Top Ten Drummers
On the very first cut of the very first Led Zeppelin LP, John Bonham changed rock drumming forever. Years later, Jimmy Page was still amused by the disorienting impact that "Good Times Bad Times
Neil Ellwood Peart, OC (/ p ɪər t /; born September 12, 1952), is a Canadian-American author and retired musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist for the rock band Rush.
Dave Grohl's relentless, brawny drumming – forged in Washington, D.C.'s Eighties punk scene – was the perfect wallop needed to take Seattle's Nirvana from independent grunge band to multi-platinum icons. "Kurt had called me up and said, 'I have the best drummer in the world now. He plays louder ...
The "greatest Keith Moon-type drummer in the world," as he described himself, abhorred the repetition of rote rock drumming – as well as the repetition in life in general.
Sir Richard Starkey MBE (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter, singer, and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles.
Collins appears briefly in the Finnish animated sitcom Pasila in the episode "Phil Collins Hangover". The music of this episode is a pastiche of Collins's Another Day in Paradise. Collins was mentioned in the Psych episode "Disco Didn't Die.
But Rich's influence extended far beyond the big-band era or even jazz: He was the first American drummer that many of the earliest British rockers ever heard, teaching fans like John Bonham and Bill Ward to blast past a simple backbeat toward hard-hitting improvisational patterns, encouraging Phil Collins to abandon a two-bass-drum set-up and focus on his hi-hat work, and just plain flooring Roger Taylor.
Ginger Baker Gifted with immense talent, and cursed with a temper to match, Ginger Baker combined jazz training with a powerful polyrhythmic style in the world's first, and best, power trio. While clashing constantly with Cream bandmates Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton, the London-born drummer introduced showmanship to the rock world with double-kick virtuosity and extended solos.
Coming off an inauspicious late-Eighties stint drumming in novelty band Green Jellÿ (under the pseudonym Danny Longlegs), Danny Carey joined future alt-metal juggernaut Tool in 1990.
Stewart Copeland It may be Sting's melodies that have become ubiquitous, but the Police sounds the way they do because of Stewart Copeland's use of space, subtlety and aggression. He's surely the major drummer least interested in playing the snare (which is still uncommonly bright and cutting) and his signature parts often involve intricate hi-hat patterns (that's his hat-work on Peter Gabriel's "Red Rain").
Michael Stephen Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal/rock band Dream Theater. Known for his technical skill as a drummer, Portnoy has won 30 awards from the Modern Drummer magazine.
Lars is considered to be a bad drummer because most of the people who listen to Metallica enough to comment on his drums are metal fans. Metal prizes virtuosity above other qualities and Lars is not very technically proficient.
Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician and producer, best known as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182.
"I'm not really interested in the circus act part of it at all," Terry Bozzio told Rolling Stone in the midst of a solo tour with what he billed as "the world's largest tun
Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot, formed in 2008, and is currently the all-instrumental outfit Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, who formed in 2007. As one of the most highly sought-after drummers, Smith has recorded with Glenn Hughes, Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, The Dixie Chicks, Jennifer Nettles, Kid Rock, Jake Bugg, The Avett Brothers, and Joe Satriani.
Cuban-born speed demon Dave Lombardo earned the nickname "A.D.Dave" from his Slayer bandmates after effortlessly keeping the pace on breakneck ragers like "Angel of Death" – which tops out at 210 b.p.m. and includes one of the most awe-inspiring drum breaks in metal – and "War Ensemble," all while hinting at swinging Latin jazz.
Gene Krupa, born 102 years ago today, was one of the most influential drummers in history. Funny to think that the man "world's greatest drummer" Buddy Rich called "the beginning and the end of all jazz drummers" could have wound up a saxophonist or a priest. Krupa was born Jan. 15, 1909, in Chicago, the youngest of nine children.
Nathan Jonas "Joey" Jordison (born April 26, 1975), is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the former drummer and co-songwriter for the American heavy metal band Slipknot as well as guitarist in the American horror punk band Murderdolls.
John Graham "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer who was best known for his work in the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2009.
James Owen Sullivan (February 9, 1981– December 28, 2009), professionally known by his stage name The Rev (shortened version of The Reverend Tholomew Plague), was an American musician, best known as the drummer, songwriter, co-lead vocalist and founding member for the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.
William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English retired drummer, percussionist, songwriter, producer, and record label owner who first gained prominence as the original drummer of the rock band Yes, from 1968 to 1972 and again from 1989 to 1992.
Gadd now mainly uses the "Steve Gadd Commemorative" kit, which Yamaha made for the 30th anniversary of his collaboration with the company. The kit consists of a 22"x14" maple bass drum and 12"x8", 13"x9", 14"x12" and 16"x14" birch tom toms.
Roger Meddows Taylor (born 26 July 1949) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He is a multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer for the rock band Queen. As a drummer, Taylor was recognised early in his career for his unique sound.
Taylor’s vocal cameo, “Sunday Rain,” is a ringer for the Eagles, and the closing title track is all grease and slow electric sludge, with Hawkins’ lumbering beat and Grohl’s sleepy vocal honoring Pink Floyd.
Alexander Arthur Van Halen (born May 8, 1953) is a Dutch-American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. Originally, his brother Eddie played drums, while Alex practiced guitar. After spending time playing Eddie's drum kit, Alex became more skillful at the drums than Eddie.
The drummer in one of the world's most influential rock bands was found dead in a hotel room in Portland, Oregon in the early hours of Wednesday November 12. He was 61. Alongside Hendrix and bass player Noel Redding, the trio formed in 1966 and released their debut album Are You Experienced? in 1967, going on to make Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland before dissolving in 1970, shortly before Hendrix's death.
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer (born 20 March 1950) is an English drummer and percussionist, credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s. He is a veteran of a number of famous English bands: the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Asia.
According to the infinitely demanding Frank Zappa, Vinnie Colaiuta took "first prize" when it came to supplying complementary polyrhythms to his guitar solos "on the moment" — look no further than the intricate guitar-drum confabulations of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar for proof.
Michael "Mike" Mangini (born April 18, 1963) is an American musician who is the current drummer of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, following the departure of founding drummer Mike Portnoy in 2010.
Dave Weckl (born January 8, 1960) is an American jazz fusion drummer and leader of the Dave Weckl Band. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2000.
William Thomas Ward (born 5 May 1948) is an English musician and visual artist, best known as the original drummer of the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He also performed lead vocals on two Black Sabbath songs: "It's Alright" from the album Technical Ecstasy and "Swinging the Chain" from the album Never Say Die!. Ward is known for his very unorthodox style of playing the drums, often using snare-drills and tempo-drop to match both vocals and riff.
In the July 2006 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, Watts was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame, ... The Charlie Watts Quintet - From One Charlie ...
William Emanuel “Billy” Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian-American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. According to AllMusic's reviewer, Cobham is "generally acclaimed as fusion's greatest drummer".
By playing the beat-by-beat pulse of standard 4/4 time on the "ride" cymbal instead of on the thudding bass drum, Roach and Clarke ... Max Roach Quartet Live In ...
Jeff Porcaro's signature Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer. In a career that spanned more than 20 years, Porcaro was best known for his work with the rock band Toto.
Steven Bruce Smith (born August 21, 1954) is an American drummer best known as a member of the rock band Journey, rejoining the group for the third time in 2015. Modern Drummer magazine readers have voted him the No. 1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row.
In April 2015, Paice was named Rock Drummer of The Year 2015 by "Modern Drummer" magazine, which meant he was also inducted into the magazine's Hall of Fame. Paice, as a member of Deep Purple, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 8 April 2016.
Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born 5 June 1952) is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982.
Rolling Stone Magazine polls rate him as the third best drummer in the past 25 years. Best Prog Drummer 2011 & 2012 in Prog Magazine. In 2014, Modern Drummer magazine placed Gavin in the Top 50 Greatest Drummers of all Time. Publications. Harrison has authored two instructional drum books entitled Rhythmic Illusions and Rhythmic Perspectives.
Elvin Jones Born in 1927 to a musical family in Pontiac, Michigan, Elvin Jones was among a handful of players who changed the definition of how a drummer is meant to function in his seismic five-year stint with the John Coltrane Quartet.
Abraham "Abe" Laboriel Jr. (born March 23, 1971) is an American session drummer. He is the son of Mexican bass guitarist Abraham Laboriel, nephew of Mexican rocker Johnny Laboriel, and brother of record producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel.
As far as drummers go, in what regard is Nick Mason held? I rarely hear his name mentioned invdividually as a great drummer. It appears back in the 70's he was a fabulous drummer. On the MLOR tour he barely played and in fact really was just there as a presence to lend credence to the Pink Floyd Name.
Tomas Haake The sophisticated foundation of Swedish metal band Meshuggah's rumbling, experimental sound, Tomas Haake creates an off-kilter feel by playing a standard 4/4 beat with his right hand and tumbling polyrhythms with everything else.
Brann Dailor... Brann Dailor is the drummer for Mastodon, an American heavy metal band based in Atlanta, Georgia. His style is very jazzy and prog-rock influenced and has been considered by many to be one of the best and most exciting modern drummers.
Clyde Austin Stubblefield (April 18, 1943 – February 18, 2017) was an American drummer best known for his work with James Brown. A self-taught musician, he was influenced by the sound of natural rhythms around him. His drum patterns on Brown's recordings are considered funk standards.
Sheila Cecelia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist, singer, author, and actress. She began her career in the mid 1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band.
Christopher James Adler (born November 23, 1972) is an American drummer, best known as a member and founder of the groove metal band Lamb of God, and Grammy Award winning member of Megadeth. He became a member of thrash metal band Megadeth from 2015-2016, playing on their fifteenth album Dystopia and performed most live touring dates in support of that album.
Thomas Lee Bass is a Greek-American musician and founding member of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects.
He was recruited in 1981 by the Sugar Hill Label to be their "house drummer." Chambers played on many Sugar Hill ... Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, David Fiuczynski, T ...
Vinnie Paul... Vinnie Paul (Vincent Paul Abbott) (born on March 11, 1964), in Dallas, Texas, United States is a heavy metal drummer and producer most known for his work in Pantera and Damageplan. Paul also incorporates elements of progressive rock and swing into his drumming.
Colin Trevor "Cozy" Powell was an English rock drummer, who made his name with many major rock bands and artists like The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, Brian May, Whitesnake, Emerson, Lake & Powell, and Black Sabbath. Powell had appeared on at least 66 albums, with contributions on many other recordings. Many rock drummers have cited him as a major influence.