Greenday

Out of all the post-Nirvana alternative bands to break into the pop mainstream, Green Day were second only to Pearl Jam in terms of influence. At their core, Green Day were simply punk revivalists who recharged the energy of speedy, catchy three-chord punk-pop songs. Though their music wasn't particularly innovative, they brought the sound of late-'70s punk to a new, younger generation with Dookie, their 1994 major-label debut. Dookie sold over ten million copies, paving the way for a string of multi-platinum releases that opened the doors for a flood of American neo-punk, punk metal, and third wave ska revivalists. More than a decade later, as many of their former contemporaries settled into retirement, Green Day remained at the forefront of popular music with albums like the Grammy-winning American Idiot.

In the early 1990s Green Day helped bring a new brand of punk rock to the forefront of mainstream music. Bratty and bored, Green Day appealed to the so-called “Generation X” crowd—the twentysome-things who were getting bored with the slow-moving angst of grunge music. Green Day’s youthful vigor made their pop punk radio friendly and fun for a range of people, many of whom hadn’t discovered punk before. The fact that they were genuinely nice, articulate guys also gave their career a boost.

Members include Billie Joe Armstrong (born on February 17, 1972, in Rodeo, CA; married Adrienne; children: Joseph Marciano, Jacob Danger), vocals, guitar; Tre Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright III on December 9, 1972, in CA; married Claudia; children: Ramona, from previous marriage; joined group, 1990), drums, backing vocals; Mike Dirnt (born Michael Pritchard on May 4, 1972, in Rodeo, CA; divorced; children: Estelle Desiree), bass, backing vocals; Kiftmeyer (aka Al Sobrante; group member, 1987-90), drums.

Throughout the early '90s, Green Day continued to cultivate a cult following, which only gained strength with the release of their second album, 1992's Kerplunk. The underground success of Kerplunk led to a wave of interest from major record labels, and the band eventually decided to sign with Reprise. Dookie, Green Day's major-label debut, was released in the spring of 1994. Thanks to MTV support for the initial single, "Longview," Dookie became a major hit. The album continued to gain momentum throughout the summer, with the second single, "Basket Case," spending five weeks on the top of the American modern rock charts. At the end of the summer, the band stole the show at Woodstock '94, which helped the sales of Dookie increase. By the time the fourth single, "When I Come Around," began its seven-week stay at number one on the modern rock charts in early 1995, Dookie had sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone; it would eventually top ten million in America, selling over 15 million copies internationally. Dookie also won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.

Green Day recorded their first EP, 1,000 Hours, in 1987 and by 1989 had enough steam behind them to begin lobbying Lookout! Records for a deal. They also changed their name to Green Day, the title of one of their songs. Lawrence Livermore, head of this independent punk label, signed the band immediately upon hearing them. Green Day began touring in earnest after they released their first album 39/Smooth in 1990. Just the week before that Armstrong gave up the ghost at school, dropping out the day before his eighteenth birthday. Dirnt struggled through and got his diploma. Lack of brains hadn’t been the problem for either student, it was trying to earn a living and make music that took the toll on their school work.