Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band Explained

Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band
Type:	greatest
Artist:	Green Day
Cover:	God's Favorite Band.jpeg
Released:	November 17, 2017
Recorded:	May 1991 – October 2017
Length:	75:58
Label:	Reprise
Prev Title:	Revolution Radio
Prev Year:	2016
Next Title:	Woodstock 1994
Next Year:	2019

Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band is the second greatest hits album by American rock band Green Day, released on November 17, 2017.^[1]

Background

God's Favorite Band features 20 of Green Day's previous hits, as well as 2 new songs: a new version of the Revolution Radio (2016) track "Ordinary World", featuring country singer Miranda Lambert, and a previously unreleased song entitled "Back in the USA". The album includes songs from all of Green Day's studio albums, with the exception of 39/Smooth (1990), ¡Dos! (2012), and ¡Tré! (2012). 10 of the tracks previously appeared on Green Day's 2001 greatest hits album International Superhits!. Although he had returned to his previous role as the band's touring guitarist, Jason White participated in the recording for "Back in the USA".

The album's title is a reference to a joke made by Stephen Colbert during the band's March 22, 2017, appearance on The Late Show, in which Colbert quipped that Green Day were "God's favorite band".^[2] Colbert's joke was in itself a reference to a comment made by Green Day drummer Tré Cool on the band's 2005 DVD Bullet in a Bible, in which Cool remarked that the rain clouds over the venue had cleared because "God wants to watch his favorite band again."^[3]

Track listing

All songs were produced by Green Day and Rob Cavallo except: "Know Your Enemy" and "21 Guns", which were produced by Green Day and Butch Vig; "2000 Light Years Away", which was produced by Green Day and Andy Ernst; and "Minority", "Warning", "Bang Bang", "Still Breathing", "Ordinary World", and "Back in the USA", which were produced by Green Day.

Personnel

Green Day

• Billie Joe Armstrong – lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, piano
• Mike Dirnt – bass, backing vocals
• Tré Cool – drums, percussion, backing vocals, accordion on "Minority"

Additional musicians

• Petra Haden – violin on "Hitchin' a Ride"
• Conan McCallum – violin "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
• Rob Cavallo – piano
• Jason Freese – piano
• Tom Kitt – string arrangement for "21 Guns"
• David Campbell – string arrangement for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
• Miranda Lambert - featured vocals on "Ordinary World"
• Jason White – guitar on "Oh Love" and "Back in the USA"

Production

• Green Day – production
• Rob Cavallo – production
• Butch Vig – production
• Andy Ernst – production, engineering, mixing
• Neill King – engineering
• Kevin Army – engineering
• Ken Allardyce – engineering
• Doug McKean – engineering
• Chris Dugan – engineering
• Jerry Finn – mixing
• Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
• Jack Joseph Puig – mixing
• Andrew Scheps – mixing
• John Golden – mastering
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Eric Boulanger – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2017)! scope="col"

Peak position
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[4]	25
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[5]	21
South Korean International Albums (Gaon)^[6]	3
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)^[7]	32

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[8]	92
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[9]	42
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[10]	48

Chart (2019)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[11]	76

Chart (2020)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[12]	60
UK Albums (OCC)^[13]	85
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[14]	59

Chart (2021)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[15]	49
UK Albums (OCC)^[16]	87
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[17]	90

Chart (2022)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[18]	49
UK Albums (OCC)^[19]	68

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[20]	42
UK Albums (OCC)^[21]	55

Notes and References

1. Web site: Green Day Announce Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band. Monroe. Jazz. October 12, 2017. October 14, 2017. Pitchfork.
2. Web site: Green Day Announce "Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band". Trapp. Philip. October 12, 2017. October 14, 2017. Alternative Press.
3. Web site: Quotes:IMDb. October 14, 2017. IMDb.
4. Web site: Album – Classifica settimanale WK 47 (dal 2017-11-17 al 2017-11-23). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. November 25, 2017.
5. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. November 27, 2017. November 24, 2017.
6. Web site: 2017년 46주차 Album Chart . ko . Gaon Music Chart. November 29, 2017.
7. Web site: Top 100 Albumes — Semana 47: del 17.11.2017 al 23.11.2017. Productores de Música de España. es. November 30, 2017.
8. Web site: ARIA End of Year Albums 2018. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 10, 2019.
9. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2018. Recorded Music NZ. December 14, 2018.
10. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 21, 2020.
11. Web site: ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2019. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 10, 2020.
12. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2020. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 15, 2021.
13. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2020. Official Charts Company. January 5, 2021.
14. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. January 6, 2021.
15. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2021. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 13, 2022.
16. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2021. Official Charts Company. January 6, 2022.
17. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 14, 2021.
18. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart for 2022. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 4, 2023.
19. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2022. Official Charts Company. January 4, 2023.
20. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart for 2023. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 12, 2024.
21. Web site: End of Year Albums Chart – 2023. Official Charts Company. January 3, 2024.