Shame Shame

This article is about the Foo Fighters song. For the Dr. Dog album, see Shame, Shame.

"Shame Shame" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. The song is from the band's tenth studio album, Medicine at Midnight. It was released as the album's first single on November 7, 2020.^[2]

"Shame Shame"
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album Medicine at Midnight
Released	November 7, 2020 (2020-11-07)
Recorded	2019–2020
Studio	Unnamed house in Encino, Los Angeles
Genre	Art rock[1]
Length	4:17
Label	RCA
Songwriters	Dave Grohl Taylor Hawkins Rami Jaffee Nate Mendel Chris Shiflett Pat Smear
Producers	Foo Fighters Greg Kurstin
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"The Line" (2018) "Shame Shame" (2020) "No Son of Mine" (2021)
Music video
"Shame Shame" on YouTube

Background

Foo Fighters' singer and guitarist Dave Grohl has stated that "Shame Shame" is unlike anything Foo Fighters have ever done before and that the song allowed them to "move into another territory" with their sound on their new album, Medicine at Midnight.^[3]

According to the band's bassist Nate Mendel, "Shame Shame" started off as a "just a bunch of clicks from Dave" and originally didn't involve any bass line until he ended up recording extra parts for the song that were ultimately included.^[4]

Live performances

Foo Fighters performed "Shame Shame" live for the first time on Saturday Night Live on November 7, 2020.^[5][2] On September 12, 2021 the band performed the song in a medley at 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, when they won the award for Global Icon.^[6][7]

Music video

The music video was directed by Paola Kudacki and features Sofia Boutella. Grohl has stated that it was inspired by an unsettling dream he had as a teenager that he had remembered all his life and said that the video was darker than anything they had done before.^[8]

Reception

With 9.3 million audience impressions for "Shame Shame", Foo Fighters took back the record of most number 1's on the Billboard Rock Airplay chart, which also marked the fastest rise to the top of the chart in four years.^[9]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[10]

Foo Fighters

• Dave Grohl – lead vocals, guitar, producer
• Taylor Hawkins – drums, producer
• Rami Jaffee – keyboards, piano, producer
• Nate Mendel – bass guitar, producer
• Chris Shiflett – guitar, producer
• Pat Smear – guitar, producer

Additional musicians

• Samantha Sidley – background vocals
• Violet Grohl – background vocals
• Barbara Gruska – background vocals
• Laura Mace – background vocals
• Inara George – background vocals
• Omar Hakim – percussion
• Jacob Braun - cello
• Greg Kurstin - strings
• Alma Fernandez - viola
• Charlie Bisharat – violin
• Songa Lee – violin

Technical

• Greg Kurstin – producer
• Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
• Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing engineer
• Darrell Thorp – engineer
• Matt Wolach – assistant engineer
• Alex Pasco – assistant engineer

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Shame Shame" Chart (2020) Peak position Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA)[11] 40 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[12] 5 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[13] 26 Canada All-format Airplay (Billboard)[14] 43 Canada Hot Digital Songs (Billboard)[15] 23 Canada Rock (Billboard)[16] 1 Czech Republic Modern Rock (IFPI)[17] 2 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[18] 9 Scotland (OCC)[19] 36 UK Singles (OCC)[20] 77 UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[21] 34 US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[22] 32 US Rock & Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[23] 1 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[24] 11 Wales (OCC)[25] 37

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "Shame Shame" Chart (2021) Position US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[26] 61 US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[27] 6

Awards

Year	Award	Results
2021	MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video	Nominated
2021	MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography	Nominated
2021	MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography	Nominated