GREEN DAY - American Idiot GREEN DAY

The phenomenally successful Dookie proved that the members of Green Day knew how to write great songs, but rock history is littered with groups who made a big initial splash and then vanished. American Idiot proved that the Bay Area pop-punk trio was a band headed for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Of course the 2004 collection has the requisite catchy singles: “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams,” “Holiday,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Jesus Of Suburbia” and the title track. And it was a big hit, reaching No.1 on the U.K. album chart and following suit in the U.S. But this Who-like rock opera is much more than the sum of its parts; American Idiot engages the political and cultural landscape with surprising insight and passion.

American Idiot marked a career comeback for Green Day, charting in 27 countries, reaching for the first time the top spot on the Billboard 200 for the group and peaking at number one in another 18 countries. It has sold over 16 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling album for the band and one of the best-selling albums of the decade. It was later certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2013.