Poll of the Day > Your thoughts on the album American Idiot?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I remember this album was super controversial back in the day. Not even because it was "anti-American" necessarily, a lot of people just hated Green Day

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/748e8757.jpg

Sucks overall. After the 90s theyre crap and dont have any solid overall albums.

Was never really a fan of Green Day, but I feel like that album was the one where they got even worse.

Though "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is like one of the only two songs they've done that I actually kind of like.

I love that album, definitely top three Green Day for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOK9tkE8Db0

I enjoyed it back then and still enjoy some songs by the band.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Was never really a fan of Green Day, but I feel like that album was the one where they got even worse.

Though "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is like one of the only two songs they've done that I actually kind of like.

Even if you're not a fan of the direction they took on American Idiot, it's the next album that firmly cemented their 'new' style. I liked American Idiot at the time a lot. When 21st Century Breakdown came out it was like a cheese-grater to the ears especially the autotune choruses.

I got American Idiot when I was 13 and enjoyed it lots. It became "cool" to hate on the album, so I thought of it as lesser for a portion of my 20s. The first few Green Day albums are what they're most known for, so it's fair that people would criticize American Idiot for having a more polished sound, and being very radio-friendly. Although, Green Day already kinda were that (catchy radio-friendly punk music). Also fair if people didn't like the political approach, although I'd say that only really permeated a few songs.

I started re-visiting the album a few years ago and it's just catchy and fun. I voted "like".

actually I like to pontificate on how it's a 'woke' album that actively uses the r-word and the homophobic f-slur - both obviously in a satirical context. but just funny.

Basically the album that made me stop listening to Green Day for a long time. I can appreciate some of their newer stuff, but American Idiot was their "Jump the Shark" moment.

So the songs I enjoy of the album even to this day:

American Idiot
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Wake Me Up When September Ends

ReturnOfFa posted...

actually I like to pontificate on how it's a 'woke' album that actively uses the r-word and the homophobic f-slur - both obviously in a satirical context. but just funny.

I dont think theyd have done that today, it really was right before you officially werent allowed to say those words anymore, even in satirical ways

I haven't listened to the whole thing; just the songs that made the radio rotation.

"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is, however, the only one of said songs I liked.

Band was always embarrassing. This album was probably the pinnacle of that

ReturnOfFa posted...

It became "cool" to hate on the album, so I thought of it as lesser for a portion of my 20s. The first few Green Day albums are what they're most known for, so it's fair that people would criticize American Idiot for having a more polished sound, and being very radio-friendly.

That's always the endgame for punk bands. Becoming more popular and more mainstream usually leads the original fanbase to immediately turn on them and savagely tear into them for how terrible they've become.

When you mostly like bands because of their low-rez aesthetic and how antiestablishment they are rather than based on their actual music, trying to improve is tantamount to rejecting everything that made you popular in the first place.

Punk's not the only genre where that happens (see also Metallica and their 80s fanbase), but punk seems to be the one where the backlash is most obvious and rage-fueled.

Metallica legitimately did suck after their first 4 albums though. Black album is alright load is alright... after that everything is straight trash except for death magnetic. Even then lars was always a garbage drummer and kirk was never really great either... and it's really hard for me to listen to any of their albums, even their golden era, without wondering how awesome they could've been with an actual good metal drummer

OhhhJa posted...

Metallica legitimately did suck after their first 4 albums though. Black album is alright load is alright... after that everything is straight trash except for death magnetic.

Yeah, but the hardcore metal fans started turning on them with the black album, and then metal fans as a whole complained about Load. It was less about the music, and more about the perception of "selling out". Which often includes things like better production values or mainstream reach.

That being said, I don't disagree. I think they peaked with the black album and Load was an okay follow-up with some good songs, but after that's there's very little worth caring about.

It's better than most popular music from the time (and since then to be honest) but not a fan overall. Way too overplayed and that was a time when I was glued to MuchMusic (Canada's version of MTV) so I heard enough Green Day for a lifetime.

OhhhJa posted...

Metallica legitimately did suck after their first 4 albums though. Black album is alright load is alright... after that everything is straight trash except for death magnetic. Even then lars was always a garbage drummer and kirk was never really great either... and it's really hard for me to listen to any of their albums, even their golden era, without wondering how awesome they could've been with an actual good metal drummer

https://youtu.be/T8tbNptFPMU

Although, hilariously, Slayer were also only able to put out a set amount of stellar albums as well. Only a finite amount of 'magic' amongst the members, although I do love the 'magic' that Metallica and Slayer created.

like, I guess
Loved it as a teenager, but hasnt aged well imo. Partly because the band feels more cringe to me now than when I was 12, I guess. Ive seen them live a few times and enjoyed it every time, ands I enjoy when a song from the album plays on a playlist, but I dont love it like I used to.

on the original topic, the most underrated song from the album is Give Me Novocaine:
https://youtu.be/ZKAwIwjHwZI

wwinterj25 posted...

So the songs I enjoy of the album even to this day:

American Idiot
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Wake Me Up When September Ends

Pop Punk song
pop song
pop song

pass, this aint GD

EvilResident posted...

Pop Punk song
pop song
pop song

pass, this aint GD

To be fair, they were one of the first punk bands to "sell out", so complaining that 3 pop songs ain't Green Day is kind of redundant. They are known for pop songs.

No doubt. Its just not the GD I like or care to listen to

Crappy album from a crappy band.

EvilResident posted...

Pop Punk song
pop song
pop song

pass, this aint GD

lol

did the Ramones make pop music too or are they held to different standards?

ReturnOfFa posted...

on the original topic, the most underrated song from the album is Give Me Novocaine:
https://youtu.be/ZKAwIwjHwZI

Nah its the song right after that IMO which is Shes A Rebel

i like green day, their older stuff is super nostalgic for me cause they were one of my group's go-to bands for car rides. this album was kind of a mix though. i really like half of it, and i'm completely indifferent to the other half. kinda stopped paying attention to them for a while, but i've liked a good chunk of the newer stuff i've heard.

Damn_Underscore posted...

lol

did the Ramones make pop music too or are they held to different standards?

neither

I like it.

ReturnOfFa posted...

https://youtu.be/T8tbNptFPMU

Although, hilariously, Slayer were also only able to put out a set amount of stellar albums as well. Only a finite amount of 'magic' amongst the members, although I do love the 'magic' that Metallica and Slayer created.

Lombardo with metallica would've been awesome. But people say metallica are what they are because of lars' "brilliant business acumen." The wonderfully bright mind that brought us such great decisions like the st anger snare and no audible bass in AJFA

EvilResident posted...

Pop Punk song
pop song
pop song

pass, this aint GD

how is this different from Dookie?

OhhhJa posted...

Lombardo with metallica would've been awesome. But people say metallica are what they are because of lars' "brilliant business acumen." The wonderfully bright mind that brought us such great decisions like the st anger snare and no audible bass in AJFA

rofl yeah. it's more just that they wrote some great songs that they got to coast off of for the rest of their lives. I'll give them that but yeah, their business acumen is....uhhhhh.....
https://youtu.be/tfxeUfXI0xc

Among the greatest albums of all time, from one of the greatest bands of all time.

EvilResident posted...

neither

they made pop songs

ReturnOfFa posted...

how is this different from Dookie?

Fair
Insomniac is my favorite GD album. Is that a pop-punk album?

ReturnOfFa posted...

rofl yeah. it's more just that they wrote some great songs that they got to coast off of for the rest of their lives. I'll give them that but yeah, their business acumen is....uhhhhh.....
https://youtu.be/tfxeUfXI0xc

Ah yeah, this is one of my favorites because of how it ends on "now let me show you the flaw in the drumming" lmao

It's pretty bad. Green Day hasn't been good since the Warning and even then Warning wasn't as good as their 90s stuff.

Something no one has mentioned is how songs in the album reference other songs in the album. It's pretty cool

EvilResident posted...

Fair
Insomniac is my favorite GD album. Is that a pop-punk album?

yes

and it's awesome

Damn_Underscore posted...

Something no one has mentioned is how songs in the album reference other songs in the album. It's pretty cool

It is a concept album, they do that in those.

Which is part of my problem with it. They basically built the album around American Idiot (song) which was a good song, but it would have been a better album if they left it as it's own thing and came up with 8 - 10 other songs instead of everything working off of the theme of that one song.

It is essentially the same thing they did with 21st Century Breakdown, but that one is looked at less favorably.

OhhhJa posted...

Ah yeah, this is one of my favorites because of how it ends on "now let me show you the flaw in the drumming" lmao

it's so fucking perfect lool

Muscles posted...

It's pretty bad. Green Day hasn't been good since the Warning and even then Warning wasn't as good as their 90s stuff.

I dont remember anything from that album either. Its crap overall

EvilResident posted...

Pop Punk song
pop song
pop song

pass, this aint GD

We had quite a few pop songs on the radio growing up. Still this album was the first time I heard GD in our charts so that's that.

ReturnOfFa posted...

yes

and it's awesome

I think insomniac is less poppier then Dookie

wwinterj25 posted...

We had quite a few pop songs on the radio growing up. Still this album was the first time I heard GD in our charts so that's that.

guess Im just not a fan of AI

Hate. Not because I disagree with their politics necessarily. I am a leftist, certainly. I just think green day's music is drivel and their political statements are basically 'im 14 and this is deep'.

Basically I think green day is almost as inane as the beatles

Question:

Dookie is an obvious departure in sound compared to the previous albums they released before and no doubt propelled them to stardom and made them become popular.

But did GD members ever say that they made Dookie with the intention of it being a pop-punk album? Not just that it blew up with the public and on the radio and became a popular album?

EvilResident posted...

Question:

Dookie is an obvious departure in sound compared to the previous albums they released before and no doubt propelled them to stardom and made them become popular.

But did GD members ever say that they made Dookie with the intention of it being a pop-punk album? Not just that it blew up with the public and on the radio and became a popular album?

Is it?

Everything from 39/Smooth and Kerplunk follows similar songwriting structure (Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus), uses power-chords and catchy melodic hooks.

People act like Green Day changed - how?

Yeah. The 1039/kerplunk era has a different sound to it. Maybe its different mastering styles. If you think its the same then why didnt they blow up on either of those first 2 albums.

anyway still looking for an answer to my question above

wwinterj25 posted...

We had quite a few pop songs on the radio growing up. Still this album was the first time I heard GD in our charts so that's that.

are you sure you didn't hear these songs? they were pretty huge. but fair enough if not.

https://youtu.be/4poa1zXph5E?si=NFH5FPO3o1_6FPSM
https://youtu.be/iOcrKFiB_ts
https://youtu.be/VKjEdYrx9P0
https://youtu.be/Nwhyj0zcD7M
https://youtu.be/b2FQCmCo1mg

These songs were all constantly on the radio before American Idiot. American Idiot definitely had the most singles though.

EvilResident posted...

Yeah. The 1039/kerplunk era has a different sound to it. Maybe its different mastering styles. If you think its the same then why didnt they blow up on either of those first 2 albums.

Definitely different mastering sound, but that would simply be due to quality of recording. Yes, it's a different 'sound', no it's not a different 'style'.

The first 2 albums didn't hit as big as Dookie because:
a) it took time for Green Day to build a large fanbase, which they did with constant touring
b) their songwriting improved - I am simply suggesting that it's definitely within the same style. it's not like they ditched an initial style (a la Pantera) to move to an entirely new style - they simply dialed in what they were doing even further
c) right time, right place aka 1994