One by One was the first Foo Fighters album to debut at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
Released in 2002, One by One was the band’s fourth studio album and followed There Is Nothing Left to Lose. Its UK chart success marked a major international breakthrough: it also reached number one in Ireland and Australia, while peaking at number three on the US Billboard 200.
The album includes “All My Life” and “Times Like These,” two enduring Foo Fighters songs. It was also the first Foo Fighters record to feature Chris Shiflett as a full band member and the first on which Taylor Hawkins handled all the drum parts. The band initially recorded the album, abandoned much of those sessions, and rebuilt it with a heavier, more aggressive sound intended to capture their live energy.
A common mix-up is confusing One by One with Wasting Light, which later became the band’s first album to top the US Billboard 200. One by One’s landmark achievement was its earlier UK number-one debut.