Sonic Highways
Sonic Highways | ||||
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Studio album by Foo Fighters | ||||
Released | November 10, 2014 | |||
Recorded | September 2013 – July 2014 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Alternative rock, post-grunge, hard rock[1] | |||
Length | 42:03 | |||
Label | Roswell, RCA | |||
Producer | Butch Vig | |||
Foo Fighters chronology | ||||
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Singles from Sonic Highways | ||||
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Sonic Highways is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Foo Fighters. It was produced by Butch Vig and was released on November 10, 2014, on RCA Records.[3] In writing the album's eight songs, singer and guitarist Dave Grohl traveled to eight cities across the United States to conduct interviews with musicians, recording engineers, record producers, and other individuals discussing each city's musical history, which he used as inspiration for the songs' lyrics. The band and Vig then traveled to a different recording location in each city to record the songs.[4] Each track features contributions from one or more musicians with ties to that city's musical history. The process was filmed for a companion television series, Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways, which was broadcast on HBO in the months surrounding the album's release.[5][6]
Background and writing
Despite initially announcing a break after supporting Wasting Light, Grohl later stated in January 2013 that the band had started writing material for an eighth studio album.[7] On February 20, 2013, at the Brit Awards, Grohl said he was flying back to America the following day to start work on the next album.[8] In an August 2013 interview with XFM, Grohl announced that their next album was slated for a 2014 release, saying:
"Well, I’ll tell you, we have been in our studio writing and in the past few weeks we’ve written an album and we are going to make this album in a way that no-one’s ever done before and we’re pretty excited about it... It’s a little ways off – it’s not ready to happen right now – but I think next year is going to be a really big year for the Foo Fighters, without question."[9]
According to lead guitarist Chris Shiflett, Grohl would finish the lyrics just before recording his vocals, the last part of each song. This time the compositions would drift away from "love letters and confused relationships" to deal with the feelings Grohl had regarding each city during production.[10]
Recording
On September 6, 2013, lead guitarist Chris Shiflett posted a photo to his Instagram account that indicated 13 songs were being recorded for the album.[11] Keyboardist Rami Jaffee recorded parts for three songs, one of which is entitled "In the Way."[12] Butch Vig, who produced the band's prior album, Wasting Light, confirmed he produced Sonic Highways as well.[13][14] On July 30, 2014, Vig revealed that the band had finished recording and mixing the new album and that it was slated to be released a month after the Sonic Highways TV series.[15] In an August 2014 press release, Grohl spoke about the album, saying: "This album is instantly recognizable as a Foo Fighters record, but there's something deeper and more musical to it. I think that these cities and these people influenced us to stretch out and explore new territory, without losing our ‘sound’."[3]
Packaging
The album artwork by Stephan Martiniere[16] has a cityscape amalgamating landmarks of every town used for production - Seattle's Space Needle, the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles - and a recurring motif of the number eight, marking both the Foo Fighters' eighth album and infinity (∞).[3] The vinyl pressings of the album are packaged in nine different covers, depicting each of the eight cities and the "Forever" building shaped like the infinity symbol.[4] Most retailers would not guarantee which cover the purchaser would receive, and album art is "randomly selected" for orders from the band's official website.[17]
Promotion
On January 16, 2014, a picture was posted to the Foo Fighters Facebook page with several master tapes, some labeled "LP 8".[18] On May 15, 2014, it was announced that the band's eighth album would be released in November 2014 and that the Foo Fighters would commemorate the album and their 20th anniversary with an HBO TV series directed by Dave Grohl entitled Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways.[19] On August 11, 2014, it was announced that the album would be titled Sonic Highways and released on November 10, 2014.[20]
Critical reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 68/100[21] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [22] |
The A.V. Club | B–[23] |
Chicago Tribune | [24] |
Consequence of Sound | C–[1] |
Entertainment Weekly | B[25] |
The Guardian | [26] |
The Observer | [27] |
NME | 7/10[28] |
Pitchfork Media | 5.6/10[29] |
Rolling Stone | [30] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 31 reviews indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic says the album "celebrates not the coiled fury of underground rock exploding into the mainstream, the way the '90s-happy Wasting Light did, but rather the classic rock that unites the U.S. from coast to coast."[22] Philip Cosores at Consequence of Sound stated "the album plays out more like a bonus feature, something that can enhance the series’ enjoyment or simply further inform the experience".[1]
Patrick Doyle from Rolling Stone noted that some of the album's songs are among "the band's most ambitious moments yet".[30] Stuart Berman of Pitchfork Media was more critical of the album, stating "Foo Fighters completely demystify their own creative process, effectively turning the Sonic Highways project into a glorified homework assignment—educational, perhaps, but laboriously procedural."[29]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, with sales of 190,000 copies in the United States.[31] As of September 2015, it has sold 490,000 copies there.[32]
Track listing
No. | Title | Recording location | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Something from Nothing" (featuring Rick Nielsen) | Electrical Audio (Chicago) | 4:49 |
2. | "The Feast and the Famine" (featuring Peter Stahl and Skeeter Thompson) | Inner Ear Studios (Arlington County, Virginia) | 3:50 |
3. | "Congregation" (featuring Zac Brown) | Southern Ground Studios (Nashville, Tennessee) | 5:12 |
4. | "What Did I Do? / God As My Witness" (featuring Gary Clark, Jr.) | Studio 6A (Austin, Texas) | 5:44 |
5. | "Outside" (featuring Joe Walsh) | Rancho De La Luna (Joshua Tree, California) | 5:15 |
6. | "In the Clear" (featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band) | Preservation Hall (New Orleans) | 4:04 |
7. | "Subterranean" (featuring Ben Gibbard) | Robert Lang Studios (Seattle) | 6:08 |
8. | "I Am a River" (featuring Tony Visconti and Kristeen Young) | The Magic Shop (New York City) | 7:09 |
Total length: |
42:03 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[33]
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [81] |
US Alt [82] |
US Main [83] |
US Rock [84] |
AUS [85] |
AUT [86] |
BEL [87] |
CAN [88] |
FIN [89] |
GER [90] |
JPN [91] |
NLD [92] |
NZ [93] |
PL [94] |
PT [95] |
SCO [96] |
UK [97] |
UK Rock [98] | ||
"Something from Nothing" | 2014 | —[A] | 1 | 1 | 8 | 53 | 75 | 42 | 63 | 22 | 100 | 63 | 57 | 32 | 18 | 45 | 56 | 73 | 1 |
"Congregation" | — | 5 | 1 | 21 | — | 73 | 12[B] | — | — | 97 | — | — | — | — | 38 | 68 | — | 4 | |
"Outside" | 2015 | — | 11 | 7 | 39 | — | — | 21[B] | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | — | — | — | 10 |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
- A ^ "Something from Nothing" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart at number 1.[99]
- B ^ "Congregation" and "Outside" did not chart on the Belgian Ultratop chart but charted on the Belgian Ultratip chart.
Other charted songs
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Rock [84] |
BEL [87] |
FIN Air [100] |
PL [101] |
PT [102] |
SCO [103] |
UK Rock [104] | ||
"The Feast and the Famine" | 2014 | 37 | 16[C] | — | — | 27 | 93 | 4 |
"What Did I Do? / God As My Witness" | 37 | — | — | — | 33 | — | 6 | |
"I Am a River" | 2015 | — | — | 61 | 25 | — | — | 15 |
"In the Clear" | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | 11 | |
"Subterranean"" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
- C ^ "The Feast and the Famine", did not chart on the Belgian Ultratop chart but charted on the Belgian Ultratip chart.
References
- 1 2 3 Cosores, Philip (November 7, 2014). "Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ↑ "Alternative Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Grow, Kory (11 August 2014). "Foo Fighters Name New Album 'Sonic Highways,' Reveal Track List". RollingStone.com. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- 1 2 Foo Fighters Announce 'Sonic Highways' Track List, Share Artwork billboard.com. Retrieved 11 August, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters premiere new single "Something From Nothing" — listen". Consequence of Sound. October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- ↑ Camp, Zoe; Phillips, Amy (October 16, 2014). "Foo Fighters Release "Something From Nothing" From New Album Sonic Highways". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Dave Grohl Says Foo Fighters 'Have A Plan' For Their Next Album". MTV.com. 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
- ↑ "Dave Grohl: 'Foo Fighters to begin work on new album this week' | News". Nme.Com. 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters Finish Writing New Album". Loudwire.com. 2013-08-19. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
- ↑ Peixoto, Mariana (2014-09-27). "Guitarrista do Foo Fighters fala sobre novo disco em entrevista exclusiva". Estado de Minas (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2014-10-18.
- ↑ Sarah Smith (6 November 2013). "You'll never believe what Foo Fighters take on tour". Faster Louder. Faster Louder Pty Ltd. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
- ↑ "Equipment photograph". Distilleryimage7.s3.amazonaws.com. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
- ↑ Darren Levin (26 August 2013). "Butch Vig teams up with Foo Fighters for "KILLER new songs"". Faster Louder. Faster Louder Pty Ltd. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
- ↑ Rosen, Craig. "The 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2014". Yahoo. Retrieved 2013-12-29.
- ↑ Stolman, Elissa (July 30, 2014). "Foo Fighters Finish Eighth Album". spin.com. Spin. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ↑ Murray, Nick (2014-11-19). "Meet the Mind Behind Foo Fighters' Trippy 'Sonic Highways' Album Cover". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
- ↑ "'Sonic Highways' vinyl preorder". FooFighters.com. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters - Tijdlijnfoto's". Facebook. 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters To Commemorate Eighth Album & 20th Anniversary With HBO Series Documenting Eight-City Recording Odyssey". FooFighters.com. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
- ↑ "Twitter / foofighters: Sonic Highways. Out Worldwide". Twitter. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
- 1 2 "Critic Reviews for Sonic Highways". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sonic Highways - Foo Fighters - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ Warwick, Kevin (November 11, 2014). "Foo Fighters aim for the moon but come up a bit short on Sonic Highways". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑ Kot, Greg (November 7, 2014). "Foo Fighters 'Sonic Highways' doesn't lead to anywhere new". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ Ryan, Kyle (November 7, 2014). "Sonic Highways Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ↑ Jonze, Tim (November 7, 2014). "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways review – a high-concept tour with middling music". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ↑ Carnwath, Ally (November 9, 2014). "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways review – familiar full-throttle pop-rock". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑ Nicolson, Barry (November 5, 2014). "Foo Fighters – 'Sonic Highways'". NME. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- 1 2 Berman, Stuart (November 10, 2014). "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
- 1 2 Doyle, Patrick (November 11, 2014). "Sonic Highways". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Taylor Swift's '1989' No. 1 for Third Week on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ↑ Brown, Matt (September 23, 2015). "Metal By Numbers 9/23: Slayer falls under the horizon". Metal Insider. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ↑ Sonic Highways (CD liner notes). Foo Fighters. New York City: RCA Records. 2014. 88843-09008-2.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters Longplay". Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Official IFPI Charts - Top-75 Albums Sales Chart - Εβδομάδα: 47/2014" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2014. 46. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 46, 2014". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Artisti - Classifica settimanale WK 46 (dal 10-11-2014 al 16-11-2014)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". oricn ME inc. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Top Alternative Albums for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Foo Fighters. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ "End of Year Charts – ARIA Top 100 Albums 2014". ARIA Charts. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ↑ JAAROVERZICHTEN 2014 ultratop.be. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
- ↑ "FIMI - Classifiche Annuali 2014 "TOP OF THE MUSIC" FIMI-GfK: un anno di musica italiana" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 2014". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Albums of 2014 official charts.com. Retrieved 2 January, 2014.
- ↑ Top Billboard 200 Albums - Year End billboard.com. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Alternative Albums: 2014 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 16, 2015.(subscription required)
- ↑ "2014 Year End Charts - Hard Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ↑ "2014 Year End Charts - Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 2015". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Top Billboard 200 Albums - Year End billboard.com. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ↑ "2015 Year End Charts - Hard Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ↑ "2015 Year End Charts - Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ↑ "2015 Year End Charts - Soundtracks". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
- ↑ "Austrian album certifications – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved September 22, 2015. Enter Foo Fighters in the field Interpret. Enter Sonic Highways in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
- ↑ "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Foo Fighters; 'Sonic Highways')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 14, 2014. Enter Sonic Highways in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "Foo Fighters Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters Album & Song Chart History – Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- ↑ Foo Fighters - Mainstream Rock Songs chart history billboard.com. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- 1 2 "Foo Fighters Album & Song Chart History – Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- ↑
- For Top 50 positions: "Discography Foo Fighters". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
- "Something from Nothing": "ARIA Top 100 Singles" (PDF) (1287). ARIA. October 27, 2014: 4. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Discographie Foo Fighters" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
- 1 2 Discography Foo Fighters". Ultratop Belgian Charts. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters - Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
- ↑ Suomen virallinen lista (Finland's official list) - Latauslista (download list) - Foo Fighters - Something from Nothing ifpi.fi. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters Single" (in German). PHONONET GmbH. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
- ↑ Billboard. "Foo Fighters Chart History - Japan Hot 100". foo fighters. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- ↑ "Discografie Foo Fighters" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
- ↑ "Discography Foo Fighters". New Zealand charts online. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
- ↑
- For "Something from Nothing":"SOMETHING FROM NOTHING". Polskie Radio. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- For "Outside":"OUTSIDE". Polskie Radio. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- ↑
- For "Something from Nothing": "Foo Fighters - Something from Nothing - chart history - Portugal Singles Chart". aCharts. foo fighters. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- For "Congregation": "Foo Fighters - Congregation - chart history - Portugal Singles Chart". aCharts. foo fighters. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑
- "Something from Nothing":"Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100 - 26 October 2014 - 01 November 2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- "Congregation":"Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100 - 02 November 2014 - 08 November 2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ↑
- For Top 75 positions:"Foo Fighters UK Singles Chart Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑
- "Something from Nothing" and "Outside": "2014 Top 40 Rock & Metal Singles Archive 22nd November 2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- "Congregation": "2014 Top 40 Rock & Metal Singles Archive 15th November 2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ Foo Fighters - Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart history billboard.com. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
- ↑ Suomen virallinen lista - Artistit - Foo Fighters: I Am A River ifpi.fi. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ↑
- For "I Am a River": I AM A RIVER polskieradio.pl. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- For "In the Clear": IN THE CLEAR polskieradio.pl. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ↑
- For "The Feast and the Famine": "Foo Fighters - The Feast and the Famine - chart history - Portugal Singles Chart". aCharts. foo fighters. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- For "What Did I Do? / God As My Witness": "Foo Fighters - What Did I Do? / God As My Witness - chart history - Portugal Singles Chart". aCharts. foo fighters. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ↑
- "The Feast and the Famine":"Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100 - 02 November 2014 - 08 November 2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ↑
- For: "The Feast and the Famine", "What Did I Do? / God As My Witness", "Outside", "In the Clear", "I Am a River", "Subterranean": "2014 Top 40 Rock & Metal Singles Archive 22nd November 2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2014.