FEATURE: The Ten Most Underrated Foo Fighters Songs

In celebration of the Foo Fighters being on our latest cover and their new album Wasting Light dominating the charts the world over, we thought why don't we look back over the bands back catalogue and pick out our 'Ten most underrated Foos songs'. RipItUp.co.nz writer Hugh Collins shares his thoughts on each.

10. Halo – One By One (2002)

One of the bands more mellower tracks. Definitely one of the highlights of the album, this song has a seriously good chorus. Grohl: “The groove reminds me of Tom Petty, the middle section reminds me of Cheap Trick, the chorus kinda reminds me of Guided By Voices with the is melodic kinda walking-down-the-street rhythm. It's a great driving song. It also reminds me Of 'My Poor Brain' from our second record - but it's fucking way beyond that”.

9. The Last Song - In Your Honour (2005)

This song is often interpreted to be about Dave Grohl letting go of Kurt Cobain. Grohl has spoken about his feelings for Cobain in several Foo Fighters songs. This track is about Grohl moving on from writing about Cobain, as the lyrics suggests “This is the last song that I will dedicate to you”.

8. New Way Home - The Colour and the Shape (1997)

This is the final track of The Colour and the Shape. It has this amazing build up which begins at 2:03 and basically goes to the end of the song - an awesome way to end a great album. Grohl explains that this song is "about winding your way through all of these songs, emotions and pitfalls and ups and downs, but at the end of the day, you realize that you're not scared any more and you're gonna make it”.

7. Disenchanted Lullaby – One by One (2002)

Easily one of the highlights of One by One, this song highlights the diversity of Grohl’s voice. Grohl says of the song "Another one of my favourites - it's kinda spaced-out. The chorus kinda reminds me of the Smithereens and is very hooky but the verses are trippy as hell”.

6. Enough Space –The Colour and the Shape (1997)

This is another killer track from The Colour and The Shape. The chorus in this song is absolutely huge. Easily one of the heavier moments in the album. The song is actually about one of Grohl’s favourite films, Arizona Dream. He also said that when he wrote the main ideas and riffs for the song he couldn’t find a tempo. He mimicked the jumping of crowds at the beginning of sets in an attempt to find the correct tempo.   

5. Wind Up –The Colour and the Shape (1997)

This song is seen as being one of the filler tracks from The Colour and The Shape. Although to me there’s nothing remotely filler about this song. Grohl has said in the past that this song is the story of the relationship between the musician and the journalist. Grohl’s scream at 2:00 is easily one of the most intense moments of the album. Catchy chorus – check, big riffs – check, intense Grohl scream – check. There is absolutely nothing filler about this song!

4. Stacked Actors – There Is Nothing Left To Loose (1999)

This was released as a single so technically it’s not underrated but I will consider it underrated largely because it’s overshadowed by several other tracks on the album. All I can say is that this song is phenomenal. It moves through several different progressions which all fit perfectly alongside each other. Grohl wrote this song soon after the band relocated to Hollywood. Grohl: "I wrote 'Stacked Actors' about everything that is fake and everything that is plastic and glamorous and unreal, so if that pertains to anyone that comes to mind then there you go. It's about having nothing better to do than trying to be other people, it really grossed me out. Actors, just in general make me f--king sick".

3. Hey, Johnny Park! – The Colour and the Shape

I’m seriously surprised this song wasn’t a bigger track off The Colour and the Shape because it’s pure genius. This song title is named after a former childhood friend of Grohl’s, Johnny Park. Grohl once described the song title by saying, “Oh, my God, that song’s about 15 different things! The only reason why it’s called ‘Hey, Johnny Park!’ is because when I was young, my best friend was this kid who lived across the street from me called Johnny Park and we were like brothers from the age of 5 to 12. I haven’t heard from him since I was about 14 years old and I thought if I named a song after him he might call”. The song is also a rare example of the band using synthesizers.

2. In Your Honour – In Your Honour (2005)

Some albums in this world have absolutely perfect opening tracks...this is one of them. It’s a song that gradually builds up to this behemoth Grohl moment. Easily one of the bands more atmospheric songs to date. Grohl said of the song soon after the album was released: “It's not really a song, it's a manifesto, if you will. And the heaviest thing we've done".

1. My Poor Brain – The Colour and the Shape (1997)

This is actually my favourite song on The Colour and The Shape. It’s similar to 'Stacked Actors' in the way that it moves through several very different progressions that all fit perfectly alongside each other. The guitars do some pretty interesting things in this track, highlighting Dave Grohl’s and Pat Smear’s wider creativity as guitarists. Grohl said that the “song’s an experiment with dynamics, whether it's the lyrics or the sound of the song. It's just going from dreamy vocals to screamy vocals and Jack Five to Black Sabbath. Sling it all in there”. I think that probably explains why its one of my all time favourite Foo Fighters songs.

By Hugh Collins

What do you think is the most underated Foo Fighters song?