Top 10 Foo Fighters Songs
#10: “Big Me” Foo Fighters (1995)
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Are your rock hands in the air? Yeah? Well… maybe you should lower them slightly for our first song... Instead, find a packet of Mentos and start throwing them ‘round your room! This early candy-coated alt rocker often triggered a sugary stoning at shows, as fans pelted the band with the sweets! The video poked fun at the Mentos advertisement; the song wasn’t heavy but it was hilarious! Dave Grohl as a girl may’ve been weird, but does it matter? “Big Me” was a cross-over hit!
#9: “Stacked Actors” There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999)
The Nirvana effect is more apparently felt in our next song, as Grohl leads a moody, atmospheric attack on an aspect of society for which he isn’t too fond! After spending some time in Hollywood, the Foo’s frontman returned to his home state of Virginia to pen this punky, punchy picking apart of celebrity culture. There’s menace in the air and venom in his voice, as Grohl stacks actors, and steps up the angst!
#8: “Times Like These” One by One (2002)
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One of their most iconic records, this song was written by Grohl during an edgy, three-month pause for the band. There’d been a clash between members over their future direction, but fortunately, their leader was able to channel the uncertainty into creativity. In times like those, the greats produce songs like this, and with “Times Like These,” Grohl did just that. It’s sing-along, shout-along madness with a psychedelic video and a killer hook!
#7: “All My Life” One by One (2002)
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The One by One album served up some ten out of ten tunes, and this is another. The Grammy-winning “All My Life” offers a classic combination of Grohl’s isolated vocal build up, and some heavy, heavy crescendos! It’s a fist in the air, crowd surfing, throat-firing anthem that’s been ever-present at Foo Fighters shows ever since its conception. It’s a great song, but in the words of the band themselves, “on to the next one”...
#6: “Monkey Wrench” The Colour and the Shape (1997)
This is a break up song with real balls! Grohl penned the lyrics after the breakdown of his first marriage to Jennifer Youngblood, and he doesn’t appear to be particularly mourning the split! Its most notable feature is easily the vocal bridge, which the frontman somehow managed to scream in one breath for the CD. He rarely repeats the feat for live shows though – preferring to pass the pleasure on to the crowd!
#5: “Learn to Fly” There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999)
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We take to the skies at five for a video that’s probably as famous as the song it accompanies. Musically, “Learn to Fly” is a little less loud than some of the band’s back catalogue, and the chorus is more catchy than crazy. The drug-induced disaster flight of a video, though, won a Grammy in 2000. The many faces of the band and the Tenacious D cameo are in-flight entertainment at its absolute best! And let’s not forget that the track itself became a top 20 Hot 100 hit!
#4: “My Hero” The Colour and the Shape (1997)
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Grohl has claimed he didn’t have any rock-star role models growing up. This song is a tribute to those he did look up to - the everyday people. The sentiment on this track is simple - you don’t have to be rich or famous or successful, to do something good or heroic. As with many Foo Fighters songs, fans have tried to appropriate the lyrics to Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, but Grohl insists that they refer only to the average man on the street! Whatever the case may be, “My Hero” was still a top 10 rock smash!
#3: “Best of You” In Your Honor (2005)
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This is a record that had half the world turning up their stereos and bouncing around the room. It’s a rampant, raucous call to arms for anyone and everyone, as Grohl inspires us to do better! The word ‘best’ is repeated over 40 times in this manic 4 minutes, but there aren’t enough superlatives available to describe the feeling in your stomach when the first few words are sung. A Hot 100 top 20 track, it’s not quite the best of Foo, but it makes our top 3 with ease!
#2: “The Pretender” Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)
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Contrary to its title, this song is the real, riotous deal! “The Pretender” pulls absolutely no punches as Grohl and company prove that they’re still more badass than any other band, 13 years after they were originally formed! There’s no complying to the mainstream populace as far as this song goes - it’s heavy, angry, and honest! That it achieved quite a bit of commercial success nonetheless, as well as a top 40 spot on the Hot 100, was clearly a reflection of social unrest, and unruliness! That, and it’s a damn good song! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - “Long Road to Ruin” Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007) - “Rope” Wasting Light (2011) - “Walk” Wasting Light (2011) - “White Limo” Wasting Light (2011) - “Aurora” There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999) - “I’ll Stick Around” Foo Fighters (1995)
#1: “Everlong” The Colour and the Shape (1997)
Our winner was written at a low point in Grohl’s life... Over Christmas 1996, he was breaking up with his first wife, effectively homeless, and struggling to hold the band together as well. It’s surprising then, that the song’s message is largely positive! Sometimes, a guy and a girl connect so well that words don’t do it justice... But this song does! “Everlong” is an everlasting anthem for the everyday relationships that Grohl holds dear - it’s the Foo Fighters at their finest! Do you agree with our list? What’s your favourite Foo Fighters song? For more nerve-shredding Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
