Editing Queens of the Stone Age (section)

===''Songs for the Deaf'', mainstream exposure and Oliveri's departure (2001–2004)===
[[File:Nick Oliveri V Festival 2003.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Nick Oliveri]], bassist 1998–2004, performing with the band at the [[V festival#V2003|2003 V Festival]]]]

[[Dave Grohl]], [[Foo Fighters]] frontman and former [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] drummer, joined in late 2001 to record drums for the band's third album, ''[[Songs for the Deaf]].'' It was released in August 2002 and again featured Lanegan. The final track on the album, "Mosquito Song", featured former [[A Perfect Circle]] member [[Paz Lenchantin]] on viola and piano along with [[Dean Ween]] on guitar. Another former A Perfect Circle member, guitarist [[Troy Van Leeuwen]], joined the touring line-up following the album's release.

{{blockquote|This record was supposed to sound bizarre—like lightning in a bottle. We also were extremely fucked up. It even sounds that way to me, like a crazy person. The radio interludes are supposed to be like the drive from L.A. to Joshua Tree, a drive that makes you feel like you're letting go—more [[David Lynch]] with every mile.|Homme, interview with jr.com<ref name="two decades"/>}}

''Songs for the Deaf'' was a critical hit and was [[Music recording sales certification|certified gold]] in 2003,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold & Platinum |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Queens+of+the+Stone+Age#search_section |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=RIAA |language=en-US}}</ref> with sales of over 900,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/q/queens_of_the_stoneage/news_feature_032805|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050328170858/http://www.mtv.com/bands/q/queens_of_the_stoneage/news_feature_032805/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 28, 2005|title=Queens of the Stone Age: A Stone Unturned|publisher=MTV.com}}</ref> The singles "[[No One Knows]]" and "[[Go with the Flow]]" became hits on radio and [[MTV]], with the former just outside the [[Billboard Hot 100|Billboard Top 40]]. "No One Knows" and "Go with the Flow" were also featured on the first iterations of the popular video games ''[[Guitar Hero]]'' and ''Rock Band'' (respectively). Furthermore, the latter track was featured in the popular video game ''[[Fortnite]]'' as a song in ''Fortnite Festival''. The song "You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire" was featured in the video games, ''[[Tony Hawk's Underground]]'' and ''[[IndyCar Series (video game)|IndyCar Series]]''. It was also used as the theme song in Naughty Dog's "[[Jak X: Combat Racing]]" in 2005 along with "Song for the Dead". The song was also used in the films ''[[XXX (2002 film)|xXx]]'', ''[[Project X (2012 film)|Project X]]'' and ''[[Skincare (film)|Skincare]]''.

<!-- This is not clear, Did Dave Grohl leave in 2004 ? I don't think so -->
The ''Songs for the Deaf'' tour culminated in a string of headline dates in Australia in January 2004. Grohl returned to his other projects and was replaced on the European leg of the tour by former [[Danzig (band)|Danzig]] drummer [[Joey Castillo]], who joined the band full-time. After the tour, Homme fired Oliveri, as he was convinced that Oliveri had been physically abusive to his girlfriend: "A couple years ago, I spoke to Nick about a rumor I heard. I said, 'If I ever find out that this is true, I can't know you, man.'"<ref>{{cite magazine| last=Cohen | first=Jonathan | url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/62176/homme-comes-clean-on-oliveri-firing | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Magazine]] | title=Homme Comes Clean On Oliveri Firing | date=July 6, 2005 | access-date=May 9, 2007}}</ref> Homme considered breaking up the band after firing Oliveri, but found a new determination to continue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/queens-of-the-stone-age/52832|title=Josh Homme: 'I considered breaking up Queens after Nick Oliveri left' &#124; News|date=September 2, 2010|publisher=Nme.Com|access-date=May 28, 2014}}</ref> Oliveri countered in the press that the band had been "poisoned by hunger for power" and that without him, they were "Queens Lite." He later softened his opinion and said: "My relationship with Josh is good. The new Queens record kicks ass."<ref>Jenkins, Sacha. "Ready to Rumble." ''Spin''. May 2005.</ref> The two reportedly are still friends and as of October 2006, Oliveri was interested in rejoining the band.<ref>{{cite magazine | last=Kerr | first=Dave | url=http://www.skinnymag.co.uk/content/view/2973/142/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201722/http://www.skinnymag.co.uk/content/view/2973/142/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 27, 2007 | magazine=[[The Skinny (magazine)|The Skinny]] | title=Nick Oliveri - Mondo Uncontrollable | date=January 10, 2006 | access-date=May 9, 2007 }}</ref> Oliveri later contributed to Queens of the Stone Age for the first time in nine years, contributing backing vocals to the band's sixth album, ''[[...Like Clockwork]]''.