Making a Fire
{{Infobox song
| name = Making a Fire
| cover =
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = Foo Fighters
| album = Medicine at Midnight
| released = June 8, 2021
| recorded = October 2019 – February 2020
| studio = Unnamed house in Encino, Los Angeles
| genre = Power pop{{Cite web |last=Horton |first=Ross |date=February 4, 2021 |title=Foo Fighters – Medicine At Midnight |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/foo-fighters-medicine-at-midnight |access-date=June 30, 2021 |website=musicOMH}}
| length = 4:15
| label =
| writer =
| producer =
- Foo Fighters
- Greg Kurstin
| prev_title = Waiting on a War
| prev_year = 2021
| next_title = Love Dies Young
| next_year = 2021
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Alternate cover
| type = single
| cover = Foo Fighters and Mark Ronson - Making a Fire cover art.png
| border =
| alt =
| caption = Cover art for the Mark Ronson Re-version
}}
}}
"Making a Fire" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, the opening track on their tenth studio album, Medicine at Midnight (2021). It was released to rock radio stations on June 8, 2021, making it the album's fourth single.
Release
Prior to the release of Medicine at Midnight, Foo Fighters shared a snippet of "Making a Fire", along with "Cloudspotter", on February 1, 2021.{{cite news |last=Skinner |first=Tom |date=February 1, 2021 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/foo-fighters-share-snippets-new-songs-medicine-at-midnight-2869928 |title=Foo Fighters share snippets of new tracks 'Cloudspotter' and 'Making a Fire' |publisher=NME |access-date=February 12, 2021}} After the album's release, "Making a Fire" was included in the soundtrack for the baseball video game MLB The Show 21, released in April 2021.{{Cite web |last=Couden |first=Matt |date=May 26, 2021 |title=MLB The Show 21 Soundtrack: Next-Gen Highlight Video Arrives Set to Royal Blood Song |url=https://www.vgr.com/mlb-the-show-21-soundtrack-next-gen-highlight-video/ |access-date=July 1, 2021 |website=VGR}} The song was released to rock-centric radio stations on June 8, 2021, making it the fourth single released from Medicine at Midnight.{{Cite web |title=Future releases - June 8, 2021 |url=https://www.allaccess.com/rock/future-releases |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605100152/https://www.allaccess.com/rock/future-releases |archive-date=June 5, 2021 |access-date=July 1, 2021 |website=AllAccess}} It became Foo Fighters' 11th song to reach number 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.{{cite magazine |last=Zellner |first=Xander |date=September 15, 2021 |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/foo-fighters-making-a-fire-tops-mainstream-rock-airplay-chart/ |title=Foo Fighters Set New Personal Record as 'Making a Fire' Tops Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 10, 2022}} A re-recorded version of the song produced by Mark Ronson was released on June 25, 2021, featuring musicians from bands such as the Budos Band, Antibalas, and the Tedeschi Trucks Band.{{Cite web |last=Strauss |first=Matthew |date=June 25, 2021 |title=Foo Fighters and Mark Ronson Share New Version of "Making a Fire": Listen |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/foo-fighters-and-mark-ronson-share-new-version-of-making-a-fire-listen/ |access-date=July 1, 2021 |website=Pitchfork}}
Composition and themes
According to insider.com, "The album kicks off with the jovial tune "Making a Fire", which boasts a funky 3/4 groove. The chorus is especially catchy thanks to a gospely "na-na-na" refrain with harmonies from some female vocalists including Grohl's daughter Violet."{{cite web |last=Kalnitz |first=Max |date=February 5, 2021 |url=https://www.insider.com/foo-fighters-medicine-at-midnight-album-review-2021-2 |title=Foo Fighters pivot to pop and win big with newest album 'Medicine at Midnight' |website=insider.com |access-date=February 12, 2021}} According to Rolling Stone, the song "Making a Fire" is "brighter and more optimistic than anything they’ve ever done".{{cite news |last=Grow |first=Kory |date=January 26, 2021 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/the-foo-fighters-midnight-1119349/ |title=Foo Fighters throw a Pop Party on 'Medicine at Midnight |publisher=Rolling Stone |access-date=February 12, 2021}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
|headline = Digital download{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/album/1573332290 |title=Making A Fire (Mark Ronson Re-Version) - Single |website=apple.com |access-date=October 16, 2021}}
|title1 = Making a Fire
|note1 = Mark Ronson Re-version
|length1 = 4:30
}}
{{Track listing
|title1 = Making a Fire
|note1 = Mark Ronson Re-version
|length1 = 4:30
|title2 = Chasing Birds
|note2 = Preservation Hall Jazz Band Re-version
|length2 = 3:38
}}
Charts
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
=Original version=
==Weekly charts==
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Making a Fire" ! scope="col"| Chart (2021) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Canada All-format Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/foo-fighters/chart-history/caf/ |title=Canada All Format (Foo Fighters) |magazine=Billboard |accessdate=September 15, 2021}}
|50 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardcanadarock|1|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=July 26, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Ireland3|85|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=February 16, 2021|note={{efn|group=upper-alpha|irish-charts.com incorrectly shows the charting version as being the Mark Ronson Re-Version. This is because the song charted in Ireland on February 12, 2021, which was the week after the Medicine at Midnight album was released and the Mark Ronson Re-Version was not released until June 25, 2021}}}} |
| scope="row"| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2021-02-12|title=NZ Hot Singles Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=February 15, 2021|access-date=February 13, 2021}}
| 6 |
| {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|52|artist=Foo Fighters|artistid=27860|rowheader=true|access-date=February 12, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|UKrock|1|date=20210212|rowheader=true|access-date=February 12, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|30|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=February 17, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrockairplay|1|artist=Foo Fighters|rowheader=true|access-date=August 24, 2021}} |
{{col-2}}
==Year-end charts==
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for "Making a Fire" ! scope="col"| Chart (2021) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/hot-rock-songs/|title=Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2021|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 2, 2021}}
| 94 |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Rock Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/rock-airplay-songs/|title=Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 2, 2021}}
| 11 |
{{col-end}}
=Mark Ronson Re-version=
==Weekly charts==
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Making a Fire" (Mark Ronson Re-version) ! scope="col"| Chart (2022) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| UK Physical Singles (OCC){{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/physical-singles-chart/20220429/1/ |title=UK Official Physical Singles Singles Top 40 - 29 April 2022 - 5 May 2022 |website=officialcharts.com |access-date=April 29, 2022}}
|5 |
|---|
| scope="row"| UK Vinyl Singles (OCC){{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/vinyl-singles-chart/20220429/897/ |title=UK Official Vinyl Singles Top 40 - 29 April 2022 - 5 May 2022 |website=officialcharts.com |access-date=April 29, 2022}}
|3 |
Awards
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Award !Results |
| 2022
|Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance |{{won}} |
Notes
{{notelist-ua}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Foo Fighters}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance}}