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)
Latest hit: "Oh Yeah!" (2020)
Biggest hits: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (No. 2 on Billboard pop chart in 2004) and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" (No. 6)
Best hits: "American Idiot" (2004) and "Longview" (1994)
Last seen in town: April 2017, Xcel Energy Center
WEEZER
Best known for: Probably the first thing that comes to older music fans' minds is the Los Angeles rockers' "Happy Days"-inspired, MTV-adored video for their 1994 hit "Buddy Holly," with frontman Rivers Cuomo in appropriately nerdy spectacles. Younger and more casual fans are likely to cite 2018's ubiquitous and vehemently loved or hated cover of Toto's early-'80s soft-rock hit "Africa." The latter's surprising success helped generate radio play for the band's pair of 2021 albums, "OK Human" and "Van Weezer."
Number of hits: 18
First hit: "Undone (The Sweater Song)" (1994)
Latest hit: "All My Favorite Songs" (2021)
Biggest hits: "Beverly Hills" (No. 10 pop chart in 2005) and the "Africa" remake (No. 1 alt-rock chart in 2018)
Best hits: "El Scorcho" (1996) and "Troublemaker" (2008)
Last seen in town: March 2019, Xcel Energy Center with the Pixies.
FALL OUT BOY
Best known for: Probably no American rock band since Bon Jovi or Aerosmith has more openly aimed for teeny-bopper Top 40 pop radio play than this Chicago quartet, helmed by bassist/songwriter Pete Wentz and singer Patrick Stump. That tactic has paid off surprisingly well in recent years even as the band has entered middle age, including hits with younger collaborators such as Demi Lovato and 100 Gecs.
Number of hits: 14
First hit: "Sugar, We're Goin Down" (2005)
Latest hit: "Dear Future Self" (2019)
Biggest hits: "Sugar" (No. 8 pop) and "Centuries" (No. 10 pop, 2014)
Best hits: "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" (2007) and … ?
Last in town: KDWB Jingle Ball, December 2017, Xcel Center.
Hella Mega Tour
When: 5:30 p.m. Mon.
Where: Target Field, Mpls.
Tickets: $60-$425, ticketmaster.com.
COVID rules: At publication time, no vaccine, test or mask requirements have been announced.
