10 Bands That Actually Got Better After Losing Members

It's safe to say that the Foo Fighters are basically a glorified solo outfit for Dave Grohl. While that's not to discount any of the contributions from the other members of the group, the actual drive behind this band has always been Dave Grohl trying to pick up the pieces of his post-Nirvana music career. Even though the first Foos record was practically Dave by himself, it took a little while to settle into the definitive lineup.

Going with drummer William Goldsmith as the original touring drummer, Grohl found himself increasingly dissatisfied with his drumming style. Instead of telling him about the way the drums should be played, the Foos' sophomore effort The Colour and the Shape resulted in Grohl rerecording all of Goldsmith's drum parts himself, which led him to abruptly quit the project soon afterward.

Left to go out on tour without a permanent drummer, Grohl ended up finding his kindred spirit in Taylor Hawkins, who was drumming in Alanis Morrissette's touring band when he got the call to join the Foos. Fitting like a glove, Hawkins' swing and style was just the right feel for Grohl to play off of, complete with both restraint and aggression in equal measure. Despite being a bit of a percussion perfectionist, it was almost like Dave didn't need to worry about the drums anymore once Hawkins took over.