Green Day

After earning a loyal underground cult following, Green Day took their raw punk sound to a major label in 1994 with the release of their classic album Dookie, which went on to sell more than 10 million copies. Since then, the band has become a major mainstream rock act, and their unique mix of punk and garage has influenced an entire generation of musicians. Green Day’s ascension to the top of the charts is recorded here with insight from a host of band associates—among them Larry Livermore, the founder of Lookout Records; John Lucasey, owner of Studio 880, where the band recorded their American Idiot album; and Jon Ginoli, guitarist and singer with the band Pansy Division, who toured with Green Day on their Dookie tour.

John Robb is a journalist and the author of The Nineties: What the F**k Was That All About?, Punk Rock, and The Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop.