Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ Turns 20: All the Songs Ranked
The best and worst of the album that had George W. Bush's ears burning.
Tre Cool, Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt of Green Day photographed on August 21, 2004 in Ireland. Naki/Redferns
It’s fair to say that a trio of potty-mouthed Californian punks with tracks named “Geek Stink Breath,” “Platypus (I Hate You)” and “Dominated Love Slave” in their back catalog wouldn’t have been the prime candidates to record an era-defining blockbuster famous for holding truth to power.
But Green Day did just that when they unleashed American Idiot onto the unsuspecting public in the lead-up to the 2004 presidential election. The trio’s seventh LP might not have unseated George W. Bush from the White House, but it did top the Billboard 200 in its first week of release, spawn four Billboard Hot 100 singles and go on to sell 23 million copies worldwide. And it provided some substance to the punk-pop revival which practically celebrated the art of getting stuck in arrested development.
In addition to raging against the machine, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool also added their own distinctive spin to the rock opera with a relatively loose, and often incomprehensible, narrative about a suburban antihero “raised on a diet of soda and Ritalin.” Inspired by similarly ambitious epics from the likes of The Who and David Bowie, American Idiot was later adapted for the Broadway stage, adding several Tony nominations to the album’s already crowded list of accolades.
“It really made me feel like I can spread my wings,” Armstrong later told Billboard about its colossal success. “It proved to me that, if you have the guts to do it, then you can make it happen. When you have a hunch that it’s time to make a big statement, musically, and it gets acknowledged, it’s the best feeling ever.”
Twenty years after this big statement first made the 43rd POTUS’ ears burn (it came out Sept. 21, 2004), here’s a ranking of American Idiot ’s 13 tracks ranked from worst to best.
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"Letterbomb"
It’s slightly ironic that a track that rallies against complacency (“Where have all the riots gone? As your city’s motto gets pulverized”) is the only instance where Green Day sound like they’re phoning it in. In fact, listen to “86” from fourth LP Insomniac beforehand and you may well experience a case of déjà vu. “Letterbomb” does get a few cool points, however, for having riot grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna voice Whatsername’s kiss-off (“Nobody likes you/Everyone left you”) which suggests that the saga’s only female character is also the most brutally honest. Listen here .
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"Give Me Novacaine"
American Idiot takes its most macabre turn on one of its most melodic offerings as our anti-hero slips further into a pit of drug-addled despair. Indeed, Jesus veers dangerously close to the brink of suicide as he tries to find permanent relief from both his mental and physical pain (“Take away the sensation inside/Bittersweet migraine in my head”). And he’s not helped by the monstrous St. Jimmy willing him to succumb to the dark side, either. While lyrically powerful, it’s still a distant second to Eels ’ “Novocaine for the Soul” in the rather niche list of songs about dentists’ preferred local anesthetic. Listen here.
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"She's A Rebel"
It takes eight tracks and 30 minutes for the rock opera side of American Idiot to break out of its all-boys club. Still, at least the wait for any kind of female presence proves to be worth it. “She’s a Rebel” was inspired by all the significant women in Armstrong’s life (“from Chicago to Toronto”) and Bikini Kill’s feminist anthem “Rebel Girl.” And the surging piece of power pop flings open the doors for Mother Revolution figure Whatsername in style, marveling at her tenacity while also hinting that the instantly smitten Jesus may be biting off more than he can chew. (“She’s the salt of the earth, and she’s dangerous”). Listen here.
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"St. Jimmy"
It’s not hard to see why American Idiot transferred to the Broadway stage so effortlessly. Like the above, “St. Jimmy” is another powerhouse introductory song which brilliantly encapsulates its character in a short, sharp burst of no-frills punk rock. Here, it’s the titular freedom fighter who gets his moment in the spotlight. And he certainly doesn’t waste it, reveling in his reputation for causing havoc wherever he goes (“King of the forty thieves, and I’m here to represent/The needle in the vein of the establishment”), while also sneaking in his best Robert De Niro impression, too. Listen here.
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"Whatsername"
Having delivered such an emotional and musical rollercoaster, Green Day surprisingly end their magnum opus not with a bang, but a quiet moment of reflection. American Idiot ’s epilogue, which appears to take place several years on from all the drama, finds Jesus wondering about the fate of the girl who so ruthlessly kicked him to the curb. Who knows? (Maybe Facebook’s impending arrival helped to satisfy his curiosity.) And although it nearly cost him his sanity and indeed his life, Jesus no longer harbors regret at his failed attempt to achieve the American Dream. Listen here.
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“Extraordinary Girl”
“Extraordinary Girl” is responsible for American Idiot ’s biggest curveball, an opening 30 seconds consisting of nothing more than Cool playing the tabla. Has a record so deeply rooted in the mythology of the States taken an unlikely detour into Southern Asia? Not quite. It’s still not clear what the percussive introduction is about as the track soon gets back into familiar driving rock territory amid a relationship tale which lays Jesus and Whatsername’s respective emotional issues bare. “Some days he feels like dying/She gets so sick of crying,” Armstrong sings, suggesting that the pair perhaps aren’t in the right headspace for all-conquering love. Listen here.
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"Homecoming"
American Idiot ’s second and final multi-part suite, “Homecoming” gives Dirnt and Cool the rare chance to take center stage, with the former voicing Jesus’ state of loneliness on “Nobody Likes You” and the latter the man who’s essentially fulfilling his wildest dreams on “Rock and Roll Girlfriend.” Luckily, the antihero eventually appears to start accepting his lot – which now consists of a dead-end office job in the hometown he once fled – on a blend of thrash, folk-punk and good old-fashioned rock n’ roll. But the biggest takeaway from the penultimate number is that the inherently menacing Jimmy is now up in alter-ego heaven (or more likely alter-ego hell). Listen here .
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"Are We the Waiting"
Those who grew up watching Green Day playing snotty-nosed punk on the toilet circuit may well have balked at the oddly titled “Are We the Waiting,” the kind of rock ballad that sounds tailor made for waving lighters in a multi-purpose arena. But placed near the half-way mark, it provides some much-needed calm before the storm. Here, Jesus discovers that there’s some truth to the adage “be careful what you wish for,” as he stumbles around the new hometown meant to kickstart a new lease of life, eventually concluding that he’s been sold one almighty lie. Listen here .
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"Holiday"
One of only two American Idiot tracks to get deeply political, “Holiday” takes aim at both the divisive nature of the Republican Party and the general apathy of the American populace. Described by Armstrong as one “big f–k you” to the Bush administration, this third single’s sentiments may get a little lost among the speaker-blasting riffs, thunderous drums and rabble-rousing melodies. But whether it inspires you to pick up a placard or simply start pogoing around your living room, the sound of Green Day aping punk heroes The Clash is never anything less than thrilling. Listen here.
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"Wake Me Up When September Ends"
Often misinterpreted as a tribute to the victims of 9/11, and later adopted as a Hurricane Katrina anthem, “Wake Me Up When September Ends” has nothing to do with any national tragedy. Nor is it designed to reflect the general air of malaise that encompasses the end of summer. American Idiot ’s fourth single is actually a far more personal affair in which Armstrong addresses the hardships of losing his father just 10 years old. As you’d expect given the subject matter, the frontman delivers one of his most powerful vocals on a gut-punching rock ballad which proved Green Day could still give the new emo generation a run for their money. Listen here.
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"Jesus of Suburbia"
“After you write a song like that, it was like, ‘I can’t turn back now.’” Armstrong told Billboard about American Idiot ’s centerpiece in 2004. “You can’t all of a sudden say, ‘I want to write a normal record.’” Sure enough, “Jesus of Suburbia” is anything but normal, channeling the percussive antics of Keith Moon, audacious song structure of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and glam riffs of early Bowie in what’s essentially an alternate medley of ‘70s rock. The five-part suite must also set the scene for all the theatrical drama that lays ahead. By the end of its thrilling nine minutes, we’re all fully invested in the eponymous protagonist’s big city journey. Listen here .
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"American Idiot"
Surely one of the biggest career-rejuvenating singles ever, American Idiot ’s title track instantly transformed Green Day into the most important band of 2004 in just three riotous minutes. A riposte to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s proud redneck anthem “That’s How I Like It,” “American Idiot” was, remarkably, the trio’s debut Hot 100 entry. Plus, it received Grammy nominations and single-handedly brought the protest song back into fashion. Contrary to popular belief, Bush wasn’t the ultimate target of its ire, but the conservative news media’s crass coverage of the Iraq War. It remains just as potent, with its recent repurposing as an anti-Trump anthem giving it a new lease of life. Listen here.
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"Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
Hailed as the hangover to the party of “Holiday,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” deservedly took Green Day to new commercial heights, nearly reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100, selling five million copies worldwide and becoming the first song to win both the MTV VMAs video of the year and the record of the year Grammy. Penned by Armstrong during a solo trip to New York, the quiet-loud banger perfectly encapsulates the isolation Jesus feels while adapting to his new surroundings. But its shimmering tremolo guitars – eerily reminiscent of The Smiths – and melancholic melodies work equally effectively outside the album’s narrative. A rare example of a band’s biggest hit also being their best on the album. Listen here.