Soon after making their stage debut with Bleach in 1989, the nascent grunge group Nirvana encountered an issue. The band lost its drummer at the start of the new decade when Chad Channing left due to creative differences. It was time for Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic to find a player who could match the big, heavy sound that they were perfecting. Let’s introduce Dave Grohl.
The drummer played percussion on some of the best grunge songs ever recorded when he joined Nirvana for their seminal 1991 sophomore album, Nevermind. From his subtle playing on “Come As You Are,” Grohl gave the band new life. He became a respected drummer in the alternative scene.
Three decades later, Grohl has firmly established that reputation. Grohl has provided drumming for some of the biggest names in the industry. These include David Bowie and Paul McCartney since Nirvana broke up. Alongside some of his idols, he has now earned his rightful place as one of the greatest drummers of all time. Consider the case of John Bonham.
Bonham received hail as one of the greatest drummers, over ten years before Grohl entered rock music. Led Zeppelin solidified his legacy. He provided the beat for countless hard rock hits, sitting behind the kit for future all-time favorites like the swerving “Whole Lotta Love.” And he contributed to the thumping “Immigrant Song.”
He encouraged many people, including Grohl, to pick up a pair of drumsticks along the way. Even though Nirvana’s drummer started before Led Zeppelin, Bonham’s influence was significant. Grohl’s early playing was impacted. So much so that Grohl would create a homemade tattoo in his honor.
In an interview with The Guardian, the drummer recalled how Grohl went from making fake pillow drum kits to recording and performing live in his teens. This transformation happened when he first came across Led Zeppelin’s music. He recalled, “We discovered Led Zeppelin right as I was starting to progress as a drummer. I got really into it—what John Bonham played and why.”
Grohl continued, calling Bonham’s approach “undefinable” and, somewhat ironically, “unmistakeable.” It is undeniable that Bonham perfected one of the most recognizable drumming styles in music history—a style that many have attempted to imitate but failed. The aspiring drummer compared himself to a monk in his utter devotion to Bonham, finding his distinct playing style to be addictive.
“Using a fucking sewing needle and some ink, I became so obsessed that I gave myself a three-interlocked-circles John Bonham tattoo on my arm. I was branded for life,” he recalled. Despite his intense admiration for Bonham, Grohl never attempted to emulate his teenage idol. Acknowledging its impossibility to duplicate, he instead set out to create his style.
Because of this, Dave Grohl has merited a spot among Bonham’s most well-known drummers in music history. He has, in turn, inspired a great deal of other aspiring drummers to pick up the instrument. Who knows, he might have even inspired a few self-made tattoos.
