Keeping up with the hype around the Foo Fighters and their newest album which just recently made #1 on the Billboard 200, I thought that it would be apt to look at the top 25 best songs from the monolithic rock gods. Gathering up a rag-tag team of millennial musos, we debated over the course of two days about which songs of the Foos are the best and where they belong on this list.

We judged most by these 3 criteria:

Best songs from a musical standpoint

Best songs from a fan’s perspective

Popularity

We argued all of these criteria as objectively as possible… the debate lasted 2 days and got very heated with even the local Financial Analyst eventually having to workout the inflation values of YouTube views over the years to win his argument… sigh. But at the end of the 2 days, I feel like we have accomplished something great and worthy of presentation, so please enjoy and if you disagree with us, let us know!

25: Rope [2011]

Off of the Foo Fighter’s first #1 Billboard 200 album, Rope just manages to sneak in at #25 with its interesting timings with the 3 way guitar riffs and high-energy sing-along chorus. Oh and of course that absolute face-melter of a guitar solo.

24: Big Me [1995]

The 4th single from their self-titled debut album, Big Me has been a staple in the Foo Fighters live roster of songs. Seeing them live 18 years later in 2014, the Foos still rocked this song live whilst seemingly having endless amounts of fun, as did the audience. The song itself hit #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

23: Outside [2014]

Featuring off of Sonic Highways, Outside contains my personal favourite guitar solo from the Foo Fighters (maybe ever actually? Its at 3:22 if you want to skip to it). Seeing and hearing this solo live can easily make my top 5 favourite moments in my life. What a great track.

22: Resolve [2005]

Singing about something we have all gone through- the loss of a person in your life and needing some Resolve to push through it all, Resolve comes in at 22. Try not to sing along with this, I dare you.

21: Walk [2011]

The curtain-closer for 2011’s immensely huge Wasting Light. Walk is a fun song with a very memorable intro guitar riff. It is a classic Foo Fighters song – slow start, strong build and powerful Grohl shouts. A-grade Foo Fighters. I hope that you enjoy the music video as much I did

20: End Over End [2005]

The second (and definitely not last) song to feature off of In Your Honor, End Over End is a personal favourite of mine that was vetoed out of the Top 10 by the other members of the rag-tag committee, so I settled for it being in the top 20. It has my favourite use of rhythm from the Foos in the chorus. If you enjoy this song, you gotta listen to the live versions!

19: But, Honestly [2007]

Off of the album that brought me to fall in-love with the Foo Fighters, But, Honestly brings beauty unheard of yet in this list. A slow, acoustic start with melancholy-riddled lyrics that builds into a very powerful finish- As high energy as the Foo Fighters love to give.

18: The Neverending Sigh [2015]

Undoubtedly the best B-side released from the Foo Fighters (and my favourite B-side ever- narrowly beating out Love Rollercoaster and Quixoticelixir from The Red Hot Chili Peppers). The Neverending Sigh comes out punching with its powerful guitar riff that doesn’t stop giving throughout the song. The Foos keep the knob at 11/10 the whole song. Musicians will know the feeling of hearing a song that just inspires you to play and practice, this is one of those songs for me. The day it was released I had to learn it.

17: Stacked Actors [1999]

At number 17 we have Stacked Actors anditsoundslikethis…

I chose the live version of Stacked Actors because of the jam they do in the middle and the inclusion of all the sweet little guitar riffs that they sneak into it. The song itself features lyrics tearing apart the lives of actors in Hollywood. It’s just a great version, I hope you enjoy.

16: Let It Die [2007]

The second track off of Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace and the second song off of that album to feature in this list. Let It Die is the song that made me realise that the Foo Fighters had more to offer than 99% of any other artist I have ever heard before. The ability to write a high paced song like The Pretender and then follow it up with this melancholic masterpiece, I was sold. Similar in structure to But, Honestly but completely different in execution, Let It Die is perhaps the song from the Foo Fighters most riddled with accusations and assumptions of being about former band-mate of Dave’s and music legend, Kurt Cobain.

15: Stranger Things Have Happened [2007]

A slow song from the Foo Fighters on this list that doesn’t explode into overdriven guitars, massive drum rolls and shouts. Stranger Things Have Happened is one of the best acoustic songs that I know of and I love it. Every budding guitarist who loves the Foos has learnt this song and attempted singing along.

14: These Days [2011]

A song with some strong but grim life advice from the Foo Fighters about the sad and tough nature of reality:

But it’s alright

Yeah it’s alright

I said it’s alright

and then retorts:

Easy for you to say

Your heart has never been broken

Your pride has never been stolen

Not yet not yet



The song itself is happy on the surface, but lyrically its grim and depressing, focusing on the worst parts of reality.

13: Come Alive [2007]

Featuring the classic Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace formula of slow and serene being built into massive finale. Come Alive does this perfectly. The intro guitar would be enough to swoon a fair-maiden and Dave’s vocals could soothe a wolverine. The song itself is a masterpiece in my mind and shows the exact calibre of the Foo Fighters that it only sits at number 13. There are a number of interpretations of the meaning of the lyrics but its best left up to you, the listener, to decide.

12: Dirty Water [2017]

Dirty Water, a brand new song that features off of their 2017 hit album Concrete and Gold. There’s not enough time in the day to discuss how great this song is and I’ve heard it praised as the best track on the album. The first half of the song is very fun to sing as well, matching your vocals with the guitar strums and drum beats. Overall, its a fun song that turns into an epic.

Apologies for the low quality of the video above, with Dirty Water being so new, there are no clips on YouTube of the studio version. Instead if you want, here is the Apple Music Link: https://itunes.apple.com/za/album/dirty-water/id1249068417?i=1249068908

11: Sky Is A Neighborhood [2017]

The last song to feature before the Top 10 begins, Sky Is A Neighborhood caused a lot of in-fighting with the ‘committee’ who were decided on this list. A member deemed it to be the best Foo Fighters song released, another deemed it not worthy of Top 10 and the rest just fanned the flames between the two. The second single off of their 2017 album, Sky (as we have begun calling it- over text at least) is a great addition to the roster of the Foo Fighters and I genuinely hope that it becomes a live staple. The layering of vocals in the chorus coupled with a fantastic melody, Sky is one for the books and feels like something new.

10: Monkey Wrench [1997]

A top 10 Foo Fighters list wouldn’t be right without Monkey Wrench. The song details the failing of the marriage between Dave and Jennifer Youngblood. The song features the most iconic Foo Fighters moment with the shouted bridge that goes on for over 15 bars, it is also rumoured that Dave was able to do it in only breath in the studio. Dave neither confirms or denies this feat. Give yourself a challenge and try shout the bridge out like that the next time you are in the car alone- I can’t even make it half way without almost passing out (in hindsight- probably not the best to do whilst driving…)

9: Times Like These [2002]

Perhaps one of the greatest live songs in the band’s roster. Times Like These comes in at number 9 with its powerful intro, famous guitar breaks and relatable lyrics about tough times. If anyone has seen this song live, you know that Dave likes to take his time with it- playing a softer version and telling stories, great stories. This song is the pinnacle of the live Foo Fighters experience and can surprisingly draw out a lot of emotion in the listener. The acoustic version should also be mentioned as it could feature in the top 10 by itself if it were its own song. Check it out!

8: Arlandria [2011]

Singing about his childhood neighborhood, Arlandria in Virginia where Dave Grohl grew up. Featuring some of Chris Shifflet’s best guitar work (in my opinion at least…), Arlandria has earned the number 8 spot, bought and paid for. Try not clap along to the chorus of this song when hearing it live. Arlandria peaked at number 1 in the UK Rock and Metal Charts in 2011 and thoroughly deserved it. The guitar at the end of the first chorus is one of my personal favourite Foo Fighter’s moments.

7: Learn To Fly [1999]

The first single off of 1999’s stellar Nothing Left To Lose , Learn to Fly comes in at number 7 on the list and has always been a fan-favourite since release. The song itself is about searching for some sort of inspiration to help one feel alive again but Dave has stated that it’s his least favourite song on the record*. The music video is bar far the Foo’s best music video, featuring the Foo Fighters as everyone except the two cleaners who are played by the lovable Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Any video with a feature from the legendary Tenacious D is a hit in my books. In 2015, 1 000 musicians in Italy got together to perform Learn to Fly altogether to get the attention of the band to come to Italy- the band absolutely loved it and immediately set a date.

6: My Hero [1997]

Probably the most covered Foo Fighter’s song, My Hero, just narrowly misses out on top 5. The second single from the 1997 record, The Colour and the Shape, is about everyday heroes such as parents, older siblings, nurses and teachers etc.; people who don’t get enough credit for the positive impact that they make on your life. The song was released officially in 1997 but had been played live as early as 1995.

5: Best Of You [2005]

An ex of mine once said “I kinda like Best Of You but when that guy starts shouting, I just turn it off. Ew.”… Well, it was all downhill from there… Best Of You needs no introduction, one of the greatest songs to sing-along with live and the chants are even more fun to shout out. When I saw the Foo Fighters live, the band had a minor break in the middle of the song where the crowd just chanted the Wooaaaahs. Roughly 90 000 people just chanting that back at the top of their lungs gave me goosebumps and it brought more than a tear to Dave’s eye. It was the first performance of the Sonic Highways tour and the Foo Fighters’ first performance in South Africa. “I fucking love you guys” Dave said into the microphone, behind a face full of tears. I can’t imagine how that must feel, to have that many people chant your song back to you.

4: The Pretender [2007]

Easily one of the best hard-rock songs ever released, The Pretender shows the herculean power of this band. With more ups and downs than a roller coaster and a music video to match its’ sheer level of cool, The Pretender quickly became a favourite of many fans of the band. It was the song that got me to listen to the band and I remember school talent shows featuring it constantly during 2008; Everyone was inspired to rock-harder because of The Pretender.

3: Run [2017]

When the Foo Fighters released their first single of their 2017 album, I was taken aback by just how much I loved it. Its been a tough while to be a fan of rock in my generation where some of your favourite bands are ditching their unique style and overdriven guitars so that they can feature Rihanna or Beyonce or The Chainsmokers or whatever… so whilst everyone else is selling-out and going soft, the Foo Fighters knocked down the door in 2017 with their heaviest song to date accompanied by an epic music video. I love this song so much and how its evidently been influenced by the younger post-hardcore bands of the modern day. The Foo Fighters showed the world in 2017 that they can still rock hard and they can rock the best.

2: All My Life [2002]

The second heaviest song in the band’s arsenal comes All My Life. The story behind this song is my absolute favourite in music history. The band initially scrapped the recording of All My Life and the rest of the songs on the album after spending a million dollars to record them at a studio and then went on an indefinite hiatus, close to breaking up. Dave joined Queens of the Stone Age as their drummer for this period, recorded their ground-breaking album Songs for the Deaf and went on tour with the band. After this tour, Queens of the Stone Age was the opening act for The Foo Fighters at a massive music-fest and it was rumored to be the last Foo Fighters performance due to stresses within the band. After the performance with the Queens, Dave got on stage to perform with the Foos and claims to have put on the greatest show of his life- feeling renewed and as if he had learnt how to be a better frontman from Josh Homme (Frontman of Queens of the Stone Age). Dave realised that he wasn’t yet done with the Foo Fighters and they agreed to give the album one last try- they went back to Dave’s house and recorded All My Life in 45 minutes and it was a massive, massive hit. The song is now their go-to concert opener.

1: Everlong [1997]

The second single off of the 1997 album, The Colour and the Shape, Everlong is perhaps the most iconic song of the Foo Fighters. It needs no introduction and discussion as to why, we all know that it’s the best. Every Foo Fighter’s concert ends with Everlong and the crowd goes wild. Playing this song on Guitar Hero: World Tour was the closest I could get to feeling like an absolute rock-god playing this hit live in front of adoring fans. The band eventually released an acoustic version on their Greatest Hits album and it just reminded everyone as to how great this song is. Whilst upbeat and filled with tones from hard-rock and alt-rock, the song still somehow has an ethereal beauty to it. Without a doubt, the Foo’s best. Written at the lowest point in Dave’s life where he was breaking up with his then-wife, struggling to keep the band together and effectively homeless. Its a display of the key-rule of writing: The best songs are written under the influence of either drugs, alcohol or heart-break.

Let us know what you think of our list and if we forgot any songs!

*http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3389

Top 25 Foo Fighters Song Playlist:

https://itunes.apple.com/za/playlist/top-25-foo-fighters/idpl.u-4JomKdNCJZ88Pr