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Cover of There Is Nothing Left to Lose by Foo Fighters
Cover: There Is Nothing Left to Lose

Song · Foo Fighters

“Learn to Fly” by Foo Fighters

From the album There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999)

“Learn to Fly” by Foo Fighters appears on 108 radio countdowns from 47 stations between 1999 and 2026. It was first released in 1999 on the album There Is Nothing Left to Lose. Its best result is #6 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1999. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #14 alternative song of 1999, #303 alternative song of all time and #86 of the '90s.

108countdowns
47stations
#6best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1999–2026years charted

Watch

Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly (Official HD Video)

Video from YouTube (foofightersVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Learn to Fly" led the way for There Is Nothing Left to Lose, the third Foo Fighters album, released as its first single by Roswell and RCA in 1999. Dave Grohl sings lead, plays guitar and percussion and shares the drum credit with Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel plays bass, and the three of them wrote it together. Adam Kasper recorded it and produced it with the band.

It's the Foos at their most breezily tuneful: jangling, sunlit guitars, a bouncing rhythm and a chorus that lifts off the ground on cue. The subject is right there in the title, and it's literal: Grohl wanted to learn to be a pilot at the time, and the song carries that itch to get up and away.

It was their first single to crack the Billboard Hot 100, where it got as high as 19, and nothing they released climbed higher there until "Best of You" reached 18 in 2005. Abroad it made the top 40 in Australia, Canada, Hungary, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and the UK. The video won Best Short Form Video at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2001, and the song itself was nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1999 42 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1999 107
1999 6 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1999 91
1999 40 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1999 106
1999 21 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1999 101
1999 22 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 1999 100
1999 48 K-Rock New York, NY K-Rock Top 92 Songs of 1999 92
1999 53 WFNX Boston, MA WFNX Top 99 Songs of 1999 99
1999 19 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 107 Songs of 1999 107
1999 51 89X Detroit, MI / Windsor, ON 89X Top 89 Songs of 1999 89
1999 34 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 1999 103
1999 12 93XRT Chicago, IL WXRT Listener Poll: Top 25 Songs of 1999 25
1999 77 WBER Rochester, NY WBER Listener Countdown 1999 101
1999 11 Triple J Australia (national) Triple J Hottest 100 of 1999 100
1999 39 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 104 Songs of 1999 104
2000 28 K-Rock New York, NY K-Rock Top 92.3 Songs of 2000 93
2000 13 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 2000 102
2000 14 93XRT Chicago, IL WXRT Listener Poll: Top 30 Songs of 2000 30
2000 21 WBCN Boston, MA WBCN Top 104 Songs of Y2K 102
2000 21 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 100 Songs of 2000 100

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1999 326 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 294 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 988 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 897 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2000 355 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2001 355 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 302 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 358 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 80 The Buzz The Buzz Top Songs of All-Time (Labor Day 2002, partial) 144
2002 466 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2003 390 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2004 129 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 116 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2005 1311 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 131 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2007 174 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 95 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 201 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 103 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 52 CFNY 102.1 The Edge The Top 200 Songs of the 90's According to 102.1 The Edge 200
2009 119 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 99 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 94 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009) 200
2010 90 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of the 90's (September 2010) 200
2010 89 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 310 97.9 The Loop The Loop USO Rock 'N' Roll 500 (2010) 500
2011 83 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 84 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 102 New Rock Songs of All-Time 102
2013 85 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 499 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2013 254 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2014 82 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 70 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2014 51 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 400 (2014) 400
2014 37 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 68 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2015 77 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2015) 499
2015 254 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2016 61 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2017 383 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2017 107 97.9 The Loop 97.9 The Loop Top 540 Countdown (2017) 540
2018 665 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2018 381 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2019 75 X96 X96's Top 100 Songs of the 90's 100
2019 358 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2019) 500
2019 63 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2019 54 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2019 180 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2020 58 DC101 Top DC101 of the 90's 101
2020 115 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2020 29 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 741 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 223 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2020 79 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2021 763 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 623 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 223 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2021 76 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2021 318 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2022 162 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 850 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 468 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 298 94.1 KRNA KRNA Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 963 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time 1055
2022 79 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2022 155 101X 101X 500 (2022) 498
2023 191 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 76 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2023 303 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 56 ALT 104.5 ALT 104.5 Top 104 of ALT Time 104
2023 112 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 298 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 244 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 28 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2023 406 97.1 The Drive 97.1 The Drive Memorial Day Weekend Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2024 162 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) 400
2024 468 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2024) 500
2024 481 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 283 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2025 214 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500
2025 264 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 72 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) 400
2025 465 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2025) 500
2025 529 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 169 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800
2026 143 101X 101X 500 (2026) 500
2026 216 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500
2026 492 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500
2026 479 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: Learn To Fly.

Charting alongside it in 1999

Best songs of 1999 →
  1. 1What's My Age Again?blink-182
  2. 2Scar TissueRed Hot Chili Peppers
  3. 3NookieLimp Bizkit
  4. 4Freak on a LeashKorn
  5. 5Praise YouFatboy Slim
  6. 6My Own Worst EnemyLit

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