Foo Fighters began in Seattle in 1994 as Dave Grohl's post-Nirvana solo project — he played everything on the 1995 debut — before growing into a 15-time Grammy-winning rock institution. The Colour and the Shape (1997) and Wasting Light (2011) are the essentials. Find Foo Fighters vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Foo Fighters formed in Seattle in 1994 as a solo project for Dave Grohl following the dissolution of Nirvana after Kurt Cobain's death. Grohl recorded the entirety of the 1995 self-titled debut himself before assembling a full band. Pat Smear (formerly of the Germs and a touring member of Nirvana) joined for the touring band; Taylor Hawkins joined as drummer in 1997 and remained for 25 years. They have won 15 Grammy Awards. Taylor Hawkins died on March 25, 2022, in Bogotá, Colombia, during a Foo Fighters tour, at age 50. Josh Freese (Devo, Guns N' Roses, the Vandals) joined as the new drummer in 2023.
Foo Fighters' sound combines rock, alternative rock, post-grunge, and hard rock with Grohl's distinctive vocal delivery, anthemic songwriting, and the band's high-energy live performance approach. Their work has been a defining commercial alternative rock template across multiple decades.
Capitol and RCA pressings of the Foo Fighters catalog have been issued in extensive color variant editions and retailer-exclusive pressings. Multiple anniversary editions of The Colour and the Shape have been released.
Listeners new to Foo Fighters typically start with The Colour and the Shape (1997) or Wasting Light (2011).
