Green Day

Concert poster, dated March 16, 1990, at 924 Gilman Street for Lookout!-signed punk bands, including Green Day, Neurosis, Samiam, and the Mr. T Experience.

In 1987, friends and guitarists Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt, 15 years old at the time, along with bassist Sean Hughes and drummer Raj Punjabi, formed a band under the name Blood Rage in Raj's father house garage at Rodeo, California and a few month later, the band then renamed to Sweet Children.[8][9][10] One of their first songs written together was "Best Thing in Town".[11] The group's first live performance took place on October 17, 1987, at Rod's Hickory Pit in Vallejo, California.[12] In 1988, Armstrong and Dirnt began working with former Isocracy drummer John Kiffmeyer, also known as "Al Sobrante", who replaced original drummer Raj Punjabi.[13] It was also around this time that bassist Sean Hughes left the band, causing Dirnt to switch from guitar to bass. Armstrong cites the band Operation Ivy (which featured Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, who would later contact Armstrong to fill in as a possible second guitarist for their band Rancid) as a major influence, and a group that inspired him to form a band.[14][15]

In 1988, Larry Livermore, owner of Lookout! Records, saw the band play an early show and signed the group to his label.[16] In April 1989, the band released its debut extended play, 1,000 Hours.[17] Shortly before the EP's release, the group dropped the Sweet Children name; according to Livermore, this was done to avoid confusion with another local band Sweet Baby.[18] The band adopted the name Green Day, due to the members' fondness for cannabis.[19][20][21] The phrase, "Green day", was slang in the Bay Area, where the band originated, for spending a day doing nothing but smoking marijuana.[22] Armstrong once admitted in 2001 that he considered it to be "the worst band name in the world".[23]

Lookout! released Green Day's debut studio album, 39/Smooth in early 1990.[24] Green Day recorded two extended plays later that year, Slappy and Sweet Children, the latter of which included older songs that the band had recorded for the Minneapolis independent record label Skene! Records.[25] In 1991, Lookout! Records re-released 39/Smooth under the name 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, and added the songs from the band's first two EPs, Slappy, and 1,000 Hours. In late 1990, shortly after the band's first nationwide tour, Kiffmeyer left the East Bay area to attend Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.[12][26] The Lookouts' drummer Tré Cool began filling in as a temporary replacement and later Cool's position as Green Day's drummer became permanent, which Kiffmeyer "graciously accepted".[27] The band went on tour for most of 1992 and 1993, and played a number of shows overseas in Europe.[28] The band's second studio album Kerplunk sold 50,000 copies in the U.S.[28] Green Day supported another California punk band, Bad Religion, as an opening act for their Recipe for Hate Tour for most of 1993.[29]

Kerplunk's underground success led to interest from some major record labels and a bidding war to sign Green Day.[30] The band eventually left Lookout! and signed with Reprise Records after attracting the attention of producer Rob Cavallo.[31] The group was impressed by his work with the fellow Californian band the Muffs and later remarked that Cavallo "was the only person we could talk to and connect with".[31] Reflecting on the period, Armstrong told Spin magazine in 1999, "I couldn't go back to the punk scene, whether we were the biggest success in the world or the biggest failure ... The only thing I could do was get on my bike and go forward."[32] After signing with Reprise, the band went to work on recording its major-label debut, Dookie. On September 3, 1993, Green Day played their last show at 924 Gilman under the pseudonym Blair Hess before being banned permanently for their major label signing.[2]

Recorded in three weeks, and released in February 1994,[33] Dookie became a commercial success, helped by extensive MTV airplay for the videos of the songs "Longview", "Basket Case", and "When I Come Around", all of which reached the number one position on the Modern Rock Tracks charts. The album went on to sell over 10 million copies in the US.[34] At a performance on September 9, 1994, at Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston, mayhem broke out during the band's set (cut short to seven songs) and by the end of the rampage, 100 people were injured and 45 arrested.[35] The band also joined the lineups of both the Lollapalooza festival and Woodstock '94, where the group started an infamous mud fight. During the concert, a security guard mistook bassist Mike Dirnt for a stage-invading fan and punched out some of his teeth.[36] Viewed by millions by pay-per-view television, the Woodstock 1994 performance further aided Green Day's growing publicity and recognition.[31] In 1995, Dookie won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and the band was nominated for nine MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year.[37][38] In the band's homestead of the East Bay following Dookie's success, the band felt a sense of unwelcoming. Billie Joe Armstrong recalled aggressive glares and furtive whispers. The band's success would trickle content onto other East Bay bands such as Jawbreaker, a local favorite of Armstrong's, which garnered accusations of selling out during a concert attended by Armstrong.[39]

In 1995, a single for the Angus soundtrack was released, entitled "J.A.R.".[40] The single debuted at number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[41] The song was followed by the band's fourth studio album, Insomniac, which was released in fall 1995.[42] Insomniac was a much darker and heavier response to the band's newfound popularity, compared to the more melodic Dookie.[31] The album opened to a warm critical reception, earning 4 out of 5 stars from Rolling Stone, which said "In punk, the good stuff unfolds and gains meaning as you listen without sacrificing any of its electric, haywire immediacy. And Green Day are as good as this stuff gets."[43] The singles released from Insomniac were "Geek Stink Breath", "Stuck with Me", "Brain Stew/Jaded", and "Walking Contradiction".

Though the album did not approach the success of Dookie, it sold three million copies in the United States.[44] The album earned the band award nominations for Favorite Artist, Favorite Hard Rock Artist, and Favorite Alternative Artist at the 1996 American Music Awards, and the video for "Walking Contradiction" got the band a Grammy nomination for Best Video, Short Form, in addition to a Best Special Effects nomination at the MTV Video Music Awards. After that, the band abruptly canceled a European tour, citing exhaustion.[45]

After a brief hiatus in 1996, Green Day began work on its next album in 1997. From the outset, both the band and Cavallo agreed that the album had to be different from its previous albums.[46] The result was Nimrod, an experimental deviation from the band's standard melodic punk rock.[47] The album was released in October 1997. It provided a variety of music, from punk, pop, hardcore, folk, surf rock, ska, and the acoustic ballad, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)".[48][49][47] Nimrod entered the charts at number 10. The mainstream success of "Good Riddance" won the band an MTV Video Award for Best Alternative Video.[50] The song was also used in the second "clip show" episode of Seinfeld and on two episodes of ER.[49]

The other singles released from Nimrod were "Nice Guys Finish Last", "Hitchin' a Ride" and "Redundant".[51][52] The band made a guest appearance in an episode of King of the Hill, which aired in 1997.[53] In late 1997 and most of 1998, Green Day embarked on a tour in support of Nimrod.[54][55] In 1999, guitarist Jason White began supporting the band during concerts as a rhythm guitarist.[56]

In 2000, Green Day released their folk punk-inspired sixth studio album Warning.[57] In support of the album, the band participated in the Warped Tour in 2000. In November 2000, the band performed for free on the steps on San Francisco's City Hall to protest the eviction of artists from the city in a show produced by Ian Brennan.[58] The band also had an independent tour to support the album in 2001. Critics' reviews of the album were varied.[59] AllMusic gave it 4.5/5 saying "Warning may not be an innovative record per se, but it's tremendously satisfying."[60] Rolling Stone was more critical, giving it 3/5, and saying "Warning... invites the question: Who wants to listen to songs of faith, hope and social commentary from what used to be snot-core's biggest-selling band?"[61] Though it produced the hit "Minority" and a smaller hit with "Warning", some observers were coming to the conclusion that the band was losing relevance,[59] and a decline in popularity followed. While all of Green Day's previous albums had reached a status of at least triple platinum, Warning was only certified gold.[62]

At the 2001 California Music Awards, Green Day won all eight of the awards for which the group was nominated.[63] The group won the awards for Outstanding Album (Warning), Outstanding Punk Rock/Ska Album (Warning), Outstanding Group, Outstanding Male Vocalist, Outstanding Bassist, Outstanding Drummer, Outstanding Songwriter, and Outstanding Artist.[64]

The release of two compilation albums, International Superhits! and Shenanigans, followed Warning.[65][66] International Superhits! and its companion collection of music videos, International Supervideos!.[67] Shenanigans contained some of the band's B-sides, including "Espionage", which was featured in the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.[63]

In spring 2002, Green Day co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with Blink-182, which was documented on the DVD Riding in Vans with Boys.[68]

Tré Cool (bottom left) and Mike Dirnt (right) performing on July 27, 2005

In summer 2003, the band went into a studio to write and record material for an album, tentatively titled Cigarettes and Valentines.[69] After completing 20 tracks, the master recordings were stolen from the studio. Instead of re-recording the stolen tracks, the band decided to abandon the entire project and start over, considering the taken material to be unrepresentative of the band's best work.[70] It was then revealed that a band called the Network was signed to Armstrong's record label Adeline Records with little fanfare and information.[71][72] After the band, who concealed their identities with masks and costumes,[73] released an album called Money Money 2020, it was rumored that the Network was a Green Day side project, due to the similarities in the bands' sounds.[74] However, these rumors were never addressed by the band or Adeline Records, except for a statement on the Adeline website discussing an ongoing dispute between the two bands.[74] The bands "feuded" via press releases and statements from Armstrong.[73][75] Several journalists openly referred to the group as a Green Day side project,[76][77][78][79] although it was not confirmed as such until 2013.[80]

Green Day live in Germany during the American Idiot tour

Green Day collaborated with Iggy Pop on two tracks for his album Skull Ring in November 2003. On February 1, 2004, a cover of "I Fought the Law" made its debut on a commercial for iTunes during NFL Super Bowl XXXVIII. Finally, American Idiot was released in September 2004 and debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, the band's first album to reach number one, backed by the success of the album's first single, "American Idiot". The album was labeled as a punk rock opera which follows the journey of the fictitious "Jesus of Suburbia".[81] The album depicts modern American life under the control of an idiot ruler who lets people be misinformed by the media and a "redneck agenda". It gives different angles on an everyman, modern icons, and leaders.[82] Released two months before U.S. President George W. Bush was reelected, the album became protest art.[83] The album went on to sell 6 million copies in the US.[62]

American Idiot won the 2005 Grammy for Best Rock Album and was nominated in six other categories including Album of the Year.[84][85] The album helped Green Day win seven of the eight awards it was nominated for at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards;[86] the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" video won six of those awards. A year later, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.[87] In 2009, Kerrang! named American Idiot the best album of the decade,[88] NME ranked it number 60 in a similar list,[89] and Rolling Stone ranked it 22nd.[90] Rolling Stone also listed "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "American Idiot" among the 100 best songs of the 2000s, at number 65 and 47, respectively.[91][92] In 2005, the album was ranked number 420 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[93] In 2012, the album was ranked number 225 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[94]

Green Day performing in New Jersey in 2005

While touring for American Idiot, the group filmed and recorded the two concerts at the Milton Keynes National Bowl in England.[95][96] These recordings were released as a live CD and DVD called Bullet in a Bible on November 15, 2005.[95][96] The DVD featured behind-the-scenes footage of the band, and showed how the band prepared to put on the show.[95][96] The final shows of its 2005 world tour were in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, on December 14 and 17, respectively.[97]

On August 1, 2005, Green Day announced that it had rescinded the master rights to its pre-Dookie material from Lookout! Records, citing a continuing breach of contract regarding unpaid royalties, a complaint shared with other Lookout! bands.[98] On January 10, 2006, the band was awarded a People's Choice Award as favorite musical group or band.[99]

Green Day engaged in many other smaller projects in the time following the success of American Idiot. In 2008, the group released a garage rock–inspired album under the name Foxboro Hot Tubs entitled Stop Drop and Roll!!! The Foxboro Hot Tubs went on a mini-tour during the same year to promote the record, hitting tiny Bay Area venues including the Stork Club in Oakland and Toot's Tavern in Crockett, California.[100]

Green Day performing during a secret show at the Kesselhaus in Berlin on May 7, 2009

In an interview with Carson Daly, Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson revealed that Butch Vig would be producing Green Day's forthcoming album.[101] The span of nearly five years between American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown was the longest gap between studio albums in Green Day's career. The band had been working on new material since January 2006. By October 2007, Armstrong had 45 songs written, but the band showed no further signs of progress until October 2008, when two videos showing the band recording in the studio with producer Butch Vig were posted on YouTube.[102] The writing and recording process, spanning three years and four recording studios, was finally finished in April 2009.[103]

21st Century Breakdown, was released on May 15, 2009.[104][105] The album received a mainly positive reception from critics, getting an average rating between 3 and 4 stars.[106][107] After the release, the album reached number one in fourteen countries, being certified gold or platinum in each. 21st Century Breakdown achieved Green Day's best chart performance to date.[108] The band started playing shows in California in April and early May. These were the group's first live shows in about three years. Green Day went on a world tour that started in North America in July 2009 and continuing around the world throughout the rest of 2009 and early 2010.[109] The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010.[37] As of December 2010, 21st Century Breakdown has sold 1,005,000 copies in the US.[110]

Wal-Mart refused to carry the album as it contains a Parental Advisory sticker and requested that Green Day release a censored edition. The band members did not wish to change any lyrics on the album and responded by stating, "There's nothing dirty about our record... They want artists to censor their records in order to be carried in there. We just said no. We've never done it before. You feel like you're in 1953 or something."[111][112]

In 2009, the band met with award-winning director Michael Mayer and many cast and crew members of the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening to create a stage version of the album American Idiot.[113][114] American Idiot opened in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre during the end of 2009.[113] The show features an expanded story of the original album, with new characters such as Will, Extraordinary Girl, and Favorite Son.[114] On April 20, 2010, American Idiot opened on Broadway, and Green Day released the soundtrack to the musical, featuring a new song by Green Day entitled "When It's Time". In June 2010 iTunes released "When It's Time" as a single.[115]

Green Day performing in New Jersey in 2010

During the Spike TV Video Game Awards 2009, it was announced that Green Day was set to have its own Rock Band video game titled Green Day: Rock Band, as a follow-up to the last band specific Rock Band game, The Beatles: Rock Band. The game features the full albums of Dookie, American Idiot, and 21st Century Breakdown as well as select songs from the rest of Green Day's discography.[116][117]

During the second leg of the 21st Century Breakdown World Tour the band members stated that they were writing new material.[118] In an interview with Kerrang! magazine, Armstrong spoke about the possible new album: "We did some demos in Berlin, some in Stockholm, some just outside of Glasgow and some in Amsterdam. We wanted get [the songs] down in some early form."[119] The band members also stated that the group was recording a live album of the tour, featuring the previously unreleased song "Cigarettes and Valentines". In October 2010, Dirnt was interviewed by Radio W, mentioning that the group had completed the writing process of the ninth studio album. In the interview, Dirnt also mentioned that a new live album would "most likely" be released.[120] The live CD/DVD and CD/Blu-ray entitled Awesome as Fuck was released on March 22, 2011.[121][122]

Green Day performing in 2013

During the end of 2011, the band played several secret shows (under the name Foxboro Hot Tubs) whose setlists consisted almost entirely of previously unheard songs. Green Day entered the studio and began recording new material in February 2012, later announcing a trilogy of albums titled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! which would be released in fall 2012.[123][124] The trilogy featured longtime touring guitarist Jason White joining the band in the studio as an additional musician. This marks the first time that White had played guitar on a Green Day album.[125] That summer Green Day played several festivals and promotional shows including the Rock en Seine festival in France, the Rock am See festival in Germany, and the Reading Festival in the United Kingdom.[126][127]

Armstrong performing with Green Day in 2013

¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! were released on September 21, November 9, and December 7, 2012, respectively, and were met with generally positive reviews from critics, though fans were more lukewarm towards the albums. On January 22, 2013, the band announced that ¡Cuatro!, a documentary about the making of ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! and ¡Tré!, would premiere on January 26 in Aspen, Colorado as part of the X Games FILM showcase, and would be released on DVD April 9, 2013.[128] Another documentary was announced called Broadway Idiot which focuses on the creation on the American Idiot musical and Armstrong's run as playing the character of St. Jimmy.[129] On March 10, 2013, Green Day began its 99 Revolutions Tour to support the trilogy.[130] In June, Green Day broke Emirates Stadium attendance record with 60,000 tickets sold.[131] The band played Dookie from start to finish on several dates on the tour's European leg, including during the Reading Festival 2013 headline show.[132]

Demolicious, a compilation album that contains alternate versions and demos of songs from ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! and ¡Tré! recorded during the studio sessions of these albums, was released on April 19, 2014, for Record Store Day. It also contains a previously unreleased song called "State of Shock" and an acoustic version of "Stay the Night", from ¡Uno!.[133]

Green Day performing in Cleveland, Ohio in 2015

Green Day performed its first concert in a year on April 16, 2015. The group first played a set as Sweet Children with John Kiffmeyer, followed by a set as Green Day.[134] On April 18, 2015, Green Day were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Fall Out Boy.[135]

On April 24, 2015, Rob Cavallo revealed Green Day were recording a twelfth studio album. Cavallo claimed to have heard "five new songs that Billie has written and demoed", and that the fans should be "sure that when they do return, the music will be amazing".[136] On December 24, 2015, Green Day released a Christmas song, "Xmas Time of the Year".[137]

On August 11, 2016, Green Day released the first single, "Bang Bang",[138] from the group's album Revolution Radio, which was released on October 7, 2016.[139] The band went on a world tour supporting the album.[140] In November 2016, the band performed at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles and made a political statement about the then-recent US election of Donald Trump by chanting "No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA" during their rendition of "Bang Bang".[141]

Aaron Burgess at Alternative Press observed, "It's the first time in years Green Day haven't had all the answers. But as a statement on how it feels to fight, it's the closest to the truth they've ever gotten."[142] Gwilym Mumford of The Guardian stated "[after their last few albums] the band have decided to get back to basics: Revolution Radio is their most focused work in years. Lead single "Bang Bang" sets the tone, with a caustic consideration of the fame-hungry psychosis of a mass shooter.[143]

The band released their second greatest hits compilation, God's Favorite Band, on November 17, 2017. It contains 20 of their hits, along with two new tracks: a different version of the Revolution Radio track "Ordinary World", featuring country singer Miranda Lambert, and a previously unreleased song titled "Back in the USA".[144]

On April 13, 2019, for Record Store Day, the band released their Woodstock 1994 performance on vinyl for the first time. It contains all 9 songs they played live, as well as audio of the ensuing mud fight.[145] On September 10, 2019, the band announced the Hella Mega Tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer as headliners alongside themselves, with the Interrupters as the opening act. They also released the single, "Father of All..." off their thirteenth album, Father of All Motherfuckers.[146] The same day, in an interview with KROQ, Armstrong announced the band would be parting ways with Reprise after the album's release, as they were off their contract with Warner.[147] On September 30, 2019, Green Day signed a two-year agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL).[148] The album's second single, "Fire, Ready, Aim", was released on October 9, 2019.[149][150] The album's third single, "Oh Yeah!", was released on January 16, 2020.[151] The album was released on February 7, 2020.[152] The album's fourth single, "Meet Me on the Roof", was released on the same day as the album.[153]

On April 6, 2020, Armstrong revealed that he had written six songs intending to record new music with the band once the COVID-19 pandemic had passed.[154] On May 21, 2020, the band released a cover of Blondie's "Dreaming".[155]

Armstrong performing with a fan on the stage at Rock am Ring in 2022

On October 30, 2020, the band's secret side project, the Network, teased upcoming activity with a video entitled "The Prophecy" and mentioned their upcoming sequel album.[156] Then on November 2, 2020, the Network released a music video for their first song in 17 years, named "Ivankkka Is a Nazi".[157] After a couple of weeks of small hints on social media, as well as Green Day claiming they were not the Network, the band released an EP on November 20, 2020, titled Trans Am. On December 4, 2020, the Network released their second album Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So!.[158]

In February 2021, Green Day announced a single, titled "Here Comes the Shock", which was later released on February 21, 2021.[159] The band would release a remastered version of Insomniac in March for the belated 25th anniversary of the album's release, with bonus live tracks.[160] On May 17, 2021, Green Day released the single "Pollyanna".[161] The reshuffled Hella Mega Tour would take place in the United States from July to September 2021, and the United Kingdom in June and July 2022. Between legs, on November 5, 2021, the band released the single "Holy Toledo!".[162]

BBC Sessions, the fourth live album by Green Day, was released on December 10, 2021. Eight days later, they put out a teaser video with the captions "RAK Studios. London, England. Green Day. 1972".[163]

In 2022, Green Day played a handful of major festivals in the United States, including Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. The band also played a surprise Lollapalooza aftershow set at Metro Chicago on July 29, a set that was mostly improvised. The set included their first performances of "Church on Sunday" and "Warning" since 2001, and also included fan favorite deep tracks "Whatsername", "Letterbomb", and "Murder City".[164] On October 26, 2022, Green Day was announced as a headliner for the fifth annual Innings Festival in Arizona.[165]

In November 2022, the band stated they were recording for a new studio album.[166] The album is to release in early 2024 and is produced by Rob Cavallo,[6] marking his first album working with the band since ¡Tré! (2012). Prior to the album's release, the band played a new song titled "1981" during their live performance at Festival d'été de Québec on July 16, 2023.[167] On September 30, 2023, Green Day was announced as the halftime show at the 110th Grey Cup.[168] The following day, the band launched a new website with the name "The American Dream Is Killing Me". Included on the website was a video appearing to tease new music, and a circled date of October 24, leading some news outlets to believe that it is related to their next album.[169][170] Before the album's release, they played the first song, "The American Dream Is Killing Me", off their new upcoming album during a live show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 19, 2023,[171] and announced a US tour for the summer 2024 with The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas.[172][173] They played another song, titled "Look Ma, No Brains!", from the upcoming album during the When We Were Young Festival on October 22, 2023.[174] On October 24, 2023, the title of the new album was revealed as Saviors.[5] It is planned to be released on January 19, 2024.[5] The first single from the album, titled "The American Dream Is Killing Me", was also released on the same date.[5]

Green Day has generated controversy over whether their musical style and major-label status constitutes "true punk".[280] In reaction to both the style of music and the background of the band, John Lydon, former frontman of the 1970s punk band the Sex Pistols commented, "So there we are fending off all that and it pisses me off that years later a wank outfit like Green Day hop in and nick all that and attach it to themselves. They didn't earn their wings to do that and if they were true punk they wouldn't look anything like they do."[281] However, others in the punk rock scene would come to the defense of the band on their punk status. Bad Religion lead guitarist Brett Gurewitz and founder of the independent punk label Epitaph Records would state, "They [Green Day] are a punk band, but you know, punk is the legacy of rock and roll, and Green Day are the biggest band in the genre."[282]

Armstrong has discussed the group's status of being a punk band on a major record label, saying, "Sometimes I think we've become redundant because we're this big band now; we've made a lot of money—we're not punk rock anymore. But then I think about it and just say, 'You can take us out of a punk rock environment, but you can't take the punk rock out of us.'"[280] In 2021, Armstrong condemned the band's labeling as "pop-punk" by critics in a Vulture magazine interview, stating, "I never really liked that term (pop punk), it turned into sort of a genre. I never thought of myself as a pop artist. I've always been left of center. To say you're a pop-punker … it never sat well with me." Armstrong acknowledged the band's more melodic punk style compared to other bands from the Bay Area scene it emerged from, but also brought up the band's performance alongside East Bay hardcore bands like Neurosis, Engage, Spitboy, Blatz, and Filth.[283]

In 2006, English rock musician Noel Gallagher of the Britpop band Oasis complained about the band semi-jokingly, claiming that the band had ripped off his song "Wonderwall" with "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".[284]

On September 21, 2012, while Green Day was performing at the iHeartRadio music festival, Armstrong stopped while performing "Basket Case", because he believed the group's time was being shortened, possibly to extend R&B artist Usher's performance. Angered, Armstrong began ranting while a screen in the rear of the audience was labeled "1 Minutes Left", saying "You're gonna give me one fucking minute? You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" He also told the crowd he "was not Justin Bieber" and labeled the festival as a "joke". When the screen went blank, Armstrong smashed his guitar, while bassist Mike Dirnt smashed his bass. Armstrong then gave the finger, and declared that Green Day would be back before throwing his microphone down and walking off the stage.[285] Two days later, the band's representative apologized for the incident on the group's behalf stating that "Green Day would like everyone to know that their set was not cut short by Clear Channel and to apologize to those they offended at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas" also adding that Armstrong would be headed to rehab, for abuse of alcohol and prescription pills.[286][287] However, Dirnt would later say in an interview with Rolling Stone that he agreed with what Armstrong meant by his rant.[288] The band later made amends with the company and played an album release party for their 2016 release, Revolution Radio.[289][290] They also returned to the festival in 2019 supporting the album Father of All Motherfuckers.[290][291]

On July 7, 2017, about 20 minutes before Green Day headlined Mad Cool, a festival in Madrid, an acrobat fell about 30 metres (98 ft) from a cage above the stage and died. Some fans were upset at the band and festival organizers for continuing the show, which was attended by about 35,000 people.[292] On their website, Armstrong said the band did not know about the accident before their set, and likely would not have played if they had.[293]