10 Most Underrated Band Members

Punk rock is not a genre that prides itself on technical skill. Even from its earliest inception, bands like the Ramones were borderline mocked for how rudimentary some of their guitar parts were. On the other hand, if there's any punk rock musician who could be considered a virtuoso, Mike Dirnt could certainly be in talks as one of the all-time greats.

Say what you want to about Green Day's musicianship, but the bass lines on Dookie and Insomniac are some of the most off-the-wall musical ideas to come out of the 90's. Even though Billie Joe Armstrong is known as the principal songwriter of the band, Dirnt's unforgettable basslines on songs like "Welcome to Paradise" and "When I Come Around" almost provide a countermelody to every single phrase coming out of Armstrong's mouth. It's not like the band were unaware of this, with Dirnt's playing in songs like "Longview" becoming the basis for the entire track.

Though Dirnt has tended to shy away from the more flashy playing of the early days, his work on the band's more recent albums has given the band a rock solid foundation for their more theatrical moments. The bass tends to be the most overshadowed instrument in rock, but Dirnt's playing has given a voice to anyone who favors the low end.