Billy Corgan compares Billie Joe Armstrong to Kurt Cobain: “He is up there with the greats”
[Photos by: Green Day/Frank Maddocks, Billy Corgan]

Billy Corgan compares Billie Joe Armstrong to Kurt Cobain: “BJ is up there with the greats”

In an Instagram Q&A, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan gave much praise for Billie Joe Armstrong and the rest of Green Day. Corgan compared Armstrong to the legendary Kurt Cobain and recognized American Idiot’s cultural significance.

Read more: Watch Billie Joe Armstrong rock a Johnny Ramone tribute show

According to NME, an Instagram user asked Corgan whether American Idiot was the last record that impacted the culture, to which the Smashing Pumpkins frontman responded, “If we are talking about guitar-driven music that reached the masses, yes. And that album was what, 14 years ago?”

In the Q&A, Billy Corgan went on to compare Billie Joe Armstrong to Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. When the user asked if the two punk crusaders were equally as important in the ‘90s, Corgan replied, “BJ is up there with the greats, for sure.”

While Corgan may have given Green Day a big thumbs up, he said that punk music had almost no influence on the Smashing Pumpkins’ sound.

“Punk had very little influence directly,” Corgan says. “Indirectly, through our peers, more so. But that said, I adored the Ramones from age 10 on, and never lost my love for them.”

You can check out the full Instagram Q&A here.

Watch Green Day’s iconic video for “American Idiot” below.

While Corgan has been giving Green Day major props on Instagram, his latest muse may have something else up their sleeves. Last month, Green Day cryptically posted rehearsal photos to Instagram that revealed they were playing Dookie, Insomniac and Kerplunk! in full.

Billie Joe Armstrong is the only member of the band to not post a rehearsal photo. Only time will tell if the band are up to something special.

What do you think of Billy Corgan’s words on Green Day? Sound off in the comments below!