Dave Grohl played drums in Nirvana before forming Foo Fighters. He joined the Seattle grunge band in 1990 after previously serving as the drummer of the Washington, D.C., punk group Scream.
Grohl first appeared on Nirvana’s landmark album Nevermind, released in 1991. His forceful, precise drumming became a defining part of the band’s sound, particularly on songs such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “In Bloom,” and “Lithium.”
Although Grohl later became Foo Fighters’ lead singer and guitarist, his primary role in Nirvana was behind the drum kit. He also contributed songwriting: “Marigold,” first recorded for his Pocketwatch project, appeared as a Nirvana B-side, and he helped develop the riff for “Scentless Apprentice.”
Nirvana ended after Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994. Grohl then recorded the first Foo Fighters album largely by himself, playing the instruments and singing before assembling a touring band. His later guitar-and-vocal career sometimes causes people to forget that he first became famous as a drummer.