Every now and then, I will post a Spotify playlist here of 10-15 songs from one artist, that is designed to draw you in and give you a crash course on just what I think makes them so special. Each playlist will have an ebb and flow rhythm to it, and so I highly recommend listening to each one in order and not on shuffle to get the full experience 🙂!

Please sit back, read along while you listen, or just jam out to some of my favorite tunes while you’re sheltering in place at home!

Playlist #2: Green Day

Green Day has had a very prolific career ever since their first studio album back in 1990, and so this playlist mixes songs across their entire discography from the early 90s all the way into 2020. Please enjoy, read along, and jam out!

Song #1 | 21st Century Breakdown | It may seem strange to some longtime fans to include the title track from their second rock opera studio album 21st Century Breakdown, but I think this intro track demonstrates extremely well Green Day’s penchant for churning out long rock anthems that take you on a journey. From the acoustic strum-out intro to the varying shifts in rhythm and dynamics that make you feel like you’re going through multiple songs in one track, it shows Green Day’s mastery of the rock opera without needing to be too overtly long. In the context of this list, it also gears you up to launch into the world of Green Day.

Song #2 | 99 Revolutions | While the infamous trilogy albums UNO, DOS, and TRES from the band have not garnered the strongest reputations, there are a few good ones mixed in there. This staple from TRES was a prominent opening song while Green Day was touring for the trilogy, and it demonstrates a vibrant anthemic punk energy that sounds like a mix of late 90s Green Day mixed with the epic sounds of 00s Green Day. The almost perfect blend of old and new, there’s a lot to be said for 99 Revolutions as it continues channeling the energy of this playlist.

Song #3 | Bang Bang | The lead single from Green Day’s 2016 record Revolution Radio, this song was marked by many as a major return-to-form for the band. The song shows an aggressiveness and a political edge to it that was indicative of the times of the mid-2010s, and it shows that the band has never quite lost their grit or grasp on the world, and they effectively use punk rock to channel it.

Song #4 | Welcome to Paradise | Flashback to 1992, when this song first released on Kerplunk!, it was shortly before Green Day was propelled into rock star territory. This track’s lo-fi and fuzz contributes to the atmosphere of a band that was just feeling their way through the East Bay punk scene in the early 90s, but it already showcased Billie Joe Armstrong’s trademark whine in a way reminiscent of the Ramones, giving a grungy nod to an era of punk rock that made Green Day what they are today. This song was rerecorded later for their first hit album Dookie, but there is something about this version of the song that makes it almost magical.

Song #5 | Father of All… | We jolt right back into 2020, and listen to the first single and title track from the band’s most recent album Father of All… While many have lauded this song for being such a drastic deviation from the standard that many have come to expect from the band, I personally found this song growing on me with more listens, as it demonstrates the band’s ability to change their sound to different corners of the world of rock and roll – whether the band intended to or not. It’s short, spunky, and gets right to the point – exactly what a good punk song ought to do.

Song #6 | Geek Stink Breath | Once again we return to the 90s to the grimy sounds of the album Insomniac. This era of the band was hot off the extreme success of Dookie, and you can feel a desire to wander into some more off-the-beaten-path murkiness and edge that perhaps the mainstream was not quite used to. Nevertheless, this song’s rhythm still begs you to bop and head bang to a time when the band is still always thinking about pushing the envelope.

Song #7 | Going to Pasalacqua | This track is from Green Day’s debut studio album 39/Smooth, released all the way back in 1990. The band’s influences from classic punk rock is on full display here, but what I appreciate more than anything else is in the way Billie Joe croons on the chorus, which for me evokes the operatic melodies of modern Green Day. Even with the lyrical content of early Green Day material, their sense of songwriting already demonstrates a sense of maturity that was well ahead of their times.

Song #8 | Waiting | Admittedly, Warning from 2000 is one of my favorite Green Day albums, and one of the songs that show why is none other than this track. Waiting is a song absolutely laden with pop punk and dare I say even emo hooks and melodies, but what sets it apart from the crowd is Green Day’s controlled and clean production with their use of a more subdued guitar tone (at least compared to their contemporaries). The end result is a song in which the production of it comes to the forefront showing that even while sounding clean, Green Day is still able to come out with the songs that make you feel.

Song #9 | Stray Heart | My favorite song from DOS, this song feels almost feels like a B-side that was left on the mixing room floor of some of Green Day’s earlier material. It also, at the very same time, feels like a song coming from a completely different band (which makes sense, as many consider DOS to be the 2nd Foxboro Hottubs album, one of Billie Joe Armstrong’s side projects). This song has a natural bounce to it that throws back to a classic 60s rock-and-roll sound, thus calling to mind a time and sound that even Green Day’s influences might call classics. There is a purity to this song that you don’t find in music anymore today, and the ironic part is that this song was from an album released in 2012.

Song #10 | Rusty James | Rounding out the trilogy’s representation on this playlist with a song from UNO is Rusty James. A lot of hate is thrown from the fanbase into this album especially, but I do truly think that this song has a redeeming quality. Much like 99 Revolutions, it feels like a song that could easily belong in an American Idiot-style rock opera, and features Billie Joe’s ability to once again craft an emotional tune masquerading in the guise of a punk anthem. There is a sense of true heart and story coming from this track especially, and I think it is a strong representation of what Green Day is capable of in modern times: Songs that still make you feel, mosh, and shout at the same time.

Song #11 | Wake Me Up When September Ends | It didn’t seem reasonable for me to cram the entirety of American Idiot into this playlist, so I settled for what I consider to be the outlier of that album. This song almost serves as a break from the story of American Idiot, and I think is one of Billie Joe’s most gut-wrenching and personal songs in their entire discography. Here we hear Billie Joe Armstrong lamenting over the loss of his father, and it is a special look into the heart of this rock star as we can audibly hear his heart deconstruct, churn, explode, and ultimately resolve and accept – all in the form of the amazing instrumentals, melodies, and lyrics of this emotional song. There’s a reason why this album was deemed fitting to be adapted into a broadway musical.

Song #12 | Basket Case | The band’s biggest hit from the 90s, this song from Dookie perfectly encapsulates everything about Green Day’s energy and vibe that so many people were and still are drawn to. A seemingly simple song about going off the deep end is magnified by an erratic and energetic instrumental progression, compounded by some unexpectedly emotional hooks, is exactly what led to this song becoming such an ear worm for many in the 90s and today. This song is simple to play, easy to sing, and impossible to get out of your head – and that serves as a testament to its masterful songwriting and composition.

Song #13 | Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) | The signature campfire song from the album Nimrod, this song is another example of Green Day’s uncanny ability to put together extremely simple chords, melodies, and lyrics together to form something completely unforgettable. This song is universally recognized by all music fans, regardless of their affinity towards rock, and that is because of this song’s universal simplicity and masterful songwriting that is able to call to the mind many relatable emotions. Whether it’s for a graduation, retirement, leaving a job, leaving a town, or reminiscing over lost love, this is a universal relatable, and emotional anthem for the heart, and is representative of the human experience.