The Foo Fighters have no shortage of hit songs, but their greatest hit is, without a doubt, “Everlong.” This song, from their second 1997 album, The Color and the Shape, became incredibly popular not just because of its catchy chorus and beautiful melody, but also because of its absurd video. The Foo Fighters are known for their hilarious music videos, and the video for that song became a fan favorite.
However, while the song was a big hit and both the fans and the band love it, it’s not the best Foo Fighters song. No, that title should go to a different one. “Times Like These” is a song that represents the moment the band found themselves again after a moment of crisis, and since Taylor Hawkins’ tragic passing, it has become an anthem of resilience and grief.
Why “Times Like These” Is the Foo Fighters’ Best Song
“Times Like These” is a very popular song, but its meaning has been constantly changing through the years. The song, which appears on Foo Fighters’ 2002 album One by One, was written during a tumultuous time for the band.
In 2001, while the Foo Fighters were in London, Taylor Hawkins ended up in a coma for two weeks due to an overdose, which obviously shook the entire band, who were not just bandmates but also very close friends. Dave Grohl spent almost the entire two weeks by Hawkins’ side and was there when he woke up. As soon as the drummer was in the clear, the band immediately traveled back home to work on their next album. But, of course, jumping right back into work after such a traumatic event did not work well.
In the Back and Forth documentary, the band admitted that none of them were ready to get back to work and grew frustrated with the lack of progress. Because of this, Grohl told the band they would put the project aside for the time being. And then, he dropped the bomb that he would be going on tour with Queens of the Stone Age as their drummer. Hawkins spoke candidly in the documentary about how much Grohl’s decision upset him, stating that he had just gone through an “awful trauma,” and his best friend responded by going off with another band.
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Dave Grohl never intended to actually quit the band, but his sudden departure confused his bandmates, and by the time they reunited to play Coachella, resentment had built to the point that Hawkins told him he’d be quitting the band once they were done with their commitments. The two best friends had a huge fight, but ultimately agreed to work things out after the festival. Luckily, the show went so well that it put things in perspective for them, and afterward, Grohl and Hawkins had a talk and reconciled.
Once the band was finally getting along again, they decided to give the album they had shelved a second chance. That’s when Grohl brought this gem to the band. “Times Like These”, he explained in the documentary, was written while he thought the band wasn’t going to continue, and he felt he “wasn’t entirely (him)self.” The song, and the whole album, really, has a sense of urgency that comes not only from the context of how it was written but also from the fact that it was recorded in just a few days. “One by One” was recorded in a week, as the band had lost a lot of time and was under a tight deadline, and it’s one of Grohl’s favorite albums, with “Times Like These” being one of his favorite songs because of what it represents for him.
How Its Meaning Changed Since Hawkins’ Passing
“Times Like These” is always a special moment of any Foo Fighters show, but since Taylor Hawkins’ untimely death in 2022, it carries a much heavier weight for the band and for the fans. A couple of months after the drummer passed away, the Foo Fighters and the Hawkins family put together two massive tribute concerts. The first one was at Wembley Stadium, and the second one at the Forum. The one at Wembley marked the first time the Foo Fighters performed together since the tragic loss, and it was obvious that it was difficult for them to get through it.
Dave Grohl, who was Hawkins’ closest friend, kept it together throughout most of the show, but by the end of it, when he took center stage to sing Times Like These, he finally broke down. The frontman pushed through tears to croak out the words “I’m a little divided – Do I stay or run away and leave it all behind?” This song, which was 20 years old by the time Grohl dedicated it to his late best friend, acquired a whole new meaning that night.
Since then, every time the band reaches that song on the setlist, fans have to hold back tears. Despite the tragedy, however, “Times Like These” is, at its core, a song about hope. The lyrics are about being at a crossroads and having to decide whether to keep going or abandon something that means a lot to you. And through those hardships, great things are born, even if the process is painful. As Grohl sings so thoughtfully, “It’s times like these you learn to love again – It’s times like these time and time again.”