October marked the 30th anniversary of Green Day’s unofficial first album, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours. This compilation of the band’s official 1989 debut album 39/Smooth as well as their following extended plays Slappy and 1,000 Hours is a tremendous demonstration of what propelled them into being household names, even if would take the massive success of their 1994 album Dookie to solidify their stardom. A band that I’ve spent more time defending my love for in these last 15 years than not, Green Day has legions of enormously faithful and exuberant fans, something that’s matched equally by their ferocious stage presence, and endless energy, even if the overall quality of their albums have waned since the second wave of their career started with 2004’s American Idiot.
For many listeners, whether ones who discovered them while they were still up and comers, or when they debuted on MTV with music videos for “Longview” or “Basket Case,” or, if someone like me, discovered them as they donned pallets of eyeliner and raged against the political system in the U.S., the band is and was about connection. There are few greater pleasures than bonding with others over shared loves and, in my case, two of the closest and longest friendships in my life have been ones which I spent countless hours with pouring over the band’s discography, dissecting the songs’ meanings, and learning how to play them on guitar.
The Hella Mega Tour: Weathering the storm with Green Day
At their highest highs, Green Day was a phenomenal three-piece unit whose musicality and infectious energy transcended the on the surface simplicity of their song structures. They were catchy and immediate in their satisfaction. And even though they may never replicate the storm in which they took the world within their albums such as Dookie and American Idiot, they still offered lasting ties, enduring friendships, songs to be played on loop—and maybe even a tattoo or two. Myself and fellow writer and Green Day enthusiast Jack Holly picked the 30 best songs of the band’s career.
1,039/Smoothed out Slappy Hours
“At the Library“
A rare early song of theirs in standard tuning, “At the Library” might be the bands strongest album opener, right behind Dookie’s “Burnout.” A strong introduction to their So-Cal sound that both fit them in the scene while allowing them to stand out, the song establishes the musical formula they’d use for most of their career. The gritty and buzzsaw sounding guitars only make for a more immediate, satisfying star. [Allyson Johnson]
“I Was There“
Surprisingly pensive coming from a teenager, “I Was There” is singing Billie Joe Armstrong and his band thinking about all the places they’ve been and people they’ve met in their short life. “Looking back upon my life/And the places that I’ve been/Pictures, faces, girls I’ve loved/I try to remember when.”
You can already see the songwriting maturity of the band taking shape, speaking for all the other punks, kids, and outcasts who felt the same. [Jack Holly]
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“16“
With early Green Day, it’s difficult to differentiate between what made one song special to another and, for the most part, their repackaged album 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is strong due to its cohesion. Most of the songs sound relatively (if not outright) similar to the one before it—with a few key standouts like our next pick—and with “16” the band’s excessive youthfulness on display both continue this trend while finding a way to slow the roll. Led with an interesting, percussive dictation, the song is jaunty and easy listening, more controlled than other songs on the album. [AJ]
“Going to Pasalacqua“
Here we go again…
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In this early hit, teenage Armstrong is ready to give it all up for a girl that he’s willing to go to Pasalacqua—a funeral home in nearby Benecia, California to win her over. The most popular cut from the band’s first collection of songs, Pasalacqua was the opening song for the band’s first large tours, and it remains a live favorite today. [JH]
Kerplunk
“2000 Light Years Away“
Possessing a poppy pulse that would reveal itself further down the line, “2000 Light Years Away,” one of the band’s many love songs, is a bouncing ode to Armstrong’s wife. With tremendous instrumental cohesion, the song was a signpost signaling the trio’s ability to transcend their own genre and play with form and atmosphere to stirring effect. [AJ]
“Welcome to Paradise”
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An emotive showcase dedicated to where they came from through their own perspective, “Welcome to Paradise”—which would later be re-recorded for Dookie, is a grungy snapshot of a specific time in their lives. Armstrong bellows above Tre Cool’s energized drumming, forcing energy into a song that, on face value, sounds angrier than the lyrics would reveal it to be. One of the most notable songs of their long career, its catchy hook and powerful, overwhelming sound has allowed it to remain of the band’s most enjoyable live performances. [AJ]
“Christie Road”
A song about the want to be left alone – straddling that line of petulance and well-earned impatience—”Christie Road” remains of the band’s most popular songs. With a bridge that all but deconstructs the song’s established sound, it’s a fitting breakdown of a song that mirrors the lyrics. With heavy distortion on the guitars and drums from Cool that provides the heartbeat for the melodious number, the song is most interesting for both the aforementioned deconstruction along with instrumental and vocal decisions that create a pleasing, if surprising, dissonance. [AJ]
“80“
One of the many love songs in the band’s early discography, “80” stands out. It’s the nickname for Armstrong’s wife (“Adrienne” = “Adie” = “80.”) “I do not mind if this goes on/Cause now it seems I’m too far gone/I must admit I enjoy myself/Eighty please keep taking me away.”
She has; Billie and Adrienne celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary this past July. [JH]
“Private Ale”
In 1991, Kerplunk was one of the biggest rock records to ever hit the East Bay punk scene, with the record selling over 50,000 copies (including 10,000 on the day of its release.) To this day it remains the biggest commercial success in Lookout! Records; history. “Private Ale” is where the influence and aggression of Green Day’s punk heroes meet the melodic mastery that would go on to define their sound for years to come. Often overlooked, “Private Ale” paints perhaps the clearest picture of the lives of a young band looking to make it big in the Oakland punk scene. [JH]
Dookie
“Burnout“
The opening song of perhaps Green Day’s most memorable LP, “Burnout” foes right into the frustration and loathing of a young adult just trying to make it through. The first line of the album, “I declare I don’t care no more/I’m burning up and out and growing bored/In my smoked out boring room” perfectly sets up the theme that permeates throughout the whole album. Capped off with a stop-and-go breakdown that shows off the stirring skills of drummer Cool, “Burnout” was the perfect song to lead into the ultimate album of juvenile discontent. [JH]
“Longview“
With one of the most iconic baselines of the ’90s – and reportedly written by bassist Mike Dirnt one night while high on LSD – “Longview” flirts with vulgarity in a song about apathy and boredom. Armstrong’s delivery and reliance on his early years’ cotton-mouthed drawl enhance the lyrics which conjure up images of wayward youth and meandering souls who have found themselves so numb to their surroundings that ways in which they used to pass the time have lost their appeal. That thumping bass line along with the ricochet of drums plays into the mood with crawling verses before exploding into greater energy for their choruses. If not the best song of their career (some would argue it is) it might be the most synonymous with them this side of “American Idiot.” [AJ]
“Basket Case”
Manic in delivery and frantic in execution, “Basket Case” pointedly captures the spiral of anxiety. By starting the song with only Armstrong’s vocals and guitar it manages to ensnare his personal demons struggling with a panic disorder before the chorus kicks in with the full band, completing the sound. It’s a perfect encapsulation of what type of sound the band was creating at the time as they officially became a breakout band of the peak MTV days—youthful, defiant, angry, and neurotic as all hell—channeled into a timeless number about grappling with the ringer your thoughts can run you through. [AJ]
“She”
Despite being a relatively stripped-down band with songs mostly consisting of guitar, bass, and drums, Green Day still—especially in their early days—were happy to shine the spotlight on one specific element. In “She” they start out again with a prominent rumbling bassline which nearly overtakes Armstrong’s vocals, making the moment in which the whole band comes together at the chorus and the vocals step up a notch all the more visceral. In their greatest early works, Green Day weren’t so much lyrical or, hell, even instrumental magicians but what they did spectacularly was create a tangible feeling. [AJ]
“When I Come Around”
Up until Dookie, the Berkeley-based trio wasn’t much in the vein of creating songs of pure melancholy. They were still playing by the familiar school book with traditional chord progressions and warbling vocals that ranged from apathy to enraged. While “When I Come Around” doesn’t amount to the squeaky clean sounds of later songs such as “Good Riddance” or “Wake Me up When September Ends,” there’s still a cyclical progression to the verses and choruses that lend itself to the nostalgia of the song and plays to its themes. Listeners certainly agreed as it would become one of their highest-ranking songs of the ’90s on Billboard. [AJ]
“Coming Clean”
A song that leads itself with its drumming and a catchy guitar hook, at first listen “Coming Clean” still possesses that level of distortion that would make it seems a safer fit for one of the band’s first two albums. Notable for its sparse lyricism and that seemingly addresses Armstrong’s sexuality, he sings “Secrets collecting dust but never forget/Skeletons come to life in my closest.” It’s one of the better examples of the band at their simplest and most easy listening while still managing to pack an emotional punch. [AJ]
Insomniac
“Geek Stink Breath”
Simply put, GSB describes the uses of methamphetamine and the following effects. The song is gross, which was appropriately portrayed in the music video. With graphic images of scabs, drug use, and tooth extraction, the video was banned from daytime MTV broadcasts following its release in 1995. With likes like “Blood turning sour” and “path of self-destruction,” Armstrong knew was on a bad path, but lyrically goes out of his way to show that he has no plans on stopping. [JH]
“Jaded“
Part two of Insomniac’s “Brain Stew,” “Jaded” exemplifies the fastest, angriest song on Green Day’s fastest, angriest record. It’s all about getting stoned, not feeling well, and giving up on life. A deeper dive into the lyrics reveals some very deep philosophical questions that we’re all still trying to understand. Armstrong sings of personal progress, evolution, falling behind in life, and an expiration date on humanity. While it’s easy to lose sight of the song’s meaning amongst all the chaos, you cannot deny that the feelings being portrayed in the song are anything but genuine. [JH]
“Tight Wad Hill”
Two minutes of disgust and fury, “Tight Wad Hill” is a song about the junkies who would watch the high-school football games from the hill as opposed to paying for a seat in the bleachers in Armstrong’s Northern California high-school, singing “Cheapskate on the hill/A thrill seeker making deals/Sugar city urchin wasting time.” No saint himself, the song proves that Armstrong took inspiration not only from those he admired but also the ones he considered “drugstore hooligans” and “white trash mannequins.” [JH]
Nimrod
“Scattered“
Fast, catchy, and featuring three verses, “Scattered” demonstrates the transition of the band going from full-throttle punk chaos into tight, melodic rock songs. 1997’s Nimrod contains Green Day’s longest track listening to date at 18 songs. Of the 18, none capture the band’s quintessential sound as much as “Scattered.” From the hard opening riff, to the sincere, nostalgic lyrics, it’s perhaps the band’s most underrated track. [JH]
“Uptight”
One of the more relatable songs of struggle and discontent in the Green Day catalog, “Uptight” is driven by Dirnt’s deep, solid baseline that serves as the thrum of anxiety of someone going through real emotional turmoil. Bleak future, bad health, and broken promises, it seems like rock bottom. The uptight character doesn’t know it yet but they’ll find that at rock bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up. [JH]
“Last Ride In“
Slow, chilled-out rock and roll and purely instrumental, “Last Ride In” is a complete escape from the angry distorted guitars we’d come to expect from the band in the 1990s. While the inspiration for the song hasn’t exactly been explained, it reminds us that every once and a while we can expect a total curveball from the band. [JH]
Warning
“Church on Sunday”
Continuing with the trend of tackling adult issues, “Church on Sunday” is a desperate place to keep a relationship together. Armstrong, a known agnostic, will do anything—including going to church—to fix the partnership. We’ve all been there. No one wants to be there. But like anything else in a relationship, it comes down to compromises and promises. Armstrong, now a little older and a little wiser, seems to know that, singing “If I promise to go on church on Sunday/Will you go with me on Friday night?/ If you live with me, I’ll die for you and this compromise.” [JH]
“Jackass“
2000’s Warning signified a new “grown-up” era for Green Day, who had seen the mega success of 1994’s Dookie and 1997’s Nimrod fall by the wayside. With more complicated and darker lyrics than in the album’s past, “Jackass” returned to the more aggressive songs we’d come to expect from them earlier in the decade. Jackass is an upbeat, major-key rocker that contains some of the most classic Armstrong lyrics to date, describing someone who can only be seen as a jackass: “Everybody likes a joke/No one likes a fool/You’re always cracking the same old lines again.” [JH]
American Idiot
“Jesus of Suburbia”
The nine-minute epic on American Idiot changed everything for kids like myself. Suburbia tells the story of St. Jimmy, an American, lower-middle-class son of rage and love. His experience was the experience of many who listened and his influence is undeniable in the alt-rock world. The song has five sections: Jesus of Suburbia, City of the Damned, I Don’t Care, Dearly Beloved, Tales of Another Broken Home—each distinctive from the other. You learn about both the struggles and glory of St.Jimmy, all while rocking out to the best the band has ever sounded: pianos, bass solos, choir-like chants, thick, nasty Gibson guitars, and a conclusion appropriately sized for one of the greatest rock operas ever made. If Green Day has a greatest song, this is it. [JH]
“Holiday“
As one of the many songs on American Idiot that, while fine on their own, work best as a continuation or build-up for another song, the pulsing and stadium-ready “Holiday” is best listened to as the acceleration into the melancholy of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Aside from the breakdown that remains as timely today as it was then where Armstrong’s speech comes across in distorted, preaching waves, each verse and chorus lands with staccato, rhythmic punchy energy all that allows the playfulness to shine past self-serious lyrics. [AJ]
“Letterbomb“
An absolute banger, “Letterbomb” marks the beginning of the end for the 2004 smash hit LP. It begins with a soft, female-voiced jingle: “Nobody likes you/Everyone left you/They’re all out without you having fun…” Kicking off the most desperate song on the record with Armstrong offering a glimmer of hope in the fire, singing “It’s not over till you’re underground/It’s not over before it’s too late.” It ends with possibly the heaviest guitar in the band’s catalog and fades out leaving you wondering how there’s anywhere to go from here. [JH]
“Homecoming“
Perhaps it’s because “Jesus of Suburbia” already did it at the start of the album, but the nine-minute closer (with “Whatsername” a more appropriate epilogue) “Homecoming” is sometimes forgotten within the pantheon of Green Day songs. A shame, since it’s just as epic in scale and similarly, both sonically and lyrically, captures and end of sorts, befitting a conceptual album of American Idiot’s caliber. Broken into sections where Armstrong, Dirnt, and Cool are all given moments to carry their own verse—the song brilliantly calls back to moments of the album, especially “Jesus of Suburbia” and displays some of Armstrong’s finest vocals. [AJ]
“Whatsername“
If this isn’t one of your favorite songs by the band, I suggest a revisit. While it’s strikingly pared down compared to the rest of the album, the song is a wistful, yearning number about the junction of looking back and ahead and how the memories of our past inform our present. With its consistent guitar percussion and minimal drumbeat for most of the song, it lulls the listener into a sense of repetition until the bridge hits and the musicality explodes. The harmonies layering over the ending lines of “Remember, whatever, it seems like forever ago” and so forth add another layer of depth to a band that, at this point, wasn’t so much reinventing themselves but discovering who they could be in the new millennia. While “American Idiot” spoke to their rage and songs such as “Jesus of Suburbia” demonstrated their ambition, “Whatsername” was a reminder of how, at their most bare, the trio is able to sweep listeners up. [AJ]
Revolution Radio
“Still Breathing”
I’ll level with you. No, I don’t think “Still Breathing” could truly be listed as one of the band’s all-time bests but, in this case, I’m taking liberty as editor and going based on what I feel and “Still Breathing,” when it was first released, made me feel a lot. An open and honest song addressing Armstrong’s dealings with sobriety, the song was released on a relatively okay-ish album and was the single that stuck out. It’s catchy and Armstrong sounds fantastic but, more than anything, it was the rallying cry about persevering and being able to weather hardship that struck a chord. As I’ve mentioned, Green Day isn’t an all-timer because of one particular musical element but because, through certain moments in their three decades career, they had the innate capability to be a band that captured the feelings of their listeners. In this empathetic hug of a song, they did again and reached out their arms to me when I needed it most. [AJ]
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