American Idiot is the seventh studio album by the American
Punk Rock band
Green Day. It was co-produced with longterm collaborator
Rob Cavallo and released on September 21, 2004 through Reprise Records.
American Idiot is the seventh studio album by the American
Punk Rock band
Green Day. It was co-produced with longterm collaborator
Rob Cavallo and released on September 21, 2004 through Reprise Records.
In mid-2003, the band began recording songs for an album titled Cigarettes and Valentines. However, the master tracks were lost and the band decided to start over rather than re-record Cigarettes and Valentines. They decided to produce a rock opera, inspired by the work of
The Who and numerous musicals. It follows the life of
Jesus Of Suburbia, a sort of
Anti-Hero created by
Billie Joe Armstrong. Following early recording at Oakland, California's Studio 880, the band finished the album in Los Angeles.
The album achieved popularity worldwide, charting in 26 countries and reaching number one in nineteen of them, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Since its release,
American Idiot has sold over 14 million copies worldwide, including 267,000 in its opening week.Gundersen, Edna. . USA Today. September 29, 2004. Retrieved on July 28, 2008.Winwood, Ian. Kerrang! Interview. Kerrang!, p. 32. The album won numerous awards including a Grammy for Best Rock Album, and was generally well received by critics.