Modern Rock No. 1s: Green Day and "When I Come Around"
Post-grunge hitmakers Green Day slow down their frenetic pace with "When I Come Around," a '90s upgrade to the '80s power ballad
Green Day - “When I Come Around”
Weeks atop the Billboard Modern Rock chart: 7 weeks (January 7 to February 18, 1995)
Previous Modern Rock #1 hit: R.E.M. and “Bang And Blame”
Next Modern Rock #1 hit: Live and “Lightning Crashes”
Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers during this time:
Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee” (12/3/94, 12/10/94 and 12/31/94 to 1/21/95, 6 total weeks)
TLC - “Creep” (1/28/95 to 2/18/95, 4 total weeks)
“Power ballads” are definitely a thing. Almost every rock and roll act in the ‘70s and ‘80s had a song where they slowed down their tempo, maybe added some romantic flourishes, and then almost without fail, that band would find itself on top of the Billboard Hot 100.
And it’s not like people didn’t like the hard-hitting thrash-metal stylings of bands like Poison, Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, or even Sheriff — although it took several years for folks to catch on to Sheriff’s 1982 release “When I’m With You” — but each of those bands took a softer route to the top of the U.S. pop charts. I’m sure you all know a handful of tracks from most of these bands, but when it comes to chart success, few things are as sure a thing as a slower-tempo, introspective song from a group of loud rockers, and indeed, in the case of at least these four acts, they never hit #1 before or after their signature power ballads.
The phenomenon of the power ballad mostly died in the 1990s when hair metal went extinct, though the formula didn’t completely go away. The Heights, a fake band from an early ‘90s TV show of the same name, scored a not-fake #1 hit with the sappy power ballad “How Do You Talk to an Angel.” Aerosmith, a ‘70s rock act who became more famous in the ‘80s and ‘90s, hit #1 on the Hot 100 for the first and only time in 1998 with their overly saccharine soundtrack blockbuster “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” But these songs are the exceptions in a 1990s music landscape dominated by love songs from non-rock acts and the emergence of rap and R&B.
Of course, the power ballad didn’t die because people stopped liking introspective slow-rock jams from otherwise fast-paced guitar-shredding acts. It merely took on a different form, one that will start to pop up more and more frequently as we continue our chronological move forward through the 1990s and beyond. Admittedly, we’ve been there to a degree with songs like Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Soul To Squeeze,” but the one that really sticks out in my mind as both a Modern Rock hit and a crossover darling is Green Day’s “When I Come Around.”
To be clear, this is not Green Day performing a power ballad, at least based on the definition I provided above. But this is Green Day showing a vulnerability that is a callback to that style, done with a flavor palatable to the music fans of the generation in which it was created. Chronologically, we’re now fully into 1995; the ‘80s are far off in the rearview mirror and the wave of post-grunge that launched in 1993 and 1994 is now omnipresent, fully overtaking both the alternative and pop realm.
Green Day isn’t going to talk to you about thorny roses, or talking to angels, or flames of love that are eternal, or whatever Sheriff was talking about. There’s no allegory here; Green Day is giving you the straight truth about the pitfalls and the promise of a casual relationship. Billie Joe Armstrong’s narrator is clearly enamored with a potential significant other, and even though he’s not around all the time, he wants that person to know they’re still important to him, and they’ll be together again soon.
Well, don't get lonely now, and dry your whining eyes
I'm just roaming for the moment
Sleazin' my back yard so don't get
So uptight you been thinking about ditching me
No time to search the world around
'Cause you know where I'll be found
When I come around
At the same time, “When I Come Around” is also recognizing the freedom of the other person to set aside Armstrong’s narrator if that person thinks he’s kind of a slacker. He knows he’s not the greatest catch out there, and while he’d prefer to be together, he respects that she might want someone who’s less of a loser.
I'm a loser and a user so I don't need no accuser
To try and slag me down because I know you're right
So go do what you like, make sure you do it wise
You may find out that your self-doubt means nothing
Was ever there
You can't go forcing something if it's just not right
Green Day really captures the essence of love and relationships in a stripped-down, thread-bare review that skips the flowery poetry of love and puts it out there, raw and unencumbered by melodrama and sap. It’s a power ballad, but from a punk-rock perspective, a slowed-down romantic tune that skimps on the romance and dives head-first into self-deprecation and teenage I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude.
The message: I’m a loser, but I’m still here for you, so if you’re down with that, cool. If not, whatevs.
And to be honest, this could easily work within the framework of Green Day’s amplified punk-rock jams. The lyrics wouldn’t feel out of place if done at the tempo of songs like “Longview” or “Basket Case,” but the muted performance and slowed-down guitar riffs work perfectly with the subject matter, and helped cross the band over to an even wider audience.
“When I Come Around” became a bona fide pop hit in the U.S. and around the world. In addition to its seven-week run atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the song also peaked at #2 on the U.S. Pop Airplay chart and #6 on the U.S. Radio Songs chart. It was a top-10 hit in five other countries and solidified Green Day as a pop-punk crossover with mass appeal. Although its legacy 30 years after its release is not quite on the same level as songs like “Basket Case” or some of the band’s future MRT #1 hits, “When I Come Around” has more than 665 million streams on Spotify as of May 2025, which ain’t too shabby. That its 665 million streams is only good enough for seventh-most-streamed Green Day song is staggering in its own right.
This is the third Green Day #1 hit I’ve covered, and we have 10 more to go between now and the present day. In my estimation, as much as I love the band, I’ll concede that not all of their #1 hits are necessarily deserving of the top spot. That said, it’s hard to argue against “When I Come Around” and its place among the pantheon of great modern rock hits. Not only did Green Day evolve the power ballad for a ‘90s post-grunge audience, but they help make contemplative and earnest punk rock a mainstream staple as well. They’ll be back in this space soon with another introspective shout out, to a friend of bassist Mike Dirnt named Jason Andrew Relva.
Rating: 9/10
Chart Check
Other notable MRT chart songs from this time period
This week and next week are going to be chock full of big-time singles that peaked during extended runs at #1 for two big-time ‘90s alt-rock gems. With Green Day dominating the charts for seven weeks to start 1995, several solid songs came up just short. This week, we see TWO peak performances from Pearl Jam; the biggest U.S. hits from Stone Roses, Portishead, and Flaming Lips; the final alternative-chart hits from Simple Minds and Aimee Mann; and a handful of other terrific tracks too cumbersome to list individually here.
“Better Man” by Pearl Jam (#2):
Former Modern Rock Tracks #1 artist Pearl Jam came close to notching their second chart-topper with “Better Man,” another example of a slow-rock jam that appealed to both alternative rock and mainstream pop music fans. “Better Man” peaked at #2 on the MRT chart behind Green Day and was a top-15 hit on U.S. radio airplay charts as well.
“Love Spreads” by The Stone Roses (#2):
The Stone Roses continue the run on the MRT chart they started in the late ‘80s with “Love Spreads,” the biggest U.S. hit for the band. By this time, U.K. acts were losing traction to the hard-hitting post-grunge acts in the U.S., so this track, while familiar, didn’t quite hit the same saturation level that tracks from Pearl Jam and Green Day did at the time. That said, among alt-rock purists, this track was a solid continuation of the band’s earlier success, and it peaked at a very respectable #2 behind Green Day.
“Sour Times” by Portishead (#5):
I don’t know how to qualify the success of Portishead’s biggest U.S. hit, “Sour Times,” other than it seemed to strike the same musical vein as songs like “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon” by Urge Overkill. At a time when Quentin Tarantino and “Pulp Fiction” made it hip to be moody and retro, “Sour Times” found its niche and managed a solid #5 MRT chart finish behind Green Day. The song also found some modest pop success in the U.S. as well, peaking at #53 on the Hot 100 in 1995 as well.
“Gotta Get Away” by Offspring (#6):
Former Modern Rock Tracks #1 artist Offspring returns to the top 10 for the third time promoting their Smash album with “Gotta Get Away,” which peaked at #6 behind Green Day in early 1995. While it’s hardly the biggest track off the album, I’ve always had a soft spot for “Gotta Get Away.” I really like the lead-in to the refrain and exceptional guitar play from Noodles, and consider it one of my favorites from the decade. Your mileage may vary.
“She Don’t Use Jelly” by The Flaming Lips (#9):
U.K. favorites The Flaming Lips have a long and prodigious career in music, yet somehow only managed a single U.S. top-10 hit: “She Don’t Use Jelly.” It’s such a weird song, a stream-of-consciousness story about a girl who uses Vaseline instead of jelly on toast and a guy who uses magazines to blow his nose. The ‘90s were full of songs like this, experimental one-off ditties that hit hard in the moment and live on as nostalgic nuggets from a different time. This one peaked at #9 on the MRT chart behind Green Day.
“She’s A River” by Simple Minds (#10):
Former Modern Rock Tracks #1 artist Simple Minds scores its final top-10 alternative hit in the U.S. with “She’s A River,” a song I definitely did not hear a single time before the writing of this column. All in all, it’s not a bad song, but it definitely feels out of place amid all the other post-grunge shenanigans dominating the charts at that time. This song peaked at #10 on the MRT chart behind “When I Come Around.” Even though the band’s influence had waned in the U.S. by the mid 1990s, their presence on the music scene has persisted, and they are still together 30 years later.
“Corduroy” by Pearl Jam (#13):
In a weird Modern Rock Tracks chart oddity, Pearl Jam had two singles that peaked during the first seven weeks of 1995. The second of those two songs, “Corduroy,” was not released as a commercial single by the band or its record label, but still generated enough radio airplay on alternative stations to finish with a pretty decent #13 finish. Honestly, I like “Corduroy” better than “Better Man,” but the former did not quite manage the same level of crossover appeal, so it likely faded faster as a result.
“That’s Just What You Are” by Aimee Mann (#24):
Aimee Mann, probably best known for her work with ‘Til Tuesday and the band’s biggest hit, “Voices Carry,” went on to a pretty good solo career. She managed a pretty good #24 peak on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1995 with “That’s Just What You Are,” a song that was attached to the soundtrack of the ‘90s TV staple “Melrose Place.” Mann’s voice carries the track through from start to finish, and it’s a decent one to be sure, but didn’t really cross my path until just now.
“Roots Radicals” by Rancid (#27):
Punk rock godfathers Rancid cracked the alternative charts with “Roots Radicals,” the first single from their ...And Out Come the Wolves album that would eventually make them a household name. In a post-grunge world, acts like Rancid managed to find some mainstream appeal, though it wouldn’t come with this track, which peaked at a pedestrian #27 on the MRT chart. The singles that follow, however, would launch them into the limelight.
“Green Mind” by Dink (#35):
I initially included Dink in this roundup because they have a silly name and I’ve never heard of them, but “Green Mind” is a pretty decent track. The song presages bands like Chemical Brothers and Crystal Method, in my opinion, and even though they only peaked at #35 behind Green Day, you can definitely hear the future of late ‘90s electronic rock buried in this track. I also know my newsletter’s audience, and it’s almost assured there’ll be two or three comments from folks who’ll say, “Wow, I haven’t thought of Dink in years! I love those guys!” This one’s for you!
Some great tracks on this week’s installment! Portishead’s Dummy remains one of my eight Desert Island Discs and that Aimee Mann album was the start of a love affair with her songwriting and her music.
Dink: the pride of Kent, Ohio. And yes, they apparently did cover "Ohio".