It’s gonna be hard to hold it together and stick to word limit and not write an essay. American Idiot, my favourite album of all time, was released 15 years ago. One of the last mainstream alternative albums, it even went on to become a Broadway musical.
It transforms noughties punk rock into the format of a concept album, a ‘punk rock opera’, with characters, plot and overwhelming emotion. From the softer classics like ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’, to the 9-minute rock epics like ‘Homecoming’, Green Day take you on a journey.
American Idiot is important because it simultaneously captures the feeling of a generation, while also expressing the very personal issues faced by the band members themselves. While ‘St Jimmy’ makes you feel unstoppable, ‘Give Me Novocaine’ makes you cry. This is one of the most powerful albums of the last 20 years.
Green Day’s American Idiot is available via Reprise.
