Emerging from the ashes of Nirvana, Foo Fighters' self-titled debut album was written and recorded by frontman and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Grohl, a polished guitarist and songwriter before he sat behind the kit for the seminal grunge trio, recorded the album's worth of songs with producer Barrett Jones in the months following the untimely death of Nirvana singer/songwriter Kurt Cobain in 1994. Grohl laid down tracks primarily for fun, until record executives got hold of the demo tape and started a bidding war for his services. He decided to eschew the solo tag and recruited a band, naming it after a term used by allied aircraft pilots during World War II to describe UFOs.

Released in 1995, Foo Fighters immediately received alternative rock radio play, landing at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and spawning two hit singles — the rocking lead track "This Is A Call" and the Beatles-eque "Big Me." The group earned their first GRAMMY nomination that year for Best Alternative Music Performance. Lineup changes didn't slow down Grohl's progress with Foo Fighters, who released The Colour And The Shape in 1997. The album climbed to No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and garnered a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Album, turning the band into an arena-rock sensation. Their powerhouse reputation continued to grow over the course of the '90s and into the new decade, including There Is Nothing Left To Lose (1999), which garnered the band their first GRAMMY win for Best Rock Album. One By One was released in 2002, followed by the double album In Your Honor (2005), the live album Skin And Bones (2006), Echoes, Silence, Patience, And Grace (2007), and 2011's Wasting Light. The latter album spawned five trophies at the 54th GRAMMYs in 2011, marking the first act to ever sweep the Rock Field and bringing Grohl's career GRAMMY total to 13.

Foo Fighters' lineup currently consists of Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins, bassist Nate Mendel, and guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear.