None of them was ever considered the biggest band of its era. Somewhat by default, though, the Green Day, Weezer and Fall Out Boy combo tour has unequivocally turned into the biggest rock concert of the summer.
The trio of poppy, punky, smart-alecky American bands will hit Target Field on Monday night on what they're playfully calling the Hella Mega Tour. What seemed like a grandiose name when it was announced a year and a half ago, though, actually now seems appropriate.
While most other major summer tours fell by the wayside in both 2020 and 2021 out of COVID-19 concerns, Hella Mega stuck it out — and now stands out.
Not only is it the Twin Cities' only stadium concert this summer. It's also a rare lineup of veteran rock bands that have managed to amass a lot of radio hits in the internet-driven 21st century without the help of MTV, which fueled Weezer and Green Day's careers early on.
Here's a reminder of just how many hits they have each racked up and other ways they've staked out hella-longevous careers.
GREEN DAY
Best known for: While they first caught on via videos for "Longview" and "Basket Case" from 1994's "Dookie" album, Minnesotan-in-law Billie Joe Armstrong and his East Bay, Calif.-reared punk trio arguably made a bigger mark and staked out a long-term fan base with their truly wild live appearances at Lollapalooza IV, a mud-caked Woodstock II and other '90s outings. They also gained a second career wave with 2004's politically tinged "American Idiot," the basis of a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
Total number of hits (singles to chart Top 10): 24
First hit: "Longview" (1994)