15.
Green Day
21st Century Breakdown

A really strong offering from the pop-punk stalwarts and for my money their best album since Nimrod, way back in 1997. I know everyone loved American Idiot, but I was never that keen. For me, 21st Century Breakdown takes the formula of American Idiot – a more ‘holistic’ approach to a pop-punk record, with overarching themes and seamless transitions between the songs (claims that it was a ‘punk-opera’ or ‘concept album’ were overblown, but still), and then added what was missing from that record: top quality songs. 21st Century Breakdown comes across very much as American Idiot II, but it is superior in every way that matters. The energy of their earlier albums is back (‘Christians Inferno’ kicks ass, and would sit very comfortably on Nimrod). The lyrics still have a slightly political slant, but are less preachy than those on American Idiot (I basically want fart jokes from Green Day – there are too many other bands that do political songwriting better, and their half-assed musings on Bush-era America can be embarrassing). Ok, so 21st Century Breakdown is not gonna win any awards for originality – it’s a pop-punk album, after all – but it’s great to have Green Day back producing really fun songs to dance around to after a couple of weaker albums.