Vote for the GOAT: Adam 12’s Green Day Top 5
You showed me yours, now I’m showing you mine: I’m rolling out a Top 5 list a day in response to your Vote for the GOAT Top 5 lists.
So far, I’ve turned out a half-dozen: Pearl Jam, Ozzy Osbourne, Foo Fighters, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, and Van Halen Top 5s can all be found here. Next up, I’m tackling Green Day, because Billie Joe’s birthday is tomorrow. Why not wait until tomorrow, you ask? Because I don’t want to wait! And they’re MY Top 5s! But first, let’s revisit yours.
Vote for the GOAT – Green Day
5) Welcome to Paradise
4) Wake Me Up When September Ends
3) Basket Case
2) Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
1) American Idiot
A solid Top 5, to be sure. And for the first time, there’s no overlap between your list and mine. So let’s dive right in.
5) Geek Stink Breath – I love when Green Day pulls from the Ramones playbook and gets it done in just about two minutes and change.
4) Hitchin’ a Ride – The strings and the shuffling beat have always made this one a stand-out tune for me.
3) Minority – Perhaps the best use of an acoustic guitar in any Green Day song (apologies to “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” and “All By Myself,” neither of which made my list).
2) J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva) – One of the band’s best tunes and it was relegated to soundtrack status. How did that happen?!
1) Longview – So much of punk focuses on power chords and screaming vocals. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Green Day broke through with a punk song that focuses on the rhythm section: Tre Cool’s steady toms and Mike Dirnt’s groovy bass line drive this one. And it’s their best, as far as I’m concerned.