Foo Fighters Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide

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Jen Austin

Jen AustinPublished: June 14, 2022

UCR

When Foo Fighters formed, longevity was not envisioned.

Initially, founder Dave Grohl didn’t see the project as anything more than an outlet for solo material he’d written but never done anything with. Grohl’s career, and rock music in general, was changed overnight by the death of Kurt Cobain in April 1994. Nirvana came to an abrupt end, and the drummer was suddenly out of a job. Even though Grohl received offers to work with several other acts, including Tom Petty, he ultimately opted to head into the studio. Roughly six months after Cobain’s death, Grohl - with help from producer and engineer Barrett Jones - created his first album under the name Foo Fighters.

The unexpected popularity of that self-titled album turned Foo Fighters from a solo project to a full-fledged band. They have since gone on to become one of the most successful rock groups of their generation.

Foo Fighters have released 11 albums, sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, won more than a dozen Grammys and received a 2021 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

“The foundation of the band is funny because originally it was just a demo tape I made,” Grohl said in an interview with Guitar World. “And then we all decided that we’d get together and have a band and use these songs to jump in the van and go have fun. We did that, and then we looked at each other and said, ‘OK … do you want to do it again?’"

While the band’s core has been remarkably stable over the years, Foo Fighters have seen several lineup changes since their mid-’90s start, including a heart-wrenching tragedy in 2022. In the below gallery, we've highlighted the major shifts for the multiplatinum group.