To Celebrate Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters‘ frontman, whose birthday is today – Happy Birthday BTW – , we have selected various bands or solo artists who have covered Foo Fighters’ most famous songs.
They are : Florence + The Machine, Luiza Possi, Lyla . Javi . Boyce Avenue, Stereoknob, Robyn Adele Anderson, Falling Flowers, Shide . The Warning . Prince, Joyland, Paul Potts
Here, they are reunited in one glorious playlist. Enjoy!
Tracklist
1 . Florence + The Machine . Times Like TheseIn the sprawling patchwork of Glastonbury’s storied stages, few moments stand out quite like Florence + The Machine’s unexpected rendition of “Times Like These.” Originally a Foo Fighters anthem of self-discovery, penned during a period of creative turmoil, the song is steeped in uncertainty, a wry ode to rebuilding oneself amid life’s inevitable wreckage. Yet in Florence Welch’s hands, it becomes something else entirely—less a rock-driven anthem and more a cathartic, almost ceremonial performance that strips the song down to its raw emotional skeleton. The occasion? Foo Fighters’ 2015 Glastonbury cancellation, a slot lost to Dave Grohl’s infamously broken leg, which Florence assumed with grace, winking at fate and delivering a cover so poignant it reportedly moved Grohl to tears. Her take discarded the ferocity of the original, replacing it with her signature ethereal resonance, as though summoning ghosts from the Somerset mist. The performance felt intimate yet expansive, a bridge between the gut-punch earnestness of Grohl’s ’03 angst and Welch’s celestial vulnerability. Curiously, Florence’s cover was as much a tribute as it was an artistic re-imagining; she mirrored the song’s aching, uncertain heart but wrapped it in Glastonbury’s mythic aura. There was no cinematic video accompaniment—unlike Foo Fighters’ dual visuals directed by Liam Lynch and Marc Klasfeld—just Welch’s voice carrying across the festival grounds, an unscripted spectacle in its own right. The moment’s irony didn’t go unnoticed: Grohl, whose injury paused his band’s tour, bore witness to someone else lifting his own words of resilience and perseverance, re-embodying them with unintentional precision. Ever the class act, Foo Fighters returned to Glastonbury two years later and flipped the narrative, performing “Times Like These” with Grohl explicitly acknowledging Welch, a full-circle moment which balanced gratitude with mutual admiration. 
|
2 . Luiza Possi . Walking After You“Walking After You,” penned by Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl in the shadow of personal upheaval, sways listeners with its raw fragility. Released in 1998 and tucked into *The X-Files: The Album*, this alternative rock piece bears the unmistakable mark of longing and heartache, reportedly inspired by Grohl’s divorce from Jennifer Youngblood. Beyond its cinematic inclusion, the track later found a second life on the live album *Skin And Bones*, a testament to its enduring resonance in the Foo Fighters’ catalog. The production details remain elusive, but the palpable intimacy in the vocals suggests a deliberate, stripped-back approach, allowing Grohl’s emotions to take center stage. Luiza Possi, a Brazilian singer known for her versatile vocal style, has a YouTube channel titled “Lab LP,” where she explores various musical genres and presents unique interpretations of well-known songs. In one of her sessions, she delivers a rendition of “Walking After You.” Her version showcases her ability to infuse the track with her distinctive acoustic and pop sensibilities, offering a fresh perspective on the 1997 classic. Her performance highlights the song’s emotional depth, demonstrating that restraint often speaks louder than grandeur in conveying authenticity.
|
3 . Lyla & Javi . Wheels |
4 . Boyce Avenue . EverlongBoyce Avenue’s rendition of “Everlong” isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, and that’s precisely its charm. This 2016 acoustic cover distills the Foo Fighters’ original into a stripped-down, emotionally charged version that feels like a private confession rather than an arena anthem. Released through their independent label, 3 Peace Records, the track quickly slid into YouTube’s algorithmic goldmine, where the band’s knack for heartfelt reinterpretations has amassed them millions of views. The hallmark here is intimacy: gone are the searing guitars and thunderous drums, replaced by Boyce Avenue’s signature blend of tender vocals and delicate acoustic strumming. The song’s essence, a poignant exploration of deep emotional connection, remains firmly intact, but this version drapes it in a blanket of quieter nostalgia. Critics of acoustic covers might dismiss it as safe territory, but there’s something undeniable about the way the band pares the track down to its emotional core.
|
5 . Stereoknob . Dear Rosemary“Dear Rosemary” by Foo Fighters is a track where reflection meets distortion, nestled in the heart of the 2011 album *Wasting Light*. Powered by Butch Vig’s crisp production, the song stitches raw emotion into alternative rock fabric, creating a dissonance that’s both jagged and melodic. Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü steps in as a not-so-secret weapon, his guitar and voice weaving seamlessly alongside Dave Grohl’s gravelly, emotional delivery. The lyrics lean toward bittersweet introspection, glancing at relationships gone awry without succumbing to melodrama.
|
6 . Robyn Adele Anderson . My HeroRobyn Adele Anderson’s rendition of “My Hero” reimagines the Foo Fighters’ iconic track in her signature vintage style, giving the raw, grunge-laden original a polished jazz or swing twist. Known for transforming modern hits into bygone-era arrangements, Anderson might soften the stadium rock intensity while maintaining the song’s emotional gravity. The original by Foo Fighters—conceived in 1997 and released as a single in 1998—centers on unsung, everyday heroes, a sentiment amplified by Dave Grohl’s penchant for drawing from personal inspirations, including figures like Pete Stahl. Anderson’s potential cover could experiment with vocal phrasing and instrumentation, trading electric guitars for muted brass and upright bass.
|
7 . Falling Flowers . Walk |
8 . Shide . ArlandriaIn a world rife with rock anthems, “Arlandria,” resurrected here under Shide, wears its geography on its sleeve like a badge of honor, pointing squarely to a Virginia neighborhood that once cradled Dave Grohl’s angst-filled musings. There’s a peculiar humanity in the way the lyrics, with their reference to the nursery rhyme “Rain Rain Go Away,” marry childhood whimsy to adult lament, all while being bolstered by an unapologetically gritty alternative rock edge. The original Foo Fighters’ version of the song, birthed in 2011 on *Wasting Light*, boasted a chart performance that’s both underwhelming and oddly perfect for a track so deeply entrenched in personal reflection, hitting number one on the UK Rock & Metal charts but barely brushing mainstream consciousness otherwise.
|
9 . The Warning . The PretenderLet’s talk about Foo Fighters’ **”The Pretender”**, a song that came roaring out of 2007 like a tank with a vendetta. This isn’t just hard rock; it’s a post-grunge masterclass in dynamics, mood, and sheer force. From its simmering, deceptively restrained intro to its explosive, distortion-soaked chorus, the track thrives on its transformative moments, dragging the listener into a tempest of sound. Producer Gil Norton helmed this juggernaut—his fingerprints are all over the polished chaos, a balance between tightly controlled energy and raw aggression. Lyrically, it’s the kind of anti-establishment anthem that toes the line between defiance and introspection, even if it’s arguably trying a bit hard to project rebellion. Its chart performance reflected its ubiquity, holding down Modern Rock number one for a staggering 18 weeks, a feat that underscores its earworm potency without resorting to gimmickry. Fast-forward to 2022, and Mexican rock trio The Warning delivered their take on the track, featured in their album **Error**. While comparisons are inevitable, their version doesn’t try to compete outright with Dave Grohl’s primal yell but instead reframes the song through their lens of youthful hard rock and alternative influences. Coming off the success of their Metallica cover, The Warning capitalizes on their knack for channeling intensity and empowerment—and *yes*, they absolutely pull it off, injecting the song with a fresh burst of urgency and spirit. It’s not a reinvention, but it’s a testament to their growing ability to tackle ambitious material with confidence. The track pairs well with the Ivan Chavez-directed video, their rendering of defiance more intimate yet equally resolute.
|
10 . Prince . Best Of You“Best Of You” by the Foo Fighters isn’t just a rock anthem; it’s a raw, guttural outcry against personal and external strife, penned by Dave Grohl after moments of political disillusionment during John Kerry’s campaign. The track’s relentless crescendo mirrors the emotional inertia it seeks to break, set against a backdrop of thunderous drumming and soaring guitar riffs that teeter just on the edge of chaos. Clocking in at just over four minutes, it punches above its weight in intensity, its chorus doubling as both rallying cry and confessional meltdown: “Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?” Released in 2005 as part of *In Your Honor*, the song landed solidly on global charts, snagging high rankings in the UK, Australia, and the US while dominating rock-specific Billboard listings. Produced with Nick Raskulinecz under RCA Records, the track balances studio polish with an edge that feels uncomfortably personal, a testament to Grohl’s ability to straddle catharsis and commercial viability. A surprise cultural nod came when Prince performed it at the Super Bowl, giving it his unique spin—an act equally praised and critiqued by rock purists and funk aficionados.
|
11 . Joyland . Times Like These**“Times Like These,”** a Foo Fighters classic from their 2002 album *One by One*, delivers a mix of introspection and resilience with a melody that oscillates between calm verses and explosive choruses. Its iconic opening riff and emotional lyrical content make it a staple in the band’s catalog.
|
12 . Paul Potts . HomePaul Potts’ take on Foo Fighters’ “Home” featured on his fourth album, also called “Home”, stands as an ode to personal grounding. Released in 2014 (with a CD drop in 2015), the song reflects Potts’ deep connection to his craft, viewing music and singing as his emotional sanctuary. While rooted in the Classical Crossover and Pop genres, “Home” pivots away from the chart prominence of his earlier hits, finding a quieter place in Potts’ discography.
|
For THE FULL COVERS COLLECTION click here
