“Basket Case” by Green Day is a song which grabs you from the get go, bursting into life with an almost quintessentially pop punk-y combination of fast, muted guitar strumming and the instantly recognisable singing of Billy Joe Armstrong.
When the chorus kicks in, it kicks in hard, with the rest of band activating in a flurry of action.
The video was recorded in an actual abandoned mental hospital, which reinforces the essential message of the song.
That message is one of the singers struggle with anxiety; he was eventually diagnosed with a panic disorder, and this song was an attempt to grapple with the problem.
The melody of the guitar is quite similar to Canon in D by Pachebel, which accounts to the familiarity it might have to many listeners.
The song was released in 1994 on the album Dookie, and also as a single. It was number one on the U.S. Alternative Rock chart and was certified platinum in the U.K.
Classic!