Photo credit: Green Da y
Just over a year since their last album, “Revolution Radio,” was released, punk rockers Green Day have come out with a compilation of their greatest hits, spanning an almost 30-year career. It features songs from their first studio album, “Kerplunk!,” all the way to “Revolution Radio.”

On Oct. 12, the band posted a picture of the new album cover along with a track list on their Instagram and Twitter with the caption, “From God’s Favorite Band to the world’s best fans, Christmas comes early. November 17 worldwide‬ #Blessed – Billie, Mike and Tré.”

The art is creative and fits with the theme of Green Day being “God’s Favorite Band.” They are pictured in front of a stained-glass window, as if in a church. The window features symbols and pictures from each album they pulled songs from. On the right are “¡Uno!” and “Dookie” with the trademark heart-shaped hand grenade from “American Idiot” at the top with “Warning” next to it. The flaming radio from “Revolution Radio” is in the center. “Insomniac” and “Nimrod” are top left, followed by “Kerplunk!” and “21st Century Breakdown.”

Twenty-two songs are included, with almost a quarter from their highest-selling album, “Dookie,” and another fifth from “American Idiot.” The remaining albums have one or two songs included, plus a cover and one new release.   

Many fans have voiced the opinion that since “International Superhits!,” Green Day’s original greatest hits, covered the band’s career from “Dookie” to “Warning,” “God’s Favorite Band” should only include songs from “American Idiot” and forward. All the songs from “Dookie” previously on “Superhits!” were included in the compilation, while all but one or two of the songs from other albums were cut to make room for newer songs, making it seem slightly repetitive.

Both “Back In The USA” and “Ordinary World (feat. Miranda Lambert)” were previously unreleased. “Back In The USA” adds more of Green Day’s signature punky protest sound with lines like “Let freedom ring with all the crazies on parade/Let them eat poison and it tastes like lemonade.” The new cover of the “Revolution Radio” closing track on the other hand, adds a sense of longing and a more somber, mellow tone.

Overall, the album is a definite hit. From the ambitious title showing the band’s disregard for political correctness to the songs that span their decades-long career, it showcases Green Day’s talent and proves the band is still as strong as ever.