10 Biggest 'Sellout' Albums In Rock
3. American Idiot - Green Day (2004)
Way back in 1994 Green Day angered underground punk fans, by ditching their indie label and signing with Reprise. But signing with a major label didn't necessarily signal a decline in artist integrity for the group. Dookie was wildly popular and critically acclaimed. It yielded classics like Basket Case and When I Come Around. The former demonstrated Billy Joe Armstrong's ability to write insightful lyrics about a mental breakdown. The latter was an ambling musing about a broken relationship.
Even though the group's next three albums didn't have the same impact as Dookie, they all had merit. Even Warning had some great moments. Armstrong proved he wasn't just a pop rocker, he had an ability to pull in a variety of musical styles, with an aptitude for blending sincerity and humour.
Then we got American Idiot... To many, this was the soundtrack of their youth. Holiday became an instant anthem. And, Boulevard of Broken was a ballad that spoke to any teenager going through that godawful, confusing phase of life. But the desperate attempt to reinvent themselves with checkerboard ties and guy liner, felt contrived. It was if they received a check list of 2000s emo-punk fashion and diligently ticked off every box.