The songs Josh Homme blasts when riding his motorcycle
The influence of Josh Homme on the world of rock shouldn’t be understated. From his early days with Kyuss, a band that played a pivotal role in the stoner rock movement, to his leadership in Queens of the Stone Age, Homme has been an architect of diverse, genre-defying sounds that resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.
After their debut, QOTSA released Rated R, enlisting Kyuss’ Nick Oliveri. With tracks like ‘Feelgood Hit of the Summer’ and ‘The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret’, the album highlighted their ability to craft radio-friendly rock hits that garnered widespread airplay.
However, their pinnacle moment arrived in 2002 with Songs for the Deaf. Framed as a concept album mirroring a desert drive, it hosts many of the band’s standout tracks: ‘No One Knows’, ‘Song for the Dead’, and ‘Go With the Flow’. Collaborations with musicians like Dave Grohl and Mark Lanegan also added depth to the album.
Beyond QOTSA, Homme has shared his musical and lyrical talents with diverse artists, including Iggy Pop and Arctic Monkeys. He even ventured into an unexpected partnership, co-writing a tune for Lady Gaga, contributing to her song ‘John Wayne’ in 2016, and collaborating with Mark Ronson and BloodPop.
However, when he’s not musically immersing himself in the next big thing, Homme is a fan of motorcycles. He owns a few motorcycles, including a custom Falcon and a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic. According to Homme, riding along on his motorcycle is the perfect opportunity to blast some tunes. “It’s either AC/DC – ‘Dirty Deeds’ or ‘Rocker’,” he tells Mary Anne Hobbs for BBC Radio 6 Music. “Or it’s ‘Breaking The Law’ by Judas Priest’.”
He continued: “When you’re blowing music into the face of the general public when they’re unexpectedly receiving it at top volume, it’s important to make them decide whether this is going to ruin their day or pop it up just a touch.”
Aside from spilling tunes onto the road, Homme is also a huge Nirvana fan — particularly the album Bleach, the band’s raw debut for Sub Pop. “By 1989, it seemed like punk rock had sort of died, and I thought Nirvana were picking up where Black Flag and GBH had left off,” Homme told Spin. “I remember thinking I didn’t want my band to sound anything like Nirvana because they had set the bar so high. I didn’t want to get too close.”
