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TIMELINE

Formed:
1988 in Berkeley, CA

BIOGRAPHY

      Out of all the post-Nirvana American 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, recharging 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. Green Day weren't always able to sustain their success -- Dookie sold over eight million, while its follow-up, Insomniac, only sold a quarter of its predecessor -- yet their influence was far-reaching because they opened the doors for a flood of American neo-punk, punk metal, and third wave ska revivalists. Green Day were part of the northern California underground punk scene. Childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Mike Dirnt (bass; born Mike Pritchard) formed their first band, Sweet Children, in Rodeo, CA, when they were 14 years old. By 1989, the group had added drummer Al Sobrante and changed its name to Green Day. That year, the band independently released its first EP, 1,000 Hours, which was well-received in the California hardcore punk scene. Soon, the group had signed a contract with the local independent label, Lookout.

      Green Day's first album, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour, was released later that year. Shortly after its release, the band replaced Sobrante with Tre Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright, III); Cool became the band's permanent drummer. 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; 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 eight million in America, selling over ten million copies internationally.

      Dookie also won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance. Green Day quickly followed Dookie with Insomniac in the fall of 1995; during the summer, they hit number one again on the modern rock charts with "J.A.R.," their contribution to the Angus soundtrack. Insomniac performed well initially, entering the U.S. charts at number two, and selling over two million copies by the spring of 1996, yet none of its singles -- including the radio favorite "Brain Stew/Jaded" -- were as popular as those from Dookie. In the spring of 1996, Green Day abruptly canceled a European tour, claiming exhaustion. Following the cancellation, the band spent the rest of the year resting and writing new material, issuing Nimrod in late 1997. Their long-awaited follow-up, a refreshingly poppy record titled Warning, was released three years later. Another long wait preceded 2004's American Idiot, an aggressive rock opera that became a surprise success -- a chart-topper around the world, a multi-platinum seller, and easily the best reviewed album of their career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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1	1,000 Hours
2	16
3	2000 Light Years Away
4	409 in Your Coffee Maker
5	80
6	86
7	86 [Live]
8	All By Myself
9	All The Time
10	All the Time
11	All the Time
12	American Idiot
13	American Idiot
14	American Idiot
15	American Idiot [Multimedia Track]
16	Android
17	Are We the Waiting
18	Are We the Waiting
19	Are We the Waiting [Multimedia Track]
20	Are We The Waiting/St. Jimmy

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DISCOGRAPHY

AVAILABLE VIDEO CLIPS

	1	3 Questions with Green Day			16	Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong on American Idiot			31	Nice Guys Finish Last
	2	American Idiot			17	Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong on his life			32	Redundant
	3	American Idiot (Live)			18	Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong on how songs were written for American Idiot			33	Sam talks about his vision for the video
	4	Are We Waiting / St. Jimmy (Live)			19	Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong on what's after American Idiot			34	St. Jimmy
	5	Basket Case			20	Green Day's Mike Dirnt on following through with songs			35	St. Jimmy (Extended Version)
	6	Billie Joe discusses the significance of the song			21	Green Day-Bullet in a Bible Special			36	Stuck With Me
	7	Billie Joe discusses the story behind the song			22	Green Day: Bullet in a Bible Trailer			37	Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance)
	8	Billie Joe talks about American Idiot			23	Hitching a ride			38	Tre and Mike speak about playing the song live
	9	Billie Joe talks about the song "American Idiot"			24	Holiday			39	Waiting
	10	BONUS: Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Live)			25	Holiday (Live)			40	Wake Me Up When September Ends
	11	Boulevard of Broken Dreams			26	Jesus of Suburbia (Live)			41	Walking Contradiction
	12	Brain Stew/Jaded			27	Last Ride In			42	Warning
	13	Check out how they created the slow motion effects			28	Longview			43	When I Come Around
	14	Green Day score Best Rock Video			29	Macy's Day Parade
	15	Green Day win Viewer's Choice Award			30	Minority

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