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Cover of The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave GrohlThe Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music
New · Nonfiction, Biography, Music

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

by Dave Grohl
2021 · 304 pages · Nonfiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Dave Grohl, drummer for Nirvana and founder of the Foo Fighters, tells the stories of his life in music, in his own hand: growing up in Virginia, touring with punk bands as a teenager, the rise of Nirvana and the death of Kurt Cobain, building the Foo Fighters, and the joy of playing music with his heroes and his daughters.

Why it's worth reading

It spent two weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It's warm, funny and full of a love of music, one of the best rock memoirs.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's a series of stories rather than a straight biography. The audiobook, read by Grohl, is a favorite.

By the numbers

80.5Must-Read Score
  • Readers88 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller66 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1)45 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2021

Reads as

True story

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →

Quick answers

Is The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music worth reading?

Yes. It spent two weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #366 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.5 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music about?

Dave Grohl, drummer for Nirvana and founder of the Foo Fighters, tells the stories of his life in music, in his own hand: growing up in Virginia, touring with punk bands as a teenager, the rise of Nirvana and the death of Kurt Cobain, building the Foo Fighters, and the joy of playing music with his heroes and his daughters.

How long does it take to read The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music?

About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music?

If you liked it, try Just Kids by Patti Smith, Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey or Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen.