![15. 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams': American Idiot's second single, a number one single, and a title lifted from an old James Dean photo. Within a VH1 Storytellers, lead singer Armstrong said:]()
15. 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams': American Idiot's second single, a number one single, and a title lifted from an old James Dean photo. Within a VH1 Storytellers, lead singer Armstrong said: "There's an old James Dean photo where he's walking in New York and underneath it says 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams.' It's a great photo of him, so that's where I sort of nicked the title from."
![14. 'King For A Day': Found on 1997's Nimrod, the song follows the story of a cross-dresser recounting his earliest experiences hiding within his mother's closet. It's become a massive highlight of the band's live set - feating saxophones, dancing bunnies and general insanity.]()
14. 'King For A Day': Found on 1997's Nimrod, the song follows the story of a cross-dresser recounting his earliest experiences hiding within his mother's closet. It's become a massive highlight of the band's live set - feating saxophones, dancing bunnies and general insanity.
![13. '86': Getting]()
13. '86': Getting "86's is a term for bands to get thrown out of an establishment, and after the superstardom the band felt within the early 90s, this Green Day song addresses the backlash they felt from the punk community.
![12. 'Burnout': The first track from 1994's Dookie, Burnout is simply about a self destructive character completely burning out, giving up on caring, and only following a nihilistic path. Pure punk brilliance.]()
12. 'Burnout': The first track from 1994's Dookie, Burnout is simply about a self destructive character completely burning out, giving up on caring, and only following a nihilistic path. Pure punk brilliance.
![11. 'Brain Stew' Suffering from a bout of insomnia after the birth of his first child, lead singer Billie Joe would stay up all night and be inspired to write this and the aptly titled the album Insomniac. It's a short, sharp, jagged rush of paranoid energy - and unlike anything else they've done.]()
11. 'Brain Stew' Suffering from a bout of insomnia after the birth of his first child, lead singer Billie Joe would stay up all night and be inspired to write this and the aptly titled the album Insomniac. It's a short, sharp, jagged rush of paranoid energy - and unlike anything else they've done.
![10. 'Minority': A fresh take on individuality from 2000's album Warning, Green Day's Billie-Joe said:]()
10. 'Minority': A fresh take on individuality from 2000's album Warning, Green Day's Billie-Joe said: "Minority is about being an individual. It's like you have to sift through the darkness to find your place and be that individual you want to be your entire life."
![9. 'Basket Case': Although some would say that it's controversial that Basket Case isn't higher on the list of best tracks, it still remains a modern classic - dealing with the general paranoia of mental strain of being young and lost.]()
9. 'Basket Case': Although some would say that it's controversial that Basket Case isn't higher on the list of best tracks, it still remains a modern classic - dealing with the general paranoia of mental strain of being young and lost.
![8. 'Longview': The debut single from 1994's Dookie, Armstrong says it was a song inspired by boredom, loneliness, masturbation and isolation:]()
8. 'Longview': The debut single from 1994's Dookie, Armstrong says it was a song inspired by boredom, loneliness, masturbation and isolation: "I was just in a creative rut. I was in-between houses sleeping on people's couches. It's a song about trying not to feel pathetic and lonely. I was coming from a lonely guy's perspective: No girlfriend, no life, complete loser."
![7. 'Hitchin' A Ride': A track found on 1997's Nimrod, detailing the hardships of going cold turkey, a person trying to get clean either from drugs or drink.]()
7. 'Hitchin' A Ride': A track found on 1997's Nimrod, detailing the hardships of going cold turkey, a person trying to get clean either from drugs or drink.
![6. 'Geek Stink Breath': The first single from the 1995 album Insomniac, it's a song describing the life of a singer hooked on amphetamines and methampethetamines. A racy track, which didn't get much radio airplay when it was released, but still remains classic Green Day.]()
6. 'Geek Stink Breath': The first single from the 1995 album Insomniac, it's a song describing the life of a singer hooked on amphetamines and methampethetamines. A racy track, which didn't get much radio airplay when it was released, but still remains classic Green Day.
![5. 'American Idiot': The song that revitalised Green Day. Following news of the Iraq War in 2003, and hearing a Lynryd Skynrd song, Billie Joe Armstrong felt compelled to write:]()
5. 'American Idiot': The song that revitalised Green Day. Following news of the Iraq War in 2003, and hearing a Lynryd Skynrd song, Billie Joe Armstrong felt compelled to write: "It was like, 'I'm proud to be a redneck,' and I was like, 'oh my God, why would you be proud of something like that?' This is exactly what I'm against."
![4. 'Going To Pasalacqua': From the 1990 debut album 39/Smooth, Going To Pasqualaqua expresses loneliness, anxiety and fear of losing someone you love - and was a shining brilliance of the pop-punk brilliance that they possessed, and would soon conquer the world, setting a template for countless acts to copy in their wake.]()
4. 'Going To Pasalacqua': From the 1990 debut album 39/Smooth, Going To Pasqualaqua expresses loneliness, anxiety and fear of losing someone you love - and was a shining brilliance of the pop-punk brilliance that they possessed, and would soon conquer the world, setting a template for countless acts to copy in their wake.
![3. 'Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)': A track that highlighted a completely different sonic side of Green Day. In an interview, Armstrong said:]()
3. 'Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)': A track that highlighted a completely different sonic side of Green Day. In an interview, Armstrong said: "That was really the first time we attempted a ballad. The first time we ever played that song was during an encore in New Jersey - I had to pound a beer backstage to get up the courage. I knew we were gonna take a tomato to the face."
![2. 'Jesus Of Suburbia': A modern day nine-minute rock epic, with a story that followed the life and times of St. Jimmy. On the song, Armstrong explained:]()
2. 'Jesus Of Suburbia': A modern day nine-minute rock epic, with a story that followed the life and times of St. Jimmy. On the song, Armstrong explained: "It broke every rule people thought Green Day were supposed to be. Lyrically, it's everything about my past, but at the same time, written on the outside as well. That song is like purging everything, throwing it out."
![1. 'When I Come Around': The quintessential Green Day track. Found on 1994's Dookie, it's more than just a good song, as it became an anthem for a disillusioned generation, one that caused thousands of people to fling mud at the band when they played at Woodtstock 94, and a heartfelt tune that talks about the stresses of touring and its long term effects on long distance relationships.]()
1. 'When I Come Around': The quintessential Green Day track. Found on 1994's Dookie, it's more than just a good song, as it became an anthem for a disillusioned generation, one that caused thousands of people to fling mud at the band when they played at Woodtstock 94, and a heartfelt tune that talks about the stresses of touring and its long term effects on long distance relationships.