Foo Fighters have beaten the odds. The Dave Grohl-fronted post-grunge band has faced personal loss and controversy in recent years. But in 2026, they have a new album out and are back touring as one of the biggest rock groups in the world. But why isn’t the group likely to break out songs from its new album too often, and why is this a bad thing for the whole economy of stadium rock touring?
Who am I to say these things? I’ve written about over 5.000 bands on Alt77, and most recently reviewed “Your Favorite Toy,” Foo Fighters’ 2026 release. I’ve written a book about the making of Nirvana’s “Nevermind.” And, I’ve also written a long piece ranking Foo Fighters‘ best and worst albums and have covered “Everlong” in a previous article.
Here’s why I think that the big bucks of nostalgia touring will hurt Dave Grohl’s reputation and the industry in the long run.
Foo Fighters As One of the Era’s Top Classic Rock Bands
It used to be that touring had just one purpose – to help artists sell their new album. Classic rock bands would alter their setlists from one concert tour to another to showcase new material. But this didn’t merely signify that the band had a new product. It showed that the group was alive and moving forward.
Yes, the days when groups could expect to move millions of copies of a new release are over. Even the few artists who receive millions of streams of their new songs can’t expect to make a fortune based on that alone.
But will touring and merely playing the hits solve the issue?
Few could have anticipated Foo Fighters’ remarkable rise. Started in the post-grunge era by Dave Grohl, a musician known at that time primarily as Nirvana’s former drummer, Foo Fighters evolved from a humble DIY studio project into a real band that by its sophomore album was scoring MTV-endorsed hit singles with songs like “My Hero” or “Everlong.”
Personally, I always thought that the Foos was a band of fine musicians. They have represented alternative rock well. I have also greatly admired Dave Grohl’s relentless ambition through the years.
Yet, I think that the band also benefited from the absence of any great rivals in the early 2000s. Foo Fighters became a stadium-filling rock band around that era. But it was largely because no new bands could hope to score as many hit singles now that MTV and radio’s power had declined.
Now, Dave Grohl and other musicians in his position are creating the same problem for their bands’ future.
Why Nostalgia is a Powerful Marketing Tool within the Touring Industry
The touring industry is a goldmine. And its growth is defying the odds, with audiences still packing theatres and arenas all over the world, even years on from the restrictions of Covid.
It’s good business for old bands, especially. Metallica is rumoured to make up to $8 million per stadium show. Green Day or Guns N’ Roses also generate millions for just one stadium gig. When the Rolling Stones toured in 2021, the British rockers earned more than $115.5m for just 12 shows.
But are you likely to know all of the songs if you go to see them? You bet!
On their most recent tour, Metallica typically plays just one song from the album they are currently promoting. Green Day is known to play the hits. And, Guns N’ Roses, bravely, routinely played just 3-4 unreleased songs per show. Meanwhile, most classic-rock-era bands that are still around barely ever change their setlists from one tour to another.
Foo Fighters’ new tour has, for now, used a similar formula. While technically promoting “Your Favorite Toy,” for their appearance at Pinkpop, the band played no new songs.
The same pattern was used for the band’s warm-up shows and is likely to become a feature of their 2026 concert plans.
The most the group endorsed new material was at the June show in Berlin, where Dave Grohl broke out three new tunes. This represented a measly 10 minutes of a 27-song set.
Why Simply Giving Audiences What They Want Will Ultimately Have a Negative Effect on the Music Industry
I’ve been writing about rock bands for more than a decade now. What I’ve noticed is that audiences, generally, want a mix of familiarity and novelty.
Yes, a group’s name and brand help sell tickets, especially if the group is reuniting or has been absent for a long time. But each tour needs a new hook.
This is the reason why so many legacy bands have chosen in recent years to play their classic albums in running order. But, while many, myself included, would enjoy hearing Weezer play “The Blue Album” from front to back or Pixies celebrate the legacy of “Doolittle,” how many times can one do that? Will you be buying tickets to see the same show by your favourite band when they roll back into town in two or three years?
The feel-good factor of reunions and comebacks disappears. Bands like Foo Fighters, Weezer, or even Pixies earned their fame through original songs. Without new, original songs, audiences will just stop caring.
I am seeing this happen. From my experience, from Berlin to Bucharest and from Stockholm to South Wales (yeah, I need to travel a lot!), more and more rock audiences are choosing to save their money and attend club gigs by new bands.
They’re swayed not just by the ticket price. Audiences are in love with the enthusiasm of an ambitious group presenting brand-new material in an intimate setting. Can the stadium touring industry compete with that? Not forever!
What’s Left for Foo Fighters?
Foo Fighters has worked for many years to become a “stadium rock band.” Very few groups of their era have achieved this. Very few active rock groups have as many hits or notoriety.
And yes, Dave Grohl is certainly helping to provide for his bandmates and employees. The tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins and Grohl’s recent media scandal probably led many in the organisation to believe the group’s time was up.
But “Your Favorite Toy” needs to be more than an excuse to go out and sell merch. Rock n’ roll needs to be kept alive by new songs, ideas and energy.
I don’t think that Foo Fighters will ever go out of business as long as they play “Everlong” and “Times Like This.” But the power of nostalgia can only go so far before audiences start searching for something new.
