Punk rock and opera might seem like a contradiction in terms, but Green Day fused those concepts perfectly on this landmark disc. Released a few weeks prior to the 2004 presidential election, the album saw the veteran trio shed its sometimes-goofy image for more ambitious goals - such as inspiring listeners to become politically engaged. Playing his trusty Les Paul Junior, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong pushed at the boundaries of the band's thrash aesthetic, while still unleashing enough buzz-saw riffs to keep longtime fans happy.