Happy Anniversary, Green Day, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”

12 years ago today, Green Day released the second single from 2004’s AMERICAN IDIOT album, a song which would find its way into the top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic and ultimately be named the #1 song on Rolling Stone’s 2009 Reader’s Choice poll for Singles of the Decade.

A collaborative effort between Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” appears on the AMERICAN IDIOT album as a medley with the song “Holiday,” but it was broken apart and released independently as a single. As fine a song as “Holiday” might be, it was definitely the right decision to leave it on the sidelines in this instance, as “Boulevard” hit #5 in the UK, #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the Mainstream Rock and Alternative Songs charts while also topping the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40.

That said, the one-two punch of “Holiday” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” actually sort of paid off for Green Day in the long run: the band made videos for both songs, maintaining a single storyline between the two of them, with the final few songs of “Holiday” kicking off the “Boulevard” video. Check them out the next time you can. It’s pretty cool.