Dave Grohl has always had a significantly more varied musical taste than any other superstar. Though he loved to reference the same Led Zeppelin tracks that he grew up liking, Grohl was just as likely to write songs that were influenced by whatever he was listening to at the time, from Prince to any ABBA hit. While Grohl can keep himself engaged with any song, he claimed that this rock and roll classic never gets old.
Looking back on his upbringing, Grohl’s musical tastes were significantly heavier than most of his classmates. While he enjoyed the sounds of classic rock and pop on the radio, the punk movement flipped his world inside out the first time he heard it. After joining the hardcore punk icon Scream, Grohl received an invitation to join the Seattle band Nirvana. This move would turn his world and the rest of the rock scene upside down.
Dave Grohl has always strived to elevate the heaviness whenever he played, whether with Nirvana or the Foo Fighters. Although Grohl’s compositions had distorted guitars and pummeling drums, his main goal was developing the ideal melody beneath the instrumentation.
Grohl found himself listening to whatever he could get his hands on when he began writing his own songs. While producing albums like There is Nothing Left to Lose, Grohl confessed to an obsession with 1970s AM radio rock, channeling the spirit of 10cc. This influence impacted the more optimistic tones behind tracks like ‘Next Year‘ and ‘Learn to Fly.’
Grohl would always return to the sounds of The Beatles, in addition to radio rock favorites. The guitar itself became Grohl’s teacher as he wrestled with his first chords. The gift of a Beatles songbook sparked his interest, leading him to later proclaim it the essential resource for any aspiring songwriter.
Although Grohl has been known to wax poetic over the band’s tougher songs, such as ‘Hey Bulldog,’ he did have a soft spot in his heart for the Fab Four’s ballads. While trying songs like ‘Blackbird‘ live, the frontman claimed that no Beatles song strikes him quite like ‘Julia.’
When asked about The Beatles’ effect on him, Grohl named John Lennon’s dedication to his mother “Julia.” He added, “If I could write just one song as beautiful as ‘Julia,’ I would achieve my life’s goal.” This song has a calming and healing effect on me. I could listen to it a thousand times and it would still draw me in. The guitar and vocals are so delicate and perfectly placed – they’re angelic.”
Grohl wasn’t the only one who liked Lennon’s sorrowful melody. Producer Butch Vig recalled Kurt Cobain attempting to play ‘Julia‘ in between takes of the band’s acoustic material. Nirvana was tracking the songs that would eventually form Nevermind. While Grohl has written many timeless songs, ‘Julia‘ remains the standard that he aims to meet anytime he creates a ballad.
