Father of All Motherfuckers
Father of All Motherfuckers (also known by the censored title Father of All... or Father of All M***********s[1]) is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 7, 2020, through Reprise Records.[2][3] Produced by Butch Walker, Chris Dugan, and the band, the album marks a complete departure from the band's traditional punk rock sound,[4][5][6] incorporating garage rock elements similar to their tenth studio album, ¡Dos!.
"Father of All..." redirects here. For the album's title track, see Father of All... (song).Father of All Motherfuckers
The album was preceded by three singles: "Father of All...", "Fire, Ready, Aim" and "Oh Yeah!". It debuted atop the UK Albums Chart and Australian ARIA Albums Chart, among others. Despite chart success, the album received polarized reviews from critics and negative reviews from the band's fanbase,[7] with praise for the album's brisk pace and energy, but criticism for its lyrics and runtime.
Background[edit]
On December 9, 2018, lead vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong revealed that he was writing new songs for an upcoming Green Day album.[8] As recording sessions for the album took place, the band had recorded sixteen songs. However, the band found it difficult to string together all 16 tracks, so they narrowed it down to the ten tracks they felt were the best to make the final cut.
According to Armstrong, the band wanted to make a "sort of old-timey rock 'n' roll record that traces the history of rock 'n' roll". He stated that the album was inspired by glam rock acts such as "T. Rex or Mott the Hoople, to Martha and the Vandellas, and also some garage rock." "'Father of All...' feels like it's somewhere in between Prince and MC5," Armstrong said.[9]
Singles and promotion[edit]
The album's lead single and title track, "Father of All...", was released on September 10, 2019.[16] A music video was released on September 19.[17] "Fire, Ready, Aim", was released on October 9 as the official opening theme song for the National Hockey League and NBCSN's Wednesday Night Hockey television broadcasts and as the album's second single.[18][19] NBCSN also uses "Father of All...", usually during highlights from previous games for the two teams playing on Wednesday Night Hockey.
The album's third single,[20] "Oh Yeah!", was released on January 16, 2020, along with a music video.[21] The song takes its title and samples the chorus from Joan Jett's cover of "Do You Wanna Touch Me", originally sung by Gary Glitter. Acknowledging the latter's sexual abuse history and multiple convictions, the band mentioned they would donate their royalties from the sales of "Oh Yeah!" to International Justice Mission and Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.[22] The song was used as one of the official theme songs for the 2020 edition of the WWE PPV, Backlash.
At the same time as the album's release on digital platforms, a music video for the song "Meet Me on the Roof" was released, featuring Gaten Matarazzo as a guest star.[23]
To promote the album, the band announced the Hella Mega Tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer.[24] Initially planned for March 2020, the tour began on July 24, 2021 following the cancellation of shows in Asia and Oceania, and delays to the North American and European dates due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[25][26][27][28]
Commercial performance[edit]
Father of All Motherfuckers debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with 48,000 album-equivalent units, including 42,000 pure album sales. It is Green Day's 11th US top-10 album.[43]