Foo Fighters is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Founded initially as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the lineup now consists of Grohl (lead vocals, guitar), Nate Mendel (bass guitar), Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear (guitars), Rami Jaffee (keyboards), and Josh Freese (drums).
Grohl formed the project after the breakup of Nirvana in 1994 to release solo material. Prior to the release of Foo Fighters' 1995 eponymous debut album, he recruited Mendel and William Goldsmith (drums), both formerly of Sunny Day Real Estate, and Smear, who had played with Nirvana on tour. The band began with performances in Portland, Oregon. Goldsmith quit during the recording of their second album, The Colour and the Shape (1997); most of the drum parts were re-recorded by Grohl. Smear departed soon afterward.
Smear and Goldsmith were replaced by Franz Stahl (guitar) and Taylor Hawkins (drums); Stahl was fired before the recording of the group's third album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999). The band briefly continued as a trio until Shiflett joined after the completion of There Is Nothing Left to Lose, solidifying the core of their lineup. Foo Fighters released their fourth album, One by One, in 2002. It was followed with the two-disc In Your Honor (2005), which was split between acoustic songs and heavier material. Foo Fighters released their sixth album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, in 2007.
For Foo Fighters' seventh studio album, Wasting Light (2011), produced by Butch Vig, Smear returned as a full member, after having appeared frequently with the band since 2005. Sonic Highways (2014) was released as the soundtrack to the television miniseries directed by Grohl. Concrete and Gold (2017) was the second Foo Fighters album to reach number one in the United States and their first studio album to feature their longtime session and touring keyboardist Jaffee as a full member. The band's tenth album, Medicine at Midnight (2021), was the last before Hawkins' death in March 2022; Freese was announced as the band's new drummer the following year. Their eleventh album, But Here We Are, was released in June 2023.
Foo Fighters have won 15 Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album five times, making them among the most successful rock acts in Grammy history. In 2021, the band was announced as recipients of the first-ever "Global Icon" award at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, their first year of eligibility.
