| 21st Century Breakdown | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 15, 2009 (2009-05-15) | |||
| Recorded | September 2007 – March 2009 | |||
| Studio | Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood; Studio 880,Oakland, California; Jel Studios,Newport Beach, California; Costa Mesa Studios,Costa Mesa, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 69:17 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Green Day chronology | ||||
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| Green Day studio chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 21st Century Breakdown | ||||
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21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by the Americanrock bandGreen Day, released on May 15, 2009, throughReprise Records. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006 and forty-five songs were written by vocalist and guitaristBillie Joe Armstrong by June 2007, but the band members did not enter studio work until September 2007.[1][2]
21st Century Breakdown is aconcept album/rock opera much like their previous albumAmerican Idiot (2004). According to the band, the album is a rumination of "the era in which we live as we question and try to make sense of the selfish manipulation going on around us".[3] The singles "Know Your Enemy" and "21 Guns" exemplify the themes of alienation and politically motivated anger present in the record.
To handle the record, they turned toproducerButch Vig, best known for producingNirvana'sNevermind (1991). Critical response to21st Century Breakdown was positive, though it was generally seen as inferior toAmerican Idiot upon release. The record achieved Green Day's best chart performance to date, reaching number one on the album charts of various countries, including the United StatesBillboard 200, theEuropean Top 100 Albums, and theUnited Kingdom Albums Chart. The album won theGrammy Award for Best Rock Album at the52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010. As of December 2010,21st Century Breakdown has sold 1,050,000 copies in the United States[4] and more than 4 million worldwide. At a runtime of 69 minutes and 16 seconds, it is Green Day’s longest studio album to date.
It is Green Day's first album since 2004'sAmerican Idiot making it the first album in five years, making it the longest gap between studio albums in the band's history. Since then,21st Century Breakdown has grown in esteem and is seen as one of Green Day's best records among fans.
Green Day began to write new songs for what would become21st Century Breakdown in January 2006 after touring extensively in 2005 in support of their seventh studio albumAmerican Idiot.[5] At the time, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong stated: "We'll start with silence, and that's how we'll be able to find the inspiration to find another record."[6] The band did not release any details of the writing and recording process until October 2007, when Armstrong said in an interview withRolling Stone that he had written "something like 45 songs".[1][2] The band members worked on the primitive conceptual stages of the album at their rehearsal studio inOakland,California. Little was revealed on the themes or musical style of the album, but Armstrong stated: "I want to dig into who I am and what I'm feeling at this moment – which is middle-aged." He added that many of the 45 songs were written on piano instead of guitar.[1]
Green Day began the recording process for21st Century Breakdown in January 2008.[7] Later that year, it was confirmed that the band worked with producer Butch Vig.[8] The album was recorded with Vig throughout 2008 and into early 2009 at four locations in California:Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, Studio 880 in Oakland, Jel Studios inNewport Beach, and Costa Mesa Studios inCosta Mesa.[9] While recording in Hollywood, the band members bought cheapturntables fromAmoeba Music and listened to manyvinyl records for inspiration, including albums byThe Beat andThe Plimsouls.[10] Armstrong cited as inspiration the music ofThe Kinks'Ray Davies,The Pretty Things'S.F. Sorrow,The Doors'The Doors andStrange Days, andMeat Loaf'sBat Out of Hell.[10] DrummerTré Cool noted the influence ofEddie Cochran andThe Creation on Armstrong's writing.[10]David Bowie is credited as a songwriter on the song "21 Guns" to avoid a potential plagiarism lawsuit, as the melody of the chorus is similar to the Bowie-penned "All the Young Dudes".[11]
While writing at his home studio, Armstrong worked on acover ofThe Who's 1966 mini-opera "A Quick One, While He's Away"; Green Day recorded a full-band version of the song during the album sessions.[12] Vig noted that frustrations would sometimes cause delays in the recording process for21st Century Breakdown.[2] Armstrong kept his lyrics closely guarded and intentionally mixed his demos so that the vocals were low in the mix and thus unintelligible to the other band members.[10] It was not until late 2008 that he chose to share his words with Cool, Vig, and bassistMike Dirnt by sitting down with them and reading the entire album's lyrics aloud in order.[10] The band members made the finishing touches on the album in early April 2009 and claimed that its release would lead to a "kind of...post-partum depression".[13]
I look at Christian and Gloria, and it's me. Gloria is one side: this person trying to hold on to this sense of belief, still trying to do good. Whereas Christian is deep into his own demons and victimizing himself over that.[10]
21st Century Breakdown continues the rock opera style of its predecessor,American Idiot.[14] The album is set inDetroit,Michigan and is divided into three acts: "Heroes and Cons", "Charlatans and Saints", and "Horseshoes and Handgrenades".[15] Its loose narrative follows a young couple named Christian and Gloria through the challenges present in the U.S. following thepresidency of George W. Bush.[16] Bassist Mike Dirnt has compared the relationships between the songs to those inBruce Springsteen'sBorn to Run, saying that the themes are not as tightly interwoven as in aconcept album, but that they are still connected.[17] Many of the record's themes and lyrics are drawn from Armstrong's personal life and he sings in thefirst-person narrative style about abandonment and vengeance in "Before the Lobotomy", "Christian's Inferno", and "Peacemaker".[10]Rolling Stone noted that the album is "the most personal, emotionally convulsive record Armstrong has ever written".[10]
The title track's opening lyric "Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell" references Armstrong's birth year of 1972, while "We are the class of '13" references the fact that his eldest son, Joseph, would graduate from high school in 2013.[10] Dirnt has expressed his belief that "Last of the American Girls" was written about Armstrong's wife Adrienne, who he claimed is steadfast in her beliefs and assertively defends them, as is the topic of the girl in the record.[10] Armstrong has cited his "disconnected" childhood—he was raised by his five older siblings after their father's death, while their mother worked graveyard shifts as a waitress—as the roots of the discontent expressed on21st Century Breakdown.[10] "East Jesus Nowhere" rebukesfundamentalist religion and was written after Armstrong attended a church service where a friend's baby was baptized.[10]
Musically,21st Century Breakdown is similar to thepunk rock style ofAmerican Idiot,[18][19] but many critics have claimed that Green Day's traditional sound has evolved in the five years, with21st Century Breakdown incorporating new influences such as heavier, louderpop rock andarena rock on an epic scale.[20][21] Rob Sheffield ofRolling Stone indicated that the album provides ballads that are Green Day's most polished; he claimed that the band "combine punk-thrash with their newfound love ofclassic-rock grandiosity".[18]MTV compared the material to that of classic rockers likeThe Who,[22] whileSpin called the title track "Green Day's most epic song yet".[23] Cool has remarked: "It's important to us that we're still looked at as a punk band. It was our religion, our higher education". However, he also noted that Armstrong had delved into the past in writing21st Century Breakdown, gleaning inspiration from the artists who shaped rock music.[10] Armstrong himself has stated: "Ground zero for me is still punk rock. I like painting an ugly picture. I get something uplifting out of singing some of the most horrifying shit you can sing about. It's just my DNA."[10]
With a running time of almost 70 minutes,21st Century Breakdown is Green Day's longest album to date.
Critics have labeled21st Century Breakdown aspop-punk,[24][25][26]punk rock,[18][17]power pop,[27][28]arena rock,[29][21]post-punk,[30]alternative rock,[31] andpop rock.[20] Additionally,Loudwire stated that the album representedscene music.[32]
Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006. The writing and recording process spanned three years and four California recording studios, and it was finished in March 2009. On February 9, 2009, Green Day announced the album title and that the record would be split into three acts: "Heroes and Cons", "Charlatans and Saints", and "Horseshoes and Handgrenades".[33] On March 17, ateaser trailer for21st Century Breakdown was posted on the band's website.[34] The international release date of May 15 was announced on March 25.[35] In early April 2009, Green Day premiered "Know Your Enemy" on television; a portion of the song was used as introductory music to the 2009 NCAA men's basketball tournament championship game.[36] The band first performed21st Century Breakdown in full during a string of California club shows in April 2009.[37][38] At each show, concertgoers were given programs containing all of the album's lyrics.[38] The first single, "Know Your Enemy", was released on April 16, 2009,[39] and soon after the world premiere of the song's music video occurred on April 24 on theMTV UK website.[40]
21st Century Breakdown was released internationally on May 15, 2009, through Reprise Records.[41] The special editionvinyl version was limited to 3,000 copies and consisted of three 10" records, one for each of the album's "acts", a CD copy of the album, a 60-page art booklet, and a code for thedigital download of the full album.[42][43] The album artwork process was led by Chris Bilheimer and is based on a work from artist Sixten, who confirmed that the couple on the cover were "just friends of a friend at a party inEskilstuna, Sweden" and explained that a mutual friend snapped a picture of the pair kissing.[44] He added: "I love their passion, and just had to make astencil out of it to spread the love."[44] The cover art was noted for a marked similarity with that ofBlur's 2003 albumThink Tank, itself a stencil by artistBanksy, except that one had the couple wearing diving helmets.[45] Green Day showcased a collection of similarly themed art, called "The Art of Rock", at an art exhibition in London between October 23 and November 1, 2009.[46] The "kissing couple" on the cover later was re-created in the music video for "21 Guns".
The record debuted at number one on theBillboard 200 in the U.S., where it sold 215,000 copies in its first week, which was a shortened three days. In its second week, 21st Century Breakdown moved an additional 166,000 copies, sliding to number 2. In its third week, it sold 76,000 copies. 21st Century Breakdown slid down to number five in its fourth week but achieved the coveted Gold status for sales of 500,000 copies in the same week.[47] The album remained at number one on theBillboard Top Rock Albums chart for three weeks.[48] In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at No. 1, selling 79,770 copies in its first week and it has sold over 600,000 copies to date.[49] In Canada, the album debuted at No. 1 on theCanadian Albums Chart, selling 30,000 copies in its first week.[50] The album debuted at the top of sales charts in twenty four total countries,[47] including a peak of number one on the European Top 100 Albums.[51]21st Century Breakdown was only released in aParental Advisory version containing explicit lyrics and content;Walmart refuses to sell albums with a Parental Advisory sticker and requested that Green Day release a censored edition. The band members responded by stating: "There's nothing dirty about our record... They want artists to censor their records in order to be carried in there. We just said no. We've never done it before. You feel like you're in 1953 or something."[52] The second single, "21 Guns", was released to radio stations on May 25.[53] The band embarked on a world tour in July 2009; the North American leg lasted through September and the European leg ended in November.[37] "East Jesus Nowhere" was released as the album's third single on October 19, 2009.[54][55]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 5.4/10[56] |
| Metacritic | 70/100[57] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [58] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[25] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[59] |
| The Guardian | [21] |
| Los Angeles Times | [60] |
| MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | C[61] |
| NME | [30] |
| Pitchfork | 4.8/10[31] |
| Rolling Stone | [18] |
| Spin | [62] |
Reception to21st Century Breakdown has been generally favorable, according to aggregating websiteMetacritic, which reported a rating of 70/100 based on 30 critical reviews.[57] Dan Silver ofThe Observer awarded the record four stars out of five and likened it to bothBruce Springsteen's music and theavant-garde writing ofChuck Palahniuk.[63]Rolling Stone'sDavid Fricke called21st Century Breakdown "a compound bomb of classic-rock ecstasy, no-mercy punk assault and pop-song wiles; it's likeThe Clash'sLondon Calling, The Who'sQuadrophenia andHüsker Dü'sZen Arcade all compressed into 18 songs".[2] Dan Cairns ofThe Times concluded: "Lyrically, it may succeed in capturing the contradictions, vulnerabilities and longing for harmony that thrum through Armstrong, Dirnt and Cool, their country, and humanity as a whole. But its real triumph, in an age of trimming, of market testing, of self-censorship and lowest common denominators, is not simply to aim insanely high, but to make it to the summit."[64]
Criticism centered on the concept of the record;BBC's Chris Jones said that it is "griping vaguely against 'authority'" and that "too many buzz words obscure incisive meaning".[65] Steve Kandell ofSpin wrote that the humor ofAmerican Idiot was "sorely missed" and that the energy of the album seemed "directionless".[62]The Guardian'sAlexis Petridis indicated that "the storyline becomes impossible to follow".[21]Robert Christgau ofMSN Music panned the album, reserving particular distaste for the multiple songs that heavily utilizedynamics, before concluding, "I don't like right-wing Christianists either. But as every oppressed teen in the right-wing orbit knows full well, they're not as garbled and simplistic as Armstrong's anthems insist."[61] Adam Downer ofSputnikmusic was even less receptive, calling the album "more conceptually vague/ridiculous thanAmerican Idiot", and going on to say that it "spirals out of control in its own heroic glory and never regains focus, thus ending with a product that Green Day couldn't afford to produce: an average record".[66]Slant Magazine claims that "an uncanny sense of familiarity hangs over too much of the album. The melodies of several tracks suggest ghosts of older Green Day songs."[26] Kyle Ryan atThe A.V. Club gave the album a B+, noting it as "going [even] bolder" thanAmerican Idiot. Ryan also declared "21st Century Breakdown reinforces whatAmerican Idiot first revealed: Green Day should never be underestimated."[25]
In 2023, Paul Brannigan ofLouder included the album on his list of "10 terrible punk albums with one classic song", stating the opinion that the lead single was the album's only good track. He wrote: "Green Day aimed to make anotherBig Statement, but choked on their own ambition, delivering an over-long three act collection sagging with overblown, relentlessly mediocre material."[67]
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling Stone | United States | Best Albums of 2009[68] | 2009 | 5 |
| Kerrang! | United Kingdom | Reader's Choice: Best 50 Albums of the 21st Century[69] | 2009 | 17 |
| Rhapsody | United States | The 25 Best Albums of 2009[70] | 2009 | 16 |
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Grammy Awards | Best Rock Album | Won |
| Teen Choice Awards | Music Album Group | Nominated | |
| TMF Awards | Best International Album | ||
| Kerrang! Awards | Best Album | ||
| 2010 | MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Album of the Year | |
| NME Awards | Best Album | ||
| Worst Album |
All lyrics are written byBillie Joe Armstrong; all music is composed byGreen Day; "21 Guns" creditsDavid Bowie as additional songwriter.[11]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Song of the Century" | 0:57 |
| 2. | "21st Century Breakdown" | 5:09 |
| 3. | "Know Your Enemy" | 3:11 |
| 4. | "¡Viva la Gloria!" | 3:31 |
| 5. | "Before the Lobotomy" | 4:37 |
| 6. | "Christian's Inferno" | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Last Night on Earth" | 3:56 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 8. | "East Jesus Nowhere" | 4:35 |
| 9. | "Peacemaker" | 3:24 |
| 10. | "Last of the American Girls" | 3:51 |
| 11. | "Murder City" | 2:54 |
| 12. | "¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl)" | 3:48 |
| 13. | "Restless Heart Syndrome" | 4:21 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" | 3:14 |
| 15. | "The Static Age" | 4:16 |
| 16. | "21 Guns" | 5:21 |
| 17. | "American Eulogy" (A. "Mass Hysteria" / B. "Modern World") | 4:26 |
| 18. | "See the Light" | 4:35 |
| Total length: | 69:17 | |
All lyrics are written by Billie Joe Armstrong; all music is composed by Green Day, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 19. | "Burnout" (Live in St. Petersburg, FL at Jannus Landing on March 11, 1994) | 2:21 |
| Total length: | 71:34 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19. | "A Quick One, While He's Away" (originally performed byThe Who) | Pete Townshend | 7:59 |
| 20. | "Another State of Mind" (originally performed bySocial Distortion) | Mike Ness | 2:46 |
| Total length: | 79:18 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21. | "That's All Right" (originally performed byElvis Presley) | Arthur Crudup | 2:01 |
| 22. | "Like a Rolling Stone" (originally performed byBob Dylan) | Bob Dylan | 6:10 |
| Total length: | 87:29 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 19. | "Lights Out" | 2:16 |
| Total length: | 71:25 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 19. | "Know Your Enemy" (live) | 4:47 |
| 20. | "The Static Age" (live) | 4:30 |
| Total length: | 77:90 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "American Idiot" (live) | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Jesus of Suburbia" (live) | 9:22 |
| 3. | "Holiday" (live) | 4:34 |
| 4. | "Are We the Waiting" (live) | 2:49 |
| 5. | "St. Jimmy" (live) | 2:58 |
| 6. | "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (live) | 4:41 |
| Total length: | 29:08 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Know Your Enemy" (live at Abbey Road) | 3:08 |
| 2. | "East Jesus Nowhere" (live at Abbey Road) | 4:17 |
| 3. | "St. Jimmy" (live at Abbey Road) | 2:53 |
| 4. | "21 Guns" (live at Abbey Road) | 5:32 |
| 5. | "American Idiot" (live at Abbey Road) | 3:48 |
| 6. | "Know Your Enemy" (music video) | 3:13 |
| 7. | "21 Guns" (music video) | 5:25 |
| 8. | "21st Century Breakdown" (music video) | 4:49 |
Credits taken from21st Century Breakdown liner notes.[71] Green Day
Additional musicians | Production
Artwork
|
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | May 15, 2009 | Warner Music | Digital download | — |
| United States | Reprise | CD,double LP | 517153[58] | |
| United Kingdom | Warner Music | CD | 9362-49802-1[72] | |
| Europe | ||||
| Australia | 9362498021[73] | |||
| Deluxe CD | 9362497777[73] | |||
| May 29, 2009 | LP | 9362497853[73] | ||
| Japan | May 15, 2009 | Warner Music Japan | CD | WPCR-13377[74] |
| January 20, 2010[75] | CD+DVD (Japan Tour Edition) | WPZR-30361 | ||
| July 11, 2012[76] | CD (Japan Edition) | WPCR-75691 | ||
| September 26, 2012[77] | SHM-CD | WPCR-14540 |
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF)[133] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| Australia (ARIA)[134] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[135] | Platinum | 20,000* |
| Belgium (BRMA)[136] | Gold | 15,000* |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[137] | Gold | 30,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[138] | 2× Platinum | 160,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[139] | Platinum | 30,000^ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[140] | Gold | 16,386[140] |
| France (SNEP)[141] | Platinum | 100,000* |
| GCC (IFPI Middle East)[142] | Platinum | 6,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[143] | 3× Gold | 300,000^ |
| Ireland (IRMA)[144] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI)[145] | Platinum | 70,000* |
| Japan (RIAJ)[146] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[147] | 2× Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[148] | Gold | 15,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[149] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[150] | Platinum | 30,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[151] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[153] | Platinum | 1,050,000[152] |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[154] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
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