California punk trio Green Day took a grunge-obsessed music scene by complete surprise in 1994 with their major-label debut album Dookie, which jump-started a new punk revolution and went on to sell well over 10 million copies.
Six albums and 15 years after the group was formed, Green Day had become an institution credited with inspiring a host of like-minded bands, and lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool were known as the Godfathers of Pop-Punk. The band, however, wasn't content to sit back on their elder statesmen punk laurels, and instead pulled a fast one in the form of a wildly ambitious punk rock opera entitled American Idiot. The album hit the charts at no less than Number One, garnering major Grammy recognition, unanimous critical acclaim, and multi-platinum sales worldwide.
Here is Green Day's full story, from the band's humble teenage beginnings focused around the Berkeley punk rock haven 924 Gilman Street to full-fledged rock stardom. Featuring a host of photographs, a discography and a chronology, this comprehensive bio is a must for fans new and old.
