In 1978, a song reached number 67 in America. Now, Dave Grohl calls it the “the most beautiful piece of music ever written

Dave Grohl has praised Andrew Gold’s 1978 song “Never Let Her Slip Away”, calling it “the most beautiful piece of music ever written”. His admiration reflects his broad musical tastes and the influence of the varied songs he heard on American radio as a child.

The song reached number 67 in the United States but climbed to number five in the UK. Grohl recalled hearing it during the mid-1970s, when radio introduced him to songwriters including Gold, Phoebe Snow, Helen Reddy and Carly Simon; he has said those influences helped shape his approach to music.