Green Day started out as a scrappy, melodic punk band in the late '80s, slowly building a cult audience thanks to a string of indie albums full of caffeinated riffs and catchy hooks. In 1994, they had an unexpected multi-platinum smash with their third album, Dookie, and over the decades that followed, became the godfathers of modern pop-punk, inspiring countless bands. Green Day also grew increasingly ambitious, releasing the critically acclaimed concept album American Idiot in 2004, but they never lost the sarcastic, relatable edge that first made them underground heroes.