Green Day and Alanis's biggest hit debate settled

I was riding to work this morning listening to Star 94 (Dave and 99X were both on commercial I swear) and Green Day’s Good Riddance (Time of your life) played, followed by Alanis Morissette’s Ironic. Once at work, You Oughta Know came on 99X and it got me thinking: what was the bigger hit for the two artists/bands?

For Green Day was it Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), aka the graduation song/montage song for about 10 years starting in 1998 or was it When I Come Around? (I know Longview, Welcome to Paradise, and Basketcase were “hits” before, but I am giving When I Come Around the jumpoff status here). I would say that When I Come Around was what cemented their status with all of their punk/GenY fans but Time of Your Life made them global as they slowed it down. The order was also important too. They needed the fast-paced song first, followed by the slow-down song because you can slow down but it is tough to speed up in my opinion. They have never topped Time of Your Life, but most of their later hits have been more like When I Come Around (Holiday, American Idiot, for example). When they slow it down, they tend to have more success (21 Guns, Wake me Up, BLVD of Broken Dreams), but nothing will ever top Time of Your Life. Sorry guys but that’s what you’re known for.

As far as Alanis, she also needed to start with the up-tempo/pissed-off You Oughta Know because most of her stuff has been far more Ironic-like than revenge ballad music. You Oughta Know got her in the door with the emo generation, but she is really the One Hand in My Pocket/ThankU/Head Over Feet/Ironic singer. While Ironic is what she is moreorless known for (especially that video), You Oughta Know put Alanis on the map and screamed for people to take notice. While Ironic is an iconic song that appeals to more people, Alanis would have simply been another Natalie Merchant without You Oughta Know. Plus, how cool is it knowing that Uncle Joey from Full House has to get PISSED off every time this song airs because everyone knows this song is about him. Perhaps now she is also singing it about Ryan Reynolds, ya never know.