Dave Grohl is undoubtedly one of the greatest rock drummers the world has ever known. A titan of the kit, taking his cues from some of the best to do it, blends a profound understanding of technique with invention and natural thunder, covering all the bases needed to certify himself as a rhythmic legend.
Dave Grohl appears to have been destined for greatness from the start. As a self-described everyman, he began playing the drums when he was young. The music of The Beatles inspired him. And their drummer Ringo Starr was his idol. By 17, he had dropped out of school and signed on as the new drummer of the influential hardcore band Scream. He joined the band after lying about his age. This formative period would pave the way for him to become the drummer for Nirvana.
After taking over the world with Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, it wouldn’t take long for people to discuss Grohl as one of the greatest to pick up the sticks. Many people compared him to the finest rock drummers who had inspired him in his early years. During this heady period, people compared him with drummers such as Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Neil Peart.
Notably, the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham was the figure who inspired Grohl the most when he was young. He quoted himself as his favorite musician of all time. There are several other similarities between the two. It includes their thunderous power and dedication to serving the song with their grooves. The Foo Fighters frontman is such a fan of Bonham that he once chose his ten best performances.
As a result, Grohl has frequently praised John Bonham’s game-changing work. In 1992, at the height of his fame with Nirvana, he told Juke what made the Zeppelin drummer such an “impressive” player. Indicating the long line of rhythmic heroes that Grohl emerged from, someone asked if he imagined himself as The Who’s Keith Moon when he was a kid just starting his journey. He replied that he didn’t; it was Bonham’s scintillating grooves that showed him the light.
“John Bonham, actually,” Grohl said. He knew how to get into a groove. I used to believe that playing hard and being a show-off made you a good drummer. But I’ve discovered that staying in the groove is more impressive than playing a hundred fills every four bars. John Bonham pounded the drums hard while maintaining the groove.”
