Billie Joe Armstrong wrote Basket Case in a basement in Berkeley, California, where he resided and battled with anxiety and panic attacks.
In August 1994, the song was released as the second single from Green Day's third studio album, Dookie. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs list in the United States and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance.
The song's success was increased by its music video, which featured the band singing in a mental institution, as well as their performance at Woodstock 1994, famous also for a mud war with the audience.
Basket Case is regarded as one of Green Day's hallmark anthems as well as one of the most influential songs of the 1990s.
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behind the songs