Our “Green Days,” so to say, were the times of our lives. That’s really all that needs to be said.

“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”

This is an all-time classic, but it is my favorite Green Day tune for a multitude of reasons. One: the graduating grade sevens always sang it at the elementary school graduation assembly so it has sentimental value. Two: it makes you think! Did you have the time of your life? Slow down and smell the roses. Enjoy yourself. Life is short, man. Three: I thought for years because of this song that “good riddance” meant the same thing as “godspeed” or “happy travels.” I said “good riddance” to a lot of people who probably wondered what the hell they did to me, when in reality I was just an idiot who was using a malapropism. Fourth, and finally: WHAT A JAM. — Rachel Ruecker, Sports Editor

“Redundant”

Nimrod has occupied a special place in my heart growing up, and every so often when I’m home I dig out my old CD collection. “Redundant” is always the song that I get hung up on, for some odd reason. Maybe it’s the fact that the song speaks to a certain fear that accompanies modernity, where things start to lose meaning and significance because of routine. Maybe it’s because it’s a perfect example of the Sad Boi music that sprung up in the late ‘90s, right next to the early Death Cab albums on my CD shelf. Or maybe it’s just nice to hear that other people also share our anxieties, so we feel a little less like we’re weathering all this by ourselves. — Emily Fong, Opinions Editor

“Burnout”

A perfect opener to what some would consider Green Day’s best album, “Burnout” comes out swinging with the line “I declare I don’t care no more.” The song is punchy and anthemic, standing at just over two minutes long, and oozes with teenage apathy. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and kicks off Green Day’s quest to bring punk rock to the mainstream — plus, who can resist pretending to be Tre Cool during the drum solo? — Alex Bazeley, Editor-in-Chief

“Welcome to Paradise”

My favorite Green Day song is, tentatively, “Welcome to Paradise.” Early Green Day had some of the best drum parts in punk rock, and there’s something so sloppy and amazing about the guitar part in this song that just has a way of sticking in my head. — Bobby Wagner, Managing Editor

“Jesus of Suburbia / City of the Damned / I Don’t Care / Dearly Beloved / Tales of Another Broken Home”

I definitely had that phase where I doodled song lyrics on all of my Spanish vocabulary quizzes — particularly the portion of this multi-song, “Dearly Beloved.” It was exactly moody and catchy enough to capture everything I felt as a tweenage punk. That was, before “Last of the American Girls” came out, but that wasn’t until I was a teenage punk. “Jesus of Suburbia” was my seven-minute anthem up until then, though. — Hailey Nuthals, Arts Editor

“Bang Bang”

“Green Day” is simply a phrase that says “throwback to middle school” for me. I can’t pick a favorite song — that simply would not be fair to my inner rock self. Funny story, listening to their songs was one of my ways to learn English — along with Disney channel programs — when I started school in American International School of Lagos. As of now, my favorite song is their new release, “Bang Bang.” Not only am I in love with their music video, but I am also incredibly proud of the lead blond girl in the video — yes, she is one of my dearest friends. — Polina Buchak, Deputy Multimedia Editor

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