5 Rock Songs That You Need On Your Labor Day Playlist
Labor Day: The last hurrah of summer and the universal salute to the workforce. Whatever youâre doing for the holiday, do yourself a favor and blare at least one of these five tracks.
Skid Row â âSlave to the Grindâ
Skid Rowâs debut gets a lot of attention, but their sophomore effort and its title track is killer and deserves more due from rockers everywhere.
The Ramones â âItâs Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World)â
Honestly, just this video alone is reason enough to include this track on the list.
The Clash â âCareer Opportunitiesâ
Probably the most scathing song about the workforce ever. Weâd expect nothing less from the only band that matters.
Rush â âWorking Manâ
Come for the rousing track; stay for Alex Lifesonâs awesome solo.
Green Day â âWorking Class Heroâ
Itâs gutsy for anyone to cover John Lennon, but Green Day nailed this cover.
Green Day: Top 40 Songs Ranked
40. âBrutal Loveâ from âTREâ (2012)
ShareItâs so close to âBring It On Home To Meâ that Green Day share a writing credit with the late Sam Cooke. Hey, if youâre going to âborrow,â borrow from the best. Itâs one of the best songs from the âUNOâ/âDOSâ/âTREâ era, which would have benefitted from some editing. The highlights would have made a solid album.
39. âEast Jesus Nowhereâ from â21st Century Breakdownâ (2009)
ShareThe title came from a line in the 2007 film âJunoâ (when Junoâs step-mom asks her, âWhy would you drive all the way to East Jesus Nowhere?â) and inspired by Bill Maherâs 2008 anti-religion documentary âReligulous.â
38. Green Day and the Cast of âAmerican Idiotâ – â21 Gunsâ (2010)
ShareThe idea of a Broadway musical based on Green Dayâs songs was a bit ridiculous, but the Green Day of the 2000s was nothing if not ambitious. And some of the parts of the show really worked, including this song. Even better was when the cast of the show and Green Day recorded a new version together.
37. âTroubled Timesâ from âRevolution Radioâ (2016)
ShareOne of the highlights of the underrated âRevolution Radioâ album, the song marked something of a return to politically-charged songs.
36. The Network – âRoshamboâ from âMoney Money 2020â (2004)
ShareWho were the Network? Their lineup included singer/guitarist Fink, singer/bassist Van Gough and a drummer known only as The Snoo, and they suspiciously talked an awful lot of smack about Green Day. The band also -- allegedly -- included members of Devo (you can hear them on another song, âHungry Hungry Modelsâ).
35. âSee The Lightâ from â21st Century Breakdownâ (2009)
ShareItâs nearly as great of an album closer as âWhatsernameâ from âAmerican Idiot,â and is another underrated Green Day song.
34. âKill The DJâ from âUNOâ (2012)
ShareFirst off: we do not endorse the message in this songâs title! The Clash was always a big influence on Green Day, but it tended to be the bandâs â70s output. Here, Green Day seems under the influence of the Clashâs sprawling 1980 triple album, âSandinista!â And like âSandinista!,â the âUNOâ/âDOSâ/âTREâ trilogy would have benefitted from some editing.
33. âFather Of AllâŚâ from âFather Of AllâŚâ (2020)
ShareHow many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bands still make records where they are experimenting? How many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bands still make albums where they sound like they have something to prove? This first taste of the new album shows that the band still think they have something to prove.
32. âWho Wrote Holden Caulfield?â from âKerplunk!â (1992)
ShareA gem from the bandâs Lookout Records era, this is a tribute to the main character in J.D. Salingerâs âThe Catcher In The Rye.â
31. âWorking Class Heroâ from âInstant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfurâ (2007)
ShareOne of John Lennonâs most lyrically heavy songs, by 2007, Green Day had earned the respect and gravitas to be able to do the song justice.
30. âBrain Stewâ/âJadedâ from âInsomniacâ (1995)
ShareBillie Joe, Mike and Tre seem to be having a blast with a huge hard rock riff for âBrain Stew,â before returning to punk form for âJaded.â Itâs the perfect combonation for the arenas that they were now headlining.
29. â2000 Light Years Awayâ from âKerplunk!â (1992)
ShareOne of the best songs from their Lookout Records era, it shows Billie Joe Armstrongâs romantic streak: âI sit alone in my bedroom/Staring at the walls/I've been up all damn night long/My pulse is speeding/My love is yearning.â
28. âKing For A Dayâ from âNimrodâ (1997)
ShareA rocking acoustic shuffle with a horn section, this song kind of fit in with the ska music that was dominating the airwaves. Billie Joe Armstrong told Billboard, âIt would be funny for a bunch of macho fraternity guys to be singing along and, little do they know, the song's about being in drag."
27. âHorseshoes And Handgrenadesâ from â21st Century Breakdownâ (2009)
ShareSounding like an outtake from Green Dayâs garage rock side-project the Foxboro Hot Tubs (more on that later), Billie Joe Armstrong introduces the song by roaring, âIâm not f---ing around!â And he wasnât. This is another one that should have been a hit.
26. U2 + Green Day – âThe Saints Are Comingâ (2006)
ShareOne of the few covers on this list, this song from 1979 was originally by the Scottish punk rock band the Skids (who probably would not have imagined that a quarter-century later, two of the biggest bands would cover the song and perform it at an NFL game; they performed at the first post-Katrina Saints game at the Super Bowl).
25. âBoulevard Of Broken Dreamsâ from âAmerican Idiotâ (2004)
ShareNoel Gallagher of Oasis was a bit annoyed about this song, believing that Green Day ripped off âWonderwall.â âThey should have the decency to wait until I am dead [before stealing my songs]â he complained. âI, at least, pay the people I steal from that courtesy.â He should have taken the compliment and moved on.
24. âNice Guys Finish Lastâ from âNimrodâ (1997)
ShareThe song is great, and so is the video, which poked fun at football. Ironically, years later in 2006, Green Day would perform at the New Orleans Superdome with U2 before a Saints/Falcons game.
23. âJ.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)â from the âAngusâ soundtrack (1995)
ShareSomehow this song didnât make it to âDookie,â but that didnât matter. Green Day were so hot at the time and this song was so great it went to number one on Billboardâs Modern Rock charts. And it deserved to stand on its own from the âDookieâ songs anyway - it was a tribute to Mike Dirntâs friend Jason Andrew Relva, who died in 1992 from injuries suffered in a car accident.
22. âComing Cleanâ from âDookieâ (1994)
ShareOne of the first rock songs to address an LGBT personâs coming out, the lyrics âSecrets collecting dust but never forget/Skeletons come to life in my closet/I found out what it takes to be a man/Now mom and dad will never understand/What's happening to meâ were revolutionary.
21. âWarningâ from âWarningâ (2000)
ShareWe always knew that Green Day were big Kinks fans, but it didnât usually get this obvious. Listen to this song and âPicture Bookâ back to back. Thatâs not a knock; this song was an amazing kickoff to their 2000 album, and it showed that they could be just as badass strumming acoustic guitars as they were bashing electric ones.
20. âPulling Teethâ from âDookieâ (1994)
ShareWeâll hand the mic -- or the keyboard -- to Corey Taylor here. Yes, Corey Taylor of Slipknot. On his solo acoustic tour, he noted that heâs such a big Green Day fan that if *you* arenât a fan, you canât be friends with him. And this is his favorite song from âDookie.â If you havenât listened to this jam in a while, give it a spin and then explain to us how it wasnât a huge hit.
19. âArmatage Shanksâ from âInsomniacâ (1995)
ShareThe leadoff track on âInsomniac.â It showed fans that, despite selling millions of âDookies,â the band hadnât let success get to their head.
18. âWhatsernameâ from âAmerican Idiotâ (2004)
ShareMost of Green Dayâs best songs have ended up on the radio, but somehow this one didnât. Was Green Day thinking of bringing âAmerican Idiotâ to Broadway even in 2004? If you saw the stage production, you know that this song was the perfect high-energy ending to the show. But Green Dayâs own version is the definitive version.
17. âWhen I Come Aroundâ from âDookieâ (1994)
ShareGreen Day strayed from the punk rock formula often over the years, but this is one of the first examples of it; âWhen I Come Aroundâ was a perfect bit of pop-rock, and was irresistible even to those who donât care about punk rock.
16. âHitchinâ A Rideâ from âNimrodâ (1997)
ShareOne of the highlights of their concerts, the songâs subject matter -- alcohol dependency -- is dark. âTroubled times/You know I cannot lie/I'm off the wagon and I'm hitchin' a ride.â
15. âSheâ from âDookieâ (1994)
ShareâScream at me until my ears bleed/I'm taking heed just for youâ was a line that Billie Joe Armstrong wrote for a girlfriend, and it showed a sensitivity that made him stand out from his peers. So did feminist lines like âShe's figured out/All her doubts were someone else's point of view/Waking up this time to smash the silence with the brick of self-control.â
14. âGeek Stink Breathâ from âInsomniacâ (1995)
ShareThe first single from the follow-up to âDookieâ showed that the band werenât changing direction too much (at least, not yet).
13. âWelcome To Paradiseâ from âDookieâ (1994)
ShareThey recorded an earlier version of the song for 1992âs âKerplunk!,â but the âDookieâ version is better. The song, about moving out of your parentsâ home⌠something âDookieâ certainly enabled all the guys in the band to do.
12. Foxboro Hot Tubs – âStop Drop and Rollâ from âStop Drop and Roll!!!â (2008)
ShareIf youâre not familiar with Foxboro Hot Tubs, stop what youâre doing and get a copy of their album, itâs some of the best, and most fun, garage rock that youâll ever hear. After âAmerican Idiot,â Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool decided to have some fun, and they formed a new band. Their 12-song album (their only one so far) lasts just 30 minutes, and all of those minutes are perfection.
11. âWake Me Up When September Endsâ from âAmerican Idiotâ (2004)
ShareWhen they started out in punk rock clubs, a full-on power ballad like this might not have gone over too well. By 2004, punk rockâs stringent rules werenât as important, thankfully.
10. âKnow Your Enemyâ from â21st Century Breakdownâ (2009)
ShareBy the 2000s, few current rock bands were addressing politics, but âKnow Your Enemyâ seemed like the perfect blend of Rage Against The Machine and the Ramones, two bands who were sadly long gone by then.
9. â16â from â1,039/Smoothâ(1990)
ShareIn which Billie Joe Armstrong perfectly captures the angst of a teenager who thinks too much. âEvery night I dream the same dream,â he yelped. âOf getting older and older all the time.â The song boasts one of Mike Dirntâs funkiest basslines.
8. âMinorityâ from âWarningâ (2000)
ShareBy 2000, MTVâs accursed âTRLâ was steering pop culture from alternative rock to nu metal, boy bands and Britney. Green Day wanted no part of it, and they let us know on this acoustic rocker: âStepped out of the line/Like a sheep runs from the herd/Marching out of time/To my own beat now,â indeed.
7. â21st Century Breakdownâ from â21st Century Breakdownâ (2009)
ShareâAmerican Idiotâ (and âWarningâ before that) showed Green Dayâs fans that they were stretching out musically; still, it was surprising to hear the piano intro that introduces this song. But very quickly, the title track of their 2009 opus moves into the operatic punk rock road that they started traveling on with âAmerican Idiot.â At this point, they were equally influenced by the Ramones *and* Queen.
6. âHolidayâ from âAmerican Idiotâ (2004)
ShareâAmerican Idiotâ was musically and thematically more ambitious than anything than Green Day had attempted up to this point, but âHolidayâ showed that they could still knock out great, simple punk rock jams.
5. âWalking Contradictionâ from âInsomniacâ (1995)
ShareWhat do you do when you come from the punk rock underground and you suddenly realize that youâre a millionaire? Thatâs something that Billie Joe Armstrong seemed to struggle with early on, and you can hear him working it out here.
4. âGood Riddance (Time Of Your Life)â from âNimrodâ (1997)
ShareWould a goofy bunch of guys like Green Day ever be able to grow up? This acoustic ballad -- which was really a Billie Joe Armstrong solo song -- showed that the bandâs singer/songwriter had more range than heâd been given credit for. This was a Green Day song that you could impress your parents with.
3. âBasket Caseâ from âDookieâ (1994)
ShareThe second of three #1 modern rock radio singles from âDookie,â (the first was âLongview,â the third was âWhen I Come Aroundâ), it was a fun song about going crazy.
2. âLongviewâ from âDookieâ (1994)
ShareGreen Day had been around for five years by the time they *cough* dropped âDookie,â but this is the song and video that brought them into the homes and hearts of America. Like their peers from the north in Seattle, Green Day had their share of angst. But unlike those guys, they actually had some fun with it.
1. âAmerican Idiotâ from âAmerican Idiotâ (2004)
ShareThis song, and the album that it came from, are probably why Green Day became one of the first bands of their generation to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Like a lot of their â90s peers, their cultural cache was slipping by 2000s. âAmerican Idiot,â the leadoff track and first single from the album of the same name, showed an older, angrier and more ambitious Green Day, and the album was so strong, it catapulted them to the pop charts and stadium headlining status.
