10 Most Underrated Rock Albums Of The '90s
7. Kerplunk - Green Day
It's fair to say that most of Green Day's catalog has almost been overanalyzed at this point. Who are we kidding here...Dookie and American Idiot are as much a part of this generation's DNA that you probably know the first few lines of Basket Case without thinking too hard. Then again, what if I told you that the actual genius started a few years before that?
Although they weren't on a major label yet, Kerplunk definitely has that classic Green Day sound poking through from the minute it starts. With every single track, you can practically feel the band getting tighter as a unit, with Billie Joe Armstrong coming into his own as a songwriter and new recruit Tre Cool learning the ropes behind the kit. This is also the first time we get to see more introspective sides of Billie's songwriting, from the wistful side of Christie Road to the lovely bass line on No One Knows.
When this was actually released, this was the one record that managed to intimidate all of Green Day's competition, almost caught off guard that these punk kids could make something so great. Even years later, Billie has said that this is probably his favorite Green Day record from start to finish. It's a bit rough around the edges and doesn't have the same polish as Dookie...but it might be the greatest punk affair they've ever made.