American Idiot

Rock · 2004 · 13 tracks

American Idiot

A sprawling rock opera that redefined modern punk. Tightly wound power chords meet theatrical storytelling to capture the paranoia of 21st-century suburbia.

September 20, 2004 · Warner Music

A massive, cinematic wall of sound rises from the ashes of a stolen session, transforming suburban disillusionment into a sprawling, multi-movement rock opera. The trio trades their familiar, high-velocity brevity for ambitious, multi-part suites and theatrical storytelling, capturing a subliminal mindfuck of media-saturated anxiety and political fury. It is a high-stakes, widescreen production that balances relentless, thick guitar layering with moments of devastating, acoustic-led vulnerability.

Tracklist · 13 Tracks

01

American Idiot

2:55

02

Jesus of Suburbia: I. Jesus of Suburbia / II. City of the Damned / III. I Don’t Care / IV. Dearly Beloved / V. Tales of Another Broken Home

9:09

03

Holiday

3:53

04

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

4:21

05

Are We the Waiting

2:44

06

St. Jimmy

2:56

07

Give Me Novacaine

3:26

08

She’s a Rebel

2:01

09

Extraordinary Girl

3:35

10

Letterbomb

4:07

11

Wake Me Up When September Ends

4:46

12

Homecoming: I. The Death of St. Jimmy / II. East 12th St. / III. Nobody Likes You / IV. Rock and Roll Girlfriend / V. We’re Coming Home Again

9:19

13

Whatsername

4:12

Moments Worth Listening For

02Jesus of Suburbia: I. Jesus of Suburbia / II. City of the Damned / III. I Don’t Care / IV. Dearly Beloved / V. Tales of Another Broken HomeThe nine-minute epic 'Jesus of Suburbia: I. Jesus of Suburbia / II. City of the Damned / III. I Don’t Care / IV. Dearly Beloved / V. Tales of Another Broken Home' links five distinct musical movements together without a single recurring chorus.

04Boulevard of Broken DreamsA syncopated, delay-pedal guitar pattern creates a lonely, echoing atmosphere that carries the verses of 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'.

12Homecoming: I. The Death of St. Jimmy / II. East 12th St. / III. Nobody Likes You / IV. Rock and Roll Girlfriend / V. We’re Coming Home AgainThe band rotates lead vocal duties among all three members during the frantic, multi-part suite of 'Homecoming: I. The Death of St. Jimmy / II. East 12th St. / III. Nobody Likes You / IV. Rock and Roll Girlfriend / V. We’re Coming Home Again'.

The album's creation began from scratch after the master tracks for their planned project, Cigarettes and Valentines, were lost.

Reviews

BBC Music

AllMusic

Where This Album Departs

How does American Idiot sound next to the rest of Green Day's catalogue?

Urban Night+1.6σ

Urban Night saturates this record notably more than the artist's norm.

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