Rock Icon Says This 90s Band Is 'Bigger Than the Ramones'
When you think of punk, you think of the Ramones, right? The New York City quartet ushered in the sound we now know as punk in the 1970s.
But to of The Smashing Pumpkins, one band has eclipsed the Ramones: Green Day.
'I think it had something to do with the fact that they just got their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,' Billy told Rolling Stone. 'I'm watching them get their star and…I had this moment where I was reminiscing and I was like, 'Wow, I've known these guys for over 30 years, and we just did this tour. Oh my God, they're bigger than the Ramones.'"
The 58-year-old alternative icon explained his reasoning in putting his fellow '90s rockers ahead of the band many consider invented punk.
'In the world I grew up in, the Ramones were number one,' he said. 'In a way, they always will be number one because they were first.'
"But then I realized, 'Oh my God, Green Day has actually done it. They are bigger than the Ramones. Their influence is greater, their reach is greater, and certainly their success is greater,'' said Corgan.
Both Green Day and The Smashing Pumpkins formed in the late 1980s but experienced massive success in the early '90s. The Pumpkins became synonymous with alternative rock with Siamese Dream, released in 1993, and 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Green Day ushered in the punk explosion with 1994's Dookie. A decade later, they experienced a career renaissance with the release of American Idiot and remain one of the biggest rock bands on the planet.
The Pumpkins toured with Green Day in 2024. 'It was awesome,' Billy told Rolling Stone. 'Green Day was so gracious. We couldn't have had a better summer. It was one of my favorite tours of all time.'
'They were so gracious in being hosts, not only to us, but to Rancid and the Linda Lindas,' said Corgan. 'It was just the spirit of what it's supposed to be when you put bands together. It was one of the best experiences we've ever had, and we're forever grateful to them.'
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