You can’t talk about punk rock without talking about Green Day album songs. Although the group has been criticized on a lot of counts, they are still widely credited for renewing the interest in their genre. For many years, the group became the commercial face of punk rockers throughout the world.

The band has probably tasted the most success in the 1990s. Their official formation however is pinned in 1987 when pals Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt came together and formed Sweet Children. The other two original members were Al Sobrante and Sean Hughes. Lookout! Records was the first to discover and take the group under its wing in 1989. This prompted a controversial name change that many fans say is an unconfirmed tribute to marijuana. The band of course, denies this.

With Lookout! the group was able to release a couple of EPs. It was really 1994 however that proved to be their year. They signed up with a new label, Reprise Records and released their album, Dookie. For a first release, this one was considered extremely successful. It reached diamond status and was named as the Best Alternative Album of 1995 in the Grammy Awards.

On the year that they got their first Grammy, the group finished work on Insomniac. Like the first of the Green Day albums, this one was an absolute commercial success with thousands in Green Day merch sales but it was not as much as a sensation as the first one. It is possibly because the album carries a darker theme.

After two years, Nimrod took center stage. The album reached the top ten of the charts. Again, it was not as deeply treasured by punk fans as the first album. This is attributed to the fact that it was an experimental venture in which elements of pop and ska were mixed into the band’s traditional sound.

It took the group more than two years to release Warning. The album was certified gold and was awarded Outstanding Album in the California Music Awards. These however were a far cry from the standings of the other albums. The lower sales of this third release were thought by many to be a sign of the band’s loss of relevance.

Four years later however, the group was able to stage an outstanding comeback with American Idiot. The album stormed the Billboard chart and grabbed the top spot. It was eventually named the Best Rock Album in the Grammy Awards.

Their next album, 21st Century Breakdown saw the light of day in 2009. This once more took platinum status. From all obvious appearances, Green Day was back on track and better than ever.

The band might not be the fathers of punk rock. They have however, definitely jump started in electrifying fashion the popular interest in punk. At some point, the band was accused of selling out and was criticized by more established acts for what seemed to be their fake image of punks in rock tees. Barring these negative comments though, the group has been every bit successful at bringing their genre to the forefront. You can’t argue against the millions of albums they’ve sold in and outside the US.

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