“The best”: the hardcore song Dave Grohl wishes he had written
Arena tours, feature films, and stages shared with the likes of Jimmy Page and Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl has certainly come a long way since his early days at the heart of the grunge scene, drumming with Nirvana. Throughout his incredible story, however, Grohl has always been indebted to his roots in punk rock. After all, it was the emergence of punk and hardcore during the 1970s and 1980s that first inspired him to pursue musical exploits, spurred on by the DIY ethos and ‘anyone can do it’ attitude of the movement.
Grohl took his first major steps into the music world at the age of 17, when he became the drummer for Washington DC hardcore punks Scream. An essential group in carving out the sounds of DC hardcore, Scream provided Grohl with a wealth of influence and drumming experience, without which he might never have joined the ranks of Nirvana in 1990. The abrasive sound of Washington’s grunge scene was, of course, heavily inspired by the various punk and hardcore outfits that passed through the state during the early 1980s, and one outfit in particular always stood out from the crowd.
Emerging from America’s capital back in 1976, Bad Brains changed the landscape of punk forever, blazing a trail that all future hardcore artists and listeners, including Dave Grohl, would follow. Blending their endlessly energetic hardcore sound with a plethora of reggae, funk, and soul sounds over the course of their time together, Bad Brains were something of an outlier within the hardcore movement. No other hardcore punks of that era were placing furious blitzkrieg-style punk anthems side-by-side with laid-back Rastafari rhythms.
This individuality came as something of a double-edged sword for Bad Brains, preventing them from ever achieving much in the way of mainstream success, while simultaneously endearing the band to an incredibly dedicated cult following. Unsurprisingly, Dave Grohl was a staunch advocate for the DC outfit, carrying their unwavering influence into his work with Scream, Nirvana, and, in more recent years, Foo Fighters.
Foo Fighters have always leaned towards the world of stadium rock rather than punk, owing to Grohl’s extensive love of classic rock. Nevertheless, the frontman still maintains his adoration for the songwriting and energy of Bad Brains and its frontman, HR. In fact, during a 2021 interview with Red Bulletin, the Foo frontman declared, “Bad Brains were America’s greatest hardcore punk-rock band in the ’80s.”
A bold claim, but one which is pretty difficult to dispute. There was certainly no shortage of great hardcore outfits back in the 1980s, from Minor Threat to Reagan Youth, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, the list is virtually endless. Still, Bad Brain always seemed to rise to the top, owing both to their diverse range of influences and the unparalleled energy with which HR delivered every track.
That energy is something that Grohl seemingly yearns for, as he highlighted their iconic 1982 track ‘Sailin’ On’ as one which he wished he had written. Explaining that choice, the multi-instrumentalist shared, “They were from Washington, DC, and were the best live band I’ve ever seen in my life. I was in love with their music – it was so fast, so distorted, so dissonant. It made me want to drink a hundred beers and break windows.”
Adding, “Now, if that’s not a good enough reason why I wish it had been written by me…”
Ultimately, very few artists have written anything that comes close to the energy and aggression of ‘Sailin’ On’. Aside from the fact that it wouldn’t exactly fit in to Grohl’s current repertoire of stadium rock anthems, the Bad Brains track is rooted in the frustration of that period in the early 1980s, along with the DIY ethos of the early hardcore movement, something that can never be truly replicated in the modern age.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Punk Newsletter
All the latest Punk content from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.