What are Green Day’s greatest songs?

23 June 2024, 16:00

With the US rock trio back in the UK this week, Radio X takes a look at their most streamed and viewed songs. Is your favourite among them?

1. Green Day – Boulevard Of Broken Dreams: Release date November 29, 2004

   

   Green Day – Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (Official Music Video)

   
   
   

   Green Day’s most popular song is this powerful ballad from the album “American Idiot”, which was released in September 2004. A song cycle about a figure called “Jesus of Suburbia”, the record reflects the politically turbulent period after September 11th.

   The song’s total streams are over 811 million, while the video has an equally impressive 806 million views, for a total of 1.6 billion.

2. Green Day – Basket Case: Release date August 1, 1994

   

   Green Day – Basket Case (Official Music Video)

   
   
   

   Green Day’s big breakout hit in the summer of 1994 was the second single from their popular third album Dookie. This single, about Billie Joe Armstrong’s anxiety disorders, peaked at number 7 in the UK charts and has since been certified double platinum by the BPI. In the digital age, the track has amassed over 1 billion Spotify streams and over 353 million YouTube views.

3. Green Day – American Idiot: Release date August 6, 2004

   

   Green Day – American Idiot (Official Music Video)

   
   
   

   The title track from Green Day’s politically charged 2004 album, it reached number 3 in the UK charts and topped the alternative rock charts in the US. The song is a satirical reference to the Iraq War and the presidency of George W. Bush and has been listened to over 956 million times and viewed over 248 million times.

4. Green Day – 21 Guns: Release date May 25, 2009

   

   Green Day – 21 Guns (Official Music Video)

   
   
   

   This song, from the album 21st Century Breakdown, only reached number 36 in the UK charts in the summer of 2009, but was included on the soundtrack to the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, where it won a new generation of fans. Since then, it has had over 585 million streams and over 546 million views.

5. Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends: Release date June 13, 2005

   

   Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends (Official Music Video)

   
   
   

   This moving ballad is about the death of Billie Joe Armstrong’s father when the musician was just 10 years old. It was the fourth single to be released from American Idiot. This did not hurt its commercial prospects – it made the top 10 in both the UK and the US. On digital platforms, the song has been streamed over 739 million times on Spotify and viewed over 220 million times on YouTube.

6. Green Day – Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life): Release date December 2, 1997

   

   Green Day – Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) (Official Music Video) (4K UPGRADE)

   
   
   

   This ballad, from the 1997 album Nimord, marked something of a departure for the band from the punk sound that had made them famous, and featured a small string section to accentuate the emotionality of the lyrics. The track peaked at number 11 in the UK, garnering over 690 million streams and over 98 million views.

7. Green Day – When I Come Around: Release date January 31, 1995

   

   Green Day – When I Come Around (Official Music Video) (4K Upgrade)

   
   
   

   This Dookie single is the follow-up to “Welcome To Paradise” from early 1995 and has been played over 503 million times on Spotify and viewed over 129 million times on YouTube.

8. Green Day – Holiday: Release date March 14, 2005

   

   Green Day – Holiday (Official Music Video)

   
   
   

   Including streams for the song pair Holiday/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, which is also popular on digital platforms, the track now has over 359 million Spotify streams and over 132 million YouTube views.

9. Green Day – Brain Stew: Release date July 3, 1996

   The final single from the Insomniac album was a collaborative release with the track Jaded and peaked at number 28 in the UK charts. The song has been streamed over 238 million times on Spotify and viewed over 32 million times on YouTube.

   

   Green Day – Brain Stew/Jaded (Official Music Video)

   
   
   

10. Green Day – Jesus Of Suburbia: Release date October 25, 2005

    

    Green Day – Jesus Of Suburbia (Official Music Video)

    
    
    

    The final single from American Idiot, this epic nine-minute song had to be shortened for the radio broadcast and gained popularity after becoming a highlight of the musical based on the album. On Spotify, the track has been played more than 193 million times, while video views have exceeded 70 million.