The Foo Fighters are an American alternative rock lineup originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project not long after the dissolution of his previous band. The ensemble got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War II, which were known collectively as foo fighters. Prior to the release of the Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut record Foo Fighters, which featured Grohl as the only official member, Grohl drafted bass player Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith, both formerly of Sunny Day Real Estate, as well as fellow Nirvana hosting shows bandmate Pat Smear as guitar player to complete the ensemble. The band started with concerts in Portland, Oregon before gaining popularity. Goldsmith departed while the recording of the group’s second album, The Colour and the Shape (1997), and Smear’s departure followed soon afterward. They were replaced by Taylor Hawkins and Franz Stahl, respectively, although Stahl left before the recording of the group’s third album, There Is Nothing departed to Lose (1999).

Chris Shiflett joined as the band’s third guitar player after the completion of There Is Nothing left to Lose. The group gave us its fourth album, One by One, in 2002. The band came that release with the two-disc In Your Honor (2005), which was split between acoustic material and heavier music. Foo Fighters gave us its sixth album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, in 2007. In 2010, it was confirmed that Smear had officially rejoined the group after hosting shows with the Foo Fighters as an unofficial member between 2006 and 2009. The band’s seventh studio album, Wasting Light, is set for release in 2011.

Over the course of the band’s career, three of its units have won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album, and all six units have been nominated.