Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong shares his thoughts on ‘Dookie’ at 25: ‘I was wanting and dreading to be a rock star’

1994 album sold over 20 million copies worldwide

Green Day‘s third album ‘Dookie’ celebrates its 25th anniversary today (February 1) and frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has been sharing his thoughts on their landmark LP.

The 1994 album, their debut on a major label, sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and it spawned five hit singles, including ‘Longview’, ‘Basket Case’ and ‘When I Come Around’.

‘Dookie’ also made it to Number 2 in the US Billboard charts and Number 13 in the UK albums chart at the time.

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It is also the band’s best-selling album of their career.

Sharing his thoughts on Instagram, Billie Joe wrote: “Random thoughts and gratitude for the 25 year anniversary of the big D.  We wanted to think of something special to do but we couldn’t quite come up with anything.. Maybe play the record in its entirety at the pyramids in Egypt. Or jam it Machu Picchu ? Exclusive in Viggiano.? Never quite came to fruition.. But never despair. 2019 still has time.”

He went on to reflect on his memories during the recording sessions of their breakthrough album and admitted “having a lot of uncertainty about our future but not giving a shit. Wanting and dreading to be a rock star.. if that’s even possible.” You can view the post below.

View this post on Instagram

Random thoughts and gratitude for the 25 year anniversary of the big D: We wanted to think of something special to do but we couldn’t quite come up with anything.. Maybe play the record in its entirety at the pyramids in Egypt. Or jam it Machu Picchu ? Exclusive in Viggiano.? Never quite came to fruition.. But never despair. 2019 still has time.. Dookie makes me think about Berkeley a lot. Our house on Ashby and Ellsworth a block from telegraph avenue. Living in a basement with a band called East Bay Weed Company. Our friend Ben Mattick… socialist college girls living up stairs. Coming up with she and coming clean. Riding bikes and bong hits. Turning 21. Pete’s Wicked Ale. Hysterical laughter. Maniacal laughter. Butterball turkey. “The Ashby house” was our little punk house. I would write songs all night and wake up at 2:00 pm. Have a bagel and a coffee on the front steps.. debilitating panic attacks.. my guitar, my Marshall, my 4 track tape recorder. Weird A &R dudes sniffing around. Eventually Meeting producer Rob Cavallo.. we learned so much from him. Playing Beatles songs over and over… Richie Bucher’s amazing ep cover he did for a band called Raúl inspired us to ask him to do the cover art for Dookie. Mike’s G3 bass. Tre’s Noble coolly snare… driving in my old Ford Fairlane hearing Longview on the radio for the first time. Blair Hess. our first show in Italy at a place called in bloom. Wild nights in Barcelona.. having a lot of uncertainty about our future but not giving a shit. Wanting and dreading to be a rock star.. if that’s even possible.. Local punk scene backlash… Fist fights at Gilman street… stress stress stress!! You have to have gratitude for the bad and the ugly too.. Well… that’s the random thoughts I have for now… I hope people keep listening.. cause we’ll keeping playing… love BJ

A post shared by Billie Joe Armstrong (@billiejoearmstrong) on

Earlier this month, Bille Joe unveiled a new ‘Dookie’ themed guitar pedal on Instagram, ahead of the album’s 25 year anniversary.

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Last year, the band also revealed that they had been rehearsing ‘Dookie’ in full, suggesting that an anniversary tour might be on the horizon. They previously performed the album in its entirety at Reading & Leeds Festival in 2013.

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