Ah, Green Day. One of the most beloved rock bands to ever walk the earth. They are heralded for crafting what may be the biggest punk album of all time, American Idiot.
And still, these three California dudes who brought punk rock to the mainstream via Green Day have a vast array of deep cuts you should be listening to. Here are a few places to start.
“Hitchin’ a Ride”
While I pondered my picks for this list, I reached out to my good pal Jay, whom I mentioned before. Jay and I took our daughters to see Green Day a couple of years ago, so I wanted to pick his brain.
Immediately, he confirmed one I had been considering: “Hitchin’ a Ride”. Now, is this song a DEEP cut? In the pantheon of Green Day’s catalog… No. I feel very strongly, however, that it is a deeper cut in terms of their hits. This Nimrod (1997) track was one of their least successful singles of the ’90s, but it’s so f***in’ good!
That vaudeville beat evolving into a full-blown punk rock song is just so enchanting.
“Scumbag”
In 2002, Green Day contributed the song “Scumbag” to the American Pie 2 soundtrack. The song is a short blast of punk rock fun that feels VERY early 2000s. Killer driving guitar riff, a boppy drum beat, and lyrics that are very easy to sing along to.
The track was also included on Green Day’s album Shenanigans, a collection of B-sides, rarities, and cover songs.
“Sweet children”
Green Day’s second album, Kerplunk (1991), was the first featuring drummer Tré Cool, solidifying the band as one of rock’s most iconic trios.
That record has a lot of really great tunes that show you the direction they were headed. One of the best, in my opinion, is “Sweet Children”. It’s another one of Green Day’s short and “sweet” tunes and a clear seed for the musical flower that would grow into their breakout 1994 album, Dookie.
“Misery”
Now that I really think about it, I probably like “Misery” for a lot of the same reasons I like “Hitchin’ a Ride”. It’s very international vibes. Some Eastern European folk meets mariachi.
The track right in the middle of Green Day’s 2002 album, Warning, which I feel like is a lot better than people give it credit for.
“409 in your coffeemaker”
Closing out this list of Green Day deep cuts is “409 in Your Coffeemaker”, one of the most underrated songs from Green Day’s early years. The tune is part of 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, a compilation of the band’s material from the late 80s and early 90s.
Truthfully, it’s a window into the state of punk at the time. Just burned-out kids barely making it out of high school and completely unconfident about the future. It’s such a raw, honest expression of that uncertainty. This one still resonates today.
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