Learn to Fly

The music video for the song takes place on an commercial airliner, parodying the movie Airplane!, and by extension, the films Airport 1975 and its sequel Airport '77. Two airline mechanics (played by Jack Black and Kyle Gass from Tenacious D) smuggle and hide their narcotic known as "World Domination brand 'Erotic' Sleeping Powder"^[3] in the coffee-maker. This ends up incapacitating everyone who drinks the coffee. 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 an FBI agent who arrests the two mechanics. Also, as in the music video for "Monkey Wrench", a Foo Fighters song is played as Muzak in the beginning, this time with "Everlong" from The Colour and the Shape. The premise of smuggling drugs in airplane coffee is nearly identical to an actual smuggling operation that was uncovered in 1997.^[4]

The video was filmed in London, United Kingdom in a cabin crew training airplane. The video won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.^{[citation needed]}

Release and reception

"Learn to Fly" was released on two different physical singles in the UK in 1999. It is one of the band's most successful and recognized singles, including being their first #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It is also the band's second highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 at #19, as well as becoming their first Top 40 single in the USA, while being their highest charting on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart along with the 1996 hit "Big Me", reaching #13.

Track listing

Disc 1

"Learn to Fly"
"Iron and Stone" (The Obsessed cover)
"Have a Cigar" (Pink Floyd cover)

Disc 2

"Learn to Fly"
"Make a Bet"
"Have a Cigar" (Pink Floyd cover)

Personnel

Dave Grohl - vocals, guitar
Taylor Hawkins - drums
Nate Mendel - bass

Charts and certifications

Singles charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart^[5]	36
Canadian RPM Singles Chart	13
Canadian RPM Rock Chart	1
Dutch Top 40^[6]	32
Dutch Top 100 Singles Chart^[5]	72
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles	65
New Zealand Singles Chart^[5]	23
Swedish Singles Chart^[5]	52
UK Singles Chart^[7]	21
US Billboard Hot 100^[8]	19
US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks^[8]	1
US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks	2
US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks^[8]	15
US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream^[8]	22

Certifications


Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)^[9]	Gold	500,000^{^}
Canada (Music Canada)^[10]	Gold	40,000^{^}
^*sales figures based on certification alone

Preceded by "The Chemicals Between Us" by Bush	Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single November 6, 1999	Succeeded by "The Chemicals Between Us" by Bush
Preceded by Enemy by Days of the New	*Canadian RPM* Rock/Alternative 30 number-one single** November 15, 1999 – December 20, 1999 January 17, 2000	Succeeded by "Take a Picture" by Filter "Take a Picture" by Filter

References

↑ RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - Foo Fighters singles. RIAA.com.
↑ "Gold & Platinum Certification – January 2010". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
↑ http://www.foofighters.com/faq.php?id=06.04#goto Foo Fighters FAQ. Accessed December 27, 2006
↑ "Smuggling sting nabs 55 from airline, contractor". CNN.
↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Learn To Fly positions. australian-charts.com. Retrieved on December 01, 2012.
↑ Dutch Top 40. "Foo Fighters Dutch top 40 Archive". www.top40.nl. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
↑ Foo Fighters - UK Singles Chart archive officialcharts.com. Retrieved 06 March, 2013.
↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 billboard.com. "Learn To Fly Billboard Chart History". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 01 December 2012.
↑ "American single certifications – Foo Fighters – Learn to Fly". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 08 April 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
↑ "Canadian single certifications – Foo Fighters – Learn to Fly". Music Canada. Retrieved 08 April 2013.

External links

"Learn to Fly" Official music video on YouTube

v t e Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl Nate Mendel Pat Smear Taylor Hawkins Chris Shiflett Additional personnel Rami Jaffee Former members William Goldsmith Franz Stahl

Studio albums	Foo Fighters The Colour and the Shape There Is Nothing Left to Lose One by One In Your Honor Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace Wasting Light

EPs	Five Songs and a Cover

Live albums	Skin and Bones

Compilations	Greatest Hits Medium Rare

Videos	Everywhere but Home Skin and Bones Live at Wembley Stadium Back and Forth

Singles	"This Is a Call" "I'll Stick Around" "For All the Cows" "Big Me" "Monkey Wrench" "Everlong" "My Hero" "Walking After You" "Learn to Fly" "Stacked Actors" "Generator" "Breakout" "Next Year" "The One" "All My Life" "Times Like These" "Low" "Have It All" "Best of You" "DOA" "Resolve" "No Way Back"/"Cold Day in the Sun" "The Pretender" "Long Road to Ruin" "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)" "Let It Die" "Wheels" "Rope" "Walk" "Arlandria" "These Days" "Bridge Burning"

Promotional singles	"Exhausted" "Alone + Easy Target" "Down in the Park" "Baker Street" "Darling Nikki" "Miracle" "Skin and Bones" "Keep the Car Running"

Other Songs	″Aurora″ "Friend of a Friend"

Associated acts	Nirvana Late! Tenacious D Sunny Day Real Estate The Germs Scream Probot Killing Joke Queens of the Stone Age Nine Inch Nails Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders The Fire Theft Jackson United Me First and the Gimme Gimmes No Use for a Name Them Crooked Vultures

Related articles	Discography Songs Awards Members Concert tours Foozer 24 Hours of Foo

Book:Foo Fighters Category:Foo Fighters

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