Feature Photo: Markus Maier, CC BY-SA 4.0
Queens of the Stone Age formed in Palm Desert, California in 1996, founded by guitarist and vocalist Josh Homme after the dissolution of his previous band Kyuss. Homme established the group with a rotating lineup of musicians, beginning with Alfredo Hernández, who had also played with Kyuss. The band’s musical approach was described by Homme as “robot rock,” characterized by repetitive, precise riffing and arrangements. Their connection to the Palm Desert scene was instrumental in their formation, with the area’s generator parties—outdoor gatherings powered by generators where desert bands would perform—providing the cultural backdrop for their emergence.
The band released their self-titled debut album in 1998 on Loosegroove Records, establishing their sound before signing with Interscope Records. Their second album “Rated R” (2000) increased their visibility with singles like “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret” and the controversial “Feel Good Hit of the Summer,” which explicitly listed various substances in its lyrics. The 2002 album “Songs for the Deaf” marked their commercial breakthrough, featuring Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on drums and producing hit singles “No One Knows” and “Go With the Flow.” This album achieved platinum certification in several countries and firmly established the band in mainstream rock.
Queens of the Stone Age have released seven studio albums in total: their self-titled debut (1998), “Rated R” (2000), “Songs for the Deaf” (2002), “Lullabies to Paralyze” (2005), “Era Vulgaris” (2007), “…Like Clockwork” (2013), “Villains” (2017), and most recently “In Times New Roman…” (2023). Their sixth album “…Like Clockwork” became their first to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was created during a particularly difficult period for Homme, who experienced complications during routine knee surgery that led to a near-death experience and months of bedridden recovery. Other successful singles throughout their career have included “Little Sister,” “Make It Wit Chu,” and “The Way You Used To Do,” which have helped maintain their presence on rock radio.
The band’s lineup has undergone numerous changes throughout their history, functioning with Homme as the sole consistent member. Notable participants have included bassist Nick Oliveri (who was fired in 2004), Mark Lanegan (formerly of Screaming Trees), Troy Van Leeuwen (A Perfect Circle), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Joey Castillo (Danzig), Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather), Michael Shuman (Mini Mansions), and Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta). Despite critical acclaim and commercial success, the band has received nine Grammy Award nominations without winning, including Best Hard Rock Performance for “No One Knows” and Best Rock Album for “…Like Clockwork.”
Beyond Queens of the Stone Age, Homme has maintained several notable side projects. The Desert Sessions, which began in 1997, feature collaborative recordings with various musicians at Rancho De La Luna studio in Joshua Tree, California. Homme has also produced albums for other artists including Arctic Monkeys’ “Humbug” and Iggy Pop’s “Post Pop Depression,” the latter of which he also co-wrote and performed on. In 2009, he formed the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, releasing one self-titled album. On the personal front, Homme has experienced significant challenges, including a contentious custody battle with ex-wife Brody Dalle and a cancer diagnosis in 2021, which he later revealed he had overcome.
Queens of the Stone Age have built a reputation for their distinctive sound that combines elements of stoner rock, alternative rock, and hard rock, characterized by heavy riffs, Homme’s baritone vocals, and complex rhythmic structures. Their live performances have been noted for their intensity and musical precision. Despite fluctuations in lineup and personal difficulties, the band has maintained a consistent output of critically respected material across nearly three decades, continuing to tour internationally and release new music that builds on their established sound while incorporating new elements. Their ongoing appeal demonstrates their significance within contemporary rock music as a band that has successfully balanced artistic credibility with commercial viability.
Complete List Of Queens Of The Stone Age Songs From A to Z
- 18 A.D. – Burn One Up! – 1997
- 3’s & 7’s – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Another Love Song – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Auto Pilot – Rated R – 2000
- Avon – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- Back to Dungaree High – Alpha Motherfuckers: A Tribute to Turbonegro – 2001
- Battery Acid – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Better Living Through Chemistry – Rated R – 2000
- The Blood Is Love – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Bloody Hammer – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Born to Hula – Gamma Ray – 1996
- Born to Hula – Stone Age Complication – 2000
- Broken Box – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- The Bronze – The Split CD – 1998
- Burn the Witch – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Christian Brothers – Era Vulgaris – 2008
- Do It Again – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Domesticated Animals – Villains – 2017
- Era Vulgaris – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Everybody Knows That You Are Insane – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- The Evil Has Landed – Villains – 2017
- Fairweather Friends – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- Feet Don’t Fail Me – Villains – 2017
- Feel Good Hit of the Summer – Rated R – 2000
- Feel Good Hit of the Summer (Reprise) – Rated R – 2000
- First It Giveth – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Fortress – Villains – 2017
- The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died – None – 2005
- The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Give the Mule What He Wants – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- Go with the Flow – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- God Is in the Radio – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Goin’ Out West – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Gonna Leave You – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Gonna Leave You (Spanish version) – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Hangin’ Tree – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Head Like a Haunted House – Villains – 2017
- Hideaway – Villains – 2017
- Hispanic Impressions – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- How to Handle a Rope – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- I Appear Missing – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- I Never Came – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- I Sat by the Ocean – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- I Think I Lost My Headache – Rated R – 2000
- I Was a Teenage Hand Model – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- If I Had a Tail – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- If Only – Gamma Ray – 1996
- If Only – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- I’m Designer – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- In My Head – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- In the Fade – Rated R – 2000
- Infinity – Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack – 2000
- Infinity – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Into the Hollow – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Kalopsia – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- Keep Your Eyes Peeled – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- Leg of Lamb – Rated R – 2000
- Lightning Song – Rated R – 2000
- Like a Drug – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- …Like Clockwork – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- Little Sister – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Long Slow Goodbye – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret – Rated R – 2000
- Make It wit Chu – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Medication – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Mexicola – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- Misfit Love – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Monsters in the Parasol – Rated R – 2000
- Mosquito Song – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Most Exalted Potentate of Love – Stone Age Complication – 2003
- My God Is the Sun – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- Needles in the Camel’s Eye – Era Vulgaris – 2008
- Never Say Never – Rated R – 2000
- No One Knows – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Ode to Clarissa – Rated R – 2000
- Outlaw Blues – Chimes of Freedom – 2012
- Precious and Grace – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Quick and to the Pointless – Rated R – 2000
- The Real Song for the Deaf – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Regular John – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- River in the Road – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Run, Pig, Run – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Running Joke – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Sick, Sick, Sick – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Six Shooter – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Skin on Skin – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- The Sky Is Fallin’ – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Smooth Sailing – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- Someone’s in the Wolf – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- A Song for the Dead – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- A Song for the Deaf – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- Spiders and Vinegaroons – Kyuss / Queens of the Stone Age – 1997
- Suture Up Your Future – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Tangled Up in Plaid – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Tension Head – Rated R – 2000
- These Aren’t the Droids You’re Looking For – The Split CD – 1998
- This Lullaby – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- Turnin’ on the Screw – Era Vulgaris – 2007
- Un-Reborn Again – Villains – 2017
- The Vampyre of Time and Memory – …Like Clockwork – 2013
- Villains of Circumstance – Villains – 2017
- Wake Up Screaming – Stone Age Complication – 2003
- Walkin’ on the Sidewalks – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- The Way You Used to Do – Villains – 2017
- Who’ll Be the Next in Line – Rated R – 2000
- You Can’t Quit Me Baby – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- You Got a Killer Scene There, Man… – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
- You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
- You Would Know – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
- You’re So Vague – Rated R – 2000
Albums and EPs
Gamma Ray (1996): 2 songs
Burn One Up! (1997): 1 song
Kyuss / Queens of the Stone Age (1997): 1 song
Queens of the Stone Age (1998): 10 songs
The Split CD (1998): 2 songs
Rated R (2000): 16 songs
Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack (2000): 1 song
Stone Age Complication (2000): 1 song
Alpha Motherfuckers: A Tribute to Turbonegro (2001): 1 song
Songs for the Deaf (2002): 17 songs
Stone Age Complication (2003): 2 songs
Lullabies to Paralyze (2005): 15 songs
None (2005): 1 song
Era Vulgaris (2007): 14 songs
Era Vulgaris (2008): 2 songs
Chimes of Freedom (2012): 1 song
…Like Clockwork (2013): 10 songs
Villains (2017): 9 songs
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Queens Of The Stone Age articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
Complete List Of Queens Of The Stone Age Band Members
Top 10 Queens Of The Stone Age Songs
Complete List Of Queens Of The Stone Age Albums
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