Paul McCartney inducted the Foo Fighters into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tonight at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

"I was just saying to them in the dressing room, 'This is it. You’re here in Cleveland, and tonight you’re going to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It’s not just any hall of fame, it’s the fucking Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!'"

Founded in the wake of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's tragic death, Foo Fighters were originally Grohl’s one-man band. McCartney said the experience echoed that of his own.

"So the question is, what do you do now?" McCartney said. "We both were presented with that question. In my case, I decided to make an album where I played all of the instruments myself. So, I did that. Dave's group broke up – what's he do? He makes an album where he plays all the instruments himself. Do you think this guy is stalking me?"

The success of 1995’s self-titled album brought more members into the fold, including guitarist Pat Smear, drummer William Goldsmith and bassist Nate Mendel. Goldsmith departed in 1997, and was replaced by Taylor Hawkins. Guitarist Chris Shiflett joined in ‘99, establishing the group’s core for the next two decades.

Foo Fighters emerged as the preeminent rock band of their generation across 10 studio albums. "Big Me," "Monkey Wrench," "My Hero," "Learn to Fly," "Times Like These," "The Pretender" and the timeless "Everlong" are among the favorites from throughout an impressive and ongoing career. They were inducted in the band's first year of eligibility, following a similar path to contemporaries such as Green Day and Pearl Jam, who were also first ballot hall of famers.

This marks the second time Grohl has been inducted, following his enshrinement as a member of Nirvana in 2014. Grohl has also appeared at several other Hall ceremonies, appearing alongside bandmate Hawkins to induct Queen in 2001 and Rush in 2013. Smear, a touring guitarist for Nirvana before becoming a member of the Foo Fighters, was not inducted with Nirvana but performed at the 2014 ceremony.

McCartney previously collaborated with Grohl, Smear and Grohl's former Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic on "Cut Me Some Slack," featured on Grohl's 2012 film Sound City.

Grohl later said he never had any formal training, instead discovering a passion for rock from his Beatles records. "Everything I learned about music," Grohl said, pointing to McCartney, "I learned from this man."

The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air on Nov. 20 on HBO alongside a radio simulcast on SiriusXM Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Radio.

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