History Music / FooFighters

Grohl decided to draft in a full band for live shows and for the second album, ''The Colour and the Shape''. Bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith came from cultly admired Music/{{emo}} {{trope codifier}}s Music/SunnyDayRealEstate, while Pat Smear, a member of Music/TheGerms and the fourth member of Nirvana for its last few years, played guitar. Goldsmith left after the album was recorded, as Grohl had replaced most of Goldsmith's drums tracks with his own. Smear left shortly after the album was released. Replacements were found in Music/AlanisMorissette ex-bandmember Taylor Hawkins on drums and Franz Stahl in place of Smear (who was himself replaced by Chris Shiflett after the release of their third album, ''There Is Nothing Left to Lose''; that album was recorded by Grohl, Mendel and Hawkins as a trio specifically because of the lineup instability).

''Wasting Light'', their seventh studio album, was released in April 2011. It was produced by [[Music/{{Garbage}} Butch Vig]] of ''Nevermind'' fame, and features Pat Smear back as a full member of the band. Despite Grohl then announcing a hiatus for the band, they got to work on their eighth studio album at the start of 2013; titled ''Sonic Highways'', the album was released on November 10, 2014. Its production was registered in a documentary series directed by Grohl, which debuted the previous month. This was followed with ''Concrete and Gold'', released in September 2017, and ''Medicine at Midnight'', released in February 2021[[note]]the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic only delayed the release; recording had actually finished before the worldwide outbreak[[/note]]. They were also inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in 2021, making Grohl part of the select club of musicians inducted more than once (having already been inducted in 2014 as part of Nirvana).

Foo Fighters is an alternative rock band, which was formed by Music/{{Nirvana}} drummer Music/DaveGrohl after Music/KurtCobain's suicide in 1994. From 2017 to 2022, the band comprised Grohl on vocals and rhythm guitar; Chris Shiflett on lead guitar and backing vocals; Pat Smear on second lead guitar; Nate Mendel on bass; Rami Jaffee on keyboards; and Taylor Hawkins on drums and backing vocals.

Foo Fighters was originally a [[IAmTheBand one-man project]] started by Dave Grohl after the dissolution of Music/{{Nirvana}} (though he had [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocketwatch_%28album%29 written and recorded future Foo Fighters songs]] while still in the band), and he plays all the instruments on every song on the [[Music/FooFightersAlbum band's debut album]] (with the exception of "X-Static", which featured Greg Dulli of Music/TheAfghanWhigs on guitar). At first, Grohl hid behind the Foo Fighters name, preferring that people judge the album on its own merits rather than on Grohl's name or the fans' desire to fill the vacuum left by Nirvana. [[Music/PearlJam Eddie Vedder]] played a few songs on his radio show, and the positive response motivated Grohl to move forward.

The band has been praised highly by critics, stepping out of the shadow of Music/{{Nirvana}} to become one of the most influential alternative rock bands of recent years. To date, all but 2 of their albums were nominated for the UsefulNotes/GrammyAward for Best Rock Album, with four of them actually winning. However, some critics believe that their mainstream popularity and many radio hits mean that Dave Grohl has been [[ItsPopularNowItSucks "selling out"]] Kurt Cobain's legacy. (Grohl himself wondered this in "Hey, Johnny Park!", where he sang "Am I selling you out?")

''Wasting Light'', their seventh studio album, was released in April 2011. It was produced by [[Music/{{Garbage}} Butch Vig]] of ''Nevermind'' fame, and features Pat Smear back as a full member of the band. Recently, the band has gotten out of hiatus and recorded their eighth studio album, titled ''Sonic Highways''. It was released on November 10th, 2014. Its production was registered in a documentary series directed by Dave, which debuted on the previous month. This was followed with ''Concrete and Gold'', released on September 15th, 2017, and by ''Medicine at Midnight'', released on February 5, 2021[[note]]the COVID-19 pandemic only delayed the release; recording had actually finished before the worldwide outbreak[[/note]]. They were also inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in 2021, making Dave Grohl part of the select club of musicians inducted more than once (having already been inducted in 2014 as part of Nirvana).

On June 8, 2022, the surviving members announced plans for two Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts: one on September 3, 2022 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, and another on September 27, 2022 at the Kia Forum in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California. In January 2023, the band announced they would headline three festivals in the summer, with the drummer yet to be revealed. The following May, after much speculation, their new drummer was revealed to be veteran session drummer Josh Freese, known for his work with hundreds of different bands and artists including Music/{{Devo}}, Music/{{Sting}}, Music/TheOffspring, Music/APerfectCircle, Music/GunsNRoses and Music/NineInchNails. In the interim between Hawkins' death and Freese's hiring, Grohl temporarily returned to the drum throne to record the band's eleventh studio album ''But Here We Are'', a tribute to both Hawkins and Grohl's mother, who died prior to the Hawkins tribute concerts; this album was released in June 2023. The same year also saw the release of a {{pinball}} game based on the band (including Taylor), simply titled ''Pinball/{{Foo Fighters|2023}}''.

Note that they don't actually fight foos, much to Creator/MrT's [[WesternAnimation/RobotChicken chagrin.]]

* InformedAttribute: Dave called his metal project Probot's album as "a DeathMetal [[Music/{{Santana}} Supernatural]]". On the actual album, only 2 of the 12 guests ([[Music/{{Sepultura}} Max]] [[Music/{{Soulfly}} Cavalera]] and [[Music/CelticFrost Tom G. Warrior]]) have played death metal, and neither of them have ever exclusively done it and just have it as a component of their music. That being said, he may have just said this to describe its feel.

* InformedAttribute: Dave called his metal project Probot's album as "a DeathMetal ''[[Music/{{Santana}} Supernatural]]''. On the actual album, only 2 of the 12 guests ([[Music/{{Sepultura}} Max]] [[Music/{{Soulfly}} Cavalera]] and [[Music/CelticFrost Tom G. Warrior]]) have played death metal, and neither of them have ever exclusively done it and just have it as a component of their music. That being said, he may have just said this to describe its feel.

* EmoMusic: ''The Colour And The Shape'' takes some noticeable cues from the genre, thanks in large part to new recruits Nate Mendel and William Goldsmith previously belonging to 90s emo pioneers Music/SunnyDayRealEstate, with the album (particularly "Everlong") proving to be influential on emo's mainstream incarnation in the 2000s. The band would largely ditch the genre afterwards though, with them later taking a lighthearted jab at the 2000s scene on the title of "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)".

On June 8, 2022, the surviving members announced plans for two Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts: one on September 3, 2022 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, and another on September 27, 2022 at the Kia Forum in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California. In January 2023, the band announced they would headline three festivals in the summer, with the drummer yet to be revealed. The following May, after much speculation, their new drummer was revealed to be veteran session drummer Josh Freese, known for his work with hundreds of different bands and artists including Music/{{Devo}}, Music/{{Sting}}, Music/TheOffspring, Music/APerfectCircle, Music/GunsNRoses and Music/NineInchNails. In the interim between Hawkins' death and Freese's hiring, Grohl temporarily returned to the drum throne to record the band's eleventh studio album ''But Here We Are'', a tribute to both Hawkins and Grohl's mother, who died prior to the Hawkins tribute concerts; this album was released in June 2023.

* CoverVersion: Many, which were compiled in the limited edition CoverAlbum ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Rare_%28Foo_Fighters_album%29 Medium Rare]]''. Most notable is Music/{{Prince}}'s "[[Music/PurpleRainAlbum Darling Nikki]]" (see more on ShoutOut). There is also half of the Dee Gees' ''Hail Satin'', the source of which should be obvious by [[Music/TheBeeGees the name.]][[note]]Actually, one of them is a cover of a song by the source's [[Music/AndyGibb younger brother]]... but all of the brothers have writing credits.[[/note]]

* Dave Grohl - Lead vocals/Rhythm guitar (1994-present)\\
Studio: Drums (1994-1997, 2022-2023), Lead Guitar (1994, 1999), Bass (1994)
* Nate Mendel - Bass (1995-present)
* Pat Smear - Rhythm Guitar (2010-present; 2005-2010 as touring member), Lead Guitar, backing vocals (1995-1997)
* Chris Shiflett - Lead Guitar, backing vocals (1999-)
* Rami Jaffee - Keyboard, Piano (2017-present; 2005-2017 as touring member)

* Franz Stahl - Lead Guitar, backing vocals (1997-1999)

* EmoMusic: "The Colour And The Shape" takes some noticeable cues from the genre, thanks in large part to new recruits Nate Mendel and William Goldsmith previously belonging to 90s emo pioneers Music/SunnyDayRealEstate, with the album (particularly "Everlong") proving to be influential on emo's mainstream incarnation in the 2000s. The band would largely ditch the genre afterwards though, with them later taking a lighthearted jab at the 2000s scene on the title of "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)".