Dave Grohl has felt at home behind the drumkit since the beginning. Before stepping up as the frontman of Foo Fighters, Grohl was committed to making as much noise as possible on the drums, playing with a level of speed and intensity that could leave even the most seasoned punk drummers exhausted. Known for his powerful style, Grohl also appreciates drummers who understand when to hold back, blending power with restraint.
Influenced by drumming icons like John Bonham and Neil Peart, Grohl’s admiration for the virtuoso style is no secret. While Led Zeppelin’s Bonham is celebrated for his raw force, and Rush’s Peart for his technical expertise, Grohl admired both for the power they infused into every strike. Each beat became part of the song’s essence, a quality Grohl took with him to Nirvana.
With Nirvana, Grohl created rhythmic hooks on the drums, turning tracks like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” into a cascade of mayhem, and experimenting with tone on songs like “Heart-Shaped Box.” Despite his skill for relentless, high-energy drumming, one of his biggest inspirations actually comes from the opposite side of the spectrum.
Years after Foo Fighters had taken off, The White Stripes emerged, with Jack White’s gritty riffs accompanied by Meg White’s minimalist, almost childlike drumming. Though the band intended to strip rock down to its roots, Meg’s approach was criticized by some for its simplicity. Unlike drummers who fill every song with complex rhythms, she stuck to the basics, letting each beat breathe.
Amidst the critiques, Grohl was one of the first to applaud her style, calling Meg “one of my favorite drummers.”
He explained, “She’s one of those drummers where if you hear 15 seconds of her playing, you know exactly who it is. That’s the gold standard to me.”
To Grohl, White’s drumming was distinctive, achieving what he considers the ultimate challenge for any musician: creating a unique sonic identity.
Despite the stark contrast in their styles, Grohl saw common ground between his and Meg’s approach. On albums like Nevermind and Elephant, both drummers put the song’s essence above flashy fills, capturing the energy with raw simplicity. In discussing this approach, Grohl described it as akin to children’s songs—uncomplicated but powerful, with a certain innocence that made the heaviest material memorable.
Grohl emphasized the rarity of Meg’s sound, noting, “It’s always a challenge to know it’s them when you hear it. You can say, ‘Oh, that’s John Bonham, that’s Charlie Watts, that’s Ringo, that’s Stewart Copeland, and that’s Meg White.’” For Grohl, Meg’s signature style made her an icon in her own right, a drummer who didn’t need complexity to make her mark.
Though The White Stripes ended after Icky Thump, partially due to Meg’s reluctance to tour and creative tension with Jack, her influence remains. While Jack White has continued with various solo projects, he has yet to recapture the raw energy that Meg brought to their music. Her unmistakable style left a lasting impact on both Grohl and the world of rock, proving that sometimes less truly is more.
