Foo Fighters is a Seattle, Washington, American rock band that was created in 1994. Dave Grohl, once of Nirvana, started Foo Fighters as a solo effort. Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) recruited Nate Mendel (bass guitar), William Goldsmith (drums), and Pat Smear (guitar) after the success of their self-titled first album in 1995. (guitar). Goldsmith and Smear left the band, and by 1999 the core lineup of Grohl, Mendel, Chris Shiflett (guitar), and Taylor Hawkins had been established (drums). Smear came back in 2005, and in 2017 Rami Jaffee (keys) joined the group.
Grohl enlisted Mendel and Goldsmith, previously of Sunny Day Real Estate, and Smear, a veteran of Nirvana’s touring band, to join the Foo Fighters before the release of their first album. Portland, Oregon was the band’s first stop. The Colour and the Shape (1997) was recorded without Goldsmith on drums; Grohl re-recorded the majority of the drum tracks. Almost immediately after, Smear left the band, but he continued to make periodic guest appearances beginning in 2005. He eventually came back in 2010.
Franz Stahl and Taylor Hawkins took over for Smear and Goldsmith, but Stahl was let go before the trio could record their third album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999). After finishing There Is Nothing Left to Lose, the band remained a trio for a while until welcoming guitarist Chris Shiflett. Foo Fighters’ fourth album, titled One by One, was released in 2002. The subsequent two-disc set, In Your Honor (2005), had both acoustic and harder music. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace was Foo Fighters’ sixth studio album, released in 2007.
Smear rejoined the Foo Fighters for their seventh studio album, Wasting Light (2011), produced by Butch Vig. In 2014, Grohl released Sonic Highways as the score to his TV movie. Featuring veteran session and touring keyboardist Rami Jaffee as a full member, Concrete and Gold (2017) was the second Foo Fighters album to debut at number one in the United States. Hawkins’ death in March 2022 meant that he would not be included on the band’s last album, Medicine at Midnight (2021).
Foo Fighters have been one of the most successful rock groups in Grammy history, winning 15 total Grammys and five times for Best Rock Album.
[4] At the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, the group was presented with the first “Global Icon” award. In 2021, their first year of eligibility, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
