Green Day began the 1990s as a trio of snot-nosed Bay Area-punks, but they ended it as one of the biggest rock bands in the world, with three consecutive multi-platinum albums (led by the mega-smash 1994 effort Dookie), a string of hit singles (including the prom-dance staple Good Riddance [Time of Your Life]) and numerous sold-out tours.
But at the dawn of the new millennium the band was at a crossroads. Their 2000 effort, Warning, which saw them move in a more pop- and folk-influenced direction, was, at least for Green Day, a commercial disappointment – in part due to an unenthusiastic response from fans, and also the fact that its songs leaked onto Napster weeks before its release.
