Green Day continued to cultivate a cult following throughout the 90's, which only gained strength with the release of their second album, Kerplunk, in 1992. The success of Kerplunk led to a wave of interest from major record labels. The band eventually decided to sign with Reprise. Green Day's major-label debut, Dookie, was released in the spring of 1994. The initial single, "Longview," helped Dookie become a major hit. The second single, "Basket Case," spent five weeks on the top of the American modern rock charts and at the end of the summer, the band stole the show at Woodstock '94, which helped the sales of Dookie increase. By the time the fourth single, "When I Come Around", began its seven-week stay at number one on the modern rock charts in early 1995, Dookie had sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone. It would eventually top eight million in America, selling over ten million copies internationally. Dookie won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.

Green Day quickly followed Dookie with Insomniac in the autumn of 1995. During the summer, they hit number one again on the modern rock charts with "J.A.R.", their contribution to the Angus soundtrack. Insomniac initially performed well, entering the U.S. charts at number two, and selling over two million copies by the spring of 1996. None of its singles - including the radio favourite "Brain Stew/Jaded" - were as popular as those from Dookie.

In the spring of 1996, Green Day abruptly cancelled a European tour, claiming exhaustion.The band then spent the rest of the year writing new material, issuing Nimrod in late 1997. Warning, was released three years later.