Green Day — vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool — were three kids from working-class backgrounds who came of age in the underground punk scene in Berkeley, California.
Though they had already released two albums ("1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours" and "Kerplunk"), the band truly announced its arrival with 1994's "Dookie," a dynamic blast of exuberant punk-pop that sold 15 million copies and earned the band its first Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance. Over the years, Green Day continued to top the charts with the subsequent studio albums "Insomniac," "Nimrod" and "Warning," while entertaining millions of fans with their frenetic live shows. But it was their landmark 2004 album "American Idiot" that launched Green Day into the stratosphere. "American Idiot" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, spawned five hit singles, earned seven Grammy nominations (winning two, including Best Rock Album), and raised the bar for modern rock and roll. In 2009, Green Day released "21st Century Breakdown," which won a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. It spawned two hit singles: the gold "Know Your Enemy," which was the first song ever to top Billboard's Rock, Alternative, and Mainstream Rock charts simultaneously, and the double-platinum "21 Guns," which earned them three 2009 MTV Video Music Awards including Best Rock Video. Green Day also took home an American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Rock Music Artist.
Later that year, Green Day collaborated with the Tony Award-winning director of "Spring Awakening," Michael Mayer, for the stage musical "American Idiot." The play bowed at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2009 and set attendance records during its limited engagement. The play went on to Broadway and ran for a year at the St. James Theatre and won two Tony Awards. The North American Tour of the stage musical is currently touring North America and will launch in the United Kingdom later this year.
Though they had already released two albums ("1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours" and "Kerplunk"), the band truly announced its arrival with 1994's "Dookie," a dynamic blast of exuberant punk-pop that sold 15 million copies and earned the band its first Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance. Over the years, Green Day continued to top the charts with the subsequent studio albums "Insomniac," "Nimrod" and "Warning," while entertaining millions of fans with their frenetic live shows. But it was their landmark 2004 album "American Idiot" that launched Green Day into the stratosphere. "American Idiot" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, spawned five hit singles, earned seven Grammy nominations (winning two, including Best Rock Album), and raised the bar for modern rock and roll. In 2009, Green Day released "21st Century Breakdown," which won a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. It spawned two hit singles: the gold "Know Your Enemy," which was the first song ever to top Billboard's Rock, Alternative, and Mainstream Rock charts simultaneously, and the double-platinum "21 Guns," which earned them three 2009 MTV Video Music Awards including Best Rock Video. Green Day also took home an American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Rock Music Artist.
Later that year, Green Day collaborated with the Tony Award-winning director of "Spring Awakening," Michael Mayer, for the stage musical "American Idiot." The play bowed at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2009 and set attendance records during its limited engagement. The play went on to Broadway and ran for a year at the St. James Theatre and won two Tony Awards. The North American Tour of the stage musical is currently touring North America and will launch in the United Kingdom later this year.
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