Green Day

In 1987, school friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt (real name Michel Ryan Pritchard) decided to organize their own punk command and called it Sweet Children. In 1988, the band added to its lineup drummer John Kiffmeyer, known as Al Sobrante. In 1989, the group (by that moment renamed in Green Day) released their first EP 1,000 Hours. Bright gigs formed a big fan base for the band and its debut 1,039-Smoothed Out Slappy Hours became a hit in punk circles of the USA. Soon after the first US tour, Al Sobrante left Green Day and former The Lookouts drummer Tre Cool replaced him. The band actively toured along the USA and Europe for about two years. They recorded disc Kerplunk! when the tour ended. Kerplunk! caught the attention of major labels and soon Green Day singed a deal with Reprise Records, getting Rob Cavallo as their producer.

In 1994, cooperating with Cavallo, Green Day recorded the album Dookie, which produced such melodic and speedy pop punk hits as Longview, Basket Case and When I Come Around. The same year the musicians headed to a tour again, also visiting the Lollapalooza and Woodstock festivals. In Woodstock, one of the security guards mistook Mike Dirnt for a fan, which got on the stage, and beat out several of his teeth - millions of people witnessed this incident on TV. This conflict, rather as many hooligan acts by the punk rockers, only added popularity to Green Day. In autumn 1995, the Insomniac long-play was ready; it was lighter and more tuneful than Dookie and was noticed for its pop punk singles Brain Stew/Jaded and Walking Contradiction. After this release, the members of Green Day took a brake citing exhaustion. The next disc by punk trio, Nimrod, was issued in 1997 and was full of experiments. It combined ska, surf rock, pop music and other styles. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) became the brightest track from the album, while witty Nice Guys Finish Last, Hitchin' A Ride and Redundant also gained attention.

In 2000, the artists continued their musical experiments on the album titled Warning, which produced the Minority hit song. The next edition Shenanigans featured b-sides from the previous discs by Green Day. In summer 2003, the performers got down to their new studio attempt Cigarettes & Valentines, but the demo with ready tracks was stolen from the studio building. The members of Green Day did not yield to desperation - on the contrary, they decided to record the entire material for the album anew - and they wrote the brilliant rock opera American Idiot that took the band back on the peak of fame. Both the disc and its singles - for example, aggressive and sarcastic title track and depressive tune Wake Me Up When September Ends - got many awards and praises. Green Day started a tour to support the album and soon released the live record Bullet In A Bible: Live. After the tour, the musicians began recording their eighth official album, which they promised to release in 2008. A little bit belated, this record hit the stores in the first half of 2009 under the title 21st Century Breakdown. This was one more experiment with the rock-opera format, yet even stronger than American Idiot. A touching story of two lovers divided into three parts, this release appeared a splendid addition to the Green Day discography. Also in 2009 the band released their live record: Last Night On Earth: Live In Tokyo. Also in 2009 the band released their live record: Last Night On Earth: Live In Tokyo.