Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown

Green Day's eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, was released on May 15, 2009. It was the followup to their hugely successful rock opera American Idiot, which had come out five years prior. Given the circumstances, Green Day was on an impossible mission to top themselves, and they did that with a second ambitious rock opera, this time divided into three acts. 21st Century Breakdown's 18 songs tell a political story of Christian and Gloria. The first single, "Know Your Enemy," was released on April 16th. The second single, "21 Guns," was the biggest hit of the era. The ballad was released on May 25th, peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was nominated for a Grammy. The third single and fan favorite, "East Jesus Nowhere," was released October 19th; it was followed by "21st Century Breakdown" on December 21st. The final single was "Last Of The American Girls" on March 22, 2010.  

21st Century Breakdown was an ambitious rock opera that pushed the musical boundaries even more than American Idiot. Green Day incorporated piano and use of Billie Joe's falsetto register, and had more variety in instrumentation and songwriting. Highlights on the album include "East Jesus Nowhere," "Peacemaker," "¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)," "Restless Heart Syndrome," "21 Guns," "Last Night On Earth," and "Before The Lobotomy."