Dave Grohl Reveals His Favorite Paul McCartney Track

If truth be told, it’s really unusual to find a talented musician who does not thank The Beatles as an inspiration in their musical upbringing process. Undoubtedly, the Liverpool band paved the way for timeless music by popularizing cutting-edge recording and production techniques that were previously uncommon in mainstream Western pop.

Moreover, the Fab Four have delivered a rich collection of tracks that have earned them the title of “beacon of inspiration” for musicians worldwide.

One of the famous artists who is inspired by The Beatles is Dave Grohl. He rose to prominence as Nirvana’s drummer before joining the Foo Fighters and admitted many times during interviews that he is a huge Beatles fan. In his goal to become a musician, he studied their tunes as a child. Grohl recalled:

“My introduction to music really was the Beatles. In listening to the drums, that became my reference point for everything. [I would notice] ‘Oh, that guy’s too busy, oh that guy doesn’t have any groove,’ because I had the Beatles in the middle— and it still is.”

When he was asked how he discovered the band, Grohl stated:

“I remember having a sleepover at a friend’s house when I was four or five years old and listening to ‘Hey Jude’. I don’t think I’d ever listened to a rock and roll record. This was my introduction, and it’s stuck with me ever since,” he said. “I remember that night, laying in my sleeping bag and singing along to the na-na-nas at the end of the song. It was stuck in my head so much I couldn’t sleep.”

As a fan, Grohl said that his favorite from the discography is John Lennon’s “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” from the band’s iconic 1969 album, Abbey Road. He shared:

“I love heavy music, I love Black Sabbath, I love Motorhead, but I think that nothing is heavier, melodically darker and deeper than the riff in this song.”

Grohl also loves the George Harrison-penned “Taxman” from Revolver. He explained:

“I love the chords, I love the melody, I love the snare sound… I mean, you have to imagine that in 1966 they were inventing a lot of rock ‘n’ roll recording by figuring out new ways to engineer these sessions.”

However, when it comes to his favorite song that Paul McCartney wrote, Grohl stated:

“The greatest Paul McCartney track? You can’t even answer this question, it’s just not fair, but I’m going to say ‘Blackbird’.”

Taken from their self-titled album, also known as The White Album, “Blackbird” is a fan favorite, perhaps due to its appeal to both adults and children. Grohl continued:

“It’s such a beautiful piece of music, perfect in composition and performance, and in its lyrics and in the range of his voice. Just learning that song made me a better guitar player and gave me a better appreciation of songwriting. To me it’s just musical bliss.”