- Photos | 2010 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Presenters
- Wyclef Jean, Billie Joe Armstrong Among Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Presenters
Phish's Trey Anastasio, E Street Band guitarist 'Little' Steven Van Zandt will also honor this year's inductees.
By Ryan J. Downey
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong — one of the most commercially successful punk-rock bandleaders in history — will have a chance to honor one of his genre's pioneers when he pays tribute to the Stooges at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, set for March 15.
Billie Joe will be joined by Phish's Trey Anastasio, who will welcome Genesis, according to Rolling Stone. The ceremony will take place at New York's Waldorf-Astoria. Wyclef Jean will be on hand to induct reggae icon Jimmy Cliff. E Street Band guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt, equally well known as Sil from "The Sopranos" and respected as a curator and connoisseur of garage rock, will lavish praise on the Hollies.
The Bee Gees' Barry and Robin Gibb will be there to talk about their '70s pop contemporaries in ABBA. Record executive David Geffen will be honored by Jackson Browne, whose debut album was also the first release for the impresario's Asylum Records. Carole King will induct this year's group of songwriters.
Former frontman-turned-solo artist Peter Gabriel will reportedly not take part in the Genesis induction. Last year, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea inducted Metallica, who invited former bass player Jason Newsted to perform with them. It was a decided effort to avoid the train wreck of the Van Halen induction, where only former members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony showed up for the ceremony.
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- Green Day - 21 Guns
- 'American Idiot' Cast Calls Grammy Set With Green Day 'Amazing'
'This is the first time something like this has ever been presented on the Grammy stage,' director Michael Mayer says.
By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway
"American Idiot" director Michael Mayer
Photo: MTV News
At Sunday night's Grammy Awards, Green Day gave fans a taste of what they can expect on the upcoming Broadway run of their "American Idiot" musical, performing their anthem "21 Guns" with the full cast.
But before the Grammy telecast even began, those same cast members were on the red carpet, talking up the finer points of the musical, which first opened in Berkeley, California, last year. And by all accounts, it sounds like it's going to be a very big show indeed.
"To do a punk-rock opera, there's something so visceral and exciting about it, and while you get in traditional musical theater, this is something completely different," Mary Faber, who plays Heather, told MTV News. "A lot of people are comment on how exciting it is to hear female voices singing these songs. It's really, really exciting."
Director Michael Mayer — who won a Tony for his work on the Broadway smash "Spring Awakening" — added that the "Idiot" musical (which opens at New York's St. James Theatre on March 24) is shaping up to be a decidedly ambitious undertaking, one that takes the sprawling saga of Green Day's hit album and stretches it out on the stage.
"It's like a rock opera, so we basically staged the whole album, with a few songs from 21st Century Breakdown too," Mayer said, referring to the band's latest album, which won the Best Rock Album Grammy on Sunday. "So there's a story: It's about a generation of Americans looking for meaning in a post-9/11 world, with the rocking, amazing songs of Green Day. It's perfect."
And while the whole cast was excited for the big debut on March 24, they were practically hyperventilating about performing "21 Guns" with the band during the Grammy telecast. After all, they were about to make history.
"This is the first time something like this has ever been presented on the Grammy stage," Mayer enthused. "It's unprecedented. And amazing."
The 2010 Grammy Awards may be over, but MTV News will have much, much more from the show, including reports on your favorite nominees, party photos, behind-the-scenes video and much more from the big show!
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- Green Day Say Grammy Win Came At The 'Sweetest Time'
'Putting out 21st Century Breakdown and getting recognized for it and all the success that it's had, it feels really great,' Billie Joe Armstrong tells MTV News.
By Gil Kaufman
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt perform at the 2010 Grammy Awards
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
Green Day have been here before. But after winning Best Rock Album at the 2010 Grammy Awards for 21st Century Breakdown, singer Billie Joe Armstrong said this victory was even better than the first time.
"I have to say that this is the sweetest time ... I think just the pressure coming off American Idiot," he said, referring to the first time the veteran punk band took home the honor, for their 2004 concept album. "Then putting out 21st Century Breakdown and getting recognized for it and all the success that it's had, it feels really great."
Armstrong also raved about Lady Gaga's performance with Elton John, which opened Sunday night's Grammy show.
The trio had a rock summit in the press area with Record of the Year winners Kings of Leon, whose three victories made Green Day feel good about the modern state of rock. The members of the groups exchanged handshakes and good wishes in a passing of the torch from one former wild-child act to the next.
"I thinks it's pretty exciting that Kings of Leon won," bassist Mike Dirnt said. "It's good for rock and roll."
As usual, Armstrong said, the band is working on new material, but there's no timetable yet for the follow-up to Breakdown.
"We're always writing songs all the time, but we don't know what, when or where a record's gonna come out. But a couple years down the line, it's gonna get real serious."
As for what's next tonight, drummer Tre Cool was overheard saying, "Drinks."
Stick with MTV News for our coverage of the 2010 Grammy Awards! We'll have reports on your favorite nominees, party photos, behind-the-scenes video and much more from the big show!
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- Green Day Preview American Idiot Musical At Grammys
With '21 Guns,' the guys give a taste of the Michael Mayer-directed Broadway show, opening in April.
By Eric Ditzian
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong performs with the cast of "American Idiot" at the 2010 Grammy Awards
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage
At the Grammy Awards on Sunday night (January 31), Green Day gave the world a preview of the musical based on their 2004 album American Idiot. Singing along with the cast of the show coming soon to Broadway, Billie Joe Armstrong and the band busted out "21 Guns," a cut off 21st Century Breakdown, which won the Best Rock Album Grammy.
Directed by Tony-winning "Spring Awakening" helmer Michael Mayer, the show began a run at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in September 2009. Telling a story of love, loss and war, the musical integrates songs from American Idiot as well as 21st Century Breakdown and a never-released tune called "When It's Time." The production is set to begin previews at Manhattan's St. James Theatre in March 24 and then officially open on April 20.
"Michael Mayer is great; the cast is great," Armstrong told MTV News last year. "They're really passionate as artists. They put everything they possibly can into it. They're not trying to make it big and Hollywood. They're artists, and that's the most inspiring thing."
In a January statement announcing the move to Broadway, Mayer said, "Green Day's iconic album is one of the most brutally honest, eloquent and poetically theatrical responses to the post-9/11 world that I have encountered. I hear in these amazing songs the frustration and anger and dreams of a lost generation of Americans. Collaborating with Billie Joe and the band has been a mind-blowing thrill from day one."
Stick with MTV News for our coverage of the 2010 Grammy Awards! We'll have reports on your favorite nominees, party photos, behind-the-scenes video and much more from the big show!
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- Lady Gaga, Green Day, Pink To Perform At Grammy Awards
Dave Matthews Band and Zac Brown Band also added to roster for January 31 show.
By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga performs at the 2009 American Music Awards
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
The 52nd annual Grammy Awards added some heavy artillery to the roster of performers taking the stage on January 31: nominees Green Day, Lady Gaga and Pink. The trio of superstars, plus Dave Matthews Band and the Zac Brown Band, were announced on Tuesday (January 5).
They will perform at Los Angeles' Staples Center alongside a previously announced slate that includes Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Maxwell and Lady Antebellum. More artists and presenters will be revealed soon, according to a press release from the Recording Academy.
With the addition of Gaga and DMB, all five nominees for Album of the Year — which also include Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas and Swift — are now slated to play live on the show.
This year's Grammys are shaping up to be a potentially big night for the ladies, as Beyoncé leads the pack with 10 nominations for I Am ... Sasha Fierce, followed by eight nods for Swift's unstoppable Fearless album, six each for Maxwell, the Peas and Kanye West and five each for Jay-Z and Gaga.
Upon learning of her fistful of nominations last month, Gaga took a moment to thank the people who have really made her success possible, her fans, while performing in Boston as part of her Monster Ball tour.
"So, thank you to all of you little monsters," she told the crowd. "This year, you were nominated for five Grammy Awards. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be where I am today, so thank you!"
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- 'Green Day: Rock Band' Coming In 2010
Version of the popular game will feature songs from the band's entire career.
By MTV News staff
Green Day
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Fans have been jamming to songs from Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown on "Rock Band" for the past year. But in 2010, the Grammy-winning punk trio will join the likes of the Beatles when they unveil the standalone title "Green Day: Rock Band."
The announcement from game-maker Harmonix (which is owned by MTV Networks) was made at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards on Saturday. "We've worked with the 'Rock Band' team in the past year to enable our fans to play tracks from 21st Century Breakdown, and we're excited to now be working on a game spanning our entire career," said Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong in a statement announcing the deal. "We want people to fire this up, choose their favorite Green Day tracks and play along with us as 'Rock Band' avatars so they can feel what it's like to perform on stage as Green Day."
The game will feature the likenesses of Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool and allow fans to play songs from the group's catalog, visit venues and view artwork that is key to their history. With a fully exportable track list that will allow users to play the songs in "Rock Band" and "Rock Band 2" on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3, the game will be available around the world for the 360, PlayStation3 and Wii next year.
"Green Day's music and explosive live performances transcend age barriers," said Tom Whalley, Chairman/CEO of the group's label, Warner Bros. Records. "This game will appeal to fans of all ages, including those who love their recent bestselling albums and those who've loved Green Day throughout their long, incredible career."
Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder of Harmonix Music Systems, said the game will give players a deeper connection to the group and their music. "Fans will be able to enjoy some of the greatest songs from the Green Day catalog in this standalone game or via 'Rock Band' due to full export capability," he said. "We are thrilled to work with Green Day to revisit key moments from their career, including their likenesses, content and imagery, through our innovative form of musical interaction."
In addition to the "Green Day: Rock Band" announcement, it was also revealed that the group will bring three more 21st Century Breakdown tracks to the "Rock Band" music store as downloadable content on Tuesday, including "Christian's Inferno," "Last of the American Girls" and "¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)."
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- Green Day Named Top Artists Of The Decade By Rolling Stone Readers
Punk icons took best single, album and artists of the '00s in poll.
By Gil Kaufman
Green Day
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Rolling Stone readers love Green Day ... a lot. In the magazine's Decade-End Readers' Poll, the Berkeley-bred punk/pop trio grabbed the #1 spot for Best Single, Best Album and Top Artist of the '00s.
As the #1 single, readers picked the ballad "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," one of two Green Day tunes that made the cut, along with "American Idiot" (#13). The rest of the top five were Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," U2's "Beautiful Day," Britney Spears' "Toxic" and Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together."
Also getting love in the top 15 were Kanye West, Avril Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, Kelly Clarkson, the White Stripes and Coldplay.
A number of acts notched two albums on the list of the decade's top releases. While Green Day took the #1 spot with American Idiot, Radiohead landed at #3 (Kid A) and #5 (In Rainbows). U2 scored a twofer at #6 (All That You Can't Leave Behind) and #15 (No Line on the Horizon), and Kelly Clarkson hit #8 (All I Ever Wanted) and #11 (Breakaway).
The top 20 also featured discs from Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, My Chemical Romance and Justin Timberlake. A notable absence was Eminem, who was deemed the top-selling artist of the '00s by Nielsen SoundScan but failed to get a single mention on the RS readers' albums list.
Green Day topped the Artist of the Decade list, followed by Radiohead, U2, Coldplay, the Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake and Bruce Springsteen. Slim Shady finally worked his way in on that list, dropping into the #8 slot, just ahead of the White Stripes' Jack White, Jay-Z, Kings of Leon and Fall Out Boy.
Despite having last year's biggest album and becoming hip-hop's reigning superstar, Lil Wayne checked in at a modest #18, coming in behind the Arcade Fire (#13), M.I.A. (#14), Wilco (#15), Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst (#16) and Bob Dylan (#17).
Rolling Stone readers' top singles of the decade:
1. Green Day, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
2. Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
3. U2, "Beautiful Day"
4. Britney Spears, "Toxic"
5. Mariah Carey, "We Belong Together"
6. Kanye West, "Stronger"
7. My Chemical Romance, "Welcome to the Black Parade"
8. Avril Lavigne, "Complicated"
9. Kelly Clarkson, "Since U Been Gone"
10. White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
11. Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"
12. Coldplay, "Viva la Vida"
13. Green Day, "American Idiot"
14. Christina Aguilera, "Beautiful"
Top albums:
1. Green Day, American Idiot
2. Kanye West, Graduation
3. Radiohead, Kid A
4. Avril Lavigne, Let Go
5. Radiohead, In Rainbows
6. U2, All That You Can't Leave Behind
7. Britney Spears, Blackout
8. Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted
9. Jay-Z, The Blueprint
10. Lady Gaga, The Fame
11. Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway
12. Beyoncé, I Am ... Sasha Fierce
13. Christina Aguilera, Stripped
14. My Chemical Romance, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
15. U2, No Line on the Horizon
16. Mariah Carey, The Emancipation of Mimi
17. Justin Timberlake, FutureSex/LoveSounds
18. Coldplay, Viva la Vida
19. Bruce Springsteen, The Rising
Top artists:
1. Green Day
2. Radiohead
3. U2
4. Coldplay
5. Black Eyed Peas
6. Justin Timberlake
7. Bruce Springsteen
8. Eminem
9. Jack White
10. Jay-Z
11. Kings of Leon
12. Fall Out Boy
13. Arcade Fire
14. M.I.A.
15. Wilco
16. Conor Oberst
17. Bob Dylan
18. Lil Wayne
19. My Morning Jacket
20. Beyoncé
21. Kelly Clarkson
22. My Chemical Romance
23. Kanye West
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- Green Day Tone Things Down (But Keep It Hot) At American Music Awards
Band's performance of '21 Guns' features only a little pyro.
By James Montgomery
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong performs at the AMAs on Sunday
Photo: ABC/ Dick Clark Productions
Green Day took things down a peg during their performance of "21 Guns" on Sunday (November 22) night's American Music Awards ... which, for them, meant only using a little pyro.
Yes, this was Green Day as understated as they can be: Billie Joe Armstrong strumming the opening chords of the song on a black acoustic, the entire band (which now includes Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, drummer Tre Cool and three backing musicians), clad in black. It's a fairly somber song, after all.
But, again, this is Green Day, a band who seems to delight in positively pummeling their audiences with pyrotechnics, so we still got a shower of sparks during the chorus, a massive video screen showing glass shattering and bullets whizzing, and — of course — a big-time explosion during the tune's stop-start middle.
Armstrong — hair black, eyes ringed in mascara — sang the chorus with his hands held aloft (and ignored the higher range for a more plaintive, serious tenor), Cool bashed away at his kit and Dirnt even struck a pose or two, but all in all, this was a very stripped-down, very personal performance, and the crowd ate it up.
And then, at performance's end, Armstrong held his hands high, thrust his guitar into the air and shouted, "Los Angeles!" as the cheers grew louder. Seems that even when they're stripping things down, Green Day are still plenty massive.
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