Reviews (page 10 of 16)
It’s good. I recognize and remember it’s importance, but just don’t like it that much.
Personally, I'm more of a dookie guy. But c'mon, it's american idiot. 5/5
A punk rock opera, huh? I think I might disagree. I applaud the ambitiousness of this album but, good god I can't stand the way Billie Joe Armstrong sings. Really most of the pop-punk bands from back in the day, the vocals are all trash. This album was huge when it came out. I mean didn't they make a Broadway show off of this? No comment on the irony of that.... As with a lot of the other stuff from Green Day, I actually like the music fairly well. It's interesting, decently recorded, varies from song to song. But the vocals are just tough for me. Lyrically I think it's ok, a little simple and on the nose but not bad I suppose. I appreciate the message at least. Green Day is a band that I wish I liked more, I just don't. Mostly because of the vocals, I just can't get on board. Generous 3/5
Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake me up when September ends carried this for me. Honestly I expected to like it a little more than I did, this one just did not click with me as much as Dookie did. Solid but I wasn't floored
This is a hard album to evaluate. It's definitely not a great punk album. And, I'm not even sure it's a great rock opera. However, it's indisputable that Green Day made a great album. I somehow avoided this album despite living through the early 2000s. I was in my counterculture phase, listening to mostly jam bands, and ironically Green Day was decidedly not counterculture at this point in time. I'm not sure they ever were really, but at least Dookie was a punk album at heart. Of course, I didn't escape the radio hits. They just came and came and came from this album. But, I have to say, listening to the whole thing start to finish, I was really impressed. I knew the popular songs, but I didn't know how it all fit together into the concept album. In fact, I think the songs I enjoyed most were the songs that I hadn't heard before. I liked their composition, I liked their storytelling, and I liked how they incorporated diverse musical styles. This is one of those albums that I didn't love, but I appreciate it. I doubt I'll return to it, maybe a few songs here and there, but I can acknowledge it's greatness. And for that it's a four-star album for me.
It was all over the screen
I loved Dookie, but then sort looked down on Green Day as "sellouts" (due mostly to the success of "Good Riddance") until this album came out. It really softened my perception of the band. It's a fantastic rock opera, and is enjoyable from end to end.
5 Stars. And so appropriate. The fascist circus is back in town. God Bless Green Day!
American Idiot 3.2 Jesus of Suburbia 3 Holiday 3.3 Boulevard of Broken Dreams 3.1 Are We the Waiting 3 St. Jimmy 2.8 Give Me Novacaine 3 She's a Rebel 3 Extraordinary Girl 3.1 Letterbomb 3.3 Wake Me Up When September Ends 3.3 Homecoming 3.4 Whatsername 3.1 Score: 3.123076923
My first listen to the whole album. I didn’t realize it was a rock opera. And it’s a good one.
Nostalgic as hell. 4/5
Probably would be a 5 star to high school freshman me, but this album does hold up. Even more so with the current political climate
I Don't Care What Any RYM Using Fantano Loving /Mu/ Denizen Says
it's fine. not into punk.
Played REPEATEDLY EVERYWHERE when it was released. Nevertheless, it’s a polished album full of relevance even sadly 20 years after release. Like it.
Yo what a fantastic piece of art this is. I can't believe I never listened to the whole thing until now. Teenage me would have loved it.
Yeah
Rating: 7.5/10 The highlights are fantastic, some of the other songs not so much.
I love the familiarity
This was a seminal album for me in my teenage years and brought back a lot of good memories. It still holds up well in my opinion, with a great mix of high energy punk tracks and slower ballads. I love how ambitious it is with the rock opera meta-story but most tracks hold up well on their own as well. St Jimmy and Holiday were my favorite tracks as a kid and upon revisiting the album I've learned that I had great taste.
Pretty good. Felt a bit repetitive at times though. Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams is an all-timer
I think for nostalgia’s sake I will rate this higher This slapped when i was 15
Iconic riffs and lyrics. Topical when it came out, but unfortunately remains culturally relevant 20 years later. Extremely ambitious, but is everything it should be. I'm a sucker for a good concept album anyway. Not to mention six songs over 5min is pretty amazing for a "punk" band.
I professed to hate this album when it came out, because I believed the rhetoric that Green Day had sold out. I took me revisiting Green Day's discog in my 30's to realize that the rhetoric was wrong and so was I. This album is excellent, there's not a bad song on it, and it represents the authentic growth (that perhaps took my own growth as a person to fully realize) of a band that is among my favorites, if not my favorite.
The production is too shiny for my taste. The songs too poppy, too earnest. BUT. This has heart and spirit. It has ambition. Will I listen to the whole thing again? No. Do I respect it for its heart, spirit and ambition. Yes.
A great album made weary by overplaying, but nevertheless it desrves it's spot in the 1001
Yesssss. I forgot just how good this album is. A timely listen for me (getting Green Day tickets and Trump’s re-election) and one that I enjoyed all the way through.
How can I rate this down? :D It's impossible for me to be objective about it as it brings me back to my teenage years haha. It opens with American Idiot which is such an energy blast! The whole album has a great punchy, light punky vibe that I feel is a crowd pleaser in general, not just for me.
Quite nostalgic for me. I wasn't super into Green Day when this was current but I like the singles from this album. The whole thing has good energy to it and is varied enough to stay interesting. Not enough of my cup of tea to play repeatedly but this was a very enjoyable listen
This is easily a classic and a must-listen. Green Day fans and punk rock fans, you got your rock opera, this is it. This is so good.
Shit
I sometimes forget about or give a hard time to Green Day, but they’re a very solid trio. I think this album is a bit long for what it is, but thems some catchy ass tunes!
Whatever, list generator. No way this was random. Anyway…this album is really good.
I can see why this is a cultural touchstone for so many people, but it was not original in its commentary then, especially now. The songs are annoying at times, and the catchy hooks lose their pazazz after the constant repeating of them. the strongest point of this album is the start where all the big singles are and a couple more near the end.
For nostalgia alone this is a great record. Has aged both amazingly and poorly. To some level, felt like a curtain call for that era of pop punk.
This is a timely album, because Trump was re-elected 2 days ago and I also don’t want to be an American Idiot or a part of the “redneck agenda”. The pace is fun and the long pop-punk songs with movements have a soft spot in my heart. Unltimately, it doesn’t fit my taste these days, but I respect it.
Kind of better than I expected, but also just kind of OK. I did like how Spotify combined the tracks, I guess? It made things flow well.
A great album. I had forgotten what's on it. The starter alone is great. Holiday/Boulevard of brolen Dreams is one of my favorites. And I always enjoy listening to 'Wake me up, when September ends'. Full marks. 5/5
Haha this can’t be a coincidence. Americans are great at self implosion, fuck Trump.
It’s rock, it’s punk, but it’s some of the most eclectic rock music.
I think of they leaned more into the St Jimmy rock opera bit and less of the generic fuck bush stuff it would have been much better
Incredible album and so nostalgic. Jesus of Duburbia is one of my favourite songs of all time along with Give Me Novocaine. One of the best albums, one of my most loved.
I didn't need to listen to rate this as I've played this album a thousand times! I'm a Green Day fan anyway and saw them live at the Emirates Stadium London a few years ago. Billy Joe Armstrong has such a great and distinctive voice and the superb material and brilliant production all together make this one of the greatest albums you will ever hear. In their own words this is a Punk Rock Opera mainly telling the story of Jesus of Suburbia an adolescent anti hero. This album gets a 5 from me
Yesterday was the first time I actually didn't have time to write down my thoughts on an album - so my streak is broken! At least I still listened and rated it. Nothing to do with this particularly album, I just wanted to let that out. 'American Idiot', huh? The album that totally revitalised Green Day and gave their longevity a huge jolt after a decline in general interest and sales - despite solid albums like 'Insomniac', 'Nimrod', and the brilliant compilation 'International Superhits!'. Hell, even 'Warning:' is a bit of an underrated discography entry for the band, featuring some good deep cuts and genuine hits on its own. But there's no denying that most of their, albeit falling, commercial success was riding the success of their breakout LP 'Dookie' (a pop punk masterpiece). 'American Idiot' was a result of the lost tapes for an album that was going to be titled 'Cigarettes and Valentines'. And instead of just re-recording what they lost, they started from scratch. Commercially, it was by far the best thing that could have happened to them. But is this album as balls-to-the-wall amazing as its reputation would lead you to believe? Let's break that down. 'American Idiot' is one of the most ambitious pop punk albums you are ever likely to hear - released at a time where you could say the genre had hit its mainstream peak; as a few years later My Chemical Romance would almost rival it in this department with 'The Black Parade'; and I feel like the genre hasn’t seen that kind of success since. ‘American Idiot’, a concept album driven by the narrative of a character who eventually goes by the name of St. Jimmy. Who despises conformity and is stuck in a suburban life being exposed to media saturation. He leaves his home town and goes on a self destructive journey framed around rebellion and freedom. But through the events he goes through and decisions he makes, he ends up struggling with addiction, heartbreak, and the ultimate hollowness of his newfound lifestyle. Eventually he lets go of all that - and comes to the realisation that he must find purpose, not through lashing out at society, but rather searching within himself for the answers. The narrative arc is but a mere backdrop and a means for Green Day to step out of the off-the-wall observational based pop punk they had become comfortable doing and run right into protest anthems that, in all honesty, completely stand the test of time given the political and societal climate we seem to live in now. Songs like ‘American Idiot’ and ‘Holiday’, that directly call out government control and the negative effects of the almost brainwashing nature of the media. The epic 9+ minute suites ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ and ‘Homecoming’ that walk a fine line between pushing the narrative of the storyline forward while also making plenty of critiques on society at large. The tracklist also has its fair share of introspective songs, like the massive hits ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams’ and ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’. It’s quite a a mixture that’s all layered on top of a Green Day sound that is comfortably familiar with its catchy riffs, fun drumming, and hard bass lines. But they’ve somehow added so much gravitas to it. They sound louder, deeper, and so much more confident than on their previous LP’s. They knew, once a rock opera was the direction, what they needed to do and in that regard they pass with flying colours. The problem is that for all the mighty highs Green Day achieve on ‘American Idiot’, there is a certain level of forgettable tracks in between them. ‘St. Jimmy’, ‘Give Me Novacaine’, ‘Extraordinary Girl’, ‘Letterbomb’, and ‘Whatshername’ - all fine tracks. But sees them fall backwards a little in confidence and they seem like entries to merely fill up the tracklist, moreso than major contributors despite the lyrical content. It’s honestly hard to really give this a proper rating because it truly is a 3.5/5 album, in my opinion. The high points are good enough to gravitate it to a 4, but the lower points stand out enough to keep it grounded at a 3. But I ultimately decided on giving this a 4 because this site doesn’t like .5’s, and also because the impact ‘American Idiot’ had cannot be overstated; not just for Green Day’s career, but also its effect on the pop punk scene in general. The fact is most of it stands the test of time for a reason - and you’re guaranteed to find at least some appreciation in it if you’re in any way a fan of pop punk. If you’re a hardcore fan of Green Day, on the other hand, chances are ‘American Idiot’ is probably on your Mount Rushmore. As a huge fan of the genre myself, I think it’s solid and worth listening to for the high points alone. 4/5
I really think that this is Green Day's best. Songs are WAY too long, like to the point that it's basically the antithesis of punk music, but damn if this whole album isn't good. This was Green Day's peak, and they have only gotten worse.
Oh man. This album brings back memories. Of my gr 9 best friend, obsessed with Billy Joe, hanging out in her room fully decked out in Green Day posters, playing the Sims 2 with this on repeat in the background. For better or worse, this was probably the album of my generation. And you know what, coming back to it 20 years later, it's not bad.
Man, 4th grade James would’ve given this a 5 in a grenade heart beat. This is my first time listening straight through since probably 2006. Holiday is still a banger and I had completely forgotten about whatsername which I liked a lot. As a whole it’s hard to separate this from the now quaint seeming anti-Bush politics that sparked it. As a rock opera it is useless. But, it is a classic with some fun songs and I have a soft spot for it.
Great punk-pop all the way through
Easy 5. Iconic album that I have not heard in a while! It's political without being annoying, it rocks hard and it's an ambitious concept. I can't say I was able to follow the story. Amazingly it was also full of hits I remember being played at middle school dances! Not sure that will ever happen again.
Very well made. The production is top notch and the lead vocalist has very impressive vocal control, but its almost a little too clean. Best Song: Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams Worst Song: Whatsername
A lot of bangers, it was a fun listen and the themes explored are interesting and engaging. The problem is that it gets too one dimentional and therefore bluring the line between many of the songs when the tempo and riffs are so similar. Best song: Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams Worst song: Extraordinary Girl / Letterbomb
8.5
Classic
There wasn’t much like it in 2004. They filled a gap and it landed. I like the earlier albums better but this one is excellent
Cannot be objective, pure nostalgia for me. Pop punk brilliance.
Classic
Expectations were so low after the last Green Day album but after the reaffirmation that they're a pop band (this is not punk), it began to make a bit of sense. Nothing great, but way better than Dookie, at least.
Not my favorite green day album, and I really went to listen to it with a lot of prejudice, this was the album they turned emo and I reaaaaally disliked that move, but I was sidetracked today with how good it was, it was quite enjoyable
ya'll already KNOW how this makes me feel
I still love it. Particularly like Boulevard and Wake Me Up, they always give me that sort of introspective, bittersweet feeling where you think about how time is passing so quickly and you dwell on mistakes you have made.
This album is one of my favorites. Its title track got me into rock music. But that’s only part of the reason I’m giving it a high rating. It’s also because I love the story and the style. 5/5
Got this just 2 days after the 20 year anniversary edition was released, which I was planning to listen to anyway. I was 21 when this album came out and I didn’t care for it. I discovered it properly this year, and now I think it’s one of my favorite albums ever. One hour that flows so well is quite rare. And I got to hear it played live in its entirety just a few months ago!
I don't normally consider myself a Green Day fan, but this album was quite good!
Favorite tracks: American Idiot, Holiday, Give me Novacaine. Angsty. Nostalgic. Not entirely my thing anymore.
I loved earlier green day but this seemed too commercialized for my taste when it came out.
Un tour de force: chaque pièce est un hit. Rarement le punk rock et le pop ont fait aussi bon ménage, et la revendication sociale ne boude pas son plaisir musical
este disco quedó de lado porque en esos años American Idiot era suficiente para mí, pero ahora, 20 años después, me doy cuenta de lo que me perdí. Me gusta cómo las canciones se siguen unas con otras y entiendo todo el contexto político también. Igual podría ser un poco más conciso.
Title track fucking rocks. Holiday/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams is imo their best song in their entire discography, let alone on this album Starts off really good but after Extraordinary Girl/Letterbomb it tails off a bit WMUWSE is a bit overrated - it's good but not that good
Dookie will always be my favorite, but they really took their careers to the next level am with this album.
Fucking fuego. As good as I remember
This a strong three. I admire the ambition I just don't think it sticks the landing
I'm quite familiar this record and was a big part of my early 20s. Still holds up. 4 stars.
Quite enjoyed this to be honest 7/10
Shite, pointless
Green Day’s American Idiot is an outstanding album, blending fast-paced punk, anthemic rock, and multi-part tracks that venture into almost progressive territory. Although I’ve typically found Green Day to be “okay” at best, this album stands out as one of my favorites. The instrument mix is solid, with guitars and bass doing their job well, but Trè Cool’s drumming is on a whole other level. While there’s a slight dip in quality between Give Me Novacaine and Letterbomb, the album still holds up as a classic. The hardest part of reviewing this album is resisting the urge to sing along. I wish I could have experienced one of the concerts where they played it in full. Standout track: Homecoming. Score: 5/5.
Super
Flirts with pop punk line Banging out radio hits While still protesting
Much better than expected. Did they influence Arctic Monkeys?
Pop-punk goodness, hard contest if this or Dookie is their best album
Better than I remembered
1) много слёров, хм, 2) он на удивление правильно интонирует, 3) панк и совсем не для меня, 4) но когда медляки начинаются это ещё ничего
I really enjoyed this! Lots of angry energy, I remember the frustration everybody was feeling when it first came out, it easily summed up how the world was feeling at the time. And it has some absolute bangers on it!
Good vibes of rebellion. Enjoyed it a lot. Lots of popular unforgettable songs. Shifted my mood for the day!
It's another great album from Green Day, with their usual catchy songs, power pop guitar, some acoustic numbers and a likeable singer. This time around they've got a political concept and a couple of long song suites. Enjoyable stuff.
Whilst I don’t think this is their best album, it is still a great album. Like a lot of people I’d imagine, wake me up when September ends is one of my favourite Green Day songs.
Same issues I have with all their albums, one (maybe 2) engaging or interesting tracks, then a lot of filler. This is a band who dont know what they are, feels like a pop band trying to be a punk band, the tracks are too polished and satire is not the same as subversion. Fails more than it hits. Grumble grumble
Green Day never quite seemed to work for me, this was just another in a long list of US pop-punk bands with a well intentioned but somewhat simplistic message delivered in an overly polished and formulaic way. Fun enough in its.way, but too poppy and not quite punk enough for.me.
I don't like this much, but I could at least tap my foot and hum along to it pleasantly. I don't want to like it, but it's had so much airplay that I know it. I want to give it one star because it's got the feel of something cynically manufactured for the teen buck, but somewhere there's someone like me for whom this is their Nevermind, London Calling or Appetite For Destruction.
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! 🤘
Went into this thinking a definite 3* but as the album went on realised that as a piece of work it is brave, cohesive, well written and played by a band bit willing to rest on previous Dookie laurels. Kicks off strongly and is a journey from start to finish. Like the banding of tracks together. When September Ends is beautiful. A critique of the mainstream bringing Green Day even more into the mainstream
5/5
Amazing album. My love of it may be influenced by Beat Saber
Hadn't listened to this for years and had forgotten what a good album it was.
Classic, goated. Monthly rotation?
2004. I was seven. Too young to "think" about this album, but I do remember, somewhere around that age, hearing Boulevard of Broken Dreams and doing this slow, cool walk in time with the opening fade-in. I remember other kids head-banging to American Idiot, and I think, I found it too aggressive. I was seven. To me, what stands out is not the sound, but the message. Disillusionment. Stuck in suburbia (a la Arcade Fire), hopelessness, angst. It's almost like this cynicism has always existed, but just manifested differently over the years. You had "slackers" in the early 90s, then was it power-pop-punk fusion for the next 20, and then I think hip-hop took became the language of the young and jaded. So, at the time, I can understand how this was anthemic. Now, falling on my ears, which have heard so many more sounds, lots of digital sounds, it's not so great. Upon this listen I was pleasantly surprised by extraordinary girl/letterbomb, which I wouldn't have been able to name hitherto, and the hits still hit: boulevard, holiday, idiot, wake me up. Armstrong's voice is 100% generation-defining and full of conviction. Fav track: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
After Dookie, which was quite a success, the next view albums weren't similar hits, but American Idiot remedied that. They kept their roots but broadened their portfolio to include other styles and genres. This is some concept album telling a certain story, A thing that wouldn't be possible if they kept just to their punk rock music. The process of creating this album was much more complex, and it was worth it.
Not taking anything away from the cultural impact of this record (I feel a reluctant nostalgia towards it as a real zeitgeist moment in mid-2000s music), but it just does nothing for me anymore. It's a completely distended, superficial, processed punk (debatable use of the term) album. Its commentary is as laughably thin as a primary school reflective essay, and the rock opera premise irks me immensely. There are still one or two half-decent tracks here, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. Billie Joe Armstrong might not have wanted to be an American idiot, but his decision to pen some of this album communicates a level of idiocy that parallels anything said by Bush (albeit with considerably fewer civilian casualties).
This album has aged so incredibly well. Prescient as hell. As a friend put it: where is all the good political rock these days?
Funny to think that this album has become almost classical in many younger people's minds these days. I listened to it a lot back then, and I still enjoy it today.
It is not often an album can ride the line between fun/catchy and politically coherent this well. Most would eschew one element or the other, but I think this is a pretty good mix without needing to be so focused on the politics that they can’t also flex out for things like Wake Me Up When September Ends which is not quite so relevant to the rest of the album but fits the tone and stands alone as a great track.
I like Holiday, but don't care about the rest
Not as good as it used to sound
hopefully I'll eventually get the hang of sending my reviews to y'all..every day I make a new mistake LOL.. I'd voted 1 for Moby Grape and 4 for Brubeck. Here's my review of Green Day - I was never a fan, but I liked a couple of songs and I appreciated them. Now I can honestly say that I don't like them enough to listen to a whole album. Skillful musicianship, a couple of catchy tracks, but I was done when it all started sounding the same..
Hmmm. He taps into something genuine and vulnerable within the ballads. Overall, it’s in no man’s land…not truly punk, rock, … Thus, the hmmm.
Green day emerged just past the party it where I could really engage with them. I appreciate what they do - they at times display Kinks level simplicity in all the best ways. This album obviously stretches far beyond that in scope and scale but in reality - the 9 minute song suites are just a bunch of two minute songs together. But ultimately - for the most part - it works. A little pedestrian but you can't begrudge the pop chops. They know a good vocal/guitar hook. And I like a lot of 60 minute play albums I never like this got dirgy. The W era seems pretty quaint by 2024 standards.
Low quality "punk" for middle schoolers.
This was a rock album that sold like a pop album. I listened to the CD on repeat back in the day, but I've grown up and it hasn't
Familiarity breeds acceptance. The kids wore me out on this one back in the day. This album was/is big time.
A very, very popular album from my youth. Still holds up really well.
As expected with punk rock. Noisy screaming music. Not my thing.
I am very familiar with this album. My wife, and now my daughter, is slightly obsessed with it. I've always quite liked Dookie. It's my favourite style of music, but I enjoy it. American Idiot never really did anything for me at the time. Especially When September Ends which I've always found annoying. But I've warmed to it. It's 20 years old and I think it stands up pretty well. It moves bewteen what it does very nicely as an album. Overall it makes my wife and daughter very happy. So that's enough for me.
fan of green day, not boulevard of broken dreams. i have trauma w that song also why is my guy moaning in my ear during it pls stop and just play the music bro.
Geest álbum. It reminds me of those 70’s albums like Tommy. A sweet opera-rock concept album.
I don’t really love Green Day a ton, but this album definitely holds up
Nostalgic. Brilliant album, reminds me of year 8
Banger 10/10
Decent band, so unlikable as people
It’s ska
Not a big Green Day guy but this ones pretty alright
Political Punk!?!
It’s more accessible than most punk rock, but still carries that “fuck the establishment” message. Holliday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams alone make the album worth a listen. Wake me up when September ends is a childhood favorite. The remainder of the album represents more than just filler, it is all a very well constructed piece of a whole. A “punk rock opera” as it has been described. It gets a little stale and repetitive for me by the end, but overall a very, very solid album. 8.2/10
DNF. Doesn't belong on this list. I like pop punk as much as the next guy but this is easy boring music.
Interesting as a snap shot of early 2000s history. Give me Dookie any day though. The guys voice annoys me and I found the sound of the album as a whole gave me a headache. The simple power cords over and over became so boring.
Ya estoy despierto
Guess I'll have to wake them up tomorrow.
I don't know if I've ever listened to this album in its entirety. This should be good. Opening track has over a billion listens!
Loved Dookie at the time but I've never actually sat all the way through American Idiot before. It's alright.
I found this to be pretty much just ok across the board. It’s perfectly acceptable, entertaining arena rock.
Yeah, a solid album. Everything you want from a green day album.
Nine minute suites; is this punk or prog rock? Anyway, i like this a bit more than Dookie, but it's still not really for me.
#357. Jesus fuck, this is awful. This is just cheesy middle school teenage angst, as written by a weird dude in his mid 30s. Billie Joe Armstrong truly is cringe personified. Green Day should have just stopped after Dookie, that shit was a masterpiece. Or maybe after Nimrod at the absolute latest. The Warning/American Idiot/21st Century Breakdown era of Green Day was truly some of the worst music being played on the radio in the 00's [and that's saying a lot considering the Nickleback/Breaking Benjamin/Staind/Puddle of Mud butt-rock genre was topping the rock charts then]. Luckily the DJs picked up on that fact 10 years too late, and stopped really playing any of the music they made after that, but we were ear raped on a regular basis with those three shit heaps. There is really no redeeming quality to any of this album. I was fully ready to give this album 2 stars, but the more I type, the more I realize it doesn't deserve that much. Fuck em. 1/5: trash Song added to playlist: Holiday/ Boulevard of Broken Dreams I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
This album didn’t age well. While the opening and title track is strong, it quickly falls off from there. It’s an important album for sure, but the greatness of it didn’t last.
PEAKKKKKKK 4.5/5
2,5
One of my favourite albums in high school and still continues to be. Not a bad song on the entire album. Seeing it played in its entirely live was perfection and one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. My first rock concert at 14 was in support of this in 04’, this album essentially got me into concerts. What an easy 5 star.
Just not a fan I guess.
almost painfully nostalgic for me, listened to this a lot at a very formative period of my life (discovered wanking)
Very good album. 10/10
This is a classic. Too many banging tunes. Stadium anthems mixed with songs that Green Day is not just straight up punk-rock. I could scream the lyrics to the title track while playing it on the guitar until I die. Truly flawless album. Extraordinary.
A lot of cool Punk Rock songs
Better than I remembered, or maybe I'm less snobby than I used to be. Probably a bit of both
This album slaps. Time has not left this behind
Too many timeless bangers and too much nostalgia to be anything but a 5
Good, solid songs from that punk base without too much of a polished, sell-out vibe.
A little overplayed but it was a real statement when it was released.
Has some bangers, but I’m just not a greenday girl
I seriously don't know if it's a 3 or a 4 for me. This is obviously an iconic album, but it doesn't really grab me. I've never liked their pretend punk attitude and sound, but this album has some real classics that everyone should know for a reason.
5/5 zeer enjoyable
it’s green day duhhh my teenage childhood!
I kind of get it, didn't do much for me.I did like american idiot when it came out but it's wild it inspired so many people.
They make me cringe so much Saying that, some rammers I really enjoyed: American idiot Jesus of suburbia Holiday Wake me up when September ends Will not be listening again but objectively good album !
Just two days shy of its 20th anniversary, this album’s release is fondly remembered by so many of us - myself included (even if I was getting sick of seeing the music video for American Idiot playing virtually on repeat on Kerrang! This album has so many hits on it, such a milestone album. I never fully committed to this one as a kid, but its singles are still great. Standout tracks: - Jesus of Suburbia 4/5 - Holiday 4/5 - Boulevard of Broken Dreams 5/5
Definitely biased with growing up with this album but it still rocks. Jesus of suburbia’s a top 10 song for me, the rest of the album is full of classics
By the time this album came out I had already soured on Green Day and the pop-punk/Gilbert and Sullivan hybrid was a big turn off for me. It’s still not my thing, but there is some strong songwriting on this.
I had this sitting in the queue for a week because I dreaded listening. I absolutely loved Dookie and Nimrod, and I was so disappointed with American Idiot that it still strings 20 years later. I'm not sure I was wrong to be disappointed, but I have to admit it's a good album. This is the best they've ever sounded, and the easiest to listen to, but that's not really what I want from Green Day. It's a well played, well produced album, but it's just less interesting than their earlier work.
A perfect pop punk rock opera inspired by the who and the jam that's still relevant in the trump era.
This album reminds me of winter in Cannes when it came out it. Coincidentally I was in Cannes when it came up in the list. Some Jungian synchronicity shit going on there.... The music is alright like. The way the songs seamlessly meld into one another is a bit weird.... At the time it was a bit weird hearing Americans show any anti American sentiment, so that was cool.
💖 jesus of suburbia 🗣️ 8️⃣
Good album :) very very cool
Some great songs on this, but always found "When September Ends" to be a bit of a drag.
I'd have given em a 5 It's a modern classic But I've still never forgiven them for cancelling the glasgow date on the dookie tour and not coming back for fucking ages The waiting/st jimmy is still fucking excellent though
The high water mark for Green Day and another album I’ve listened to constantly since its release.
I can't stand Green Day. Even when listening to it objectively for good points. I just cannot do it.
This is one of my favorite albums of all time and was probably the most excited I’ve been for an album listen thus far in our project. In my third year of college, something happened to my computer and my iTunes library got wiped. I borrowed this CD and uploaded it to my iTunes and for longer than I’d like to admit, it was the only music on my computer. I’d love to see the iTunes stats for how many times I listened to it… I added all but the last track to my 1001 albums faves playlist (even more than Taylor Swift - I left two tracks from 1989 off!). Easy 5.
This was wonderful. It seems like the type of album where if it had come out when I was in high school I would have known every lick and every word. They’re kinda like the Foo Fighters, both hard rock bands with great melodic songs. Hard to believe this is 20 years old. Was familiar with it from back then, but it was great to listen to again, and I’m excited for the 20th anniversary deluxe edition next month. Elizabeth liked it as well.
For once the shoe is on the other foot here, because I know this is an album Maggie knows well, and I’m not entirely sure I’ve ever listened to the whole thing. I owned Dookie, as was required of all junior high boys in the mid 90s, and I like the singles off Warning (2000) more than most people do, but I was out on GD after maybe 2002. So, after listening, I knew the singles. It was basically impossible to miss them as a 20-year-old in 2004. Didn’t know the rest. And I know this is supposed to be a political album, but I didn’t pay enough attention to lyrics to catch a ton of that, after the title track. Definitely liked the album, though.
cringey but good hits, only here bc libtard politicz
Modern classic.
i dont like pop punk, sorry
So much fun, so underrated, drums for days, Armstrong doesn’t have the my favourite voice going but it’s solid
wanted to give this five stars but it falls just short with a few songs I don't care much for. But when it hits, it hits hard. Are We the Waiting is my favourite. Grew up with this, never really knew what it represented. Nor that Green Day had another album ready to go and the master tapes were stolen, then they went back to the drawing board. Also annoying that on Spotify they merge most of the songs together (apparently because the original digital release was on iTunes and they wanted to retain gapless playback between those songs). Anyway, a high four stars from me!
You wouldn’t expect it to be as phenomenal as it is. There isn’t really a bad song on it or anything I’d skip over. The hits are good and so are the deep cuts, especially Give Me Novacaine. I think anyone who thinks Green Day are hacks should at least give this a try.
One of the songs was a bit long but these were highly enjoyable. A few iconic ones but the others are easily forgettable. I like the callbacks of some of the songs & also not a fan of “American idiot” the single
There comes a time in every band’s career when someone mentions the C word - the concept album. For a punk band known for three minute pop bangers this is a risky move. However the opening salvo of American Idiot still hits home, relevant today just by changing one word. The album looks American society at the turn of the millennium but not much has changed. Jesus of Suburbia sends shivers down my spine with the final ‘Are you leaving home?’. A punk classic.
I guess it's supposed to be something like their most mature album to date when it was released? All I can hear is that irritating crisp/bright guitar sound so typical of pop punk of that era and these dull melodies. Oh and now they're grown up so they even use accoustic guitars and have freakin' ballads. And of course pseudo-political lyrics. I hated it when it came out, I still hate it.
Punkowa petarda.
Rock. Pop punk, but lots of classics on this album. A little repetitive in parts and some songs were a bit too long for their own good, but a good one overall.
Would be better without the expletives
Classic. Can't help but think of Michael and David when I listen to green day ha
12 year old me would’ve gone wild at the opening of this album.
I liked it
Other than the foul language, I pretty much enjoyed this album. Made me nostalgic for the early 2000’s, and I didn’t even listen to this album then. The lead singer’s voice just took me back.
Solid
Die overgang van holiday naar boulevard of broken dreams was ziek episch Uhh ja man
Boulevard of Broken Dreams brought this from a 1 to a 2 for me, but I'm not a green day fan.
very good, reminds me of teenage years
Always been a fan of Green Day and heard many of these songs, but think that was my first full listen thru the album
I’m willing to bet this album was deeply felt by people born around 1990. The lyrics would resonate hard with antsy teens. I was already adulting when this came out, so it doesn't have a nostalgic emotional attachment with me. The length of this album with the sameness of the music started bothering me about 2/3 of the way in. I bet that the Broadway musical based on this was enjoyable. The lyrics tap into some universal teen emotions. But this music needs some visual performance accompaniment to break up the monotony. It’s just not that enjoyable as an adult to sit and listen to.
Ok, I know several hits of this album and I like them, but listening to the whole album is to much, mainly because many of the other songs sound a bit the same to me. I listened the punk rock of the 70's, so most of the songs on this album don't sound 'new' to me.
When i was 16 this was the bible
As a life long Green Day hater I’d love to give this a 1/5 but some of these surprised me. Not enough to go back but more respect for them now.
Fuck this album
Wow! Glad I came back to this one. I distinctly remember being on itunes for this tidal wave of hits. And even today, Im still surprised at the number of true bangers on here - Holiday being my favorite. I appreciated a few others this time too. Give Me Novacane and Shes A Rebel were stand outs for me
Wake me up when September ends is the best song on this album. That says a lot more about the quality of this album than anything else. I can’t fathom how this album is on this list. No one wants to listen to watered down pop punk from a band that once made actual punk. I was 15 when this album came out and I remember it being lame then, and this is one of the few times I agree with my 15 year old self on music
Love pop punk, but was never a massive Green Day fan and kind of thought their newer stuff was a little lame. After listening to this one, I think my only major gripe is how overplayed so much of this album was growing up, and how everything on this album sounds like it’s trying to be an anthem. But the songs are great and I love the double song, Rock opera thing. Had never heard Are We The Waiting / St Jimmy - liked that one in addition to some of the singles.
Great album for the genre
Most of these songs have been played into oblivion. Jesus of suburbia gives this the additional star
Not really my thing , but the title track and ‘when september ends’ are decent pop punk songs . rest of it is formulaic and dated.
Anytime this record comes up in conversation (with friends, strangers, my husband), I always say, "it was a landmark record for my sixth-grade class." It's true. Released by Green Day in 2004, 'American Idiot' was possibly the first time my peers and I were swept up in an album cycle that attempted to reflect The Times We Are Living In. Radio singles, interviews, a tour, and an overall buzz in the air, the look of the album serving as a signal of identity. As Robert Christgau says, the visual language on this album is probably the most essential factor in understanding it, especially during its release within a context of a burgeoning pop-punk emo scene that rendered style and artifice over any meaningful substance (be honest). A stark red, white, and black album cover (ostensibly an homage to Saul Bass' title sequence for 'The Man With The Golden Arm') and smoky music videos that played around with colour saturation settings. One such music video was basically a short film with a (pointless) prelude featuring scripted dialogue between Hollywood actors. The album was huge. Starting with the title track, it was anthemic, and operatic, with huge aspirations even if the actual message itself was vague and riddled with a few clichés. Still, Green Day was able to harness the genuine rage and despair of the time and make a song that was genuinely upbeat and fun while retaining subversion. As Christgau pointed out, it "makes being called 'f-----' something to aspire to, which in this terrible time it is." I credited Green Day with producing something with huge aspirations, but to me, most of those aspirations do fall flat. "Jesus of Suburbia" is a good example of this. Did you know that he is our main character in the Odyssey that is 'American Idiot?' Do you even care? Well let me tell you: I don't. And so, while I appreciate a punk band experimenting with a multi-movement song in 2004, it ultimately does not stick. "Holiday," on the other hand, is a fine song and certainly my favourite off the record. The opening guitar has such a sweet, crisp tone that reminds you of these guys SoCal punk bona fides. A great lyrical showcase from Billie Joe Armstrong, who I believe is especially powerful when writing about dogs (please see my review of 'Dookie'): "hear the dogs howl out of key/to a hymn called faith and misery" which is then followed by a well-timed and satisfying "hey!" The call-and-response on this song is a wonderful touch. "Can I get another amen? Amen!" Was there even a first one? No, not in the song at least, but you know everything Billie Joe is saying is true. Is so. Un fait accompli. What is meant by the use of the word 'holiday' here? The idea of being on holiday, or out to lunch, or just spiritually not there, particularly resonates in the Bush-era as our politics increasingly became devoid of facts and data. I wonder if the boys in Green Day stopped to consider whether "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" would be a mainstay in the waiting offices of doctors across the globe. The song has powerful soft-loud dynamics that beautifully channel angst and loneliness, even if the lyrics are a bit sophomoric and goofy. The final 40 seconds or so when guitars start to sound like gusts of wind are exceptional. I can't say that my attention remains as close for the rest of the record as it does here. The transition into "She's A Rebel" is a little bit awkward, but I appreciate Billie Joe's Westerbergian approach of creating complicated female characters that serve as a stand-in for the male author. You know, the production of "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a bit too saccharine for my tastes, but I will concede that the song captures a beautiful idea about time - needing it to slow down, to speed up, mostly to avoid any suffering. But yeah, I don't know about that 12-minute music video, guys. Many flaws on this record for sure, and once I grew tired of Green Day, I then moved on to some of their influences: The Clash, the Sex Pistols, and the Ramones. So I can't hate it for that reason. B+
trop bien
OK album. The album isn't really cohesive, but it has some really good songs. This brings me back to Junior High. ***
Brilliantly made album
I have vague memories of seeing promotions for this album when it was coming out. ( I was really young at the time) I’m definitely aware of the hits this album after hearing them on the radio for years, specifically Wake Me Up When September Ends and Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Gotta say though after hearing the whole album for once, I really dig this one. Punk rock isn’t really my favorite rock genre (though at this point calling Green Day punk rock feels weird. Honestly I feel more inclined to think of Bad Religion or the Dead Kennedys and even that feels surface level) but this album has a great balance between punk and modern rock. I have a soft spot for the hits, but I also really liked some of the lesser know tracks like Give Me Novacaine and Letterbomb. The 9-minute songs were pretty good, not my favorites though. But overall, this was really good. Favorite Song: Wake Me Up When September Ends Other hits: American Idiot, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Give Me Novacaine, She’s A Rebel, Letterbomb
Perfect hip hop magic. 5
One of my favorite albums of all time. Basically perfect from start to end.
Been listening for decades. 5/5
I’m not a huge Green Day fan, but I am a sucker for over-the-top pop-punk rock-operas, so this was preettty delightful.
Classic.
An hour of high octane joy
The very first CD I ever purchased was Green Day Dookie, and I was a huge fan on them at the time. However, by 2004 I was listening to so many different and new things I never found the time to put this album on. It is better than I expected, but it is no Dookie.
It's a decent album but this type of pop-punk sound always feels a bit mundane and unrewarding for me.
Ehhh, this was a lot of Green Day for me. The singles from this album are some of my least favorite Green Day singles, and the rest of the album didn't do much to redeem it.
The singles are unfairly maligned, but the whole thing was always more “musical” and less “concept album” and that is grating to me
I love this of course! Most songs on this album sound kind of the same, but I love the sound. I could listen to 2000s punk/pop punk all day.
pros: it bops cons: activated an unskippable cutscene about the bush presidency 3.5
a Hastings employee sold this to me underage and it made me feel extremely cool
I'm a bit torn on this one. On the one hand, I don't like it and I think it's trash, kids playing at punk rock. But then it's Green Day, and they've got their stripes, so I dunno. Musically, it's a bit bland and overplayed, but also fun and listenable. Man I dunno. I'm gonna give it a four.
as a former green day girly who thought the worst in music were people like taylor swift who grew up to be a taylor swift fan this gave me flashbacks to my teenage years and teenage angst. I always thought this one was peak music and I like it very much but I will give this one a bad grade because I cannot bear the embarrasment of being an akward teen and this brought me right back.
Punk Rock
I find a lot of the sentiment of disillusionment from the early 00s is still very much relevant today. Even though Green Day isn't doing as strongly now, American Idiot still holds up enormously well 20 years later.
78% Best: American Idiot, Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me up When September Ends Must-Hear? No
Top-tier punk rock, this is some really good stuff. Jesus of Suburbia is a right jam, my pick of the bunch. The rest of the singles from the album are epic, even the non-singles go above and beyond. Green Day at their peak.
A great modern take on punk. It's almost too clean, too polished, to fit the image of punk I'm familiar with – but I think this works to its advantage (mostly). It's hard to find any actual flaws with the sound. The guitar melodies are very loud; I wish I'd have heard Green Day on their American Idiot tour back in the day, because I would've gone crazy over the lead guitar/bass synchrony and how the riffs dig straight into your chest. I do think those two instruments could be played a little more liberally, just to give then a bit more of a human element. Armstrong's vocal is great, though. It complements the instruments perfectly, and retains that great punky youthfulness. The record's concept is a little loose and messy, perhaps counterbalancing the incredibly tight rock sound. I keep hearing mentions of this Jesus of Suburbia guy, but it's hard to really connect the lyrics together, especially when bands of the punk genre don't usually commit to big operatic concept albums. But the lyrics are meaningful, probably. (I was able to work out the title track's meaning!) 4/5 Key tracks: American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me up When September Ends
One of my absolut favorit albums ! Hart to pin out favorit numbers - but Boulevard of broken dreams, When september ends and Holiday always gets to me :)
Album shows up, kicks in the door and throws 'American Idiot' in your face and then we are off. American Idiot is my favorite Green Day album. I also really like Dookie, but for me American Idiot just hit different. I understand that those two are switched for a lot of people, but I find that Dookie deal a lot more with the personal, where American Idiot really hits it home with the heavy overtones of critique of the system, the government and society as a whole and really voices the feelings of a generation of disillusionment in the wake of 9/11. The punk-rock/punk-pop sound that Green Day had previously developed on celebrated albums like Dookie just hits extra on the spot when used to approach this subject from this angle. And while the album did serve as a voice of a generation it is still as relevant and applicable today as it was when it was released - just for slightly different reasons Standouts American Idiot Holiday Boulevard of Broken Dreams 5/5
Great album. The hits are unbelievably high and the album tracks are all solid and interesting
Not listened to it in years but still a very enjoyable album. Probably not as many great tracks as I remember but 4 stars for nostalgic purposes!
One of the best albums of the 21st century
Disappointed this wasn’t my 100th milestone album but nevertheless, always happy to get an easy, instant 5-star one on the list. Top notch, even with the overplayed title track
I prefer Green Day's earlier, punky stuff, but no denying there are some very catchy songs here and it was certainly huge at the time. Also one of my favourite music genres: "mocking-right-wingers-without-them-realising"
This album will always be a 5/5 for me :)
2.5☆/5 08.03.2024
I think this album was absolutely observant as to the trajectory things have since headed in the last 20 years. I also think it has a strong collection of tracks. However, it also seems a bit lacking in the raw emotion contained in a lot of more political/angry music which seems a bit at odds with the subject, and it did feel samey when I wasn't paying attention - Billie Joe doesn't deviate a lot in the way he sings. I liked the use of double songs. Green Day just don't hit quite right for me so I had to give this a high 3. Fave Track: Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams Rating: 3
Solid album with a very distinctive and enduring sound. Wasn't my favorite growing up but respect the staying power.
Har ingen koll på Green Day fast jag typ tror det. Hur som, första låten är riktigt bra. Punk och pop. Trummor och gitarr i Jesus of Suburbia älskar jag och att den helt plötsligt blir en annan låt. Vad hände? Skit samma det är bra. Holiday en 5a. Hela skivan är riktigt bra. Drar till med en 5a.
Det är lättlyssnat. Men inte på ett dåligt sätt! Långa låtar. Gillar andra halvan av jesus of sub. mycket mer än början (känns som en annan låt). Ok, har googlat, det är flera låtar egentligen. Jesus of sub består av 5 delar. Samma med flera andra låtar. Hur som helst. Bra rakt igenom. Tycker inte det sticker iväg till en femma dock, det finns inte tillräckligt med låtar som når den nivån. Många bra låtar dock!
Visst, det är rätt enkelt, förutsägbart och publikfriande, men ändå rakt igenom jävligt bra. Några riktiga hits och i övrigt hög nivå från start till mål. 57 minuter totalt och ett par onödigt långa låtar blir förvisso lite utmattande till slut, men tycker ändå fyran är solid.
Impressive. Good songwriting, good sound.
A return to form for Green Day
Trying not to be bias, but this is a fucking incredible album, just so so good. All the double songs. UGH
i never really got into green day, i always thought the sound was corny, but this album was nice to listen to, i really enjoyed the tracks, especially the more popular ones like american idiot, boulevard of broken dreams and when september ends, lot of songs were pretty long on it but as the album went, it was really good overall
I don’t know why I’ve largely ignored Green Day. Maybe it’s because they got so much airplay that I didn’t feel the need to listen to the whole album. My loss.
St. Jimmy is the best pop punk song since The Buzzcocks "Ever Fallen In Love." Fight me. Big anthemic songs. Flawless execution, hard guitars, Green Day made a big rock album in an era when that just wasn't happening. A great sounding recording. A favorite and still meaningful. Somewhat sad and cynical - is all hope gone in modern America? How do we feel about it?
love it. used to listen to it when it came out so have fond memories and enjoy relistening to it.
Classic, has all the bangers
Album is better than I remember
So many good ones. Double song is a cool 4.5.
3.25
Top notch …. Big fan all around
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…
Elég volt egy életre a green dayből. 1.5/5
I want to hate this with all my heart but it’s actually good :(
An album that helped define my childhood.
Preferred their older stuff
Stupid emo sounds with good production.
Pretty much the only thing I like by Green Day is the song Basketcase and on first full listen, this did nothing to change that.
Kind of embarrassing, in hindsight.
Their best record, and one that defined the new generation of pop-punk. Anyway, the length of some songs on it is unjustified, but in rest this is a good protest album.
Heerlijk album van een band waarvan ik altijd zeg dat ik er weinig mee heb. Maar aangezien ik ze voor de 2e keer een 5 geef moet ik dat misschien even herzien. Dit soort pop-punk is gewoon een soort crack waar ik geen nee tegen kan zeggen.
Such a lovely nostalgic experience to my days of listening to it almost daily.
honestly i probably haven't listened to this one since it came out. it was huge then, at least at school and so i heard most of it from my friends. it's a pretty solid album! a lot of fun, some dated lyrics, not just a straight punk album which i wasn't totally expecting. it's still green day and it still sounds like green day, but it sounds like an evolution of where they were in the 90s - or perhaps a de-evolution (it does feel a bit more 'classic rock' at points than punk). either way, it's a fun enough time and i enjoyed it.
Solid
Enjoyed. Surprised to find I knew virtually every song on it.
I love this album. very nostalgic. I remember listening to jesus of suburbia on repeated and going nuts when they drop into the quiet acoustic part of the song
This is one of the defining albums of a generation.
It's hard to take Greenday seriously, even though I really have fun with them and a protest album is a serious album. There were much stronger protest albums around this time (including punk ones, check Rock Against Bush vol 1 & 2) but none got as much mainstream attention. So while this is good it's definitely not my fav album of it's genre/time or nor my favorite Greenday album. It feels like an odd choice for inclusion personally.
Not my favorite Green Day Album.
A solid album
I forgot how good Jesus of Suburbia is
Lesson learnt, don't judge a band based on its hits alone.
I quite liked it! I think this could benefit from closer listening. Some really brilliant singles here. Songs drag a bit sometimes but I generally found it interesting and enjoyable. 4/4.5
an ugly, obsolete cultural artifact...weirdly enough made me appreciate the importance of more poignant, specific lyrics (especially to evoke that melancholic vibe i crave) because this has virtually nothing genuine to say...endless filler over a repetitive, tinny mush of compressed power chords 2/10
this album has a lot of bangers doesn't it? billie joe armstrong looks like if you caught a human in the middle of their transformation into robert smith.
Horrible. Sanitized pop punk with a forced message trying to be edgy.
The timing of this appearing on my list is incredible. A day after the assassination attempt on Trump it's here. Not a more appropriate song than the title track for the way things are, and this was a 20 year old song. It has happened with Rage and now again here. A song comes and clearly points out a wrong in the world and it gains relevancy even more later on. Can we not fix this stuff?! We need honesty and settled facts in our information streams. Not agendas and propaganda. Rant over. The rest of the album is also really good. A mix of story telling and emotions that show Green Day's roots and evolution. Several mainstay radio tracks that have stood the rest of time, and that makes me feel ancient.... In some ways it really helped deal with the absurdity of this weekend. It sucks a song like this can be relevant still 20 years later, but that also may give some hope that if it was bad then, we can hopefully make it another 20? Copium? Anyways, wake me up when November ends... Favorite track "American Idiot" just because of the timing. 5/5
Favs: "Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Extraordinary Girl / Letterbomb", "Wake Me up When September Ends", "Homecoming", "Whatsername" + Nostalgia Bonus
Not necessarily my favorite album, but I enjoyed listening.
The high points are truly high, and are certainly a mainstay in the cultural zeitgeist, but the rest of the album drags and is forgettable.
Classic and solid start to finish.
It’s non offensive
I can say without doubt or hesitation that this is one of the greatest rock albums of the 21st century. Their best album.
This was the first album I ever bought, and I was obsessed with it as an 11 year old. I could still sing every word of it. If I heard it for the first time today I probably wouldn't score it like this but nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
Not my cup of tea but some good tracks
I wonder how many albums on this list are less the artist's best work VS their most commercially successful work. I appreciate that this album has some depth but for my money they peaked at Dookie. Squarely in the #earlypeak category for me
Don’t know why I put off listening to this for 20 years, it’s actually pretty good
I really hate this album. It feels like they set out to make something "profound" and emotional, but it just comes off like a theatre kid's version of a pop punk record.
Love the wall of guitars.
Surprisingly rich for these guys.
the best part about this album was when NOFX came on after it'd finished. there was a time when i really liked these guys, but between their change in overall tone and it appearing more and more that billie joe is a dink, it's really hard for me to enjoy them like i used to. i don't want to be that guy, but i really did enjoy their older stuff more, even if they essentially wrote the same song over & over. see also: https://open.spotify.com/album/5xlutZ0sYfJQjVIBOkkeW8
one of green days greatest albums
It certainly has a pop charm, dated somewhat now I feel. If you like Green Day then this is one of the better ones otherwise 3*
American Idiot aged better than expected. I thought it would be hopelessly naive, but actually it was unfortunately prescient. The rest of the album I can take or leave, so I will leave it.
Very anthemic, a classic
I did not get into this album when it originally came out. I was past my love for Green Day that had bloomed in the 90's. I think it was because of the uninspired albums since Dookie. So I got into this album more towards 2010 and it's really a great one. You can tell there was a lot of thought and motivation put into these songs with more regard for song structure and breaking out of the Green Day framework they had made for themselves over the previous decade. It is interesting Green Day chose to put songs together (like Holiday and Boulevard of Broken Dreams) that would be considered individual singles. I think it's important to include this album on a listing of albums during the 2000's. Green Day hasn't hit these heights again, though I think they may have tried with the trilogy of albums they put out in the early 2010's.
Probably one of the best albums of the 2000s. I've heard a lot during my life about how a true Punk should behave. I heard a lot about how a real Punk should act, what kind of sound he should play, how to play and where to play. But for me, the true identity of Punk is just one: Not to fear! And Green Day is a band that never feared the kind of evil that said Punk shouldn't be pop or conceptual. Because Punk was never afraid of being pop. Punk was never afraid of anything!
This album is massively overrated, but it's still good.
Holy shit I fucking love this album. It’s a powerhouse from start to finish. Incredibly insightful, unique, and original writing. Not a single skip or weak track on the whole record. Green Days best work. 5/5
its a good record with a good sound, suprising. i didnt care for the lyrics cuz i was like 4 when this came out, and the soundscape wasnt that interesting for another listen
This is one of those albums that's wormed its way so deeply into my heart and soul that I can't even think of anything to say about it. I mean, is it mixed like a brick? Sure, but I hardly even notice. I just throw on "Jesus Of Suburbia" and I'm, like... Still in awe of it. Top three Green Day album, for damn sure. Goodness me.
One of the best damn albums of the 2000s, with a message that still resonates with our modern climate. Happy 4th of July, everyone.