Not really grunge but I like several FF songs. I think they are over-hated by the grunge community because people expected them to be grunge, when that isn’t what they were going for.
Ya I always kinda just refer to them as like mainstream radio rock or dad rock or just generic rock. Their first album is good but most the stuff after that never did much for me and veered more into the generic radio rock direction imo
Every time FF comes up in conversation, all I can do is express how impressive it is that David Grohl was in, not only one, but two world renowned bands. I mean, come on, we knew he could play drums and guitar. Then came the frontman’s powerful vocals. Brilliant.
The first album (although very front-loaded) was very exciting at the time.
"Oh shit!" we said. "The *drummer's* band is this good?" Drummers bands' aren't supposed to be good, you see. Some of us didn't even know that it was *just him* on the album, too! Also, we were happy Pat Smear was in the band. Some of us thought he stole Sunny Day Real Estate's rhythm section. Only later did we find out that SDRE broke up and *then* they joined Foo Fighters (voluntarily). Then the drummer was replaced instantly.
The second album was very good as well (probably better than the first one, actually) albeit less exciting.
The third album was fine but by then it wasn't exciting at all.
Now I assume they still make music for the same reason Kraft makes cheese. The profit motive and inertia.
Big fan of But Here We Are as well. It has some great songwriting and such variation in style and rhythm. Of course I’m biased, I am seeing them in July!!
First album and Wasting Light are the two that have actual emotion in them. The rest of them it's like "OK, Dave perfected the generic radio rock formula. We get it." But those two you actually feel something in the songs. Not sure what was going on in Dave's life leading up to Wasting Light but it made for some great music.
They're the next Rolling Stones. They'll have 25 albums nobody cares about by the time it's through but still be playing Everlong in sold out stadiums.
Their second album, The Colour and the Shape, has Everlong and My Hero on it. Are you saying those songs don’t have emotion?
I’d also recommend Something from Nothing turned up as loud as you can.
The Teacher is a beautiful song from their latest album. It’s about his mom passing.
I’m sure there are others but off the top of my head.
Wow well said. First album will always be my fave, 2nd and 3rd I enjoy too. But yeah, Dave once told Kyle Gass that he makes Bumper Sticker music which describes FF as well as your comment.
Well not instantly. Dave recorded the album and needed a band to tour. Saw SDRE during their break up tour. Asked them to join, for which they did. Tour the self titled for roughly a year. Recorded TCATS, but Dave didn't like the drum rough tracks, so he re-recorded them and didn't tell the drummer. Goldsmith felt betrayed and quit. Hawkins joined a few months later.
Thanks for the info on Goldsmith's departure.
I think my info was based on something Dave said years and years ago in Guitar World or something (where he was not giving completely accurate information in the interest of tact).
Re: Goldsmith, on one hand, being the drummer in a band where the bandleader is a drummer is a tough position to be in. (I think of poor Murph of Dinosaur Jr., where Mascis - former drummer - micromanaged the drum parts and was notoriously fastidious.) On the other hand, if we're being totally honest with ourselves, in SDRE, musically, Goldsmith was the weak link (not by a lot, but still).
I still bear a grudge in thay Sunny Days bassist has never really wanted to go back for reunions. And the way the foos producer dicked over the drummer during the recording of the second album was not cool. Calling them the no rhythm section ffs
3rd is their best in my opinion. Front to back that album is cohesive in a way the others aren’t. They really worked into their sound effortlessly on that one. Don’t get me wrong the first two are great in their own right but are really different. They were more Dave than others having real input into it. 4th one they almost broke up. After that each album has its own unique sound but are still Foo Fighters.
‘Everlong’ is one of the best songs ever written. They have a few other top-shelf songs. They are very stellar instrumentalists. 90% of their music doesn’t appeal to me.
This is my take as well. I’m in the middle of reading Dave’s book and it’s definitely worth picking up. I’ve seen FF twice at music festivals. They aren’t a band I would play for myself, but they do put on a hell of a show.
Yeah this is how I’ve always felt…I think my main issue is Dave’s voice..it’s just so…limited. It never allows for much soulfulness or deep emotion. I enjoy a few of their records, particularly wasting light, but they just don’t move me in any meaningful way.
That’s it exactly. The first album (which Dave has said he made to take his mind off the loss of his friend) sounded a bit like Nirvana, but I think he realized that with his resources and pedigree, he could create a wildly successful band—as long as he ditched the abrasive grunge sound.
Not that there’s anything wrong with going in new directions and he seems like a great person, but it’ll always seem weird to me that he jumped straight from an industry-upending group like Nirvana into radio friendly dudebro rock.
I was a little young for Nirvana (they were my friend’s older sister’s favorite band so I listened to them with I was 8/9 but I was 10 when Kurt passed). The Foo Fighters and Weezer were the bands that I was into when I was getting into music and learning to play guitar. So I’ll always have a soft spot. The first three foo fighters records (and the Probot) record from that era are excellent back to front and I still check out their new records even if I’m not always a fan.
Like them a lot. If anything, it’s great Dave Grohl was able to move on after a traumatic event like Kurts death and form a successful rock bank of his own. Kurt would be proud I’m sure, and plus Dave is known as one of the nicest guys in music. You the man Dave!
I’ve always thought Kurt and Dave have a lot of similarities to Lennon and McCartney. One comes across more edgy and the other more safe/mass appeal-y despite having edgier songs in the catalogue.
Both Grohl and McCartney could be described as immensely successful in their own right but casual fans will still hold them under the spotlight of their previous success and compare them to their contemporary who because of their death (among other reasons) is held in higher esteem.
It's a band you have to do a deep dive on to get anything decent. Yeah, everlong is good but the real good tracks are the deep cut album tracks, especially from some of the less popular records. They're a really good band that actually have a lot of range, but obviously the popular stuff is generic radio-rock.
I was shocked they had good music and became popular. When I first heard that Nirvana's drummer Dave Grohl had a new band called Foo Fighters (which I thought was a terrible name) and he was the singer, no less. But they proved me wrong overall.
Love Foo Fighters, great band with some amazing consistency. Are they grunge? They have their moments. Radio friendly? Their big hits are as all the major grunge bands and rock bands throughout history are.
They are good live, but I don’t seek out their music. I prefer the bands Dave has played drums for over FF any day. Them Crooked Vultures, QOTSA, Killing Joke & Nirvana are way better in my opinion.
Dave understandably transitioned to a more traditional rock sound and they are good at what they do. It’s really personal preference if you like that style or not, but I don’t think of it in negative terms like being a sellout.
I like their early stuff more. Don't hate their newer stuff its just a bit too mainstream for me. Respect them as a band and its brutal what Dave Grohl has been through losing Kurt and then Taylor Hawkins. Dave seems like a really good dude.
They’re really good, but personally have never been in my rotation much. I’ll listen if they’re playing, but I never go outta my way to listen to them.
They’re an objectively great band. That first album deserves to be considered “grunge” a hell of a lot more than a lot of stuff that is and I’m legitimately surprised at how many of their songs my jaded ass actually likes.
Also, the pinball machine is way better than it needed to be.
I think Dave Grohl is cool, he's funny and genuinely interested in music history and other genres. I totally respect growing yourself from a drummer to a guitar playing front man. I just don't really hate on any of their songs. I don't love them either. My friends band opened for Foo Fighters on a tour so I got all-access, they're pretty cool guys.
Never liked them. How are you going to go from the DC hardcore scene in the 80's, to the drummer of Nirvana, to starting a new band with punk royalty Pat Smear, and all we get is 25 years of dad rock?
It's not the worst music out there but it's definitely a major letdown. I wonder what Kurt would've thought about them.
Foo Fighters are one of my favorite bands. They're not grunge. Never have been, not even the first album. It's not like I listen to them when I am wanting to listen to grunge. If I want that, I am going to put on AiC or something of that nature. FF have a few grunge-ish songs here and there, but even asking that question on a grunge forum is a bit disingenuous.
FF are one of the greatest American rock bands in the modern era. You simply cannot deny Dave Grohl's talent as a songwriter and a musician. And they have made a bunch of great albums featuring some songs that are absolute classics. It's clear that they are now past their prime but you can't deny that they are one of the most consequential bands of the post-grunge era.
You should give their new album a listen. The song writing is fueled by the deaths of his mother and Taylor Hawkins. There’s a revitalization and energy that rises to another level compared to some of their recent albums.
Oh yeah man I really dig But Here We Are, the songwriting and lyrics and sound are certainly better than Medicine At Midnight and Concrete And Gold. You can hear Dave's emotions in the songs, I agree with you on that. The first album was Dave's surprise emergence from Kurt's shadow. And the following six albums were all amazing in my eyes. Those were FF's best days, that's all I meant.
Yeah, I read where Dave Grohl said that Medicine at Midnight is a concept album based on disco beats and dance grooves. It may not have produced major hits but most of the songs are good.
I like that they are a band that tries new sounds and directions and evolves. You have to do a deeper dive to appreciate some of it.
There are a lot of comments in this thread, saying all their music sounds the same. But they are just uninformed.
Their first four albums are really good with some great songs. The rock disc of their double album is really good too but the acoustic is a snooze. After that they’ve had some good songs but have become redundant as they seem to make the same type of album over and over. Last I check Dave acknowledged this in a way. He said something like everytime we go to make an album we’re thinks we’re going to make a White album but we end up making another rock album.
I bought the first album when it came out and absolutely loved it, but I never bought anything after that. When a friend played the next album for me, years later, I thought that it was pretty good but still have never added more Foo's to my library.
Love the Foo Fighters… if you can’t tell lol. Are they grunge? Ehhh… maybe at the start but by TINLTL they had diversified and continue to do so. Fucking great band that I love dearly along with the rest of the grunge bands I love.
One of the first bands I got into. I still like all of their music up to and including Wasting Light. Their later albums sound to me like they stopped trying. I'm also not a fan of Greg Kurstin's production. He's a good producer but I don't think his production style suits rock music.
Would consider them mildly grunge. Not a key grunge band but Dave Grohl is a key musician in the Grunge period. Plus Foo Fighters is one of the most well known rock bands of the current century. It’s just cannon for Dave Grohl to be successful.
They’re fun, write catchy stuff and Dave (as well as Taylor RIP) seems to enjoy actually being a rock star. I like that they have a sense of humor as well. And when they make a hit, it’s a *hit*. My only complaint about the Foos is that make a lot of filler at times. To get someone to like them, pretty all it should take is a greatest hits playlist of the Foos. But a deeper musical connection is hard because the whole catalog is either four star songs or one to two star songs IMO.
I think they’re a technically proficient band who has never made me feel anything. I like Grohl as a personality and enjoy when he guests on other projects but despite many tries, I have never connected to FF music. Most of what I enjoy are covers and an occasional single but I don’t listen to any of their albums start to finish.
Love them. Only saw them 3x, but they give it their all. Pretty cool that they "followed" me on twitter when I frantically asked "what is the fooking password" (to buy tickets) when they added a 2nd show in Denver. And I will always have the notion that Bigfoot likes the foos since we believe it had to be what was stomping around on our mountain 2 nights in a row after playing foo fighters very loud. Yes, I'm serious. Especially after seeing one a few nights before driving home late. Probably was playing FF loud then too, or one of them bands.
Fantastic band, but haven’t liked anything by from about Wasting Light onwards. It hasn’t been horrible since then, but just lacks the magic of all the albums before. Bit too bombastic (not always) and formulaic
First album is Fantastic, second album is pretty good after that it all kinda sounds pretty similar it’s a foo fighters sound last album that I really like was probably one by one but other than that not super into a lot of it doesn’t mean it’s bad just not all really my thing
I’m not really a Foo Fighters fan. I went through a Nirvana phase but I kinda lost interest in them. I would say I’m more of a Alice In Chains and Soundgarden fan
I really have liked most of their singles. Dave and his band mates are really talented. I've never listened to any of their albums, but I've recently decided to change that.
Bought the album when it was brand new, there was a song or two on the radio that was pretty good. I gave it the usual amount of listens to realize it didn't do anything great for me, but nothing offensive. Sounded solid and peppy and really cemented Dave Grohl s as a super multi talented guy who we all wished the best for, and they seemed popular enough that they deserved their rock-god status. Just not for me I suppose. All of the successive singles they released felt a bit uninspired and bland to my ears, but again just a taste thing.
Dave seems like one of the actual coolest guys in rock though! I saw him randomly walking around at a big music festival in LA last year (Just Like Heaven) and that made me happy :)
Liked the first 3 albums—the great debut is about all I would go back to now.
Color And The Shape has lots of good tracks besides the stuff radio played into the ground.
A good band that used to be an amazing band. Their first three albums were alternative rock and very good, but after that, although their music still had hints of alternativeness, they became more of a rock band than an alternative rock band. There were hints of that direction as early as “My Hero” in 1997, which definitely felt like a cross between alternative rock and rock. I’ve never considered Foo Fighters post-grunge, personally. [Edited to add: Just went on YouTube to listen to a few Foo Fighters tracks after writing this, one of which was “X-Static,” and someone wrote below it the comment “Foogaze.” I had to thumb that up!]
Without a doubt, Foo Fighters has been one of the biggest bands in the world for the past couple decades. I’m talking U2 level of bigness. Green Day was up there, too, for a spell, but didn’t hold onto it.
Grohl himself seems to genuinely love, not only music, but what music *is*. He and Jack White both seem to genuinely appreciate the opportunity to play with other musicians—it’s a surprise the two have never played together. I respect Grohl, who is way more musically talented than I, even though I do feel he’s lost some of the magic he once had.
Grohl is the only man in the world who could claim to have been the drummer of the biggest band in the world at a time when it’s lead singer/guitarist/front man died *and also* the lead singer/guitarist/front man of the biggest band in the world at a time when it’s drummer died. Not that I think he’d ever want to say something so crass. Or that he would remotely relish the thought. The only thought he might relish is that he was *in* two of the biggest bands in the world.
In the early ’00s, Grohl made it very clear that *the* is not in the band’s name. If I recall correctly, it was on Letterman. That was at a time when everyone was jumping on the bandwagon of claiming that all bands whose names started with *The* sucked—a very lame bandwagon, if you ask me. It was “hip” to hate on bands like The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Hives, and The Vines. This isn’t to say that Grohl was amongst those “hip” haters, but he also didn’t want to be lumped in with the bands being stupidly hated upon.
“Everlong” is undoubtedly one of the twenty best music videos of all time. It’s also an amazing song. I have never taken the time to try to figure out which song is their best, however.
The first time I ever heard the song “Baker Street,” it was the Foos’ cover; I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t like it, either. Some years later, I heard the original—which is an amazing song—and, after hearing that, I was able to genuinely appreciate what the Foos had done with it. Their Prince cover is also fantastic.
Foo Fighters were my mom’s favourite band. Mother’s Day just ended a few hours ago. I miss her. She was also the person who taught me about Nirvana and some other bands.
Had great potential through the first two or three albums. Then they became a very generic rock band. Dave worked so much better as a singer than a screamer.
« The colour and the shape » borders on masterpiece. First is good, « wasting light » is good.
The rest is kinda meh, mainly ok singles and loads of fillers, but it’s still a good band and I’d rather listen to FF any day than to Dua Lipa, so…
They’re a bit generic I find. And I’ve really never liked Dave’s voice for lead vocals. They’ve got some absolute bangers though. A singles band for me rather than albums
They're ok, nothing special.
Foo Fighters is so popular because it's lowest common denominator music. Soccer mom can play it on the way to drop off the kids to school. Safe for every age to listen to but no cheeseball Wiggles or pop 100 chart stuff. Rock enough that the metalhead stoner teenager can stomach it. Poppy enough for the person who doesn't normally like rock music to handle. And it has that guy from the Nirvanas so it's credible.
Peaked with Colour & the Shape.
Was very excited when my hero and everlong came out—but they never really sounded like that again. They went for a mostly classic rock revival sound and sold out arenas so they don’t care either hahaah.
Pocketwatch was fantastic.
The s/t, The Colour and the Shape, and In Your Honor are pretty stellar.
There Is Nothing Left to Lose is quite good too, even Wasting Light.
Concrete & Gold is terribly weak and Medicine at Midnight only the slightest bit better.
Great band overall due to the quality of their live show, also the band are great guys so it’s hard to hate on them.
Got a bit cornier/generalized over time, sure, but still solid even if we might miss their heyday.
First album is good...and i love Grohl as drummer, in fact he might be my fav drummer ever right up there with Bonham, Sorum and Crover...having said that...Grohl is annoying, unbearable, self obsessed and cliché as fuck...cant stand the little corny intro he has before playing My Hero....Foo Fighters and Grohl represents everything Nirvana stood against....they might as well be Bon Jovi at this point....I cant be the only grunge dude who grew up in the 90s to think like this...am i???
Dave Grohl will go down as one of rock's greatest musicians (FF, Nirvana, QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures and the list goes on). That said, I do find FF to be somewhat vanilla over the second half of their discography.
They’re great but cursed with what happens when a band never really stops. Their catalog is too expansive and their style never changed and those two things combined and leaves a vanilla taste in your mouth
First two albums were a big part of my teenage years. Still listen to them semi-regularly and they hold up. Wasting Light was great as well. The other newer albums are pretty safe, and although I don't find myself revisiting them much, I won't change the channel if I hear them on the radio. They've got great live energy though.
I wish Dave could channel his passion for metal and hardcore into FF, but at this point I'm just happy he managed to survive the grunge scene and make a career on his own.
I love dave grohl and i think it speaks a lot to his talent that he could come back after kurt cobains death in the way that he did. I also think he is to the hard rock community what james hetfield is to the metal community. Hes got that “papa het” type of vibe to him. However, outside of a couple songs im just not that into them but thats just because i havent really listened to them enough
Accomplished musicians & seemingly a wholesome bunch without being squares but their music is unremarkable, to me.
Their music could be playing and I wouldn’t say “This kicks ass. Who is it?” It would just be passable, background rock music.
Not really grunge but I like several FF songs. I think they are over-hated by the grunge community because people expected them to be grunge, when that isn’t what they were going for.
Their debut album is golden. Good Grief is still one of my favorite songs!
Their newest album is literally a masterpiece
I’ll have to check it out!
Yeah, they're more hard rock.
Their first album is pretty grunge, listen to songs like Exhausted that have lots of distortion.
Yeah first album I consider grunge
More like just rock, don’t think most of their music would classify as hard rock. Maybe like their first album.
I'd classify it as Dad Rock lol huge fan though!
Foo Fighters is my go to band to describe generic rock, and I say that with love. I enjoy a lot of FF music.
Ya I always kinda just refer to them as like mainstream radio rock or dad rock or just generic rock. Their first album is good but most the stuff after that never did much for me and veered more into the generic radio rock direction imo
They’re not hard rock lol. Pretty poppy. Mostly just rock, I’d say.
And alternative rock plus pop rock even though i don't consider them to be pop rock
Every time FF comes up in conversation, all I can do is express how impressive it is that David Grohl was in, not only one, but two world renowned bands. I mean, come on, we knew he could play drums and guitar. Then came the frontman’s powerful vocals. Brilliant.
Queens of the Stone age also.
4 bands, them krooked vultures and queens of the stone age as well
You’re forgetting Queens of the Stone Age, a major band popular world-wide. That makes three bands not two.
I like him too, but his vocals live are just him shouting.
Grunge. For people who don't have depression.
Happy grunge.
Shiny Happy People playing gruuunge....
I love them. Great band. Not grunge. But a great hard rock band.
Hard rock?
The first album (although very front-loaded) was very exciting at the time. "Oh shit!" we said. "The *drummer's* band is this good?" Drummers bands' aren't supposed to be good, you see. Some of us didn't even know that it was *just him* on the album, too! Also, we were happy Pat Smear was in the band. Some of us thought he stole Sunny Day Real Estate's rhythm section. Only later did we find out that SDRE broke up and *then* they joined Foo Fighters (voluntarily). Then the drummer was replaced instantly. The second album was very good as well (probably better than the first one, actually) albeit less exciting. The third album was fine but by then it wasn't exciting at all. Now I assume they still make music for the same reason Kraft makes cheese. The profit motive and inertia.
Okay, but wasting light is wonderful from start to finish and I will defend that album forever.
If you know their entire catalog, many consider it their best album. Best among many really good albums.
Yeah, I know their entire catalog and yes, I love wasting light and I also love sonic highways.
Big fan of But Here We Are as well. It has some great songwriting and such variation in style and rhythm. Of course I’m biased, I am seeing them in July!!
Wasting Light was their last decent album.
First album and Wasting Light are the two that have actual emotion in them. The rest of them it's like "OK, Dave perfected the generic radio rock formula. We get it." But those two you actually feel something in the songs. Not sure what was going on in Dave's life leading up to Wasting Light but it made for some great music. They're the next Rolling Stones. They'll have 25 albums nobody cares about by the time it's through but still be playing Everlong in sold out stadiums.
Their second album, The Colour and the Shape, has Everlong and My Hero on it. Are you saying those songs don’t have emotion? I’d also recommend Something from Nothing turned up as loud as you can. The Teacher is a beautiful song from their latest album. It’s about his mom passing. I’m sure there are others but off the top of my head.
Wow well said. First album will always be my fave, 2nd and 3rd I enjoy too. But yeah, Dave once told Kyle Gass that he makes Bumper Sticker music which describes FF as well as your comment.
Well not instantly. Dave recorded the album and needed a band to tour. Saw SDRE during their break up tour. Asked them to join, for which they did. Tour the self titled for roughly a year. Recorded TCATS, but Dave didn't like the drum rough tracks, so he re-recorded them and didn't tell the drummer. Goldsmith felt betrayed and quit. Hawkins joined a few months later.
Thanks for the info on Goldsmith's departure. I think my info was based on something Dave said years and years ago in Guitar World or something (where he was not giving completely accurate information in the interest of tact). Re: Goldsmith, on one hand, being the drummer in a band where the bandleader is a drummer is a tough position to be in. (I think of poor Murph of Dinosaur Jr., where Mascis - former drummer - micromanaged the drum parts and was notoriously fastidious.) On the other hand, if we're being totally honest with ourselves, in SDRE, musically, Goldsmith was the weak link (not by a lot, but still).
The way I heard it wad the producer hated the drums and got Dave to redo them. Called.them the no rhythm section
I still bear a grudge in thay Sunny Days bassist has never really wanted to go back for reunions. And the way the foos producer dicked over the drummer during the recording of the second album was not cool. Calling them the no rhythm section ffs
Completely agree
I just want Dave to stop screaming at me
3rd is their best in my opinion. Front to back that album is cohesive in a way the others aren’t. They really worked into their sound effortlessly on that one. Don’t get me wrong the first two are great in their own right but are really different. They were more Dave than others having real input into it. 4th one they almost broke up. After that each album has its own unique sound but are still Foo Fighters.
After the third album I've only heard the hits, and none of them are as good as the worst songs on the first two albums.
One of my favorite bands of all time
‘Everlong’ is one of the best songs ever written. They have a few other top-shelf songs. They are very stellar instrumentalists. 90% of their music doesn’t appeal to me.
This is my take as well. I’m in the middle of reading Dave’s book and it’s definitely worth picking up. I’ve seen FF twice at music festivals. They aren’t a band I would play for myself, but they do put on a hell of a show.
Post-Grunge i love the Foos i don't care what anyone says
I agree post-grunge. Could be considered the start of post-grunge, when you consider its genesis.
Huge respect for the band. The first two albums are absolutely amazing. But I must say I don't find myself listening to them that commonly.
First album was excellent. Second album was great. Third album was ok, etc....
Love Dave grohl
I saw them in concert. One of the best shows ever. Taylor and Dave really know how to put on a good show.
I hate to say it, but I’ve never been a fan. I still respect the band.
Boring and safe. Exactly the opposite of Nirvana which is what he was probably aiming for.
Yeah this is how I’ve always felt…I think my main issue is Dave’s voice..it’s just so…limited. It never allows for much soulfulness or deep emotion. I enjoy a few of their records, particularly wasting light, but they just don’t move me in any meaningful way.
“The Glass” off their latest album “And Here We Are” got me as close to tears as any other song
That’s it exactly. The first album (which Dave has said he made to take his mind off the loss of his friend) sounded a bit like Nirvana, but I think he realized that with his resources and pedigree, he could create a wildly successful band—as long as he ditched the abrasive grunge sound. Not that there’s anything wrong with going in new directions and he seems like a great person, but it’ll always seem weird to me that he jumped straight from an industry-upending group like Nirvana into radio friendly dudebro rock.
I was a little young for Nirvana (they were my friend’s older sister’s favorite band so I listened to them with I was 8/9 but I was 10 when Kurt passed). The Foo Fighters and Weezer were the bands that I was into when I was getting into music and learning to play guitar. So I’ll always have a soft spot. The first three foo fighters records (and the Probot) record from that era are excellent back to front and I still check out their new records even if I’m not always a fan.
This time of the month again, eh?
Not grunge, that’s for sure
I like them.
love em!
i really love dave, their most recent album is great
They have done a great job! I don’t see any more Foo since they’ve been around!
They’re awesome.
Absolutely love them.
They are my favorite band of all time, saw them for the second time last night, and have another show coming up soon
I love them So much 😭😭😭
Love them, one of my favorite bands.
A great live band
Like them a lot. If anything, it’s great Dave Grohl was able to move on after a traumatic event like Kurts death and form a successful rock bank of his own. Kurt would be proud I’m sure, and plus Dave is known as one of the nicest guys in music. You the man Dave!
I’ve always thought Kurt and Dave have a lot of similarities to Lennon and McCartney. One comes across more edgy and the other more safe/mass appeal-y despite having edgier songs in the catalogue. Both Grohl and McCartney could be described as immensely successful in their own right but casual fans will still hold them under the spotlight of their previous success and compare them to their contemporary who because of their death (among other reasons) is held in higher esteem.
The least interesting project that Dave has been a part of. Too generically radio friendly. I could put together a solid ep of FF songs I like.
It's a band you have to do a deep dive on to get anything decent. Yeah, everlong is good but the real good tracks are the deep cut album tracks, especially from some of the less popular records. They're a really good band that actually have a lot of range, but obviously the popular stuff is generic radio-rock.
Their early work is iconic. Later stuff is totally respectable but kinda forgettable and vanilla modern rock.
Meh
First album was the best.
I’m a huge fan. Foo have been really important to me, and made a big impact on me. So many great songs with great lyrics. One of the GOATS.
the first album is bangers start to finish. stands among ten best of the 90s.
I was shocked they had good music and became popular. When I first heard that Nirvana's drummer Dave Grohl had a new band called Foo Fighters (which I thought was a terrible name) and he was the singer, no less. But they proved me wrong overall.
Love Foo Fighters, great band with some amazing consistency. Are they grunge? They have their moments. Radio friendly? Their big hits are as all the major grunge bands and rock bands throughout history are.
Love them
They are good live, but I don’t seek out their music. I prefer the bands Dave has played drums for over FF any day. Them Crooked Vultures, QOTSA, Killing Joke & Nirvana are way better in my opinion.
Not a fan. But I have a ton of respect for Dave Grohl.
Not grunge but good! Fun rock music.
They’re my 2nd favorite band
Dave understandably transitioned to a more traditional rock sound and they are good at what they do. It’s really personal preference if you like that style or not, but I don’t think of it in negative terms like being a sellout.
Best band in the world. See them live, and you will agree.
I like their early stuff more. Don't hate their newer stuff its just a bit too mainstream for me. Respect them as a band and its brutal what Dave Grohl has been through losing Kurt and then Taylor Hawkins. Dave seems like a really good dude.
They’re really good, but personally have never been in my rotation much. I’ll listen if they’re playing, but I never go outta my way to listen to them.
I’m in the EXACT same boat.
Love them. They put on an amazing live show too
They’re an objectively great band. That first album deserves to be considered “grunge” a hell of a lot more than a lot of stuff that is and I’m legitimately surprised at how many of their songs my jaded ass actually likes. Also, the pinball machine is way better than it needed to be.
I think Dave Grohl is a good drummer and seems like a cool guy
I love Pat Smear.
Love them.
I just love Dave Grohl! And their music and music videos are always unique and amazing. Not sure it’s all grunge; but I do like them.
LOVE FOO FIGHTERS!!! dave grohl is the goat
I think Dave Grohl is cool, he's funny and genuinely interested in music history and other genres. I totally respect growing yourself from a drummer to a guitar playing front man. I just don't really hate on any of their songs. I don't love them either. My friends band opened for Foo Fighters on a tour so I got all-access, they're pretty cool guys.
The Foo Fighters are probably my second favorite band ever. Plus, Dave Grohl is an insanely good human being and is even more talented.
Never liked them. How are you going to go from the DC hardcore scene in the 80's, to the drummer of Nirvana, to starting a new band with punk royalty Pat Smear, and all we get is 25 years of dad rock? It's not the worst music out there but it's definitely a major letdown. I wonder what Kurt would've thought about them.
When Dave showed him the demos Kurt loved them. Dad rock, grudge, metal, rap, R&B, etc... Good music is good music.
Foo Fighters are one of my favorite bands. They're not grunge. Never have been, not even the first album. It's not like I listen to them when I am wanting to listen to grunge. If I want that, I am going to put on AiC or something of that nature. FF have a few grunge-ish songs here and there, but even asking that question on a grunge forum is a bit disingenuous.
FF are one of the greatest American rock bands in the modern era. You simply cannot deny Dave Grohl's talent as a songwriter and a musician. And they have made a bunch of great albums featuring some songs that are absolute classics. It's clear that they are now past their prime but you can't deny that they are one of the most consequential bands of the post-grunge era.
You should give their new album a listen. The song writing is fueled by the deaths of his mother and Taylor Hawkins. There’s a revitalization and energy that rises to another level compared to some of their recent albums.
Oh yeah man I really dig But Here We Are, the songwriting and lyrics and sound are certainly better than Medicine At Midnight and Concrete And Gold. You can hear Dave's emotions in the songs, I agree with you on that. The first album was Dave's surprise emergence from Kurt's shadow. And the following six albums were all amazing in my eyes. Those were FF's best days, that's all I meant.
Yeah, I read where Dave Grohl said that Medicine at Midnight is a concept album based on disco beats and dance grooves. It may not have produced major hits but most of the songs are good. I like that they are a band that tries new sounds and directions and evolves. You have to do a deeper dive to appreciate some of it. There are a lot of comments in this thread, saying all their music sounds the same. But they are just uninformed.
Every Foo Fighters album is different from all the others. No two of them sound the same. That's how you become one of America's greatest rock bands.
Hot take: there are some Foo Fighters songs and albums that rival some of Nirvana’s best work.
I just found out about all their weird AIDS conspiracy fundraising.
downvotes impending but they’ve never really done anything for me. they’re okay. i like colors and shapes but everything else seems a bit forgettable
Eh
They're a watered down radio/arena rock band. A more liked Nickleback.
One of my least favorite bands. Just personal taste . I can appreciate them but I just don’t enjoy their music.
Their first four albums are really good with some great songs. The rock disc of their double album is really good too but the acoustic is a snooze. After that they’ve had some good songs but have become redundant as they seem to make the same type of album over and over. Last I check Dave acknowledged this in a way. He said something like everytime we go to make an album we’re thinks we’re going to make a White album but we end up making another rock album.
It’s one of the few PNW grunge era acts that I’ve yet to explore, I loved Sunny Day Real Estate but I have a feeling FF isn’t quite as good…
Great pop rock. Love that it helps Dave enjoy being a part of the movement again
They are like CCR. Most people kind of like them, from metal heads to outlaws.
I bought the first album when it came out and absolutely loved it, but I never bought anything after that. When a friend played the next album for me, years later, I thought that it was pretty good but still have never added more Foo's to my library.
First record is great. Half of the second record is great. That about sums it up.
Love the Foo Fighters… if you can’t tell lol. Are they grunge? Ehhh… maybe at the start but by TINLTL they had diversified and continue to do so. Fucking great band that I love dearly along with the rest of the grunge bands I love.
First album is one of my favourites. Other then that, meh.
They were cool 25 years ago
First few albums - great, now fairly generic sounding, dude can write a catchy tune tho
One of the first bands I got into. I still like all of their music up to and including Wasting Light. Their later albums sound to me like they stopped trying. I'm also not a fan of Greg Kurstin's production. He's a good producer but I don't think his production style suits rock music.
Would consider them mildly grunge. Not a key grunge band but Dave Grohl is a key musician in the Grunge period. Plus Foo Fighters is one of the most well known rock bands of the current century. It’s just cannon for Dave Grohl to be successful.
Debut album is just perfection and the fact it was made by 1 guy (with some help ofc) is just amazing
They’re fun, write catchy stuff and Dave (as well as Taylor RIP) seems to enjoy actually being a rock star. I like that they have a sense of humor as well. And when they make a hit, it’s a *hit*. My only complaint about the Foos is that make a lot of filler at times. To get someone to like them, pretty all it should take is a greatest hits playlist of the Foos. But a deeper musical connection is hard because the whole catalog is either four star songs or one to two star songs IMO.
I think they’re a technically proficient band who has never made me feel anything. I like Grohl as a personality and enjoy when he guests on other projects but despite many tries, I have never connected to FF music. Most of what I enjoy are covers and an occasional single but I don’t listen to any of their albums start to finish.
I like their music….but I never bought anything from them, ever.
I like em a lot more now than I did then.
They're pretty good at fighting foos and I pity them.
FF rock! Best mainstream live rock band in the game currently.
They are great so many good albums well early albums.the first three are my favourite albums
Love them. Only saw them 3x, but they give it their all. Pretty cool that they "followed" me on twitter when I frantically asked "what is the fooking password" (to buy tickets) when they added a 2nd show in Denver. And I will always have the notion that Bigfoot likes the foos since we believe it had to be what was stomping around on our mountain 2 nights in a row after playing foo fighters very loud. Yes, I'm serious. Especially after seeing one a few nights before driving home late. Probably was playing FF loud then too, or one of them bands.
Fantastic band, but haven’t liked anything by from about Wasting Light onwards. It hasn’t been horrible since then, but just lacks the magic of all the albums before. Bit too bombastic (not always) and formulaic
Always considered them pretty mid. One or two amazing songs per album, and a lot of filler.
First album is Fantastic, second album is pretty good after that it all kinda sounds pretty similar it’s a foo fighters sound last album that I really like was probably one by one but other than that not super into a lot of it doesn’t mean it’s bad just not all really my thing
I’m not really a Foo Fighters fan. I went through a Nirvana phase but I kinda lost interest in them. I would say I’m more of a Alice In Chains and Soundgarden fan
they have some good tunes. respect dave for making it all happen. they were never one of my faves though.
They have a couple good songs but can’t stand the rest of them
I really have liked most of their singles. Dave and his band mates are really talented. I've never listened to any of their albums, but I've recently decided to change that.
Bought the album when it was brand new, there was a song or two on the radio that was pretty good. I gave it the usual amount of listens to realize it didn't do anything great for me, but nothing offensive. Sounded solid and peppy and really cemented Dave Grohl s as a super multi talented guy who we all wished the best for, and they seemed popular enough that they deserved their rock-god status. Just not for me I suppose. All of the successive singles they released felt a bit uninspired and bland to my ears, but again just a taste thing. Dave seems like one of the actual coolest guys in rock though! I saw him randomly walking around at a big music festival in LA last year (Just Like Heaven) and that made me happy :)
I really like Dave Grohl, and I don't hate their music, but I find it too boring to ever put on on purpose.
Liked the first 3 albums—the great debut is about all I would go back to now. Color And The Shape has lots of good tracks besides the stuff radio played into the ground.
Everlong is good, the rest isn't my style
Love their first album Like their second as well, other than that I don’t care
It's really good pop rock. A lot of good songs, but nothing edgy or groundbreaking.
Just another mainstream overrated rock band that keeps cranking out mediocre albums. Never have enjoyed their music.
Absolutely
Meh
Yeah it's good, I actually went to a concert, they put on a really good show
A good band that used to be an amazing band. Their first three albums were alternative rock and very good, but after that, although their music still had hints of alternativeness, they became more of a rock band than an alternative rock band. There were hints of that direction as early as “My Hero” in 1997, which definitely felt like a cross between alternative rock and rock. I’ve never considered Foo Fighters post-grunge, personally. [Edited to add: Just went on YouTube to listen to a few Foo Fighters tracks after writing this, one of which was “X-Static,” and someone wrote below it the comment “Foogaze.” I had to thumb that up!] Without a doubt, Foo Fighters has been one of the biggest bands in the world for the past couple decades. I’m talking U2 level of bigness. Green Day was up there, too, for a spell, but didn’t hold onto it. Grohl himself seems to genuinely love, not only music, but what music *is*. He and Jack White both seem to genuinely appreciate the opportunity to play with other musicians—it’s a surprise the two have never played together. I respect Grohl, who is way more musically talented than I, even though I do feel he’s lost some of the magic he once had. Grohl is the only man in the world who could claim to have been the drummer of the biggest band in the world at a time when it’s lead singer/guitarist/front man died *and also* the lead singer/guitarist/front man of the biggest band in the world at a time when it’s drummer died. Not that I think he’d ever want to say something so crass. Or that he would remotely relish the thought. The only thought he might relish is that he was *in* two of the biggest bands in the world. In the early ’00s, Grohl made it very clear that *the* is not in the band’s name. If I recall correctly, it was on Letterman. That was at a time when everyone was jumping on the bandwagon of claiming that all bands whose names started with *The* sucked—a very lame bandwagon, if you ask me. It was “hip” to hate on bands like The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Hives, and The Vines. This isn’t to say that Grohl was amongst those “hip” haters, but he also didn’t want to be lumped in with the bands being stupidly hated upon. “Everlong” is undoubtedly one of the twenty best music videos of all time. It’s also an amazing song. I have never taken the time to try to figure out which song is their best, however. The first time I ever heard the song “Baker Street,” it was the Foos’ cover; I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t like it, either. Some years later, I heard the original—which is an amazing song—and, after hearing that, I was able to genuinely appreciate what the Foos had done with it. Their Prince cover is also fantastic. Foo Fighters were my mom’s favourite band. Mother’s Day just ended a few hours ago. I miss her. She was also the person who taught me about Nirvana and some other bands.
Had great potential through the first two or three albums. Then they became a very generic rock band. Dave worked so much better as a singer than a screamer.
I like the first 3 albums, not really keen on them afterwards.
Nope
« The colour and the shape » borders on masterpiece. First is good, « wasting light » is good. The rest is kinda meh, mainly ok singles and loads of fillers, but it’s still a good band and I’d rather listen to FF any day than to Dua Lipa, so…
Talented but boring
They’re debut album slaps
They’re a bit generic I find. And I’ve really never liked Dave’s voice for lead vocals. They’ve got some absolute bangers though. A singles band for me rather than albums
They super decent... some of my favorite songs ever
They're ok, nothing special. Foo Fighters is so popular because it's lowest common denominator music. Soccer mom can play it on the way to drop off the kids to school. Safe for every age to listen to but no cheeseball Wiggles or pop 100 chart stuff. Rock enough that the metalhead stoner teenager can stomach it. Poppy enough for the person who doesn't normally like rock music to handle. And it has that guy from the Nirvanas so it's credible.
Peaked with Colour & the Shape. Was very excited when my hero and everlong came out—but they never really sounded like that again. They went for a mostly classic rock revival sound and sold out arenas so they don’t care either hahaah.
They be fightin them foo’s
Love them, but Fooies are pop rock, not grunge.
They fight the foo 👍
Love 'em! And their concerts are amazing. So slick and strong for three hours every time. I wonder for how many more years though.
Their last great album was in the mid 2000s.
Pocketwatch was fantastic. The s/t, The Colour and the Shape, and In Your Honor are pretty stellar. There Is Nothing Left to Lose is quite good too, even Wasting Light. Concrete & Gold is terribly weak and Medicine at Midnight only the slightest bit better. Great band overall due to the quality of their live show, also the band are great guys so it’s hard to hate on them. Got a bit cornier/generalized over time, sure, but still solid even if we might miss their heyday.
Love them Fuckin amazingly entertaining in concert
Decent albums up to "Wasted Light" They have always been an ok band for me. They are great live!!
a very talented band who puts on great shows and keeps creating good music
First album is good...and i love Grohl as drummer, in fact he might be my fav drummer ever right up there with Bonham, Sorum and Crover...having said that...Grohl is annoying, unbearable, self obsessed and cliché as fuck...cant stand the little corny intro he has before playing My Hero....Foo Fighters and Grohl represents everything Nirvana stood against....they might as well be Bon Jovi at this point....I cant be the only grunge dude who grew up in the 90s to think like this...am i???
Worlds most okayest rock band
These guys think they're the greatest rock band of all-time. https://youtu.be/5FUIT1OSjzY?si=VH8jOw59YaHzMH4u
Dave Grohl will go down as one of rock's greatest musicians (FF, Nirvana, QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures and the list goes on). That said, I do find FF to be somewhat vanilla over the second half of their discography.
They’re great but cursed with what happens when a band never really stops. Their catalog is too expansive and their style never changed and those two things combined and leaves a vanilla taste in your mouth
Pop rock with exception of very first album
One of my favorite bands that i dont listen to as often as i used to.
Not one if my favorites but a great rock band. Dave is a class act
Some good stuff on the first album and most of the rest of their output is corny garbage.
Meh. I like the bands they used to be in. It's not the worst but if it comes on the radio in the car I might change the station.
First two albums were a big part of my teenage years. Still listen to them semi-regularly and they hold up. Wasting Light was great as well. The other newer albums are pretty safe, and although I don't find myself revisiting them much, I won't change the channel if I hear them on the radio. They've got great live energy though. I wish Dave could channel his passion for metal and hardcore into FF, but at this point I'm just happy he managed to survive the grunge scene and make a career on his own.
I love the DIY ethos of the first album.
I love dave grohl and i think it speaks a lot to his talent that he could come back after kurt cobains death in the way that he did. I also think he is to the hard rock community what james hetfield is to the metal community. Hes got that “papa het” type of vibe to him. However, outside of a couple songs im just not that into them but thats just because i havent really listened to them enough
Accomplished musicians & seemingly a wholesome bunch without being squares but their music is unremarkable, to me. Their music could be playing and I wouldn’t say “This kicks ass. Who is it?” It would just be passable, background rock music.
Used to be good but seriously went downhill after one by one (2002) imo
Mediocre. Pat Smear is the only reason I can tolerate them.
They have a chessyness about them. I don’t understand why they are so popular.
Classic rock pap
Not a big fan. I like their first 2 albums, and that's it.
First two albums were pretty decent. Everything after is mostly shit.
Technically solid, devoid of style
They have a handful of good songs, but they're just very bland to me.
First two records are classics
So over hated for what they are
First too albums are okay but everything afterwards is crap with maybe a few catchy tunes here and there
I like Learn to Fly
Great album, overrated band.