(Credits: Far Out / Andrew Stuart)
Wed 8 April 2026 7:24, UK
He’s widely regarded as one of the most pivotal rock musicians of all time, but Dave Grohl has never been one to celebrate his crowning achievements with too much gusto.
Whether it is his foundational moments behind the drum kit for Nirvana alongside Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic or his time in the spotlight with a microphone as the leading man in Foo fighters, Grohl earned his reputation as one of rock’s nicest guys through a sincere appreciation for those around him.
While many rock stars are more intently concerned with their own music and musings, Grohl has always represented the everyman in his appreciation for the artists who went before him. Whether that be his adoration for Led Zeppelin sticksman John Bonham or his reluctance even to suggest he may be able to keep pace with Rush’s Neil Peart, Grohl is as humble as he is talented.
Such is his widely known appreciation for the craft of rock and roll that he has often been asked for a selection of his favourite songs, solos and albums. During a conversation with Mojo in 2007 about the latter, Grohl shared his appreciation for some of the greatest albums ever made. While his picking of a Led Zeppelin album was to be expected, likewise his nod to Bad Brains, one selection perhaps offered more to Grohl than one might expect.
The B-52’s operate in an odd space for most music lovers. While it’s hard to fight the nostalgic catchiness of some of their brightest tunes, those who lived through the experience of the rockabilly group hold them in the highest regard, including Dave Grohl, who suggested the band’s self-titled album changed his life. For Grohl, the group’s appearance on Saturday Night Live would open up a whole new plane of musical creation; The B-52’s confirmed that music didn’t have to be straight down the line.
(Credits: Far Out / Lynn Goldsmith / Warner Records)
“I remember seeing The B-52’s on Saturday Night Live,” the former Nirvana drummer confirmed. It was perhaps a fitting spot for the jokingly brilliant band. A sketch comedy show seemed to be a well-aligned vehicle to pump the band into the homes of a nation.
The iconic late-night show offered up its legendary stage to numerous acts to make their name, and it would appear The B-52’s did just that. Grohl remembered that this appearance “introduced me to the world of weird music. I was young, my parents were asleep. Songs like ’52 Girls’, ‘Rock Lobster’, of course…they definitely opened up a whole new world to me.”
The B-52s are only now getting the recognition they deserve. Owing to the humorous edge to their cartoonish delivery, the band’s output was often devalued in the face of more serious performers, but that is exactly what helped them inspire so many artists. They didn’t take themselves too seriously and allowed their music to be a vehicle for different expressions away from the summer material that so many rock bands choose to pursue in the name of being considered artists.
Of course, it is easy to see the connection between Grohl and the previously mentioned icons. Bonham and Led Zeppelin were not only one of the biggest bands on the planet but also incorporated the kind of juggernaut percussionist the rock world will likely never see again. Bad Brains also spoke decisively to Grohl’s punk sensibilities and would inform much of Nirvana’s fast-paced scratchiness. But it takes a little more work to see how The B-52’s infiltrated Grohl’s bands.
One thing that it could be suggested the cartoonish band did do, however, was influence Grohl’s sense of humour. In the Foo Fighters’ plethora of music videos, there is always a unique sense of comedic value. Especially during the early years, with ‘Monkey Wrench’, ‘Learn to Fly’ and many more, the band exhibited a funny bone that few could match, which The B-52’s have always exhibited.
Listen to that humour in their self-titled album, the record Dave Grohl said: “opened up a whole new world.”
