How Green Day saved their dying career

[@ThePunkRockMBA]

Check out my second channel! kzbin.info

[@EnergeticSpark63]

hey

[@KasCalwein]

The fact that they pulled off a 9 minute song divided into 5 distinctive parts with barely any verse-chorus-structure and still made it sound catchy TWICE on that album speaks for itself.

[@torstenscholz6243]

Yeah, that shows how amazingly talented they are: They made the first pop punk opera and showed that punk can be longer than 2:30 minutes and still sound fresh and catchy.

[@phaaaze9984]

And they’re the two best songs

[@EntheogenShaman]

​@@phaaaze9984 literally 2/5 of the good songs on the album lol

[@User-54631]

My friend barely plays guitar and he can play greenday cover to cover.

[@andrewphuck9795]

Gallows, cool!

[@MrLost-ut6yo]

Letting smaller bands sponsor you is absolutely amazing, I hope this becomes a thing.

[@ThePunkRockMBA]

Anyone is welcome to sponsor a video!

[@joshwalters3178]

Agreed, that was cool and wholesome to see

[@moko9hoko]

@@ThePunkRockMBA how do we go about that?? Would love to get my band sponsored on here

[@firestormskull666]

​@@ThePunkRockMBAcould You maybe make a video about breaking Benjamin or cannibal corpse

[@MrLost-ut6yo]

@ghost mall he doesn't say that it's a good band, he just mentions that they sponsored the episode. If a band name or the aesthetics that they present themselves in speak to me, I'd check them out & form my opinion on their music. To me that seems like a great way to discover upcoming bands without having an algorithm directly involved.

[@RahatTheKiller]

I'm from Botswana. That's a country in Africa for the unacquainted. I never knew what punk rock was and I didnt really care for music. But i vividly remember finding American Idiot on KZbin as a 2nd year high school student around 2009, and from there i went all in on the movement. So you're absolutely right when you say that Green Day introduced a whole new generation to punk.

[@Habeev07]

I remember I was in 7th grade in 01/02' and Greenday got such a bad wrap. I was new to music in general around that age but the energy was palpable whenever greenday got brought up that they were over the hill/old news... yada yada yada only the emo punks liked them etc... etc... then just a couple years later AMERICAN IDIOT came out and they were hot shit again. Boulevard of broken dreams DOMINATED.

[@IceSpoon]

It happened the same in Chile. Sure, we knew about names like Blink-182 and The Offspring, but what Green Day did with American Idiot was just...fucking massive.

[@pooyashirazi1991]

I am from Iran... the last place you could find punk rock especially back in the 2000s and listening to American Idiot did the same for me too. I vividly remember hearing it for the first time in 2006 and letting it play on repeat for like an hour 😅

[@tateoctober814]

I'm so glad you mentioned the fact that they captured the cultural zeitgeist twice. So many people seem divided on the Green Day eras that they don't often get the credit for having 2 defining eras to begin with. Both are great

[@torstenscholz6243]

When you compare Dookie to American Idiot, it's really amazing to see how much they matured in just 10 years. On Dookie they were the fun-loving teenage boys that sung about the pleasure of j*rking off (it's safe to say that this had a strong influence on bands like Blink, Bloodhound Gang and Sum 41), on American Idiot they were the smart, mature guys that delivered clever political and societal messages yet still managed to not become a dull political punk band but to still pack their messages into a fresh, youthful, appealing sound. But both times they managed to make a great album that sounded fresh and unique.

[@EntheogenShaman]

​@Torsten Scholz and then after that they somehow managed to just suck ass. Crazy how you can be absolutely brilliant twice, and then be garbage.

[@hrotha]

@@torstenscholz6243 Technically they sang about the boredom of jerking off :p

[@loganfytchy-powow4580]

@@torstenscholz6243 Around that time a lot of punk bands were seeing their maturity blossom. Sum 41 had Chuck; an experimental metal album that was hinted to in Does This Look Infected. Their maturity evolved from All Killer No Filler by 2004. My Chemical Romance, while always mature in their themes, did their first rock opera, likely inspired by American Idiot in 2006. The writing in The Black Parade is incredible and should be held up as one of the best examples of rock opera. The themes are dark and relatable while they explored 12 different genres in 12 songs. Blink-182 made arguably their best album with the emo and dark Untitled in 2003. Green Day with American Idiot in 2004.

[@torstenscholz6243]

​@@loganfytchy-powow4580 I agree that 2004-06 was the time when many 90s/early 00s pop punk bands were maturing. I even know another good, underrated album from that era that showed a pop punk band maturing and finding themselves: The Chronicles of Life and Death by Good Charlotte. With this, they also did a pretty great job at departing from their pop punk roots and developing a more mature, more indie and emo-influenced sound.

[@SupplementalSense]

It is sad that today's music industry has turned away from albums in favor of singles. We may never get these type of albums ever again.

[@Frederick0220]

Is that true tho? Bad Omens just released a phenomenal album last year

[@SupplementalSense]

@@Frederick0220 I don't think many people have even heard of Bad Omens so I wouldn't say that it had the impact that American Idiot did even though it was a very good album.

[@Frederick0220]

@@SupplementalSense I agree. Bad Omens is nowhere near as big as Green Day but still, the vast majority of bands and artists still make albums. Even Korn and Slipknot made an album last year and you could argue they're the two biggest names in metal over the last 25 years.

[@Nova-fh2et]

You need to take a closer look at music history. Singles dominated in the 50s and early 60s but then albums took over

[@SupplementalSense]

@@Nova-fh2et I know that. Doesn't mean it was better just because it happened in the 50's.

[@Bulbazaar]

I’m 25 and American Idiot was my gateway to not only punk but rock and music in general. It probably shaped my entire music taste. And to discover the album at such a young age made it even more incredible as I discovered new layers in it growing up.

[@buttisholy8571]

Same here, really paved the way for my music taste.

[@matthewackermanaski9687]

Mine was with Simple Plan and Green Day soon after, nowadays i still listen to green day but i no longer listen to SP because god they make me cringe

[@Habeev07]

I remember I was in 7th grade in 01/02' and Greenday got such a bad wrap. I was new to music in general around that age but the energy was palpable whenever greenday got brought up that they were over the hill/old news... yada yada yada only the emo punks liked them etc... etc... then just a couple years later AMERICAN IDIOT came out and they were hot shit again. Boulevard of broken dreams DOMINATED.

[@DanielCh9393]

Same here, but I discovered the album when I was 17. It may sound weird, but I didn't really care for music before that age.

[@dontyouworryaboutit_]

This album is all time. One of the few you can play front to back and there’s not a bad song. Letterbomb is a slept on gem and one of my all time favorites.

[@chancefoy6287]

Letterbomb is my favorite song on that album

[@limpneckmike]

It’s a crime that Letterbomb wasn’t a single.

[@pointlessvidz13]

I love that song with every fiber of my being

[@acenine8149]

Dope fucking song

[@yeOldeThorne]

@@limpneckmike It's a crime that not every song on the album was a single

[@shortlivedglory3314]

System of a Down were pretty vocally against the Iraq War at this time, too. Their anti-war stuff wasn't as popular as American Idiot, but I do think they were the second biggest voice i was personally hearing at the time. I also believe this was the same year Fahrenheit 9/11 came out, so criticism of Bush and the Iraq War was definitely around.

[@Nilbogllat]

Michael Moore is a shill

[@AlligatorArms]

It was a very common belief at the time; the Iraq war was never popular, and the War on Terror led to weariness once it became clear that it would not be over in two weeks like Desert Storm was. Bush’s post-9/11 honeymoon was very short lived, and there really was nowhere near the right wing presence on the internet as there is today, so left wing messaging was going unchecked almost everywhere you went online-it was difficult to find anyone on the internet who was not on the Dixie Chicks’ side when they were blacklisted by Nashville.

[@franklinbongo6893]

Same with NOFX I suspect they were GD's biggest influence thematically. War on Errorism dropped the year before.

[@CJRGamingPC]

@@franklinbongo6893 Didn’t rock against bush also take place around that time too?I know that Fat Mike had a hand in that after NOFX released War On Errorism.

[@wiggibow]

@@CJRGamingPC Yep, and Rock against Bush has proven surprisingly influential as time goes on as well, at least in my experience. It's rare I meet a fellow 30-something punk fan who doesn't have fond memories of those compilations from their childhood. Some of my favorite bands to this day I discovered on there, for example The Lawrence Arms.

[@j3rkcat]

Weird when you see yourself in a Punk Rock MBA video unintentionally. I was actually in the Nice Guys Finish last video. My bff at the time was on stage with the band you can see him in the shot. Weird cool memories. Great vid Finn!

[@dragoon1090]

Green Day is my favorite band of all time and American idiot made me the person I am today. That was the most influential album in my life. I absolutely love Green Day

[@itspaisleyjean]

THIS OMG- american idiot is the best album ever imo

[@EdwardSnortin]

If this is true: yikes.

[@itspaisleyjean]

@@EdwardSnortin people can like different things 💀

[@Applespider12]

@@EdwardSnortinwhy? Seriously why yikes, genuinely curious

[@Habeev07]

I remember I was in 7th grade in 01/02' and Greenday got such a bad wrap. I was new to music in general around that age but the energy was palpable whenever greenday got brought up that they were over the hill/old news... yada yada yada only the emo punks liked them etc... etc... then just a couple years later AMERICAN IDIOT came out and they were hot shit again. Boulevard of broken dreams DOMINATED.

[@tim01263]

That album was absolutely huge. I remember preppy kids and skater punks both loving it. Can't think of a similar album in the last 20 years

[@torstenscholz6243]

Yeah, aside from maybe Nevermind and Hybrid Theory there hasn't been another rock album in the past three decades that had such a huge influence on the development of alternative rock yet also became such an enormous commercial success - because it had not only great musical quality but also had enough mass appeal to draw just about everyone, from the punk to the indie guy to the metal head to the mainstream radio listener, in and make the band become enormously popular in the mainstream.

[@HZepp]

​@@torstenscholz6243 Some will argue Black Parade but that was more niche, especially at the time. One of those albums whos status grew over time, whereas AI was an instant classic, and Hybrid Theory has sold about as many copies as Nevermind.

[@rockingamer100]

Yeah I was gonna say Linkin Park too one of my fondest memories is in 2007 at my 7th grade dance when before In The End came on mostly the people who were into the dance and those who were dancing before were the preppies but then when Linkin Park came on everyone no matter what clique they were in or their ethnicity everyone went crazy and knew every single lyric it was incredible to see a song bring together everyone even if it was just for 4 minutes it's basically my only positive middle school memory

[@firetdev]

@@torstenscholz6243 nevermind wasn't actually in the last 3 decades lol

[@firetdev]

@@HZepp I'd say Black parade was an amazing album, but not as great as AI

[@Grindtone603]

Even though I'm only a fan of 90's Green Day I can't deny the magnitude and impact of this record

[@DanVillainFilms]

Thank you. I go all the way into the Warning but after that I stopped caring. I also don’t deny how important this album was.

[@bamafencer12]

First 3 albums imo are Green Day's best.

[@ltfringr]

Man, you made a ton of good points here. American Idiot was my favorite album when I was a little kid that couldn't even understand what he was saying, my favorite album when I was a Green Day obsessed teenager, and it's still my favorite album now that I understand the story and musicality in relation to everything else. It really is a special album.

[@Stpunk17]

Green Day will always be my favorite band of all time. The guys in there are so relatable and just amazing

[@javin7134]

I love the entire Green Day discography. Not many bands have the chemistry that they did and I’ve so much respect for them because of it; regardless of the quality of the songs.

[@BlackmetalSM]

One significant impact of this album is its mix. The job Chris Lord-Alge did on this album is something producers still try to imitate 20 years later. (edit: I wrote this comment before finishing the video)

[@acerimmer8338]

The Lord-Alge brothers are GODS of production.

[@Bxtskul1l]

Its so clear and loud you can crank it up on a shitty car stereo and it doesnt distort! How did they do that?

[@BestVersionOfMyseIf]

Someone once described this album to me as “the last truly ubiquitous rock album” and i think thats a great way to describe it

[@ajgdwn]

Cigarettes and Valentine's has always seemed like a therapy album that was meant to help keep the band together. Sometimes hearing that can be amazing, sometimes it can be uncomfortable to listen to. The fact that it helped lead to American Idiot is an absolute win in my book!

[@daveSoupy]

I LOVE having a band sponsor a video and think that is a fantastic way to spread the name of your band.

[@Blinkptx]

Man, I loved Warning. 🧐

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

Man I love my comment thread on this video. Everyone should read it 👌

[@T.Maximus]

​@@user-wl2xl5hm7kno

[@charley_161]

same, I also think it's really good!

[@keybladeweilder6279]

A very underrated album

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

@@T.Maximus Yes.

[@luizhenriquemoreira3980]

I'm sooo happy you talked about the mixing! It was a big deal, as a mixing engineer, I find myself constantly referencing this record. This and Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, both mixed by Chris Lord Alge

[@robinbradbury6493]

I know people didn't like Warning, but it was so evident in that album that Billie Joe was stretching his "storytelling" chops as far as writing goes. I love Warning....and I am proud of it.

[@caytlinseely8755]

American Idiot was my intro to Green Day, but Warning became my favorite album from them. To this day Blood, Sex, and Booze, Misery, Deadbeat Holiday, and Church on Sunday are go to songs for me.

[@adamhoran3831]

It's a great album, minority still remains a staple of their live shows

[@KidAMRadio]

Same here. I think Warning is better than American Idiot. Crazy maybe but they made a great effort and it went outside of the box.

[@Trizvdl]

Warning is essentially a concept album as well, in a way. They stepped away from the classic pop and punk rock vibe and almost ran with a folk like sound on a lot of the tracks which I absolutely adore. If you take it in the range of a frank turner or gaslight anthem or even full on old man markley it really was a break out from what they did before and even was ahead of it's time.

[@robinbradbury6493]

@Gerardo16TheGamer Yes...Father of All was filler in order to complete a contract. I am convinced of that. Warning was Billie Joe trying to transform his writing style from aggro-infantile three cord bombastic to a more subtle, story based way of writing. This paved the way for American Idiot. It was the process of growth. It is/was subtle and that is why I love it. Word is that he was inspired by Tom Waits' Rain Dogs at the time and that record is a masterclass in the art of story telling.

[@hellofrominside8524]

American Idiot is my favorite album of all time. I just wish Warning was more widely appreciated. It’s my 2nd favorite Green Day album. Definitely in my top 5 albums of all time

[@edschobs5204]

I love warning. It’s a no skip album

[@thestockimagequeen]

Warning is so underrated! Macy’s Day Parade is one of their best songs imo

[@Dean_Winchester__]

My God, that was an album which absolutely defined my early-mid teens! Still love it to death, it still speaks to me on so many levels... Songs “Jesus of Suburbia”, “Are we Waiting” and “Give Me Novacaine” are forever in my ❤️. That was a whole era of my life, damn😭 2004-2005 were a whole vibe...

[@hedlesssNYC]

This album was pushed by corporate media because it mocked America and Jesus. NASA is a fraud we never landed on the moon. Stop believing MSM. 90s Greenday was clearly better.People follow the media like a bunch of idiots....American...Canadian..European...African...Chinese and Indian and Latino idiots. Stop following the moving picture box.

[@TheChannel-ut7nv]

This is the album that seriously got me into rock music and the song American Idiot itself. The first rock CD I ever bought

[@emakrox]

I owe my entire interest in punk rock and alternative culture to American Idiot. I vividly remember seeing the music video for the title track on MTV2, seeing them with the black shirts and red ties, and it was almost like I was struck by lightning. This album is a masterpiece and without it, I would not be into punk

[@YourBrothersCovers]

I was 9 years old when this album came out, and it changed everything for me! This is what got me into punk and alternative music. Such an amazing record

[@acsw]

I was a preteen when American Idiot came out & Green Day became like my religion. I used to listen to the album on repeat 24/7. My grandma used to sing along to it with me in the car. Even she loved American Idiot. Green Day is a nostalgic band for me. Very formative & informed my political perspective at a young age too. An 11/10 album hands down.

[@photobearcmh]

It's a Top 5 album for me. I remember being emotionally moved when I first heard it all the way through. It lived in my CD player for at least three months, I couldn't get enough and was always discovering something new. Easily, one of the greatest records of all time.

[@nymets1104]

I bought the American Idiot CD about 4 weeks before I deployed to Iraq. It was on repeat nearly the entire time I was there. You could not avoid it on base, everywhere you went on the FOB you would hear people blasting it. When I got back I binged all the videos on Limewire once I had a stable internet connection. Simply a masterful album and Jesus of Suburbia is still one of my favorite songs of all time.

[@bccbaron12]

That’s really interesting - thanks for sharing! Can you remember what the sentiment was among the military members? It’s definitely a political album, but it also got popular right around the beginning of the war when people were probably more supportive of the invasion.

[@nymets1104]

@bccbaron12 tbh things just weren't nearly as political then as they are now. Yeah it was an album that was anti war but even if you weren't of that mind set you could still love it. I do remember seeing the September ends video when I got back to US and was really surprised they made it into that whole big story about Iraq and relationships but probably like the album even more at that point.

[@bccbaron12]

@@nymets1104 Appreciate you giving that perspective! I can understand just listening to the music for its own sake, rather than thinking too much about the political message. I'm sure that's especially important when deployed since there's important work to do.

[@stevend2666]

Spot on with everything you talked about regarding this album! I remember I was obsessed with this album when it came out. I was in my early 20's at the time and it seemed to strike me in all the right places. Unfortunately, I think Green Day are back to the place they were in before they released American Idiot and hope they have another great record in them

[@gorzenstein]

I was in my freshman year when this album came out and it honestly took awhile to grow on me and I think a lot of it was because it was in the middle of my kazaa/limewire phase and I was exposing myself to a ton of new music apart from the pop punk I had been listening to, but yeah you're 100% right this was one of the most important album to ever come out, especially this century.

[@lvillewerewolf]

I've been watching your videos for years now, and I have to say that this is the most eye-opening one I've seen. A lot of what you've said has not only confirmed my own suspicions and opinions, but this one just made so much apparent to me that wasn't before. Prior to watching, I knew "American Idiot" was an excellent album, but to put in the perspective that you did made me sit back and say, "how the hell did I never realize this?" Green Day have long been one of the bands that people have either slept on or overlooked when considering the best bands of all-time or even the best punk bands, but they belong not only high up on the list, but perhaps on top. "American Idiot" was revolution for kids in my high school, who scoffed at me when I would have "Warning" in my CD player (which, I still think is a good album with some great songs). This was a fantastic analysis. You should be more than proud of the content you create, and I hope that you keep going until the wheels fall off. You're a truly intelligent punk rocker and it's refreshing to learn so much about a genre that has widely gone ignored. Much love, brother.

[@EmmureMARIO64]

American idiot holds a special place in me. I was going through some hard times in life when that album came out. My parents were separating, we had money issues, I was miserable at school. American Idiot cheered me up and helped me. I have the heart grenade tattooed on my arm. I love this album to this day.

[@brandonxpagano]

The point you made where Green Day delivered two generation-defining albums for entirely different age groups is 100% on the money. American Idiot changed my life and I think it's probably the only album I'd really say that about.

[@gloomyxbabee]

My favorite band and album of all time. It was the 1st CD I wore out to where it wouldn't play anymore and my first tattoo was a rage and love tattoo. There are no words to explain just how influential this album was for me. I wouldn't be the same person without it.

[@wiggibow]

Warning is severely underrated, some of the best songs they've ever written are on that thing. Easily in the top 3 Green Day albums IMO

[@MartinUnderwood]

Preach. It's my personal favorite of theirs, and it doesn't get enough love

[@austintrousdale2397]

“Minority” and “Warning” were prophetic. Fit much better into the War on Terror zeitgeist of _American Idiot_ and even today’s post-pandemic skepticism of MSM messaging by Zoomers and Millennials. 🎙🔥

[@P.T.Barnum]

Thanks

[@The1920sChannel]

This was the first album I listened to in full on repeat at 9 years old, and I can't emphasize enough how the singles from this album were absolutely everywhere, especially "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." I must have heard it playing on the radio at least once every day. One of my most memorable childhood experiences was seeing Green Day on their American Idiot tour in 2005, and I still have the wristband from it somewhere. The album absolutely still holds up. "Homecoming" is definitely my favorite. That and "Jesus of Suburbia" made me appreciate that really long songs could still be incredible.

[@aimeeaztec4601]

This record has such unsettling associations for me. I love it but was so unwell when it came out and I played it constantly. Saw them on the original tour in London. Your telling was awesome finn - you’re the best!

[@slym0137]

Best birthday gift I ever got was a copy of american idiot on cd, I was 8 I think. My favorite album of all time and it's not even close. Great video btw

[@lenegelbe-hauen9009]

Warning and Nimrod are my favorite albums XD When American Idiot was released, I was six years old and my mom would constantly listen to it. So this album holds a special place in my heart 🥲 Green Day is the band that got me into punk rock and pop punk (:

[@torstenscholz6243]

Warning and Nimrod are underrated albums. They were not as commercially and critically successful as their previous ones but they still were much better than people made them to be - they might no be their best effort but they were still solid Green Day albums that had some really great songs.

[@SPMinerva]

I love warning, good song after good song after song

[@EvaFull]

Hey Finn, Can you possibly do a future video on Wayne’s World? From the skits, to the movies, soundtracks, the impact on Queen’s career in the US and its lasting impact/influence on popular culture to this day.

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

Everyone should read my comment thread for another excellent idea for Finn to cover 👌

[@hulluporo9067]

Great idea!

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

@@hulluporo9067 Thanks! 👍

[@bongscott3738]

Because queen is punk and so was Wayne's world...

[@EvaFull]

@@bongscott3738 😂 He’s covered non punk stuff before. He just did a video on TRL.

[@blackmamba5659]

I remember when I was a kid and American Idiot came out, Green Day were MASSIVE and absolute legends, there was no band bigger than them.

[@Ob1tuber]

What about Linkin Park?

[@yeOldeThorne]

@@Ob1tuber Green Day's "In The End" was better than theirs.

[@JAH-iu3yh]

I was just telling my cousin about the musical! We saw the jagged lil pill musical & want to experience more alt music creatively spun into all forms of art. Green Day may seem like dad rock now, but they are so important to our generation. Finally saw them live in 2017, definitely worth it. Thanks Finn!

[@thomasgoude8800]

American idiot was the first album I got into as a young kid. I mean like 5 years of age (2005) and this hooked me with the catchiness and amazing aesthetic 🤘🏼

[@missmarina_xo]

Us hardcore Green Day fans have always felt that the “stolen album” thing never happened. During the 21CB tour they eventually played the song “Cigarettes & Valentines” during some rehearsals and ended up putting it out on a live album later. That’s all we’ve gotten from that supposed “lost” session though

[@abracing199]

was going to say its not like they forgot how to play the songs because the masters got stolen. really odd excuse.

[@missmarina_xo]

@@abracing199 And none of the demos ever leaked! What's the point in stealing something like that and doing nothing with it? And why did there seem to be so little concern over someone breaking into their studio which could be dangerous for them? 😆

[@saturdaynightmare957]

Definitely an era defining album. Amercian idiot, city of evil, blink's self titled, three cheers for sweet revenge, were all staples of the early to mid 2000s sound in my opinion

[@orcslayer890]

This was definitely my introduction to finding my own music. Before getting a copy of American Idiot I was listening to my mom's cds of The Car's greatest hits and Ace of Base The Sign. I remember really enjoying how the insert had all the lyrics in a hand drawn style

[@sussexukcarchannel8815]

i could write a whole book on how much this album influenced me. in short. i was just started high school, (Im from uk) about 11 or 12 years old when this album came out, and I was bullied pretty hard, I didn't really have a music taste at the time really. then AI came out being played alot, I heard it and just found myself. I was a loner and depressed from the bulling, but hearing this made me realise wasn't only one, the fact that this album was how i felt in life, that others out there also was feeling same as me. i found a place where i belonged. everyone at school or most was more into chav stuff, like emiem and 50 cent/2pak and all that stuff. i went different direction as a skater. i found who i was. im now 31 and still my fave band.

[@breathingunderwater]

For my part, even with AI being as good as it is, I still find myself returning to Warning more than their other albums because they leaned more into their pop sensibilities and wrote--to me--their most solid, super catchy, and super tight collection of songs. The only I ever saw them was on the Warning tour and I, too, was under the impression that they were falling off, but the arena show was very well attended (I believe sold out), the crowd was fervently into them, and they were absolutely incredible live. On the AI front, though, what initially stood out to me as groundbreaking above all else was that they managed to pull off TWO prog-punk songs in one album! And not only that, but they felt earned instead of coming across as pretentious and meandering just for the sake of being long (unlike a lot of other prog, to me).

[@jgagnier]

Thanks for this dive into an important and great album :) I really, really liked Warning - it's the best Kinks album since the 60's. That said, like you, never did I expect anything like American Idiot. Given the absolute melody-writing maching that Billy Joe is, I think that the transition to arena rock that followed American Idiot is unfortunate (and their reviews fell off a cliff with GD's subsequent releases), It's a bit like Depeche Mode, another band who started off very strong, and ten years later, captured the zeitgeist again stronger and better than they'd ever had. And yet, both for DM's Violator and American Idiot, it was less of a renaissance than a final hurrah.

[@PasleyAviationPhotography]

Why do we keep skipping insomniac? I think it's a great album that deserves mention. Finn almost seems Iike he doesn't know it exists.

[@bobbycecere]

probably too "cringe" aka the best GD record

[@rafsinger6686]

Now that is an angry album!

[@TXRBL]

Big props to your channel brother. John from DC’s Iron Cross here. Being an artefact who is now 63 and disabled I’m humbled to see the content you post. Wish I was 21 again, oh and I’d love to have my bass back!

[@ThePunkRockMBA]

Thanks for watching man, I appreciate it!

[@thepiston11]

Warning was VERY underrated

[@vloggingundertheinfluence6787]

American idiot is the first punk album I got into. Then started to learn more about punk

[@shaggy7327]

Thank You, I have taken so much heat over the years for comparing this album to Tommy, Sgt Pepper, and Ziggy Stardust.

[@Not_Sal]

I love this album, it’s what got me into punk. Without American Idiot (and Green Day in general) I would not have gone on to discover NOFX, Rise Against, and Anti-Flag, which led me to eventually discover bands like Bad Brains and Reagan Youth.

[@truewantsaband]

I saw the broadway play at a very nice opera house. There was something so gratifying about seeing all these leather jacket mohawks combat boots filling the seats 🥲 my people

[@taylorscott8638]

I can verify how important this album was. It got me from listening to my parents music (classic rock) to introducing me to punkish music which in turn got me to become a die hard blink fan. This album is absolutely a 10/10 even to this day.

[@williambrandon9660]

Finn!! big ups on promoting Naughty Juice!! Upcoming artist myself love to see that bless you for helping keep music fresh!

[@PasleyAviationPhotography]

That's crazy, I'm a upcoming artist as is my mom and sister in law. I too make sure I mention it anytime I can.

[@kaseynicole8965]

I got obsessed with Green Day's music when I was only 6 years old when American Idiot came out. And then when I was 12 I was finally old enough to listen to the album all the way through and fell in love with it... then fell in love with the whole band. They kickstarted my love for rock music, they are the reason I picked up a guitar, the first band I ever saw live and the reason I love concerts. I can thank this band for so much

[@tl-hfit3408]

Did you forget the awesome Insomniac album? 2:14

[@SlashManEXE]

This was what got me into rock music in general, let alone punk. I’m glad there’s no sense of gatekeeping or anything, because I know this brought a lot of young people into the punk fold. Even though they broadened my musical interests to the other punk staples, I can still go back to something like American Idiot and say it aged well

[@benkendall5562]

I was only 9 when this came out and it definitely had an impact on me, this album and Welcome to the Black Parade happens when punk bands ironically reject 'punk' and take their sound to uncharted territories - perfect mixes of the rawness of punk and the grandiose of pop/rock

[@the_laybacks]

American Idiot is one of those pieces where you have to hear it as a whole. When talking about the singles individually, I’m so over listening to them. Boulevard and Wake me Up specifically. I’m like, if I hear those songs one more freaking time…but, when you hear them in the context of the album I’m like, damn these songs are truly great.

[@slowboy1236]

American Idiot was great but Dookie is my Green Day album

[@brotoonstwins]

I remember this album was huge when I was in elementary school and I thought Green Day was a brand new band come to find out later in life that they had been around for over 10 years prior. But I never heard of Green Day and all the sudden this big album came out and all the kids love this band

[@shanevstheworld]

American Idiot never resonated with me, but Green Day was my first favorite band. I didn't care about music until I heard Dookie and got that "this is extremely my shit" feeling. I'm glad this blew up for them and gave that same feeling to a new generation.

[@seanrf182]

American Idiot was the first album I got into. I believe I was 13 when it came out and I was sort of figuring out what I was into and this album solidified my interest in punk rock. I haven’t really looked back since.

[@QTIP95]

Hearing this album made me want to pick up a guitar and learn to play. Punk is still a huge part of me almost 20 years later

[@300avg]

American Idiot was the second album that I’d ever owned. I was 9 years old at the time and it was the coolest thing I’d ever heard. The whole album was entrancing and painted such amazing imagery in my young mind. I can safely say that this album alone is the reason why I fell in love with music

[@slimjpunk1019]

My favorite album of all time!! The album that changed my life forever, its the second coming of Christ, indeed!🤘❤️🎸💯

[@coldwarveteran]

im 16, and i first listened to Green Day when i was 10. my dad had an iPod touch that had a lot of songs (including american idiot, but only the singles) and i remember waiting for the bus for school, and just enjoying american idiot alot. around 14 i started properly listening to green day, and american idiot got me through quite a bit around that time in my life

[@coleford4258]

I was already exposed to Green Day before this album came out, but I'll never forget hearing American Idiot for the first time since it coincided with me becoming actively aware of socio-political issues. I remember my conservative parents hated how much I loved this "anti American, anti war" music.

[@tomgregus569]

What's really amazing about the Broadway musical is that it got nominated for Best Musical. While it didn't win, it's still an impressive feat since not every show gets nominated.

[@TheEricisalive]

Definitely one of the best albums ever!!

[@GuiasMaurelChile]

I'm from Chile, 28 yo, and I still remember when American Idiot (single) came out. It was EVERYWHERE. MTV, radios, parties, etc. And then the other singles came out and it blew my 10 years old mind that someone would release a 10 minute song and STILL BE PLAYED ON THE RADIO. The thing is, that we speak Spanish here, we really didn't care about US politicians, and a lot of us didn't understand English at all. But the songs were so good in terms of production, mixing, mastering, harmonies, writing, composing, that inspired a lot of us to pickup an instrument and be a "rockstar" in our bedrooms

[@limpneckmike]

The only thing I’d like to say to this, is Cigarettes and Valentines was likely never stolen. The idea that it was stolen and not a single track from it was leaked between 2003 and 2016 when they allegedly recovered it, is ridiculous. What probably really happened was they decided they wanted to scrap the album, and felt they needed to make up a story, not for their fans so much, but to Warner Bros, so they could start over. I don’t think WB would’ve been chill with them using their money to record an entire album just so they would throw it in the garbage.

[@GreatValueSuperstar]

American Idiot legitimately change my life and music taste. I sat in my parents room on our old gateway desktop rewatching all of Green Days music videos on yahoo music, cementing them as my favorite bad of all time. It led to me discovering bands like A Day To Remember, Slipknot, and with the help of MySpace, created some of the best memories of my life. Thank you Green Day, thank you.

[@deathpgt]

I do not wish to hear more 'naughty juice' thanks that was enough.

[@dizzyparkermusic]

Dude I’ve seen so many videos recently from the Finn McKenty channel that this felt like a throwback video. I appreciate everything you do good sir.

[@GBTWC]

No punk rocker ever liked greenday except in their hippie hometown area of Berkeley and San Francisco. All of their success is from pop radio station they aren’t and never will be punk they are corporate pop rock.

[@danielmorgan104dm]

no one asked

[@GBTWC]

@@danielmorgan104dm put your mask back on.

[@type0p0sitiv3]

I remember my dad playing American Idiot when I was younger. Still one of my favorite albums to this day.

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

*Important For Finn To Read:* Here I am again with my earnest request. _Another chance for you to _*_choose_*_ to develop your genuine curiosity._ You literally only live once, then you have _no_ more chances left…: Honestly, you would be _much_ more interesting to watch if you watched a few Michele Boldrin & Stephan Kinsella videos on intellectual property (IP) & learned the importance of full abolition of IP laws. Then I’d trust that you would incorporate that knowledge in your discussion of music.

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

I have a playlist (not _my_ videos) of *the* best videos on (IP) intellectual property on my channel for all interested.

[@user-wl2xl5hm7k]

Finn, any chance you give this a genuine try?

[@T.Maximus]

Quit shoving this down out throats, there I read your comment.

[@Brettington]

Important For IP Shitposter To Read: Here I am again with my request. Another chance for you to choose to acknowledge your genuine autism. You literally only live once, then you have no more chances left.. Honestly, you would be much more socially accepted if you took a few autism spectrum disorder (ASD) online assessments & learned the impact of fully acknowledging your ASD. Then I'd trust that you would incorporate that knowledge in your shitposting on KZbin.

[@Brettington]

Any chance you’ll give an assessment a genuine try?

[@walt.03]

i always thought that the "nevermind" of the 2000's is Hybrid Theory, but i loved seeing you give that title to American Idiot

[@M_D93]

Thank you for covering this album. This album meant a lot to me ever since I was 12. This was the first rock album I have heard in its entirety and it not only got me into rock, and even eventually metal; but it was also the reason I play guitar and eventually bass.

[@MarkMiller-i8q]

Born in 1949 and coming of age listening to Motown, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, The Who, etc, I came late to Green Day. By the mid-1970s, I turned my back on rock (because I didn't like what I was hearing) and got into classical and opera, and seldom looked back. Dookie and American Idiot passed me by. Or, more accurately, I passed the music by. Then, a few years ago, I heard Green Day's Crackup. Melodically, I thought it was one of the most beautiful rock songs I'd ever heard. Listening to more of their music made me a big fan of this music that my now 41-year-old daughter was grooving to in high school. Sort of like my parents' generation, who came of age listening to the Big Band sounds of Glen Miller, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman etc, holding their hands over their ears when rock and roll came in, and then becoming Beatles fans after hearing gems from Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Sergeant Pepper.

[@Isuckatvideogames210]

This album got me into alternative music. I remember as a little kid my dad had this on CD. I was about 5 or 6 at the time so the album had already been out for 3 or 4 years by the time I’d heard it for the first time. But when I did I was obsessed. I remember they did some performance on TV (might’ve been for fuse but honestly I have no clue, it’s been so long) around the time 21st century was getting ready to come out, and I was glued to the TV. I wasn’t even at my own home at the time, I was at a party at a family friend’s house and 6 and a half year old me just completely commandeered the TV to watch. 14 years later they’re still one of my favorite bands!

[@tegantalks9612]

I was 10 years old when this album came out. My mom was a green day fan in the 90s so she bought it and I remember listening to it all the way through multiple times. I feel like this helped get me into metal which lead to me meeting my husband.

[@carpenoctem775]

Their career never really declined. They just had a major comeback with American Idiot. Good timing, 10 years after Dookie. Stayed relatively consistent since.

[@thefogman2992]

I grew up with this album. It was everywhere, and it made me a huge green day fan as a kid. While I agree with what you're saying, I also get why this album gets made fun of. Despite being "political" it didn't say much of anything except "Americans dumb, government bad". The album doesn't even stick to the main concept. There's too many detours, and for the band to blatantly spit in the face of punk all while using the name to sell records, just made it a tough listen for people who had already heard those "rock against bush" punk song compilation CDs

[@hugolouessard3914]

Green Day's American Idiot introduced me to Rock music as much as Linkin Park first 2 albums did to Metal, around 2005 when I got in middle school (I'm born in 1995). These 2 bands are 2 of the most important to me, I'd say the basis of my music culture. In France American Idiot, Boulevard of broken dreams and holiday got huge and to this day Boulevard is one of my favourite songs and probably one of the best ballades I've ever heard.

[@nicklewis4587]

Finn, I was just mentioning concept album to a group last night during the game, and stated YCK's newest album Zealot is exactly that , on the shoulders of Bones and Suicide Boys , this artist has created the only concept album in that underground scene I am aware of in 2023. It's pretty good. Thanks for your channel and work.

[@nickudeschini4812]

I actually really like Warning but I completely understand why people didn't. American Idiot was probably the album people wanted from them when they made Warning. I hope it gets reappraised at some point because it's a pretty solid folk-punk album.

[@skeliskull]

It’s pretty incredible how good this album for a band that would be in the late stages of their career at the time. You know a lot of great bands will release a good album very very late in their career - but usually those albums are appreciated by their fandoms and don’t yield anything more than that. American Idiot refreshed the band entirely and made them one of the most iconic bands of the 00s. That rarely ever happens.

[@noellzy]

I was 30 when it came out, and i was absolutely blown away. I have it up there with the Wall as a concept album in terms of quality and imprtance.

[@Carlos-ms1yx]

One of the greatest albums of all time. No skips. A masterpiece.

[@brantisonfire]

I actually think "Warning" is an underrated album. Lots of gems in the rough on there.

[@yodanwhatsthejam4398]

Everything you said I'm aligned with. I remember I loved Green Day from Dookie forward, and I was about 18 as a freshmen in college when American Idiot dropped - and I remember being blown away at how many teenagers were back into Green Day - it truly was a second coming. Also - it's the last of the albums selling era - 15MM copies will never be done ever again.