Image Group LA/ABCYou'd be forgiven if you thought you were reliving the '90s this year, since 2016 boasted the resurgence of Pokemon, the return of The X-Files, a reboot of Full House and two major TV shows about O.J. Simpson. Well, the music world got in on the '90s nostalgia too, with new albums from Green Day, Blink-182 and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Green Day
-- Green Day bounced back from the flop of their 2012 albums ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! and ¡Tré! -- and frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's rehab stint -- with Revolution Radio, the band's 12th studio effort and their first in four years. Revolution Radio saw the punk trio return to both the political tone of their 2004 album American Idiot and a sound reminiscent of their earlier work. Both of those aspects were present on the lead single "Bang Bang," a song sung from the perspective of a mass shooter.
-- "Bang Bang" reached number one on both Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Alternative Songs chart, and Revolution Radio debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
-- Green Day embarked on an intimate club tour in support of Revolution Radio, and they'll headline a proper arena tour across North America in 2017.
-- Outside of Green Day, Armstrong made his debut as a leading man in the film Ordinary World.
Blink-182
-- A year after the very public ousting of original member Tom DeLonge, the new era of Blink-182 officially began in 2016 with California, the band's first album in five years, and their first with new guitarist Matt Skiba. Clearly, the pop-punk trio was sorely missed, even in its reconstituted form, as California debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, dethroning chart-dominating rapper Drake.
-- In support of the album, which produced the hit single "Bored to Death," Blink-182 spent their summer on a giant North American tour. On the tour, they were joined by fellow pop-punk acts A Day to Remember, The All-American Rejects and All Time Low.
-- California also scored Blink-182 their first Grammy nomination: the record is up for Best Rock Album at the 2017 ceremony.
RHCP
-- Red Hot Chili Peppers brought the funk into 2016 with The Getaway, the band's first album since 2011's I'm with You. Preceded by lead single "Dark Necessities" -- which reached the top of Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs and Alternative Songs chart -- The Getaway debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.
-- The Chili Peppers headlined Lollapalooza over the summer, and they'll embark on a North American arena tour in 2017. RHCP's 2016 also included a ride with James Corden on "Carpool Karaoke," and bassist Flea sent off a retiring Kobe Bryant with a not-so well received bass-only rendition of the national anthem.
-- Of course, the Chili Peppers couldn't escape the ravages of age entirely. In May, the band was forced to cancel a show at the last minute when Kiedis, suffering from intestinal flu, had to be hospitalized. He recovered.
And More...
-- Other '90s rock happenings in 2016 included a Pearl Jam tour -- and the news that the band would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- plus the reunion of grunge supergroup Temple of the Dog and a new, self-titled color-themed Weezer album, Weezer (White Album).
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