Revolution Radio

Revolution Radio
The album cover features a boombox that has been set on fire and is burning.
Studio album by
Green Day
ReleasedOctober 7, 2016 (2016-10-07)
Recorded2015–2016[1]
StudioOTIS (Oakland, California, US)
Genre
Length44:40
LabelReprise
ProducerGreen Day
Green Day chronology
Demolicious
(2014) 		Revolution Radio
(2016) 		Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band
(2017)
Singles from Revolution Radio
  1. "Bang Bang"
    Released: August 11, 2016
  2. "Revolution Radio"
    Released: September 9, 2016
  3. "Still Breathing"
    Released: September 23, 2016

Revolution Radio is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 7, 2016 through Reprise Records.[2] A self-produced effort, it marked their first release since 2009's 21st Century Breakdown not to be produced by longtime producer Rob Cavallo. It is also their first release since that album to be recorded as a trio. Green Day's previous three albums ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! featured touring guitarist Jason White temporarily joining the band in the studio.[3][4]

Three singles were released from the album; "Bang Bang", "Revolution Radio", and "Still Breathing". The album received generally positive reviews from music critics,[5] appeared on multiple year-end lists, and sold 95,000 first-week album-equivalent units in the US to debut at number one on the Billboard 200.[6] Revolution Radio also debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Canada, and New Zealand.

Background and composition

[edit]

Work on what would become Revolution Radio began in 2014, following the 99 Revolutions Tour,[7] in support of ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! (2012).

After acknowledging that the trilogy of albums had "absolutely no direction to them" and were an attempt at being "prolific for the sake of it", lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong claimed that the record is "not so much a makeover as a make under."[8] The lead single, "Bang Bang", described by Armstrong is about "the culture of mass shooting that happens in America mixed with narcissistic social media."[7]

The album's lead single, "Bang Bang", premiered on August 11, 2016. Prior to the album's release, its title track, "Revolution Radio", and "Still Breathing" were released on September 9 and September 23, respectively. On the album's release date, the official lyric video for "Youngblood" was uploaded on the band's website. On October 12, a lyric video for the song "Ordinary World" was released. On October 19, another lyric video was released, for the song "Say Goodbye". On November 7, a music video was released for "Still Breathing". On January 16, a lyric video was released for "Troubled Times". On September 8, a lyric video for the song "Too Dumb to Die" was released. The album's final track "Ordinary World" was featured in the 2016 film of the same name, which starred Armstrong. On December 13, 2018, an official music video for "Youngblood" was released with the caption "Merry Xmas 2018" on the band's YouTube channel.[9]

Professional reviewers describe the album as punk rock,[10][11][12][13] pop-punk,[11][14] and alternative rock.[11][15]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Alternative Press[17]
The Guardian[18]
Kerrang![5]
Mojo[19]
NME[20]
Pitchfork5.1/10[21]
Q[22]
Rolling Stone[10]
Slant Magazine[23]
Uncut[24]

Revolution Radio received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 72 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" based on 29 reviews.[5]

Aaron Burgess at Alternative Press observed, "It's the first time in years Green Day haven't had all the answers. But as a statement on how it really feels to fight, it's the closest to the truth they've ever gotten."[17] Gwilym Mumford of The Guardian stated "[after their last few albums] the band have decided to get back to basics: Revolution Radio is their most focused work in years. Lead single Bang Bang sets the tone, with a caustic consideration of the fame-hungry psychosis of a mass shooter."[18]

Accolades

[edit]
Publication Accolade Year Rank
Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
15[25]
NME NME's Albums of the Year 2016 2016
39[26]
Radio X The 25 Best Albums of 2016 2016
14[27]
Kerrang! 2016 – The Ultimate Rock Review, Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
1

Commercial performance

[edit]

Revolution Radio debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 95,000 album-equivalent units, of which 90,000 were album sales.[28] The album also debuted at number one in the UK,[29] Ireland,[30] Italy,[31] and New Zealand.[32] The album had first-week units of 30,880 in the UK, 29,470 of which were from album sales.[33] The album charted at number 10 in the US in its second week with 21,000 units.[34] The album sold 118,000 copies in the first three weeks in the US.[35]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics written by Billie Joe Armstrong; all music composed by Green Day, except where noted.

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Somewhere Now" 4:08
2."Bang Bang" 3:25
3."Revolution Radio" 3:00
4."Say Goodbye" 3:39
5."Outlaws"
5:02
6."Bouncing off the Wall" 2:40
7."Still Breathing"
3:44
8."Youngblood" 2:32
9."Too Dumb to Die" 3:23
10."Troubled Times" 3:04
11."Forever Now"
  • I. "I'm Freaking Out"
  • II. "A Better Way to Die"
  • III. "Somewhere Now (Reprise)"
 6:52
  • 1:57
  • 1:47
  • 3:08
    • 12."Ordinary World"Billie Joe Armstrong3:00
    Total length:44:29
    Japanese edition bonus track[36]
    No.TitleLength
    13."Letterbomb" (live at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, California; September 2, 2010)4:34
    Total length:49:03

    Personnel

    [edit]

    Green Day

    Additional musicians

    Production

    Art work

    • Nick Spanos – cover photo
    • Frank Maddocks – creative direction, photography, design

    Managerial

    • Pat Magnarella – management

    Charts

    [edit]

    Certifications and sales

    [edit]
    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    Italy (FIMI)[75] Gold 25,000‡
    United Kingdom (BPI)[76] Gold 100,000‡
    United States — 118,000[35]
    Summaries
    Worldwide — 600,000[77]

    ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

    References

    [edit]
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