Dookie
Dookie is the third studio album and major-label debut by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's major label debut and first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in late summer 1993 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. Written mostly by frontman and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, the album is largely based on his personal experiences and includes themes such as boredom, anxiety, relationships, and sexuality. It was promoted with four singles: "Longview", "Basket Case", a re-recorded version of "Welcome to Paradise" (which originally appeared on the band's second studio album, 1991's Kerplunk), and "When I Come Around".
For other uses, see Dookie (disambiguation).Dookie
After several years of grunge's dominance in popular music, Dookie brought a livelier, more melodic rock sound to the mainstream and propelled Green Day to worldwide fame. Considered one of the defining albums of the 1990s and of punk rock in general, it was also pivotal in solidifying the genre's mainstream popularity. Its influence continued into the new millennium and beyond, being cited as an inspiration by many punk and pop-punk bands as well as artists from other genres.
Dookie received critical acclaim upon its release, although some early fans called the band a sellout for leaving its independent label (Lookout! Records) and embracing a more polished sound. The record won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album in 1995. It was a worldwide success, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 in the United States and reaching top ten positions in several other countries. Dookie was later certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, making it the band's best-selling album and one of the best-selling albums of all time. It has been labeled by critics and journalists as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s and one of the greatest punk rock and pop-punk albums of all time. Rolling Stone placed Dookie on three iterations of its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list,[1] and at number 1 on its "50 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums" list.[2] In 2024, the album was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3]
Release[edit]
While rehearsing in the house they rented in Berkeley at the end of 1993 in anticipation of a tour for Dookie,[19] the band was invited to the Warner offices in Los Angeles to discuss the marketing strategy around the album with Weiss. The latter expected to meet three scornful young men with reputations in punk music, when in reality the band members were intimidated to even be invited to the meeting. They discussed the first single, "Longview", as well as projected goals for the album's sales: Cavallo hoped to sell at least 200,000 units, while Cool looked higher toward 500,000.[54] Demand was well underestimated; when Dookie was released on February 1, 1994, the album's first 9,000 produced copies quickly sold out.[53][55] "Longview" was released as the album's lead single simultaneously with the album.[56] Despite promising demand from the quick depletion of the album's initial supply, it initially resulted in modest total sales as strategies were adjusted to meet demand, and only after the music video for "Longview" debuted on MTV on February 22 did the album begin to attract stronger attention, first entering the Billboard 200 rankings at number 127.[53]
In March, the group made appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Jon Stewart Show and 120 Minutes on MTV.[53][57] Sales for Dookie rose greatly following these performances, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 in the United States.[13] The record became an international success as well; the album peaked in the top ten of the German,[58] Finnish,[59] Norwegian,[60] Dutch,[61] Swedish,[62] and Swiss[63] charts, while it topped the Australian,[64] Canadian,[65] and New Zealand charts.[66] By June 14, Dookie was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States.[67] That month, an issue of Time hailed the album as a work creating an impact comparable to Nirvana's Nevermind (1991).[57]
On August 1, "Basket Case" was released as the album's second single.[68] The song's music video quickly became an MTV staple.[69][57] The following month, "Longview" was nominated in three categories at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. Green Day performed the unreleased song "Armatage Shanks" at the ceremony, which would later appear on their following album Insomniac (1995), but did not win any of the categories which they were nominated for.[70][71] In October, Warner proposed "Welcome to Paradise" to be the third single, noting potential to make good sales. However, Armstrong refused because the song evoked a part of his life and he did not feel capable of promoting it with a music video. The song was ultimately only broadcast on the radio domestically, being met with great success despite not being sold to the public.[72] An exclusive United Kingdom single release for the song did proceed on October 17.[73] Near the end of 1994, Don Pardo invited the band to perform on Saturday Night Live.[57]
Ahead of the 37th Annual Grammy Awards, "When I Come Around" was released to radio as the album's final single in December 1994.[74] The band had been nominated in four Grammy Award categories: Best Alternative Music Album, Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal with "Basket Case", and Best Hard Rock Performance with "Longview". They won only the former of the categories.[75] In the meantime, "When I Come Around" had been quickly climbing the charts; it held the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Chart for seven weeks and peaked at number six of the Hot 100 Airplay chart,[76][77] becoming the band's most successful single from the album.[47] Throughout the 1990s, Dookie continued to sell well, eventually receiving diamond certification from the RIAA in 1999, signifying ten million copies sold.[67] By 2014, Dookie had sold over 20 million copies worldwide and remains the band's best-selling album.[78][79]
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