Wheels (Foo Fighters song)

"Wheels"
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album Greatest Hits
Released September 29, 2009
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded 2008
Genre Alternative rock
Length 4:38
Label Roswell/RCA
Writer(s) Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett
Producer(s) Butch Vig
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"Let It Die"
(2008)		 "Wheels"
(2009)		 "Rope"
(2011)
Music video
Wheels on YouTube

"Wheels" is a single by American rock band Foo Fighters. The single premiered on radio on September 23, 2009, though the single was officially released six days later. The song had its live premiere at the White House as part of an Independence Day celebration honoring military service members.

The song "Wheels", alongside the song "Word Forward", was recorded for the band's Greatest Hits album with producer Butch Vig. Both songs were written during the Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace tour and had their first versions recorded at Grand Master Studios in Hollywood in 2008,[1] later being recorded at the Foo Fighters's own Studio 606 in Los Angeles. Lead vocalist Dave Grohl invited Vig to work on the songs while at a party, and the successful outcome led Grohl to invite him to produce the band's next album Wasting Light.[2]

Reception

Critical

Benjamin Sheehan from Billboard magazine says: "The song has a Weezer-meets-The Fray vibe, and it flies out of the gate with feedback-laden riffs, well-timed stutter stops and a gentle balance of electric and acoustic guitars. Four-chord loops nicely underscore Grohl's frustration as he mourns life's failure to meet his expectations. Grohl sings during the opening verse, 'I wanted something better, man/I wished for something new'. For an act of this stature and talent, it's hard not to agree just a little".[3]

Reviewing the 2009 album Greatest Hits, for Pitchfork, Matthew Perpetua said: "Wheels is particularly aggravating, sounding something like a half-hearted attempt at a country-rock crossover, which indicates a nervous desperation for continued success that has been absent from Grohl's work to date."[4]

Commercial

The song debuted at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100, being their highest charting single there since their 2007 hit "The Pretender".[5] "Wheels" is the most recent Foo Fighters single to be available on the CD single format.

Music video

A music video was directed by Sam Brown, featuring the band performing in an old warehouse. The video premiered in the early hours of October 1, 2009 on AMTV.[6]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Wheels"  4:38
2."Word Forward"  3:49

Charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 21
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 36
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 19
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] 22
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 19
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 45
Finland Download (Suomen virallinen latauslista)[13] 24
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 42
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[15] 43
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 13
Poland (LP3)[17] 24
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 24
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 48
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[20] 22
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 72
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[22] 1
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[23] 3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[24] 4
Preceded by
"Check My Brain" by Alice In Chains		 Billboard Rock Songs number-one single
November 14–21, 2009 		Succeeded by
"I Will Not Bow" by Breaking Benjamin

References

  1. ↑ Paul Brannigan (December 2010). "Kerrang's 50 albums you need to hear in 2011 - Foo Fighters (Interview)". Kerrang!.
  2. ↑ Dave Grohl Reunites With Krist Novoselic and Butch Vig, Rolling Stone
  3. ↑ "New Music Releases, Music Reviews, Album Releases & Song Releases". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "Retrieved on October 8, 2009". Billboard.com. 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  6. ↑ "Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
  7. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Foo Fighters – Wheels". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Foo Fighters – Wheels" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Foo Fighters – Wheels" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Foo Fighters search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Foo Fighters – Wheels" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Foo Fighters: Wheels" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Foo Fighters – Wheels". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Japan Hot 100 for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Foo Fighters – Wheels". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  17. ↑ "WHEELS". Polskie Radio. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Foo Fighters – Wheels". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Foo Fighters – Wheels". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Foo Fighters: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
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