Green Day Releasing Huge ‘American Idiot’ 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition With Unreleased Demos, Rare B-Sides, Bonus Songs
Written by djfrosty on August 9, 2024
Green Day will cap off the summer-long celebration of their Grammy-winning 2004 opus American Idiot by releasing a massive box set edition of the album this fall. The American Idiot 20th Anniversary deluxe edition is due out on Oct. 25 and will feature unreleased demos, rare b-sides, bonus songs and previously unreleased live tracks.
The limited edition super deluxe version will be available in 8-LP vinyl and 4-CD configurations, with each coming with two Blu-Ray discs, one of which features the 2015 Heart Like a Hand Grenade documentary about the recording of the album, along with a BBC: Top of the Pops “mini gig” and their Later With Jools Holland appearance. The second disc will contain the new 110-minute documentary 20 Years of American Idiot.
The collection will also be released in an 2-LP limited-edition colored vinyl edition, as well as an audiophile “one-step” version.
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You can listen to the first three tracks — an unreleased demo of “Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” the fan-favorite b-side “Favorite Son” and a live version of “Minority” — on streaming services now (see below). Both the limited-edition sets will feature the original 23-track concept album, as well as 15 previously unreleased American Idiot demos, a 15-track 2004 concert recorded at Irving Plaza in New York and nine previously unreleased live recordings from the era, including a take on Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” as well as 14 songs previously available only as b-sides and bonus tracks.
The set commemorates the album that became the groups first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on its way to rocking the chart for more than 100 weeks. It will also feature new liner notes from producer Rob Cavallo and Rolling Stone writer David Fricke and a 48-page book, enamel pin set, sticker sheet and cloth patch; the vinyl version has a 36-page book, a large Green Day flag and the signature American Idiot red tie.
To date, the album featuring such landmark songs as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Holiday,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Jesus of Suburbia” has sold more than 23 million copies, spawned a Broadway musical of the same name and earned spots on many “best of” lists.
Green Day are performing the album in its entirety — along with their breakthrough major label disc Dookie — on their Saviors world tour, which plays Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Friday night (August 9).
Listen to the first three tracks and see the full track list (slide 2) below.