1039 / Smoothed Out Slappy Hours

This compilation of early indie work (1000 Hours EP, Slappy EP, and 39/Smooth LP) was a strong indicator of things to come for Green Day. Recorded on shoestring budgets, these recordings out-rocked most of the wannabe punk records that flooded record stores at the time.

From the first strains of the opener, "At the Library", Green Day are off on a fast, fun ride. Some of the band's best tracks are from these early sessions—"Don't Leave Me", "Dry Ice", "16", "Rest", and "Paper Lanterns", to name only a few. It's a hook-filled record with three-chord wonders at every turn, anchored by Armstrong's snotty-boy vocals.

He captures youthful yearning, variously spitting lyrics like "I feel forgotten / Feel like rotting" and then musing out loud, "What is it about you that I adore?" Simply some of the catchiest punk rock ever made.