One By One
by Foo Fighters
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Oct 22, 2002
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 80 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 80
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 80
  3. Negative: 1 out of 80

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  1. Dalmx
    Mar 23, 2021
    7
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  2. Charlyrockstar
    Apr 8, 2014
    10
    the second best foo fighters album since All My Life till Come Back, real rock, & a great album that have the worth listening & why not, have it in the private collection, a great album of a great band
  3. SteveBackMeta
    Nov 9, 2013
    4
    Sorry I don't mind the Foo Fighters but I found this to be a very sterile and uninspired album. For a band of this type hard-rocking crowd-pleasers these songs try their best to tear town walls but just sound stilted thanks to the smooth, slippery-slick production and formulaic songwriting. Even "One By One" doesn't do as much as penetrate the eardrum. These melodies just don't amplify.Sorry I don't mind the Foo Fighters but I found this to be a very sterile and uninspired album. For a band of this type hard-rocking crowd-pleasers these songs try their best to tear town walls but just sound stilted thanks to the smooth, slippery-slick production and formulaic songwriting. Even "One By One" doesn't do as much as penetrate the eardrum. These melodies just don't amplify. "Low" in particular is just horrible.

    Ironically, it's where the Foos sit back and run on autopilot that the best track on this album comes about. "Time Like These" is by far the catchiest song on here and doesn't actually TRY to shatter the room. It is just a well-constructed power-ballad that hits the mark. The rest, though, is so polished you can't keep hold of it.    … Expand
  4. ricco94
    Mar 8, 2013
    8
    Good album, but I like it less than There Is Nothing Left To Lose. This sounds like Queens Of The Stone Age's Songs For The Deaf, but I think One By One is better. All My Life is a great song, Times Like These and Come Back are very good, too.
  5. Ricko
    Dec 21, 2011
    8
    Excellent album - most of the tracks are great and the opener is a classic. My favourite Foo Fighters album to listen to and really put the "There is Nothing Left to Lose" disaster to bed. Not sure if they've produced anything quite as good since.
  6. j30
    Sep 28, 2011
    9
    Some of their best work is a product of this record. All My Life, Low, Times Like These, the whole record comes together nicely without any filler tracks.
  7. Ramirez
    Aug 29, 2009
    10
    A classic and their best cd yet. I remember how I was stunned the first time I put the cd on back in 2003, rarely I got blew away this decade by any rock album, it's refreshing original and a true riff-fest. Also it contains one of the best songs ever written: the timeless "Times Like These". The structure, the riffage and the powerful hook, man if you play music this is a song you A classic and their best cd yet. I remember how I was stunned the first time I put the cd on back in 2003, rarely I got blew away this decade by any rock album, it's refreshing original and a true riff-fest. Also it contains one of the best songs ever written: the timeless "Times Like These". The structure, the riffage and the powerful hook, man if you play music this is a song you can only dream of. It has it all. "All my life", "Have It all", the epic "Come Back", "Lonely As You" and the estranging "Disenchanted Lullaby" are all brilliant 11/10.… Expand
  8. HectorG
    Feb 28, 2008
    10
    The Foos are the ONLY real rock band out there today... and that isn't just a situational statement. They could hold their own against ALL the great bands. Anyone who tries to deny the brilliance of Dave Grohl is just being foolish. This is our modern-day LedZep, folks. As close as we'll ever get to "all original sound rock-and-roll".
  9. daven
    Sep 22, 2006
    7
    Very interesting to analyze this CD. Its their least catchy CD to date, but also their best musically. Usually this isn't the case, but One By One falls into this category. One By One shows the Foo Fighters' growth as musicians, but its at the expense of catchy, sing-a-long songs. Call it their best record, call it their worst record. Either way you'll be right.
  10. haylib
    Nov 17, 2005
    10
    Brill album brill songs definately the best band in the history of the world. FOO FIGHTERS ROCK!!!
  11. bobujfg
    Mar 27, 2005
    9
    Great album! but it is the foo fighters so what else do you expect! Second best foos album but still very good.
  12. BenH
    Sep 3, 2004
    9
    Stephen Thomas Erlewine is an idiot. He doesn't actually listen to albums - he just reads other reviews writes composites so that AMG doesn't have to publish out-of-house reviews. He doesn't know what he's talkng about. This is one great album. Production and musicianship are excellent and don't let a reviewer hunting for mistakes tell you otherwise. The best Stephen Thomas Erlewine is an idiot. He doesn't actually listen to albums - he just reads other reviews writes composites so that AMG doesn't have to publish out-of-house reviews. He doesn't know what he's talkng about. This is one great album. Production and musicianship are excellent and don't let a reviewer hunting for mistakes tell you otherwise. The best indication is whether or not you enjoy listening...… Expand
  13. Andy
    Feb 25, 2004
    9
    Stephen Thomas Erlewine mentioned in his review of this CD that "it's hard not to wish the songs stuck in your head the way they used to". While I agree with his assessment (there really isn't anything quite as catchy as, say, "Everlong"), that's hardly a reason to give this CD a mediocre rating. Personally, the only song that was a letdown to me was "Tired of You" - the Stephen Thomas Erlewine mentioned in his review of this CD that "it's hard not to wish the songs stuck in your head the way they used to". While I agree with his assessment (there really isn't anything quite as catchy as, say, "Everlong"), that's hardly a reason to give this CD a mediocre rating. Personally, the only song that was a letdown to me was "Tired of You" - the rest are all good. Even the lesser moments, however, eclipse most or all of the music on a CD by your average neo-punk-clone or nu-metal-survivor. It's not really fair to judge, say, the Rolling Stones' later CDs by the greatness they used to come up with. Along the same line, this most excellent CD doesn't in any way deserve an "average" rating.… Expand
  14. foofan
    Sep 21, 2003
    9
    One by one is a great cd! Even though it's a bit slick, it still rules! (though not as much as "The colour and the shape") From the crushing opening of "All my life" to the more well known foo-sound on "times like these" ending with the Killer, almost 8 min. long "Come back" Took a while to adjust to some of the songs, but eventually it stuck like glue. Not a disappointment!
  15. Mr.Foo
    Aug 12, 2003
    10
    well let me be honest and try not to hurt any feelings. I'm not a fan of Nirvana...I really like Foo Fighters. I have listened to maybe a couple of Nirvana songs but I just don't like them. I think Foo Fighters just have this thing that I can't explain and it makes them, in my opinion, ONE OF THE BEST BANDS OF ALL TIME!! Ok well I also don't like that other group Good well let me be honest and try not to hurt any feelings. I'm not a fan of Nirvana...I really like Foo Fighters. I have listened to maybe a couple of Nirvana songs but I just don't like them. I think Foo Fighters just have this thing that I can't explain and it makes them, in my opinion, ONE OF THE BEST BANDS OF ALL TIME!! Ok well I also don't like that other group Good Charlotte. I'm really not a fan of there's either. I think all that crap sounds the same. Well that's about it. And If any of all are Nirvana fans, well yall may like that but It just don't work for me. FOO FIGHTERS RULE!!!!!! THEY ARE THE BEST!!! NIRVANA DOES SUCK AHHHHHHHH THEY STINK THEY ARE WORSE THAN GOOD CHARLOTTE!!! me and my friend are at an argument if you have anything to say about this matter please complain at the guestbook www.geocities.com/jd242007 thank you for your time...… Expand
  16. LoorayC
    Nov 29, 2002
    7
    i love the 1st 3 songs the most but the rest are good two
  17. endyc
    Nov 13, 2002
    10
    what can i say.... "PERFECT...!!!!"
  18. asht
    Nov 7, 2002
    10
    This album has it all, it kicks ass. BUY IT!
  19. rosyr
    Nov 3, 2002
    10
    With "One by One" finally the Foo Fighters came back in the land of music, with their rocking and rude songs to give us a breath from the various pop singers and boy bands that keep appearing and annoying on the various music channels.. pfewwwwwww!!!!!!! The album is really good, starting from the hit single "All my life", throughout the rockin "Low", "Have it All", "Times like these", With "One by One" finally the Foo Fighters came back in the land of music, with their rocking and rude songs to give us a breath from the various pop singers and boy bands that keep appearing and annoying on the various music channels.. pfewwwwwww!!!!!!! The album is really good, starting from the hit single "All my life", throughout the rockin "Low", "Have it All", "Times like these", "Halo", "Overdride", "Burn away", broken by the esotheric "Disenchanted Lullaby", by the heart breaking "Tired of you" and expecially by the sadly sweet heart-touching "Lonely as you" that explodes more and more while listening to it (absolutely my fav!!).… Expand
  20. j
    Oct 31, 2002
    10
    much better than the last one.. i can't get enough of it
  21. JoshH
    Oct 28, 2002
    9
    Much better than their last one. Only a few songs are uninteresting. Very good album.
  22. AG
    Oct 24, 2002
    8
    Not as good as some of the other stuff the Foos have done but that's not a bad thing. It doesn't do justice just listening to it once. It's an album that needs to grow on you first.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Most Discussed Album of 2002
51
#51 Most Shared Album of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. The A.V. Club
    60
    One By One is mostly middling, sticking to slick, pounding, functional rock that doesn't dig much deeper than the usual spleen-venting and loud-quiet brooding-to-bluster formula.
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  2. Stylus Magazine
    80
    There is no denying the power of this album.
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  3. Billboard
    80
    One by One, in all its thunderous angst and desperate expressions of hope, represents a full-on exploration of the Foos '70s influences.
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