The Foo Fighters have released a long-awaited cover of Minor Threat’s punk classic I Don’t Wanna Hear It — a recording nearly three decades in the making. The band revealed via their official YouTube channel that the instrumental track was originally laid down in 1995, with frontman Dave Grohl only recording the vocals earlier this year. The 80-second rendition arrives as part of the Foo Fighters’ 30th-anniversary celebrations and is accompanied by a music video featuring photographs chronicling the band’s evolution over the past three decades.
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The song, first released in 1981 as part of Minor Threat’s self-titled EP, is widely regarded as a defining moment in American hardcore punk. Minor Threat, active from 1980 to 1983, are credited with pioneering the “straight edge” movement — a subculture in which followers abstain from alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Grohl, known for his drumming days with Nirvana before founding Foo Fighters, has long admired Minor Threat’s frontman Ian MacKaye, who later formed the post-hardcore band Fugazi.
According to NME, Grohl wrote to MacKaye in 1983, aged just 14, asking for contacts to help his band book shows. The letter reads: “Good thrash so I was wondering if you could give me some numbers of people to get in touch with. It would help. Thanx. David Grohl.” He even included his home telephone number, noting he could be contacted between 3pm and 10pm.
In a 2015 interview, Grohl reflected on MacKaye’s meticulous nature as a collector: “If you go to his house, he has everything—all of the little old four-track tapes from, like, Minor Threat and Bad Brains. He has everything. He sure as s**t didn’t keep it because he thought something was going to happen.”
This marks the Foo Fighters’ first official release since their 2023 album But Here We Are, an emotionally charged project that followed the death of long-time drummer Taylor Hawkins.
The band are slated to return to live performances this October — albeit without drummer Josh Freese, who stepped in following Hawkins’ passing. Freese announced his departure from the group in May 2025, stating on social media that he had been dismissed “for no reason”.
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In a humorous Instagram post, the former Devo drummer listed various tongue-in-cheek explanations for his exit, including his failure to name more than “one Fugazi song” — a light-hearted nod to the band’s punk lineage. The Foo Fighters’ latest release offers fans a nostalgic nod to Grohl’s musical roots and a rare glimpse into the band’s long-running admiration for the pioneers of hardcore punk.
