Social Critique** **Concept & Storyline:** The album follows "Jesus of Suburbia," a disillusioned adolescent anti-hero navigating post-9/11 America. His journey—escaping suburbia, encountering alter-ego St. Jimmy, and grappling with addiction and war—frames a coming-of-age story amid societal collapse . The narrative is fragmented but emotionally resonant, using archetypes over linear plot. **Key Lyrical Themes:** - **Media Manipulation:** Tracks like "American Idiot" attack "subliminal mind-fuck America," condemning cable news for stoking post-9/11 hysteria and war propaganda . - **Political Disillusionment:** "Holiday" sarcastically lambastes the Iraq War ("Zieg Heil to the president gasman"), while "Wake Me Up When September Ends" processes grief (inspired by Billie Joe Armstrong's father's death) . - **Alienation:** "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" epitomizes isolation ("My shadow's the only one that walks beside me") . - **Identity & Sexuality:** The line "Maybe I’m the faggot America" challenges conservative norms, reflecting Armstrong’s bisexuality . **Weaknesses:** Lyrics prioritize raw emotion over poetic subtlety. Armstrong’s delivery is visceral but occasionally simplistic ("Nobody likes you, everyone left you" in "Letterbomb") . --- ### **Music: Ambition Meets Punk Energy** **Sound Evolution:** Green Day fused their punk roots with rock opera grandeur. Key musical elements include: - **Punk Revival:** The title track (186 BPM) features blistering power chords, thunderous bass (Mike Dirnt), and frenetic drums (Tré Cool) . - **Genre Fusion:** "Jesus of Suburbia" (9:08) shifts through five movements—glam rock, balladry, reggae, and hardcore—channeling The Who and Queen . - **Melodic Hooks:** "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" blends U2-esque melancholy with an anthemic chorus, while "Wake Me Up..." uses acoustic tenderness . **Standout Tracks:** | **Track** | **Highlights** | |-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **American Idiot** | Breakneck punk, politically charged chorus. | | **Jesus of Suburbia** | Epic suite; transitions from rage ("City of the Damned") to hope ("Dearly Beloved"). | | **Holiday** | Satirical riff-rock with a chant-along bridge. | | **Letterbomb** | Punk urgency, climactic scream: "Nobody likes you!" | **Weaknesses:** Pacing lags in "Extraordinary Girl," and "Are We the Waiting" feels repetitive . --- ### **Production: Grit and Grandeur** **Process:** Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day, the album was recorded at Studio 880 (Oakland) and Ocean Way/Capitol Studios (L.A.). Key innovations: - **Hybrid Workflow:** Drums recorded analog to tape, then transferred to Pro Tools; guitars/bass tracked digitally. Final mix to analog tape created a raw yet polished sound . - **Sonic Experimentation:** Tré Cool used 75+ snares; reversed guitar/bass tracking order (à la The Beatles) . - **Compression Controversy:** The loud, compressed master (common for mid-2000s rock) sacrifices dynamic range for radio-ready impact . **2024 Vinyl Reissue:** A "One-Step" remaster (Levi Seitz) improved transparency and dynamics over the 2006 Stan Ricker cut . --- ### **Themes: Timeless Rage Against the Machine** - **Post-9/11 Anxiety:** Critiques the "age of paranoia," war-mongering, and the Patriot Act . - **Suburban Disillusionment:** "Jesus of Suburbia" exposes the "land of make believe" crushing youth dreams . - **Identity Crisis:** Characters embody rebellion (St. Jimmy), apathy (Will), and lost innocence (Tunny) . **Legacy Relevance:** Lines like "Don’t wanna be an American idiot" were repurposed against Trump (2016–2024: "MAGA agenda" lyric change) . --- ### **Influence: Reshaping Punk and Culture** - **Commercial Impact:** Sold 23M+ copies; #1 in 18 countries; 6x Platinum (US). Revived Green Day’s career post-*Warning* flop . - **Genre Legacy:** Pioneered punk's mainstream acceptance, inspiring artists like Fall Out Boy and Olivia Rodrigo. - **Broadway & Beyond:** The 2009 musical won Tony Awards; 2024 Deaf West revival highlighted ongoing relevance . - **Protest Anthem:** Re-entered UK charts during Trump’s 2018 visit; used in voter registration campaigns . --- ### **Pros and Cons Summary** **Pros:** - **Ambitious Scope:** Punk opera structure with multi-movement suites . - **Cohesive Fury:** Unifies political rage, personal angst, and melody . - **Timelessness:** Themes of media manipulation and alienation remain potent . - **Cultural Impact:** Defined 2000s rock and inspired cross-media adaptations . **Cons:** - **Lyrical Simplicity:** Some lines lack nuance ("I’m not a part of a redneck agenda") . - **Compressed Production:** Sacrifices dynamics for loudness . - **Narrative Ambiguity:** Story coherence occasionally falters . --- ### **Verdict** *American Idiot* is a triumph of ambition over convention. Despite minor flaws in narrative clarity and production, its fusion of punk energy, rock opera grandeur, and searing social critique cement it as a defining album of the 21st century. As a mirror to "confused times" (Armstrong) , its warning against complacency—"Don’t wanna be an American idiot"—remains terrifyingly relevant. **Rating: 9/10**.

Wow, stunning in every respect from start to finish. Why did no one tell me?

Oh man… I remember my dad taking me to target one night with the sole task of picking up this Other than sum 41 all killer no filler… This album is THE ALBUM that even got me into listening through albums. So many great memories from sitting in my room and following the lyrics to this album with the booklet in the album to going to their concert with my best friend this album is engraved in my head and no level of alcohol or aging will remove this…

Amazing album. One of the best of all time. Relistening quality is great. I don't know how many times I've listened to it and it never gets boring. Truly iconic.

It’s hard to believe that the same group that exploded onto the scene with Dookie made this wonderfully complex and musical album. From start to finish American Idiot paints a picture, both with music and lyrics, that is so crisp and clear, that it makes you reassess the actual world that you’re living in.

Iconic album

Incredible wall of sound. Unrelenting angst and emotion.

This is a perfect album. I love that Green Day has been fighting the fight against our fascist government for as long as they have, and they haven't switched up, not even once. Every song on this album is dripping in nostalgia, amazing instrumentation, cool lyrics, and just pure talent. I absolutely love this album. 5/5, no notes.

Great Album

This is like meeting a friend you haven't seen since kindergarden in the first week in college where everyone is super pretentious and you finally see a familiar face. Even though I haven't listened to this Album for a long time, I had a good time with it then and now.

I remember when this came out. Dookie was definitely in my top 5 albums at the time, and I very much remember being disappointed in this album. Green Day had grown up, but I hadn't. I have heard some of the singles a number of times as they had significant radio play, and maybe listened to the entire album once when it came out. It wasn't ever something I purposely went back to, let alone listened to with intention. Listening today, in the first days of 2025, I regret all the time that went by that I wasn't listening to this album. I am glad I have been able to mature enough to appreciate this album for what it is: a fucking masterpiece of pop punk, and opera, perfect commentary on the time it was released, and an unfortunately accurate prediction on the time I'm listening in 2025. I listen to music a lot, and have always had a feeling that I couldn't name about certain songs or bands. Sometimes, a song just feels...BIG. An epic. Led Zeppelin and My Chemical Romance are two bands that stick out to me as making songs like this that I couldn't describe well. Reading the Wikipedia article, Green Day said they wanted to abandon the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge structure and go big. That's it. That's the thing I haven't ever been able to put my finger. Also, Tré's toms sound so big on this album. The bass and guitars sound huge and so good together. This was masterfully produced and recorded. 5 stars

I can’t say there is anything wrong with this, but by this point Greenday had a “formula”. Listening now after getting back into all the 50s rock, that’s what I hear. I hear the same sensibility that the Ramones were drawing from. I want to hate this but I can’t. I love the melodies and song structure. It has punk energy and elements of gentle 50s pop. I’m over the “hits”. I will probably skip those. Although, again I like the approach to the sounds. It’s very produced. And that’s not bad. It’s just from a time where there formed a sound template and everything after sounded the same. I really hate that I like this album. 🤣 “we are the waiting” is an amazing anthem and I would love to experience this live. “Homecoming” is a great song. I hate that I really like this album. 🤣

I have a soft spot for a concept albums... and this one is a great pop punk rock album, that also kicks dirt at the GW Bush era, win-win! 🤘

Classic!

Still great and fun to listen all the way through. S/o to my cousins and their Limewire plug

Already heard this one, very many times - great project; one of the best pop punk works of art there is. Relevant even today.

Nostalgia bomb. Awesome album, and the slow/fast song double features are pretty fun, I kind of forgot about that format

the album starting off with two hits is crazy. i kinda checked out towards the end but this is still a good album!

Classic album that helped push punk rock into the mainstream, green day is not perfect, but they are a fantastic band with so much influence. 8/10

I love the angst and the story Billy Joe is a great songwriter and tre cool carries with his drumming

Den her rammer lige i ned i gymnasie-mig. Der er virkelig mange gode sange og jeg kan stort set synge med på det hele. Når det er sagt, så synes jeg at der er direkte irriterende numre på pladen. Er klar over at det er meningen at det skal være en punk rock opera, men jeg kunne godt være foruden et par sange.. Stur stur 4-tal!

Without irony I salute how Green Day took on daunting times. 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, neoconservatism and the sunset of Europe’s idealisation of North America, how to meet the zeitgeist? “Nah-nah-NAH-nah-nahnah-nah-nahNAH!” More than one attempt to remake “Tommy” follows, but thank god they surpass the original.

Somehow, I never understood the hype about Green Day or the specific sub genre. Not bad though, this one. Easy listening Punk Pop if you ask me. Catchy with some pretty good lyrics, but nothing for my island

So I always liked Green Day – not loved, as I’m not really a punk guy, but have appreciated their work over the years… Was looking forward to listening to “American Idiot” from start-to-finish, and it did NOT disappoint… For me, there were 3 really outstanding tracks – with most of the rest being a nice collection of solid songs… My favs in order were – #1 – “Holiday” – 5-stars of out 7… #2 – “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” – 4-stars out of 7… #3 – “Wake Me Up When September Ends” – 4-stars out of 7… I know a lot has been made of the lyrics, though nothing really stood out as exceptional – though again, really pretty solid… Not sure as to the accuracy of their protests in hindsight, but the fact that they were thinking about content like this, was at least interesting… The musicianship is top notch, and always liked Billie Joe’s vocals, so all-in-all, a pretty well put together album… I know there is massive love for the album from the younger generation – which I get, and would probably give it a 3.50 if I could – but when I look at the albums I’ve rated a 4, I just can’t get there… A strong 3 for me…

-I KNOW THIS ALBUMMMM -AND this band! -i have only listened to american idiot tho -so very excited to have a fresh listen -forgot how good this song is -remembering the cover 5sos did of this song -liking the switch up in jesus of suburbia -i do really like his voice i’ll be honest -i Do know wake me up when september ends -i honestly think the slurs are the only reason this album isn’t a 4 or a 5, but a 3 (but also because idk if this album is that amazing but it is legendary and very good

Proof that the the old axiom, “no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people” is not only true, but that you can turn a buck (quite a few, as it turns out) calling them idiots to their face.

long songs n quirky lyrics 😪💔

decent. not in the mood

Får mig til at føle mig ung. (Sådan, lidt for ung)

Hey punk rock fans! Listen to NOFX's EP The Decline. I'm serious, listen to it. Then only after that, you''ll be able to judge whether Green Day pulled it off writing a punk opera. I leave the link down here for those who don't know what I'm talking about: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Wm84PF0DHyRQx79Lj9NwI?si=PUPhtW_UTOCvw3tgbfLlKg&utm_source=copy-link To me, NOFX certainly managed to write a punk opera five years *before* American Idiot came out, and they only needed 18 minutes of runtime to convince me. The exhilarating twists and turns of the music, the hardcore accelerations, the trippy, almost proggy interlude, the grand parade of the finale, sarcastic and desperate with its ironic trombone, and the pointed lyrics, saying what *American Idiot* tries to say with far more wit than any song on the latter--everything in *The Decline* surpasses Green Day's seventh album, and this without the financial means and production tools said album profited from. The huge difference lies in the songwriting--both for the music and the lyrics. Case in point for *American Idiot*'s overall shortcomings: 9-minute centerpiece "Jesus Of Suburbia", which soon wears out its welcome, if only because its own musical twists and turns sound lazy, torpid, and quite predictable (once again compared to the ones of "The Decline", for instance). Plus, stealing Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire" melody for the main guitar riff at the end of the song--and this for no discernible reason in the song itself--doesn't help me take Green Day very seriously here anyway. As for the lyrics, they are pestered by the same problem found in the rest of the LP--their supposed denunciation of American hypocrisy, as related to specific issues such as the gulf wars, the media or Bush's lies, is all too vague, not just to say virtually non-existent. Actually you'd be hard-pressed to find more than a few passing indirect allusions to those things in the lyrics of this record--PR agents from the label sure had you believe there was something politically substantial in *American idiot* at the time. Turns out there's not. As a consequence, this here sounds and feels like an all-too polished, fully-"corporate", fantasy version of so-called "rebellion". And this critique also concerns the music--those copied-and-pasted "heys" of the background vocals, those very bland, uniform chord successions, the pristine lead vocals drenched in effects that have nothing to do with punk's ethos and aesthetics. The awful truth about *American Idiot* is probably this: at the time, Green Day didn't have it in them to write enough true pop-punk anthems that would be as good and catchy and visceral as the ones on *Dookie*. So instead of admitting this and move on (or just call it a day, "green" or not), they used expensive production values, marketing, costumes, and so-called "high-brow" topical ambitions to cover their lack of inspiration. What a shame. The only true punk pop anthem that could be compared to what they did before is the nice title-track opening the LP. And if "Holiday" is already going to some other places than punk, it's still a catchy song, more than decently written. But that's it. And in the end, that's probably the only thing that's gonna save this album from a 1/5 grade on my part. Everything else is indeed either a huge letdown or a fuck-up of major proportions. The other two "hits", "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" are cheesy attempts to sell out and reproduce dad-rock ballads that didn't suit the band well anyway (those attempts worked out in the charts, unfortunately--people have bad taste sometimes). What's worse, those tunes are not even the most ridiculous thing that this record has to offer. Because even if you don't take into account Green Day's 180-degree turn when it comes to what punk should sound like and just consider the whole thing as a general mainstream rock album, *American Idiot* still doesn't work for most serious music fans out there. And the songwriting and production is to blame, once again. Those tunes can't compare with older rock operas: they are just void and calculated reenactments of their aesthetics, but without the lively inventiveness and quaint charm you could find in them. In other words, *American Idiot* is no *Tommy*. And it doesn't end with a bang, just like the latter does, but with a whimper. Worse, that long boring end actually starts *before* the middle of the record, with "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams", and drags on forever. Of course, one could argue that this anti-climactic ending is sort of the point of the story told by *American Idiot*, at least from what the songs are able to convey about the overall yarn--it's always been hard understanding the precise tales of rock operas, admittedly, so we won't blame Green Day for *that* at least. From what we can perceive about the story, everyone's in for some disappointing outcomes in the story. The "Jesus" character ends up pushing paper in a cubicle. "Whatsername" marries "Whatsisface", a soulless nobody. You can't get too excited about those final story developments, I guess. As I imagine those are actually nothing but another cynical and somewaht futile way to repeat the old "No Future" punk motto to the masses. So yes, maybe the anticlimactic end is all part of the design, and this might be another reason we won't go as low as 1/5 for this one. BUT that intellectual argument still doesn't save the album for me. Because: a. Being aware of all this still can't excuse the dour music on the second half (and remember that I wasn't even convinced by everything on the first). Ideally, you can speak about boredom without being boring yourself. b. When it comes to having anti-climactic ends for your rock opera that yet still has some emotional effect on you, maybe Green Day should have taken notes from The Pretty Things' *S.F. Sorrow* on how to pull it off. c. You can't just improvise being a rock opera writer. Apart from all the necessary conceptual pretensions and delusions of grandeur, your heart must *also* be in it somehow. Not sure where Green Day's heart was on this one. Maybe it exploded way too soon, just like that grenade on the cover, and all they could do after that was trying to pick up the pieces, and try not to look too cynical about the whole thing. Yet some music fans saw through them at the time. I sure did, and I still do now. Hence the fact that, to me, including this record in a list of essential listens somehow misses the point of what "essential" really means, in spite of a couple of decent singles. Not everyone is an "American Idiot", Billie Joe. Pass the word to Robert Dimery, please. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 836 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 90 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 40 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important: 35 (including this one)

Dookie is still the best Green Day album, but some classics on here

Longstanding fan of everything up to and including Dookie. But nah, there's easily 2002 better albums to listen to this. Never listened before because I was fully done with them by this point. Heard the singles and thought nah. Maybe It's ok. Maybe I just stopped liking new Green Day stuff when I stopped being a teenager when they came out. It's a theory. Wait, what? The second track is 9 minutes long. Who are this band? Starts off aping the Beach Boys and then segues into All the Young Dudes. Actually quite funny how all over the place it is. What the hell, the next track is 8 minutes. Ha, Bush sent them mad. Ok I'm on board now. Might get 3 stars just because of how ridiculous it is. Yeah boulevard is still as dull as it always was. I see what's happening here, they've just removed the space between separate songs. Nah, too long and too many mediocre songs. 2 stars it is.

Jesus, Billie Joe, and I’m not talking about the phony one in suburbia either, but the real one full of truth and grace and love. Billie Joe Armstrong is clearly hurting, as I’m certain are his devotees, probably an army of likeminded disaffected ‘youth.’ Armstrong is now 50 himself, so he would have been 32 at the time of 'American Idiot.' I’m a baby boomer, and at 32 I was already well invested in my particular vocation. My parents even more so, their parents more still, and so on. And American life in the early 20th century, not to mention the vast history of human civilization, was a whole lot tougher than anything myself or, I’m guessing, Billie Joe endured. While my grandparents were fighting WWII and my generation was trying to advance human and civil rights, yours (and I know its not all of the gen Xers) Billie Joe’s just blames their trials and tribulations on mom and dad (‘Homecoming’). ‘Welcome to a new kind of tension,’ Billie Joe announces in the title and opening track, ‘all across the alienation where everything isn’t meant to be ok. In television dreams of tomorrow we’re not the ones who’re meant to follow.’ That kinda made me sad, it really did. My heart went out to him for whatever wounds he had occurred that led him to this belief. Likewise, on the next track, ‘Jesus Of Suburbia,’ he bewails, ‘And there’s nothing wrong with me. This is how I’m supposed to be in the land of make believe that don’t believe in me.’ Again, initially, I was really hurting for the guy. Until he then threw himself to the floor- at 32, mind you- and flailing his arms and legs (and guitar picks) he cries like a bitch ass toddler: ‘I don’t care if you don’t care!’ over and over and over again. Green Day is a good, tight combo- pure power chord, no frills, locomotive pop punk. I like their sound, their energy. Hard rockin’, yet melodic, kind of reminiscent of Nirvana. But, lyrically, and conceptually… Billie Joe is in need of a good spanking. After close to an hour of bitching and blaming, I didn’t find one positive, helpful solution offered. Apparently, Billie Joe doesn’t have enough emotional/spiritual maturity to even go there. He just wants ‘America (everybody else)’ to fix it, and then ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends.’ Even then, after waking from his nice lil’ nap, he’d probably still bitch about the boxed juice you gave him: ‘Billie doesn’t want apple, he wants grape!’ 'American Idiot’s' message seems to be: America, we are only the fuckups that we had to become to survive out there on the boulevard of broken dreams you built. America, you created us. Now deal with us, or else. A message they unfortunately share with one, Charles Manson.

Green Day were my first favorite band, and this was my first favorite album. I don’t love this album quite as much as I did when I was 8 or 9 but it still has its moments. Jesus of Suburbia is still just as amazing as it was the first time I heard it.

While their earlier work is a lot more poignant and relatable, the first few tracks of American Idiot are pretty good. The thing about this point on in Green Day's discography is that they will write maybe 1-2 good songs and then phone it in for the rest of the album. That's pretty much what happens here. Most of the tracks are very vague about antiestablishment/anarchist views, but American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, and Holiday/Boulevard are some great doomer-minded anarchist songs. The rest of the album can really just be thrown directly in the trash. Wake Me Up When September Ends doesn't really feel like it belongs on this album, and I honestly thought it was on Twenty One Guns or Nimrod, but it definitely solidified that Green Day could phone in their earlier punk talents for radio bullshit. Oh my god... there's even fake clapping added to track 6. This band fell so hard. It's like Weezer, but at least Weezer has had redeemable moments in the last decade. Highlights: 1, 2, and 3.

Very clean album. A bit too clean and predictable, I like a bit of fuzz. Some good songs to listen to on their own, but BJ’s voice and guitar gets a bit grinding listening to a whole album.

I like their other records more. I know this was caught up in the hysteria of a rock opera but for the NEW MILLENNIUM, but I don't think it was quite as amazing as it was made out to be.

Ok guys. I’ve decided our next album is going to be a concept album! Oh wow that’s great Billy Joe. What’s the concept? A punk rock.....wait for it....OPERA! Amazing! Does that mean you’re gonna write punk songs again? Hahahaha of course not Tré Cool don’t be très dumb. No it means I’m going to base all of the songs around a few different characters. Do you think you’re capable of writing like that? Oh yeah definitely. See there’s this one character called St. Jimmy so I just call the song ‘St. Jimmy’ and write lines lines like “St. Jimmy that’s my name and don’t wear it out” Ok but that sounds awful Billy Joe. It is Tré Cool. It is.

Sophomoric attempts

Idiotisk highschool-punk MED allsang-tendenser. OMG.

Pop punks love politics. So edgy!

LOL WHO MADE THIS LIST, TRASH

Uma bela ópera prima!

Well, this is a hard one to rate without any bias - because (like many others here, I suspect), this album has a special place in my heart. When I first listened to it at 16 I thought that this must be the best music ever! Well, relistening to it I can say: it might not be the best music ever, but it's still really good. Every track is a banger in its own right, and I love how it really is a conceptual album telling a story, the individual tracks coming together to form a greater whole. As a German I obviously can't fully relate to the experience of growing up in the American suburbs under the Bush administration, but I think I understand enough. The politics of Green Day might be "undercomplex" or "facile", even but seriously, who cares. This isn't supposed to be a doctoral dissertation about American foreign policy in the early 21st century, but a young person's outcry against the violence and injustice inherent in the world in general and the Bush administration and the Iraq War in particular. As such, it is still current in a way, since the legacy of those days continues to haunt the world over two decades later. And even beyond that, it's still damn good music that makes me feel like I'm 16 again. 5/5

First time listening to this album start to finish, and I was surprised at how strong it is. Over half the songs are hugely popular hits, and those that aren't complement the big ones entirely. Not a skip on the whole album.

Legendary.

Rely good

peak

Love it

AN ALL TIME CLASSIC

Incredible and historic record, it gained a new following and gained massive popularity when it came out. Songs are all great and by how those are, no one really minds the length of a few of then, like Jesus Of Suburbia, that became iconic from the band. Transitions between songs made it a sense of fullness and became great songs on their own merit. Always recommended and listenable any time of the year.

Topical

Classic

Some day maybe this won't seem quite so politically relevant. Today's not that day, though. 5 stars.

Generational

Green Day's peak - love his voice, the angsty emo-y energy and the anger and vindication behind it. Great album

American Idiot is an absolute slam dunk of an album. It not only reflects the post-9/11 climate of the 2000s—with its overtones of war, political frustration, and cultural ignorance—but it also captures the restless, disillusioned spirit of a generation coming of age in that era. Green Day distilled the mood of the time into something raw, loud, and unshakably relevant. Listening to it now feels the way I imagine people in the ’60s must have felt hearing Bob Dylan for the first time: the sound of rebellion, of anger, of truth put to music. That energy is established right from the opening track “American Idiot”, setting the tone for everything that follows. The second song, “Jesus of Suburbia” (really a collection of 5 songs for those that read the lyrics book) pushes even deeper. It’s more than just teenage angst; it’s a portrait of growing up in a fractured home, of self-medicating through addiction, and of searching for belonging in the margins of society. If your own parents don’t care about you, it’s hard to care about life—and that’s exactly the kind of despair the narrator wrestles with. In that emptiness, he seeks out the underbelly of society, finding community among misfits and rejecting the rules he was never given a reason to follow. In the process, he begins to question not only society and its structures, but everything around him—even his own reality. A truly heartbreaking song. Whether the children are here at home or in the Middle East, the message is the same: no one seems to care. That apathy, both personal and political, runs like a vein through the album—fueling its anger, its cynicism, and its desperate need to scream for connection. The next track, “Holiday”, is an unmistakable critique of the Bush administration and the political climate of the 2000s. But beyond its immediate references, the song wrestles with the broader, age-old reality of war—how it has shaped and scarred civilizations for centuries. Where history often defaults to conflict, Green Day is crying out for something different. Beneath the sneer and fury of their pop-punk sound lies a simple truth: this is a band that longs for peace. Spotify has “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” combined with “Holiday” but the album wasn’t like that and these were separate songs. The distinction is important. To me, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” echoes the experience of being a child of divorce. That kind of fracture disillusions you early, forcing you to see the world as a rough, unkind place. The narrator walks alone, carrying that emptiness, embodying the old saying: “you’re born alone and you die alone.” “Are We the Waiting” marks the beginning of the healing process. After leaving behind his broken home and walking the lonely path of the boulevard of broken dreams, the narrator arrives in the city—a place he once resented. But here, among the misfits and outsiders of society’s underbelly, he starts to carve out a new sense of belonging, a fragile hope that maybe life can be rebuilt. The narrator then encounters “St. Jimmy” (these are also separate songs on the original album!), a character who can be interpreted as an extension—or perhaps the evolution—of the Jesus of Suburbia. St. Jimmy is the ringleader of the outcasts: brash, volatile, and unapologetically loud. He embodies the reckless energy of a kid shaped by anger and abandonment, lashing out at the world with sarcasm and chaos. It’s left deliberately ambiguous whether St. Jimmy is a separate figure altogether or whether the narrator himself transforms into St. Jimmy after succumbing to drugs and self-destruction. “Give Me Novocaine” reveals that even as the narrator seeks healing, they turn to drugs as a way to numb the pain—a desperate, misguided attempt to quiet the disillusionment of life. “She’s a Rebel” introduces Whatsername, the enigmatic love interest of the album. She embodies rebellion, freedom, and defiance—qualities that both captivate and challenge the narrator. I’ve also always imagined that the song is referencing the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of independence and hope and chaos. In this sense, Whatsername is more than a romantic figure; she represents the possibility of liberation, the spark that awakens the narrator to a life beyond the constraints and disappointments of his past. “Extraordinary Girl” delves deeper into Whatsername’s character, revealing the roots of her pain and struggles. It’s intentionally ambiguous whether she is trying to escape a toxic, abusive relationship or attempting to heal from it alongside the narrator. This uncertainty adds depth to her character, highlighting the complexity of love, trauma, and the search for connection amid chaos. “Letterbomb” (ANOTHER SEPARATE SONG, IDK WHY THEY KEEP COMBINING ALL THESE SONGS ON SPOTIFY) is next. Narratively, this is the breaking point of the rock opera. Whatsername delivers a blistering farewell to the narrator (St. Jimmy/Jesus of Suburbia). Up until this point, he’s been posturing as a rebel, chasing chaos, drugs, and anti-establishment anger — but Letterbomb calls him out. The song is Whatsername’s voice, filled with rage, disappointment, and urgency. She essentially tells him: you’re wasting your life, stuck in self-destruction and false rebellion. The iconic line “It’s not over ’til you’re underground” is a brutal reminder that his current path only leads to death or nothingness. Musically, it’s fast, sharp, and biting — like a slap in the face. The lyrics dismantle the narrator’s self-image, exposing the emptiness of his rebellion and the hollowness of his escape. In short: “Letterbomb” is the moment of reckoning. It’s Whatsername shattering the fantasy, forcing the narrator to confront that his rebellion isn’t freedom — it’s just another cage. “Wake Me Up When September Ends” aka absolute most depressing song on the album that I do frequently skip if I can lol. The music video is also devastating. It tells the story of a soldier who dies while deployed, leaving his girlfriend to cope with the devastating aftermath (it features Rachel Evan Wood, real ones know!). Within the album, though, it’s less clear who—if anyone—has actually died. More than a literal loss, the song feels like a meditation on the passage of time, grief, and the way pain lingers long after the moment has passed. Stripped of the album’s chaos, it stands out as one of Green Day’s most powerful pop-punk ballads—aching, anthemic, and deeply melancholic. The song “Homecoming” reveals a turning point for the narrator. It mentions St. Jimmy “committing suicide,” which I used to take literally as if he had actually died. Now, I see it differently: this is the narrator metaphorically “killing” St. Jimmy—shedding the reckless, self-destructive persona and returning to some semblance of normalcy. He quits drugs, leaves behind crime and the underbelly of society, and starts afresh. He gets a job and builds a life with structure, purpose, and responsibility. It’s a symbolic death and rebirth, closing the chapter on chaos and reclaiming his identity. This song is also a collection of 5 different songs (I guess I should say verses?). “Whatsername” carries a haunting, late-night quality—like the quiet hours when you’re alone with your thoughts, hyper-aware of your own mortality yet strangely unafraid. It feels both nostalgic and unsettling, a final echo of everything the narrator has lost and everything he’s come to accept.

very happy that I got this. not my favorite GD album but definitely their best

I had forgotten what fun Green Day are to listen to. This album is longer than I expected from them, they are the master of brief punk songs that don't overstay their welcome, but I guess this album reveals a maturing of their style and I welcome that! Lots of hits to be enjoyed and the rest of the tracks work too.

Amazing concept punk rock opera album. Love it

I don't even need to listen to this masterpiece, it's already on vinyl in the collection. Peak

The best album of Green Day, and I like the group very much, so I can't be objective even a bit regarding them :)

Coole Komposition, man merkt, dass das Album als gesamtstück aufgefasst wird, in welchem flüssige Übergange wie bei Holiday und Boulevard of Broken Dreams entstehen, sodass der Hörfluss nicht einmal gestört wird und man teils das völlige Zeitgefühl verliert. Definitiv mit weiteren "Hymnen" wie "Wake me up, when September ends" und natürlch "American Idiot" ein Album von Greenday mit mehreren ihrer größten, in meinen Augen auch besten Songs. All in all ein sehr sehr geiles Album.

All time time to 5 album

I listened to GD religiously from 1999 to 2003 but stopped after nimrod and warning which were pretty shite. This on the other hand is fucking epic. Obviously I'd listened to the big hits but the rest of the album is sublime. Especially the 9.4 minute true certified banger, homecoming. GREEN DAY - YOU ROCK!