Rock 'n' Roll Rabbit Hole

’American Idiot’: Green Day’s Protest Hit That Almost Never Was

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On this episode, the penultimate episode of Season 2, Butch and Kevin take on Green Day's protest hit, "American Idiot." It was a Top 10 hit in many countries, such as the U.K., Canada, Australia, Scotland and New Zealand, although -- despite its general popularity in the U.S. -- it only reached 61 on the Billboard Hot 100. Front man Billie Joe Armstrong write "American Idiot" as a response to his frustration over the national news media manipulating the public. A few points that were hit:

  • The Beer of the Week was Sierra Nevada (hey, California band, California beer).
  • The band members had been off doing their own thing, giving producer Rob Cavallo doubts about how the chemistry would be when they came into the studio to create the album American Idiot.
  • The band had recorded a follow up to their 2000 album Warning, but near the end of mixing, the master tapes mysteriously disappeared. Rather than start over, they decided to go in a totally different direction.
  • The album was to be titled Cigarettes & Valentines, and only two songs that were scheduled to be on the album have been heard by the public. Links to the two songs are below.
  • "Cigarettes & Valentines"
  • "Too Much Too Soon"
  • And here's "Weird" Al Yankovic's send-up of "American Idiot," the legendary "Canadian Idiot."

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    Rock 'n' Roll Rabbit HoleBy Kevin Gibson/Butch Bays