Dave Grohl fighting for rock at the Grammys

LOS ANGELES — When Dave Grohl started in the music business, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars were tots; Rihanna and Adele weren't even born.

That makes Grohl and his Foo Fighters kind of the senior set as they face off against the new kids at the Grammys on Sunday for album of the year. It's one of the six nominations for the Foos, who tied Adele and Mars for the second-most nominations (behind Kanye West) and will be performers at the show, to air from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"It feels great to be the guy with gray hair in his beard who is still invited to these things," said the 43-year-old frontman. "Twenty years ago, I never thought I'd even have a career in music this long."

Grohl considers the last year to be his best. The band had a top-selling tour and sold more than 663,000 copies of their album, "Wasting Light," which faces off against Adele's "21," Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," Bruno Mars' "Grenade" and Rihanna's "Loud" for album of the year.

Oh, and he had a brief cameo in "The Muppets" as a drummer for a Muppet cover band.

This year is starting off just as good. On a recent afternoon inside 606 Studio, the band's garagelike headquarters in Northridge, Calif., Grohl discussed his Grammy competition, previewed what viewers can expect from the band's Grammy performance and mused about being the rock band with the most nominations at this year's ceremony, which is set to air live Sunday on CBS.

AP: The Foo Fighters have won six Grammys, and you're up for six more this year. What does it feel like to win one?

Grohl: When we won for best rock album for our third record, which we made in my basement, I was so proud — because we made it in my basement in a crappy makeshift studio that we put together ourselves. I stood there looking out at everybody in tuxedos and diamonds and fur coats, and I thought we were probably the only band that won a Grammy for an album made for free in a basement that year. I feel the exact same way about it this year for an album that was made in my garage.

AP: You were raving about Adele the last time I interviewed you, and now you're up against her for album of the year.