Foo Fighters Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide
Starting from very humble beginnings as Dave Grohl's secret one-man recording project, the Foo Fighters have grown into one of the world's biggest rock bands.
During that two decade-plus journey, the Foos have evolved through six different lineup changes, expanding from just Grohl to four, then five members - and most recently, into a six-piece lineup. Eight different musicians have joined their ranks at various points, with guitarist Pat Smear serving two separate tours of duty.
In their various incarnations, the Foo Fighters have released eight albums. Four won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album, and together they've sold more than 30 million copies.
The Foo Fighters story began after Nirvana disbanded following Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994. Grohl was flooded with offers to work with a number of bands. He nearly accepted one from Tom Petty, with whom he performed on Saturday Night Live.
Instead, he decided to record a collection of songs he’d quietly written and banked while touring as Nirvana's drummer - playing all the instruments and singing all vocals himself.
Dubbing the project Foo Fighters in an effort to remain anonymous and have the music judged on its own merits, Grohl started sharing the resulting tapes with friends. He soon learned that the demos were being spread much more widely, which led to him signing a record deal.
The Foo Fighters' 1995 debut album was a major success, and Grohl quickly decided to convert the project into a full-fledged band. The rest is history, which you can learn about below..