Wasting Light cover art

  Studio Album · No. 7

Wasting Light Songwriting Credits by Foo Fighters

2011 Roswell / RCA Records 11 tracks 48 min

Produced by Butch Vig, Foo Fighters  ·  Engineered by James Brown (recording), Alan Moulder (mixing), Joe LaPorta (mastering), Emily Lazar (mastering)

Roswell / RCA Records Alternative RockPost-GrungeHard Rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Foo Fighters carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
11 trackswritten by Foo Fighters 0 tracksoutside writers
Foo Fighters's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
5
Lyricists
2
Producers
2011
Released

Awards & Recognition 5

Grammy Award for Best Rock Album (2012)
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance (2012)
Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance (2012)
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song (2012)
Grammy Award for Album of the Year (2012, Nominated)
Data Insight

Wasting Light was produced by Butch Vig, who had produced Nirvana's Nevermind, and recorded live to analog tape at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 by James Brown, with Alan Moulder mixing and Joe LaPorta and Emily Lazar co-mastering. Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic plays bass on "I Should Have Known," and Pat Smear, who had been part of the debut Foo Fighters lineup, rejoined as a full member. The album won four Grammy Awards at the 54th ceremony: Best Rock Album, Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance ("White Limo"), Best Rock Performance ("Walk"), and Best Rock Song ("Walk"), and was also nominated for Album of the Year.

Wasting Light is the seventh studio album by Foo Fighters, released in April 2011 on RCA Records and produced by Butch Vig (the same producer who had produced Nirvana's Nevermind, making the pairing a self-conscious historical reference), recorded entirely on analog tape in Grohl's garage with no digital recording used at any stage of the process. Grohl wrote all material; the album's recording methodology was a deliberate statement about analog sound quality and the band's refusal to adopt the digital polish of contemporary rock production, and the resulting sound, warm, loud, and organically roomy, was praised by critics as the most sonically vital record the band had made. 'Walk,' 'Rope,' 'These Days,' and 'Bridge Burning' were the principal tracks; 'Walk' spent a record-tying nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Wasting Light debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 235,000 first-week sales and won the Grammy for Best Rock Album, the band's sixth consecutive win in the category; it has been certified double platinum in the United States. The album is widely regarded as the creative high point of the band's middle period and the record that most successfully translated their live energy into a studio recording.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Bridge Burning
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)Rami Jaffee (Keyboards)
2
Rope
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)Rami Jaffee (Keyboards)
3
Dear Rosemary
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)Bob Mould (Guitar, Backing Vocals (guest))Rami Jaffee (Organ)
4
White Limo
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)
5
Arlandria
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)Drew Hester (Percussion)
6
These Days
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)
7
Back & Forth
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)
8
A Matter of Time
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)
9
Miss the Misery
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)Fee Waybill (Backing Vocals)Butch Vig (Percussion)
10
I Should Have Known
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass, Accordion (guest))Rami Jaffee (Mellotron)Jessy Greene (Violin)
11
Walk
Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Dave GrohlTaylor HawkinsNate MendelPat SmearChris Shiflett Butch VigFoo Fighters Dave Grohl (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Nate Mendel (Bass)Pat Smear (Guitar)Taylor Hawkins (Drums)Chris Shiflett (Guitar)Rami Jaffee (Organ)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 13 contributors

More from Foo Fighters

Frequently Asked Questions Wasting Light

Who produced Wasting Light by Foo Fighters?
Wasting Light was produced by Butch Vig and Foo Fighters. Vig is best known for producing Nirvana's Nevermind (1991). James Brown handled recording live to analog tape at Studio 606; Alan Moulder mixed; Joe LaPorta and Emily Lazar co-mastered. The album was released April 12, 2011, through RCA/Roswell Records.
Did Wasting Light by Foo Fighters win a Grammy Award?
Yes, Wasting Light won four Grammy Awards at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012: Best Rock Album, Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance ("White Limo"), Best Rock Performance ("Walk"), and Best Rock Song ("Walk"). The album was also nominated for Album of the Year. It was Foo Fighters' most decorated album to that point.
Was Wasting Light by Foo Fighters recorded on analog tape?
Yes, Wasting Light was recorded live to analog tape rather than digitally, a deliberate choice by producer Butch Vig and Dave Grohl. It was recorded in the garage of Grohl's Studio 606 facility in the San Fernando Valley, California. The live-to-tape approach was a reaction against modern digital recording and aimed to capture a more raw, spontaneous performance.
Who are the guest musicians on Wasting Light by Foo Fighters?
Wasting Light features Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl's former Nirvana bandmate, playing bass on "I Should Have Known." The album also reunites the band with Pat Smear, who had been Foo Fighters' rhythm guitarist on the debut album in 1995 and rejoined as a full member for Wasting Light and subsequent albums.
Did any singles from Wasting Light by Foo Fighters chart on the Billboard Hot 100?
No singles from Wasting Light charted on the main Billboard Hot 100. "Rope" debuted at number one on Rock Songs, only the second song ever to do so, and "Walk" also topped both Rock Songs and Alternative Airplay, but neither appeared on the all-genre Hot 100.
What is the runtime of Wasting Light by Foo Fighters?
Wasting Light runs 47 minutes and 55 seconds across 11 tracks. The album was released April 12, 2011, through RCA/Roswell Records and debuted at number one in several markets, including the UK (380,000 units sold in 2011).
What certifications did Wasting Light by Foo Fighters receive?
Wasting Light is certified Platinum by the RIAA in the United States (1 million units), Platinum in the UK (520,000 units), 2× Platinum in Australia (140,000 units), Platinum in Canada (80,000 units), and Platinum in Germany (200,000 units).

Sources