Dave Grohl’s 20 favourite metal songs
There isn’t much that Dave Grohl can’t lend his hand to. The iconic drummer for Nirvana and the leading man for the Foo Fighters, Grohl has cultivated the image of everybody’s favourite rocker down to a fine art. Not often inclined to share his negativity with the world, the ‘Everlong’ singer usually prefers to shed light and provide shine for his favourite subjects. More often than not, that subject is music.
Throughout his career, Grohl has never been afraid to talk about the music he loves. From his adoration of The Beatles to his picking of the ten best John Bonham songs, all the way through to his sincere appreciation for disco music, Grohl is most happy when discussing the songs, records, and artists he loves most.
During a conversation with Q magazine – and collated on the Foo Archive – Grohl picked out his favourite songs from the metal genre. All the big hitters are there: Megadeth, Slayer and Pantera, while the noted musician also pays tribute to the founding father of the genre in Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. It’s an essential look at a genre that gave Grohl his career.
While Grohl is more alleged with the genres of grunge and rock music, one notable aspect of his relationship with metal music is his drumming style, which often incorporates metal and hard rock elements. His powerful and dynamic drumming can be heard on Nirvana’s groundbreaking albums, where he helped shape the band’s signature sound with his hard-hitting rhythms and relentless energy.
Of course, like any true music fan, Grohl’s tastes have probably changed somewhat since he composed the list. However, we can be sure that one entry will not have moved: Led Zeppelin’s landmark single ‘Black Dog’. Grohl has often noted the song as one of his favourites, and he says: “This is what Led Zeppelin were all about in their most rocking moments, a perfect example of their true might. John Bonham played the drums like someone who didn’t know what was going to happen next – like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff.”
Grohl’s passion for metal music extends beyond his own projects, though, and he has collaborated with numerous metal bands and artists over the years. He famously performed live with metal legends like Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, moments which undoubtedly shook him to the core.
Another seminal band in the growth of metal music as we know it was Black Sabbath. Grohl has often noted the Ozzy Osbourne-led band as one of the landmark moments in his own musical journey, and he selects their track ‘Symptom of the Universe’ as one of his favourites of the genre, noting: “One of the first fast heavy metal riffs. Everyone would know that riff if you played it on any set list anywhere in the world. I don’t put Sabbath on much these days, but when you hear this, you realise that this is the swamp from whence much metal crawled.”
There is also room on the list for Judas Priest and their watermark single ‘Breakin the Law’ and tracks from Pantera, Slayer, Megadeth and Sepultura. But, for Grohl, one song stands out from the crowd. ‘Ace of Spades’ by Motorhead is a song that will go down in history, and Grohl says, “You could delete all the other 19 records but still retain the blueprint for metal from this. This is metal DNA! Beyond the speed, the riff, and Lemmy… it’s the attitude. I first heard this on Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert before I’d listened to punk rock. There was nothing glamorous about it – it was dark and mean and intense as fuck.”
Below, you can find the full list of Dave Grohl’s favourite metal songs of all time.
Dave Grohl’s favourite metal songs:
- ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ – Iron Butterfly
- ‘Wake Up Dead’ – Megadeth
- ‘Breakin’ The Law’ – Judas Priest
- ‘Piranha’ – Exodus
- ‘Highway Star’ – Deep Purple
- ‘Stand Up & Shout’ – Dio
- ‘Psychotic Reaction’ – Trouble
- ‘Way She Fly’ – The Obsessed
- ‘Hog Leg’ – The Melvins
- ‘Black Dog’ – Led Zeppelin
- ‘I’m Broken’ – Pantera
- ‘Metal Church’ – Metal Church
- ‘We Gotta Know’ – The Cro-Mags
- ‘Thrashing Rage’ – Voivod
- ‘Roots Bloody Roots’ – Sepultura
- ‘A Corpse Without Soul’ – Mercyful Fate
- ‘Master Of Puppets’ – Metallica
- ‘Symptom Of The Universe’ – Black Sabbath
- ‘Raining Blood’ – Slayer
- ‘Ace Of Spades’ – Motorhead