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Learn to Fly

{{short description|1999 single by Foo Fighters}}

{{other uses}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2012}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Learn to Fly

| cover = LearnToFly1.jpg

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Foo Fighters

| album = There Is Nothing Left to Lose

| B-side = * "Iron and Stone"

| released = October 18, 1999

| recorded = Spring 1999

| studio = {{unbulleted list|Studio 606 (Virginia)|Conway Studios (Los Angeles)}}

| genre = * Alternative rock

  • pop rock
  • power pop{{cite magazine|last= Rolling Stone Staff|date= December 1, 2023|title= The 100 Best Songs of 2023|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-2023-1234879541/|magazine=Rolling Stone|quote= ...the sunny power-pop-adjacent feel of earlier Foo Fighters tracks like “Learn to Fly"...}}

| length = 3:56

| label = * Roswell

| writer = * Dave Grohl

| producer = * Adam Kasper

  • Foo Fighters

| chronology = Foo Fighters

| prev_title = Walking After You

| prev_year = 1998

| next_title = Stacked Actors

| next_year = 2000

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|1VQ_3sBZEm0|"Learn to Fly"}}}}

}}

"Learn to Fly" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, released by Roswell and RCA Records in October 1999 as the lead single from their third studio album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999). It was the band's first entry—at number 19—on the Billboard Hot 100, remains their second-highest-charting song on the chart. Outside of the U.S., it peaked within the top 40 in Australia, Canada, Hungary, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and the United Kingdom. The song's music video won Best Short Form Video award at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2001.

Release and reception

"Learn to Fly" was originally released as a promo-only single.{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dQgEAAAAMBAJ&dq=learn+to+fly&pg=PA44 | title=Billboard | date=October 16, 1999 }} It was officially released as a two-disc CD set in the UK and Australia, as well as in Europe, and promotional singles were also released in other countries such as the US for radio play.

In the US, it was the band's first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, charting at number 19,[http://www.billboard.com/artist/302285/foo-fighters/chart Foo Fighters - Billboard Hot 100 Chart History] billboard.com. Retrieved 26 May 2014. and was the band's first number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[http://www.billboard.com/artist/302285/foo-fighters/chart?page=1&f=377 Foo Fighters - Billboard Alternative Songs Chart History] billboard.com. Retrieved 26 May 2014.

It is also their highest-charting on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, along with the 1996 hit "Big Me", reaching number 13.[http://www.billboard.com/artist/302285/foo-fighters/chart?page=1&f=350 Foo Fighters - Billboard Radio Songs History] billboard.com. Retrieved May 26, 2014.

The song set the record for most weeks (13) at number one on the Canadian rock radio charts.{{Cite web|title=Foo Fighters set Cdn. record|url=http://www.canoe.com:80/JamMusicArtistsF/foo.html|last=Cantin|first=Paul|date=January 13, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000819064154/http://www.canoe.com:80/JamMusicArtistsF/foo.html|access-date=May 9, 2020|archive-date=2000-08-19}}

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Jesse Peretz and won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 2001.{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/21/grammy.winners/|title=43rd Annual Grammy Awards|date=February 21, 2001|access-date=January 19, 2021|publisher=CNN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063452/http://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/21/grammy.winners/|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}

It takes place on a commercial airliner, parodying the movie Airplane!, and by extension, the films Airport 1975 and its sequel Airport '77, interspersed with a mock concert footage of the band shown as an in-flight movie. The background elevator music is The Moog Cookbook's version of "Everlong".{{cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/foo-fighters-learn-to-fly-video-analysed-in-really-minute-detail/|title=Foo Fighters' Learn To Fly Video Analysed In Really Minute Detail|date=January 26, 2019 |publisher=Kerrang!}}

Two airline cabin cleaners (played by Jack Black and Kyle Gass from Tenacious D) smuggle and hide their narcotics, labelled "World Domination brand 'Erotic' Sleeping Powder",[http://www.foofighters.com/faq.php?id=06.04#goto Foo Fighters FAQ. Accessed December 27, 2006]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} in the coffee-maker. The flight attendants do not notice the narcotics when they use the coffee-maker, and everyone who drinks the resulting coffee becomes incapacitated. The take-off sequence, in addition to the crew members hiding ulterior criminal motives, are a near shot-by-shot homage to the film Airport '77.

The band, having avoided the coffee (choosing liquor instead), mirroring Karen Black's role in Airport 1975, find themselves forced to land the plane. For the video, each band member (Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, and Taylor Hawkins) portrays himself as well as several other roles, including Hawkins as an attractive flight attendant and Grohl as an FBI agent who arrests the two cabin cleaners when they attempt to smuggle more of their narcotics.{{cite web | url=https://www.kerrang.com/foo-fighters-learn-to-fly-video-analysed-in-really-minute-detail | title=Foo Fighters' Learn to Fly Video Analysed in Really Minute Detail | date=January 26, 2019 }}

2015 tribute video

On July 30, 2015, a video was published on YouTube of 1,000 Italian musicians in Cesena, all playing and singing the song in unison, followed by a plea for the Foo Fighters to come play a concert in Cesena.{{cite web|last=Rudgard |first=Olivia |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/viral-video/11773815/1000-musicians-play-Foo-Fighters-song.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801210232/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/viral-video/11773815/1000-musicians-play-Foo-Fighters-song.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 1, 2015 |title=Video: 1,000 musicians play Foo Fighters song |publisher=Telegraph |access-date=July 31, 2015}}{{cite web|author=Nme.Com |url=http://www.nme.com/news/foo-fighters/87256 |title=NME News Foo Fighters to play Italy gig after video of 1,000 fans covering 'Learn To Fly' goes viral |date=July 31, 2015 |publisher=Nme.Com |access-date=July 31, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/1000-musicians-play-foo-fighters-song-to-persuade-concert/ |title=1,000 musicians play Foo Fighters song to persuade concert - Videos |publisher=CBS News |access-date=July 31, 2015}} By August 16, it had gained more than 33 million views.{{YouTube|JozAmXo2bDE}}

On July 31, Dave Grohl responded, in Italian, thanking the makers for "the beautiful video" and adding "Thank you so much. We're coming, I swear. We'll see each other soon."{{YouTube|qD35ASXHmsU}}{{cite news|author=Dave Grohl |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33742843/weve-translated-dave-grohls-italian-message-to-fans-in-cesena |title=We've translated Dave Grohl's Italian message to fans in Cesena - BBC Newsbeat |work=BBC News |date=July 31, 2015 |access-date=August 9, 2015}} On November 3, 2015, in response, Foo Fighters performed a twenty-seven-song concert in Cesena for approximately 3,000 people, starting their set with "Learn to Fly".{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/arts/foo-fighters-recruited-by-viral-video-play-unplanned-concert-in-italy.html?_r=0 |title=Foo Fighters, Recruited by Viral Video, Play Unplanned Concert in Italy|publisher=NY Times |date=November 4, 2015}}

The group assembled for the stunt have performed subsequently under the name Rockin' 1000, and have been described as the "biggest band in the world."{{Cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/italys-rockin1000-fabio-zaffagnini-on-how-he-formed-the-biggest-band-in-the-world|title=The Biggest Band In The World – Italy's Rockin'1000 Founder Fabio Zaffagnini On Foo Fighters, Viral Success And Their Mad Live Show|website=NME.COM|date=August 3, 2016|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-08-05}}

In August 2015, nearly 16 years after its initial release, the single entered the Austrian Singles Chart at number 69 and the Swiss Singles Chart at number 41.{{cite web|url=http://oe3.orf.at/m/charts/stories/oe3austriatop40/|title=Ö3 Austria Top40: Single-Charts - Ö3 Charts}}

Other versions

A live version recorded in Sydney, Australia, on January 24, 2000, was released on the Australian "Generator" single and CD 1 of "Breakout".

Critical reception

Greg Kot of Rolling Stone referred to the song as a "guilt-free power ballad". He noted that "on 'Learn to Fly', the big guitars and arching melody crush all quibbles. Some grunge romantics may even hear it as a touching little hymn to [Nirvana]".{{cite magazine|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/there-is-nothing-left-to-lose-19991111|title=There Is Nothing Left to Lose|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=November 11, 1999|access-date=October 24, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222014255/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/there-is-nothing-left-to-lose-19991111 |archive-date=December 22, 2014}}

In 2020, Kerrang ranked the song number 11 on their list of the 20 greatest Foo Fighters songs,{{cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-20-greatest-foo-fighters-songs-ranked|title=The 20 greatest Foo Fighters songs – ranked|first=Sam|last=Law|website=Kerrang|date=July 3, 2020|accessdate=March 28, 2022}} and in 2021, American Songwriter ranked the song number three on their list of the 10 greatest Foo Fighters songs.{{cite web|url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-top-10-foo-fighters-songs/|title=The Top 10 Foo Fighters Songs|first=Jacob|last=Uitti|work=American Songwriter|date=November 24, 2021|accessdate=March 28, 2022}}

Track listings and formats

  • AUS / UK CD Single{{cite AV media notes|title=Learn to Fly|others=Foo Fighters|year=1999|type=UK CD Single liner notes|publisher=Roswell Records|id=64173-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Learn to Fly|others=Foo Fighters|year=1999|type=AUS CD Single liner notes|publisher=Roswell Records|id=74321706622}}
  1. "Learn to Fly"  – 3:58
  2. "Iron and Stone" (The Obsessed cover)  – 2:52
  3. "Have a Cigar" (Pink Floyd cover)  – 3:58
  • EU 7" Vinyl / EU CD 1 / UK Cassette{{cite AV media notes|title=Learn to Fly|others=Foo Fighters|year=1999|type=EU 7" Vinyl liner notes|publisher=RCA Records|id=FOO1}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Learn to Fly|others=Foo Fighters|year=1999|type=EU CD Single liner notes|publisher=BMG|id=74321706512}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Learn to Fly|others=Foo Fighters|year=1999|type=UK Cassette liner notes|publisher=RCA Records|id=74321713084}}
  1. "Learn to Fly"  – 3:58
  2. "Have a Cigar" (Pink Floyd cover)  – 3:58
  • EU CD 2{{cite AV media notes|title=Learn to Fly|others=Foo Fighters|year=1999|type=EU CD Single liner notes|publisher=Roswell Records|id=74321713102}}
  1. "Learn to Fly"  – 3:58
  2. "Make a Bet"  – 3:28
  3. "Have a Cigar" (Pink Floyd cover)  – 3:58

Credits and personnel

  • Dave Grohl – lead vocals, guitar, drums and tambourine on "Learn to Fly"Foo Fighters, "The Making of There Is Nothing Left to Lose", (RCA, 1999)
  • Nate Mendel – bass
  • Taylor Hawkins – drums (except "Learn to Fly"), lead vocals on "Have a Cigar"
  • Brian May – guitar on "Have a Cigar"
  • Foo Fighters – composition, lyrics, producer, performer
  • Adam Kasper – producer, recording
  • Andy Wallace – mixing
  • Ted Reiger – second engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering

Credits and personnel adapted from "Learn to Fly" CD single liner notes.

Charts

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (1999–2000)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|36|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|13|chartid=10026|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Canadarock|1|chartid=9689|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Dutch40|32|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|72|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|23|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
scope="row"|Quebec Airplay (ADISQ){{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129063315/http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|url=http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|title=Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec|publisher=BAnQ|language=fr|access-date=February 15, 2025|archive-date=November 29, 2015|url-status=live}}

|3

{{single chart|Scotland|15|date=19991024|rowheader=true|access-date=August 3, 2020}}
{{single chart|Sweden|52|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|21|artist=Foo Fighters|artistid=27860|rowheader=true|access-date=March 29, 2021}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|19|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|1|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|2|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|4|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|15|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|22|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (2015)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Austria|69|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|France|172|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|Germany|97|songid=19925|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 21, 2018}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|41|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2016}}
{{single chart|UKrock|2|date=20150807|rowheader=true|access-date=April 16, 2017}}
scope="row"|US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)[http://www.billboard.com/artist/302285/Foo%20Fighters/chart?f=1085 Foo Fighters - Rock Digital Songs Chart history] billboard.com. Retrieved February 2, 2016.

|14

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (2019)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Hungarysingle|19|year=2019|week=33|artist=Foo Fighters|song=Learn to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=August 23, 2019}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2000)

!Position

scope="row"| Brazil (Crowley){{cite web|url=https://maistocadas.mus.br/2000/|title=Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2000|date=April 3, 2018|publisher=Crowley Broadcast Analysis|accessdate=January 30, 2022}}

|98

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly|award=Platinum|number=4|certyear=2023|relyear=1999|access-date=16 November 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=1999|certyear=2023|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly|access-date=July 29, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=1999|certyear=2010|certmonth=1|digital=true|access-date=April 8, 2013|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=1999|access-date=April 12, 2022|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly|certyear=2022|id=11199}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=1999|access-date=May 21, 2018|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly|certyear=2018|id=5527}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|type=single|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly|award=Platinum|relyear=1999|certyear=2020|access-date=July 21, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1999|certyear=2023|access-date=December 17, 2024|source=radioscope}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|award=Gold|certyear=2024|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly|accessdate=May 29, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=1999|certyear=2021|access-date=March 29, 2021|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly|id=13116-569-1}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=1999|certyear=2017|access-date=April 8, 2013|artist=Foo Fighters|title=Learn to Fly}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|noshipments=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Formats(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}

Europe

|{{start date|1999|10|18}}

|CD single

|{{hlist|Roswell|RCA}}

|align="center"|{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Foo+Fighters&titel=Learn+to+Fly&cat=s|title=Foo Fighters singles}}

United States

|{{start date|1999|11|02}}

|Contemporary hit radio

|{{hlist|Roswell|RCA}}

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1999/RR-1999-10-29.pdf|title=Alternative: Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1323|page=51|date=October 29, 1999}}

In popular culture

"Learn to Fly" appears in the political drama television series The West Wing episode Mr. Willis of Ohio, in the 1999 sports documentary Fift, in the 2002 animated comedy-drama television film Is It College Yet?, in the 2002 romantic comedy-drama Life or Something Like It and the 2016 animated film Rock Dog.

References

{{reflist|30em}}

External links

  • {{YouTube|1VQ_3sBZEm0|"Learn to Fly" Official music video}}

{{Foo Fighters}}

{{Grammy Award for Best Music Video}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Learn To Fly}}

Category:1999 songs

Category:1999 singles

Category:Foo Fighters songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Adam Kasper

Category:Songs written by Dave Grohl

Category:Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:Songs written by Nate Mendel

Category:Songs written by Taylor Hawkins

Category:American alternative rock songs