Why Green Day Haven't Sold Out

I am a fairly big Green Day fan. I'm aware that Green Day are not the most musically amazing band in the world. They don't have the instrumental wizardry of Stevie Wonder or the subtlety of Elbow. They have been, for most of their carreer, a three chord punk band. I know that they are not a musically great band. But I like them and am proud to say I can differentiate between music that's good and music that I like, and that those two don't always necessarily coincide.

Anyway!

They formed in 1987 and for the next 17 years or so they were, to be blunt, a punk band whose songs usually about three chords (with occassional experimental phases, like Nimrod. Three chord songs aren't always bad, the theree chord song is songwriting genius, but we need some variety) and they sung about masturbation, smoking weed, living away from home and named albums after poo. And "a green day" is slang for a day spent getting high as a kite. Their fans were extremely dedicated to the Green Day they knew and loved.
Then, in 2004, they released their first album in four years.

American Idiot.

I think everyone my age remembers it. The eponymous single (in fact, nearly all of the singles) were inescapable and the album dominated the charts worldwide, going to number 1 in nine countries! The commercial acclaim at least was phenomenal.
But cries of outrage were launched.

Green Day, the fairly successful punk band from California, who sung about masturbation, boredom and (sorry to repeat myself) named albums after poo...
Had just released the single most political album of the millenium so far!
The album was one massive spewing tirade at the Bush administration told through the medium of an epic rock concept opera, including two nine minute tracks and the defined characters of Jesus of Suburbia, St Jimmy and Whatsername pervading the album!
People were livid, claiming that Green Day were sell outs. They'd abandoned their punk roots and dived into the mainstream via politics- a major turn off for fans of the irresponsible, youthful goofs they'd known so far.

There were a faithful few who thought they would give Green Day one more chance to redeem themselves. "Maybe American Idiot was a one off..." "Every band goes through a political phase at some point right?"

So, with baited breath, people waited five years to see what would happen next. But when it was announced their next album would be called 21st Century Breakdown, the future didn't seem to indicate a return to form. And, for the "ol' skool" fans, it didn't. Musically, it follows on from the pop punk of American Idiot, and content wise, it's not as specifically political, but its a far cry from their old messages.

So. Most of the "true" Green Day fans from the Dookie era and even from before that seem to think Green Day have sold out. They've gone mainstream. The ultimate, most heinous of musical crimes. Well, I would say they're totally wrong.

Green Day have not sold out in the slightest.
The first reason is that, with American Idiot, Green Day simply said exactly what everyone was thinking. A lot of pompous reviewers would say that Green Day's anti-Bush message on American Idiot was one that didn't really need stating. But, really, it did. No one in America was saying anything too much against the failures of the White House at this point, not directly at least, even if over here in Britain it was commonplace already.
Green Day brought one of the biggest things the world can agree on to the fore: most Americans are stupid.

If You're Not American: We all agree with Jeremy Clarkson. We think Americans are stupid.

If You're American: Sorry but, everyone else thinks you're stupid.

Billie Joe Armstrong got it spot on. America was one nation controlled by the media. It was under a redneck agenda. Those phrases may have been sullied by pretentious pompous reviewers in the past 5 years, but in 2004, they hit the nail right on the head. All we'd been thinking but hadn't said was thrown out their over the top of a chart busting riff. Green Day were willing to shake up "post 9/11 America" and blame the White House and turn to their fellow country men and call them a bunch of morons. Sheep. The blind being led by the blind.
Green Day wanted to really illustrate how the political rot in America was affecting people, and the best way to that was by telling a story. And they did. They created characters and turned American Idiot into a concept album, highlighting to America just how desperate their nation was. It was a wake up call, illustrated musically.

And they're doing the same thing now with 21st Century Breakdown. It isn't so much a political rant at the White House, but a look back at our millenium thusfar. We're reaching the end of the millenium's first decade everyone- what have we to show for it? We all thought the 21st century was going to be some kind of Utopia, and everything was gonna be hovering like in The Jetsons. But we stand along a trail of broken, unfulfilled promises, pointless wars, terrorism and a self induced economic crisis. The title of the album is one that even I can admit is far from eloquent, but it conveys a truth: the 21st century has utterly broken down.

People may say "well we know that already!" And I think that part of what the album is trying to do is kick that kind of apathy down our throats and make us realise we've broken down! When you break down you don't just sit there in the car not really caring! You take action!

Some of you may say "well that's all true, but by promoting those messages on American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day have sold out! They're not punk any more!" I'm sorry- WHAT?!
Punk is ALL about challenging the social state that we live in, it's about "sticking it to the man", it's about being angry and restless. Green Day are more punk than ever! Also, by adopting this message, they've progressed. There is a fine line between progression and selling out and Green Day haven't crossed it. They've moved on from singing about masturbation, boredom, drugs, sitting in your room and girls. They're one of the few bands that have been around the right of time for people to be able to watch them grow up. They're all in their 30s with kids now. If they were still singing about masturbation and smoking dope it wouldn't just show no progression as a band, it would be pretty pathetic. They've become adults and are dealing with something we'll all have to deal with when we're adults- politics.

Musically, a lot of folk say Green Day have definitely sold out. They don't sound as raw and as punk as they used to. They're processed punk pop, or even power pop.
Well, a problem the punk scene has always had is that it only really preaches its message to other punks, so it stopped bringing about real change somehwere around 1980. But, by keeping a truly punk spirit and punk message, and hiding it inside music which can bust the charts (and still has the musicality and musical integrity of bands like The Clash) Green Day are bringing an honest message that the American youthful masses need to hear right to their ears. They're putting their message in their under the cover of pop influences, but without sugar coating it. Like a covert bomb being disguised and snuck into the ears of teenagers, ready to detonate.

So, if you believe that Green Day have sold out or are being pretentious and their message isn't one that needs to be said, I would suggest you examine whether you really care about the state of our world in the 21st century. I would suggest you try and pick something else which has had such a huge influence this decade on making teenagers aware of how awful the Bush administration was. And I suggest you examine if you're simply an American Idiot.