Greatest Rock Artist Ever…
Submitting for your approval… Mr. David Grohl. 
I know. You are upset. You may be angry. How in the world could I pick Dave Grohl? What about Jagger, McCartney, Lennon, Hendrix, Morrison, Cobain, Page, Plant, Hetfield, Presley, Vedder, and a list that goes on and on? What in the world could I be thinking? The greatest rock artist ever? He wasn’t even the best rocker in Nirvana.
My assertion may strike many as over the top or simply off the mark, but I think if you take a step back and put down your headphones for a few minutes, you may be swayed ever so slightly. Let us take a small trip down memory lane and see just how well Dave Grohl stacks up.
After playing for a short time with the band Scream, Grohl was approaced by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic to join Nirvana. The grunge band had already released one album, Bleach, and were set to record a small little album called Nevermind. Smells Like Teen Spirit spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 6. Grohl played on the seminole grunge album, Nirvana’s In Utero. The tour de force including tracks Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, and All Apologies debuted at number one and remained on the charts for 87 weeks.
So at this point in our brief history lesson, Grohl was the dummer for Nirvana. A band whose place in rock history can not be protested. They have been hailed, time and time again, as one of the most influential groups of all time. If Grohl had packed up his drum kit and gone home, like he almost did following the suicide of Kurt Cobain, he would be hailed as a great drummer from one of the breakthrough bands that changed a generation. His name would be mentioned in the same breath as Ringo Starr and John Bonham.
But there was plenty of work to be done. Near the end of Nirvana, Grohl had started working on a solo project. He played all the instruments on his project called Foo Fighters. The album produced some solid singles for a debut, including Big Me and This is a Call, which hit number 2 on the Billboard’s Alternative Charts. Next up for the Foo Fighters was The Color and the Shape which spent 74 weeks in the Billboard Top 200, peaking at number 10. Grohl and his bandmates pushed out classic rock songs like Monkey Wrench, My Hero, Everlong, and Walking After You. So, just to keep a running score - two albums with six songs that most anyone would know the chorus.
As we neared the start of a new decade and new century, the Foo Fighters were firmly established as one of the top rock bands in the world. There Is Nothing Left to Lose, the bands third album, hit number 10 on the Billboard 200 and gave the world the great single Learn to Fly (13 on the Billboard Hot 100). From there the Foos continued to add their amazing calalogue of hits and accomplishments. I don’t want to bore you with every album title and song up to our current date but…
One By One – 2002 – Number 3 on the Billboard 200 – Big Single All My Life
In Your Honor - 2005 – Number 3 on the Billboard 200 – Big Single – Best of You (18 on Billboard Hot 100)
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - 2008 – Number 3 on the Billboard 200 – Big Single – Long Road to Ruin
Throw in a couple of compilation/greatest hits CDs and the Foo Fighters have been all over the charts for well over 15 years. In 2001, Grohl branched out from the Foo Fighters and latched on to another rising rock band, playing drums for the Queens of the Stone Age. And most recently, Grohl and Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme came together with Led Zeppelin stalwart John Paul Jones to form Them Crooked Vultures.
A fun fact about Mr. Grohl’s various groups : On November 23, 2002, Grohl achieved a unique historical milestone by replacing himself on the top of the Billboard Modern Rock chart, when “You Know You’re Right” by Nirvana was replaced by “All My Life” by Foo Fighters. When “All My Life” ended its run, after a one week respite, “No One Knows” by Queens of the Stone Age took the number one spot. Between October 26, 2002 and March 1, 2003 Grohl was in the number one spot on the Modern Rock charts for 17 of 18 successive weeks, as a member of three different groups. If that doesn’t get you to lean his way, I don’t know what will.
Dave Grohl may not be the first artist who comes to mind when you discuss the best of all time. There are a ton of names that are sexier and more popular. But I beg you to take a step back and think of what the last twenty years of rock music would be without this gentleman sharing his love for music with us.
And at this point – I double dog dare you to name somone more deserving of my newly created title of Greatest Rock Artist Ever.
When i first read the title, I thought “what a strange perspective.” But as I read on, my head did start to nod and I do agree with you for the most part. Having seen both Foo Fighters and Queens live, I can agree that these bands, and Grohl, have played quite the role in rock history. Grohl as the greatest rock artist ever?
When I think Nirvana, I don’t immediately think of Dave Grohl. When I think Queens, I don’t immediately think of Dave Grohl. And I doubt I’ll immediately think of Grohl when we hear Them Crooked Vultures. With Foo Fighers, I’ll give you that I do immediately think of Grohl. I think most people would agree with my above statements.
So yeah, has he been apart of the greatest rock bands of our time? Yeah, but can I label him the best rock artist ever? Thats a tough one for me to swallow.
You left out his involvement with Tenacious D, which is the best band he’s been involved in.
As far as greatest? Well, you just have to look back at the list you started the article out with to disprove your argument. You even use the following as proof: “So, just to keep a running score – two albums with six songs that most anyone would know the chorus.”
Well, if hit radio songs are what makes a great artist (which I would strongly argue against) just look at the Beatles’ catalog. Heck, they released a compilation CD of just those songs that reached #1 on the charts – and that was 27 tracks!
Maybe you could try to make the case for greatest rock artist of the modern era, but even then, I’d have to go with Eddie Vedder and Maynard James Keenan before I even considered Grohl.
-Sam
I will say this up front… I am no Pearl Jam fan. I find my favorite songs they do are all covers (Hide Your Love Away, Growing up, and so on). I think Grohl does it all and that is why I put him on top. He writes, composes, produces, drums, plays guitar, and sings lead vocals.
Also, best of the modern era may be a tad more accurate, but I truly believe he is a rock renaissance man who isn’t really matched by many other artists… ever.
I’m one of those guys who feels that if Cobain never died, Nirvana wouldn’t be the band that it’s made out to be today. Instead, it’d be another Green Day — a once influential band that is now over-played and over-hyped. Being Green Day isn’t entirely a bad thing, but being Green Day, to me, isn’t legen-wait for it-dary. Therefore, I kinda look at Dave Grohl at everything post-Nirvana. And for that, I say he might be in the top 5.
I’d also put Trent Reznor above him.
By far the best musician of our generation, Kurt is
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[...] in January, fellow writer Dan argued that Dave Grohl is the greatest rock artist of at least the modern era, if not ever. So he should be ecstatic to hear that Grohl’s main [...]
Err that was odd, my opinion got eaten. Anyway I wished to say thanks for the update.