The 1990s saw the emergence of a style of punk music commonly called  pop punk a style of punk music that punk is inspired by the music of earlier punk bands such as the Ramones and the Sex Pistols in its speed, aggression, and themes of anarchy or non-conformity, but it is also more melodic; examples include Green Day and Blink-182 . Pop punk is inspired by the music of earlier punk bands such as the Ramones and the Sex Pistols in its speed, aggression, and themes of anarchy or non-conformity, but it is also more melodic. One of the most respected and long-lived pop punk bands was the trio Green Day, whose members include singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool. The group formed in Oakland, California in the late 1980s, and they built a strong local following playing at the Oakland club 924 Gilman Street and released two albums on the independent label Lookout! Records.
Their breakthrough came in 1994, when they signed with the major label Reprise Records and released the album Dookie.

Critics and historians credit Green Day as the first punk band to make a major commercial breakthrough into the mainstream. Although bands such as the Sex Pistols and the Ramones sold respectable numbers of albums during the 1970s, Green Day was one of the first punk bands to sell over a million copies of an album within a year of its release. Dookie had sold over twenty million copies since its release in 1994. Like other bands that tried to balance a disdain for commercialism with their own commercial success, Green Day was shunned by some of its early followers. The 924 Gilman Street club refused to allow the members of Green Day to enter once they had signed with a major label, calling them sellouts.