# At the height of Green Day’s fame, John Lydon dismissed them as “silly rich fat kids”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/at-the-height-of-green-days-fame-john-lydon-dismissed-them-as-silly-rich-fat-kids/
- Published: 2026-10-29T22:41:39+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T23:54:52+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/at-the-height-of-green-days-fame-john-lydon-dismissed-them-as-silly-rich-fat-kids/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Lydon accused Green Day of copying the Sex Pistols.
- The feud began during the Pistols’ 1996 reunion tour.
- He later criticised the band over *American Idiot*.

## Summary

In 1996, John Lydon accused Green Day of copying the Sex Pistols, dismissing them as “silly, rich fat kids”. The dispute reflected Lydon’s longstanding criticism of bands he saw as borrowing punk’s sound without its substance, while Green Day were among the world’s biggest acts.

The row began as the Sex Pistols returned for their Filthy Lucre reunion tour, two years after Green Day’s album *Dookie* became a major success. Asked what the Pistols could offer a young punk fan that Green Day could not, Lydon replied, “A big willie”, then said Green Day lacked “content”. Billie Joe Armstrong responded that Green Day might not exist without the Pistols, while the reunion tour might not have happened without Green Day. Years later, Lydon renewed his criticism during the success of Green Day’s rock opera *American Idiot*, arguing the band had become part of the system they claimed to oppose.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.