Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has shared a rendition of Kim Wilde’s 1981 single “Kids in America” for his No Fun Mondays cover series. “This week’s No Fun Mondays is dedicated to the one, the only, Mike Dirnt,” Armstrong wrote on Green Day’s YouTube page, wishing the bassist a happy birthday. Listen to Armstrong’s version of the song, as well as the original and a version by the Muffs, below.
The Muffs’ version of the song was famously featured in the 1995 teen flick Clueless. After the Muffs’ lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kim Shattuck died last year following a battle with ALS, Armstrong referred to her as “one of my favorite songwriters.” He also said that Green Day listened to the Muffs’ first album all the time while they were working on Dookie.
In addition to his cover of “Kids in America,” Armstrong has also shared renditions of “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “That Thing You Do!” The latter track was in tribute to the late songwriter Adam Schlesinger, who recently died from complications of COVID-19.