What makes an incredible drummer is a topic that divides musicians and followers alike: there’ll at all times be arguments over whether or not technical talent ought to preside over really feel, or whether or not an aesthetic sense of restraint is extra fascinating than flashy showmanship. As such, it’s nigh-on unattainable to assemble a definitive record of the very best drummers on the earth… however we’ve tried.
Almost inevitably, rock drummers dominate our 100 greatest drummers of all time, however some jazz musicians, together with, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Shelly Manne and Gene Krupa, have been included, whereas one other vital jazz drummer even made it into our Top 10. (Their identification might be revealed later.)
While you’re studying, hearken to our Best Drummers playlist right here.
As effectively as iconic names from a number of the largest bands on the earth, we’ve made approach for a number of the most in-demand session drummers of all time, amongst them Steve Gadd and the late legends Jeff Porcaro and Hal Blaine. But there’ll, little doubt, be omissions. (“How could they ignore ‘Stumpy’ Pepys!?’”) If you assume there are, you may at all times counsel your greatest drummers of all time within the feedback part beneath.
For now, nevertheless, cue drum roll… Here is our information to the 100 greatest drummers in music historical past.
100: Les Binks
Northern Ireland-born drummer Les Binks is greatest recognized for his time with Judas Priest, after he joined them on their 1977 world tour, following a spell with Eric Burdon. He introduced a sophisticated, jazz-tinged fashion to the band and starred on their studio albums Stained Class (co-writing the tune “Beyond The Realms Of Death”) and Killing Machine, in addition to a reside album from Japan, Unleashed In The East. Binks was nonetheless going sturdy in his late 60s. In 2018, the drummer carried out basic Judas Priest songs reside with a brand new band referred to as Les Binks’ Priesthood.
Check out: “Beyond The Realms Of Death”
99: Roy Haynes
Roy Haynes’s nickname, Snap Crackle, was supposedly an onomatopoeic approximation of his snare drum sound. Haynes started as a tough bop drummer within the early 50s earlier than demonstrating that he may play any sort of jazz, even avant-garde, with panache. His collaborations learn like a Who’s Who of contemporary jazz and embrace albums with Art Farmer, Sonny Stitt, Michel Petrucciani and Freddie Hubbard. He was nonetheless taking part in in his 90s.
Check out: “Snap Crackle”
98: Karen Carpenter
Though Karen Carpenter is named the sweet-voiced singer of Carpenters hits resembling “Please Mr Postman,” her first musical profession was taking part in jazz drums, the instrument she performed within the unique Richard Carpenter Trio. In a 1975 Playboy journal readers’ ballot, Carpenter was voted the very best rock drummer of the 12 months – edging out Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, The Who’s Keith Moon and The Beatles’ Ringo Starr. “I am both humbled and embarrassed at this tremendous recognition,” she mentioned throughout a TV interview. “I heard that John Bonham is quite upset. I hope he is not mad at me, as I had nothing to do with the poll.” She then performed the drums and sang a advantageous model of Zeppelin’s “Babe, I’m Going To Leave You.”
Check out: “All Of My Life”
97: Meg White
Meg White, who has gained 4 Grammys, received into skilled drumming virtually accidentally within the mid-90s when she stepped behind a drum package and began thumping out a primal beat behind her husband Jack White’s guitar taking part in. White rapidly sensed that the mixture of his expertise and his spouse’s primitive fashion was a successful components. The White Stripes have been born, and Meg was acclaimed as certainly one of rock music’s most compelling stickswoman.
Check out: “Suzy Lee”
96: Tony Allen
Self-taught Nigerian native Tony Allen’s driving, polyrhythmic fashion fashioned the bedrock of ‘Afrobeat’: the breathtaking fusion of funk, calypso, conventional Nigerian rhythms and the bebop of American drummer Art Blakey he pioneered alongside visionary multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti in Africa ’70. This forward-thinking West African outfit recorded a wealth of fabric, together with landmark titles resembling Gentlemen and Zombie through the ’60s and ’70s, whereas in his latter days, Allen occupied the drum stool for Damon Albarn’s The Good, The Bad & The Queen and recorded a number of highly-regarded titles for Blue Note.
Check out: “Zombie”
95: Kenny Clarke
Pittsburgh-born Kenny Clarke, who was nicknamed Klook, was a founding member of The Modern Jazz Quartet, and one of many musicians who may have claimed to have helped begin bebop within the mid-40s. His hallmark was introducing syncopated accents on the bass drum whereas beating out a propulsive cymbal beat to keep up a swing groove. Clarke helped lay down the template for contemporary jazz drumming.
Check out: “The Golden Eight”
94: Christian Vander
French drummer Christian Vander is famend for his intense, idiosyncratic fashion, developed within the 70s because the chief of the prog rock band Magma. He has cited John Coltrane’s drummer Elvin Jones as a formative affect. Vander was additionally recognized for his piano taking part in and his falsetto scat singing. In current years he has performed along with his personal trio and quartet.
Check out: “Zombies (Ghost Dance)”
93: Giovanni Hidalgo
Salsa-style drumming is typically ignored, however the most effective rhythmic technicians is Puerto Rican drummer Giovanni Hidalgo. His velocity is outstanding, whether or not taking part in quite a few conga drums or sharp-toned timbales. In 1992, Hidalgo was employed as an adjunct professor at Berklee College Of Music, in Boston, educating rhythm strategies in Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, reggae, African and jazz types. Hidalgo, who has performed with Art Blakey, Paul Simon and Steve Gadd, gained a Grammy for his contribution to the album Planet Drum.
Check out: “Island Groove”
92: Brian Blade
Brian Blade, who is extremely revered by trendy jazz musicians, got here to prominence with albums for Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman. His personal band, The Brian Blade Fellowship, has launched a few spectacular albums on Blue Note Records, every with a definite nation music environment because of the uncommon use of pedal metal guitar. Blade has additionally recorded for Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, and has labored with Wayne Shorter’s quartet.
Check out: “Red River Revel”
91: Dave Clark
London-born Dave Clark began work as a stuntman – showing in additional than 100 movies – earlier than shopping for himself a drum package and studying to play. After taking part in in just a few skiffle bands, he fashioned his personal unit, The Dave Clark Five. The band had a succession of hit singles between 1964 and 1970, bought greater than 100 million information and starred in successful movie. Though he wasn’t technically sensible, his energetic fashion influenced pop music. “If The Beatles ever looked over their shoulders, it was not the Stones they saw. They saw The Dave Clark Five,” mentioned Andrew Loog Oldham, supervisor of The Rolling Stones.
Check out: “Glad All Over”
90: Dave Weckl
As effectively as being an vital educator, Missouri-born drummer Dave Weckl, who was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame in 2000, has appeared with quite a few high stars, together with Madonna, George Benson and Paul Simon. Some of his best work was with Chick Corea Elektric Band, with whom he performed from 1985 to 1991. Weckl was additionally a key a part of the GRP All-Star Big Band. In current years he has launched information as The Dave Weckl Band.
Check out: “Festival De Ritmo”
89: James Gadson
James Gadson first got here to note with The Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band within the 60s. He was later snapped up by Bill Withers, earlier than turning into one of many West Coast’s most prolific session gamers. His very good regular tempo and really feel for the music is clear on his work with Jackson 5, The Temptations and Marvin Gaye.
Check out: “Let’s Get It On”
88: Phil Rudd
Eric Singer of KISS praised Phil Rudd as “the heart and soul of AC/DC”. Rudd discovered his commerce with Melbourne bands resembling Buster Brown And The Coloured Balls, earlier than becoming a member of up with the Australian exhausting rock giants in 1975. In his first spell, he performed with AC/DC till 1983, and once more from 1994 to 2015. His life was generally controversial off stage, however in reside reveals and in his studio work, his consistency and unshakeable backbeat was a serious characteristic of classics resembling “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock’n’Roll),” “TNT,” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”
Check out: “Let There Be Rock”
87: Tony Thompson
Tony Thompson made his identify laying down some memorable disco grooves for Chic within the 70s, on sensible hits resembling “We Are Family” and “Le Freak.” The New York musician, whose mom was from Trinidad, was solely 48 when he died of most cancers in 2003. He leaves a legacy of nice drumming, together with taking part in on Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love” and Madonna’s “Like A Virgin.”
Check out: “Good Times”
86: Greg Errico
Drummer and file producer Greg Errico had a various profession, taking part in with musicians as various as jazz-fusion group Weather Report, David Bowie, Santana and Grateful Dead. He made his lasting repute, although, because the drummer for Sly & The Family Stone, serving to the band create their very good mix of soul, funk and psychedelic rock. He’s a drummer recognized for his flawless syncopation and dance-friendly grooves.
Check out: “Dance To The Music”
85: Harvey Mason
Harvey Mason is without doubt one of the most highly-prized trendy session drummers. His skilful use of tumbling tom-tom fills, hi-hat cymbals, snare and bass drums earned him the respect of his friends, and he has gained the Modern Drummer journal’s studio ballot 4 occasions. He has featured on recordings by Barbra Streisand, James Brown, Mary J Blige, Herbie Hancock, Frank Sinatra and John Legend, and performed with the London Symphony Orchestra. His versatility is such that he’s equally at house showing on nation music albums with Chet Atkins and jazz albums with Blue Note greats resembling Bobby Hutcherson or Donald Byrd.
Check out: “Chameleon”
84: Max Weinberg
After the large success of Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA album, the singer and guitarist paid tribute to drummer Max Weinberg. “Max was the best thing on the record,” The Boss mentioned. The snare drum on the title monitor is an efficient instance of the talent of the New Jersey musician’s inventiveness. Weinberg later turned the bandleader for The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien. He can be the daddy of Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg.
Check out: “Thunder Road”
83: Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton took half within the first recordings by The Gerry Mulligan Quartet, consultant of a profession of experimentation. The Chico Hamilton Quintet launched their first album in 1955 and it was an instantaneous success. Two years later, the band performed a pivotal function within the plot of the film The Sweet Smell Of Success, by which one of many most important characters is supposedly the quintet’s guitarist. In 1965, Hamilton composed and performed the music for Roman Polanski’s movie Repulsion. Hamilton continued to guide bands of various types and instrumentation into the twenty first Century; solely Art Blakey surpassed his file for locating and nurturing younger expertise. Hamilton’s personal taking part in was notable for his capability to color his music with completely different tonal shades.
Check out: “Mr Jo Jones”
82: Alan Wren
Another vital trendy drummer is Manchester-born Alan “Reni” Wren. His complicated, off-beat rhythms have been influential in creating the mix of indie and dance music which fashioned a lot of the Madchester sound of the early 90s, and his virtuoso drumming was a key issue within the reputation of The Stone Roses. After leaving the band in 1995, he fronted The Rub from 1998 to 2001. He returned to The Stone Roses for a reunion in 2012.
Check out: “I Am The Resurrection”
81: Joe Morello
Drummer Joe Morello helped Dave Brubeck’s band attain new heights as they experimented with odd and uneven metres. Morello turned well-versed in taking part in uncommon time signatures, and his drum solo on Brubeck’s signature monitor, “Take Five,” is a masterclass in taking part in in 5/4 time. Morello, who suffered from partial imaginative and prescient since childhood, additionally excelled on “Blue Rondo À La Turk.” In later life, Morello turned an in-demand trainer whose college students included Danny Gottlieb, certainly one of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band members.
Check out: “Take Five”
80: Eric Carr
Eric Carr, who was born Paul Charles Caravello, was solely 41 when he died of most cancers in 1991. Carr joined KISS in 1980, after founding member Peter Criss left the group, and established his repute as one of many first hard-hitting drummers to undertake a extremely reverberated and low-tuned snare drum sound. He made a major contribution to the band, recording eight albums with them, beginning with The Elders, in 1981, and ending with Hot In The Shade, in 1989.
Check out: “War Machine”
79: Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis, who died in April 2016, was recognized for his versatility, which was no shock on condition that he was tutored by bebop legends Max Roach and Elvin Jones. As effectively as shining with jazz outfits resembling Clark Terry’s Big Band and Roy Ayers, he additionally made his mark within the rock world, together with his iconic work on David Bowie’s “Heroes” album. “Listen to the drum breaks on ‘Blackout’… he had a conga drum as part of his set up and he made it sound like two musicians were playing drums and congas,” mentioned producer Tony Visconti. As effectively as working recurrently with Bowie, who praised the drummer for his “subtle tempo”, Davis additionally performed on a number of Stevie Wonder albums, together with Hotter Than July and the double-album soundtrack Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants.
Check out: “Master Blaster (Jammin’)”
78: Glenn Kotche
Illinois-born drummer Glenn Kotche is extremely considered an lively, imaginative percussionist, the rhythmic anchor for fashionable rock band Wilco. As effectively as his work with the Grammy-winning band from Chicago, Kotche had additionally appeared on recordings by Andrew Bird, Edith Frost, Neil Finn and Radiohead’s Phil Selway. His solo profession has been experimental. On Next (2002), he explored improvised rhythms on ready drum package installations. “When I play with Wilco, it’s more than just laying down a beat,” he mentioned. “I’m thinking in terms of colours and textures.”
Check out: “Wishful Thinking”
77: Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste
Zigaboo Modeliste’s fashion was steeped within the second-line custom of his native New Orleans. He is greatest referred to as a founding member of The Meters and helped create a brand new fashion of funk drumming on information resembling “Cissy Strut” and “Just Kissed My Baby.” He had a giant affect on rock band Little Feat and labored with artists as various as Prince, Dr John, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood (The Meters generally opened for The Rolling Stones). Modeliste has been referred to as “The Godfather Of Groove” and his grooves seem in a whole bunch of hip-hop samples.
Check out: “Cissy Strut”
76: John Densmore
As an adolescent, John Densmore turned enamoured with jazz and tried to play within the fashion of the nice Elvin Jones. The Los Angeles-born musician, who studied beneath Indian sitar participant Ravi Shankar, moved in direction of rock and is now greatest referred to as the drummer of The Doors, showing on each recording made by the Jim Morrison-fronted band. In 2010, Modern Drummer journal hailed Densmore’s trip cymbal work as a number of the most distinctive in basic rock. After The Doors, he continued working with rock bands for a time however later targeting dance, performing and on writing movie scores.
Check out: “LA Woman”
75: Russ Kunkel
Pittsburgh-born Russ Kunkel’s refined drumming has made him a go-to musician for main stars of acoustic-based music, together with Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Jackson Browne and James Taylor. Kunkel’s lyrical taking part in and relaxed groove has been a key a part of albums resembling Taylor’s Sweet Baby James and Mitchell’s Blue. He has additionally performed with Bob Dylan, Bee Gees, Linda Ronstadt and Simon & Garfunkel. “I listen. I try to understand the singer’s point of view and see if I can enhance it, as opposed to thinking, I’m the drummer, so I play a beat and everyone follows,” mentioned Kunkel. “Sometimes I don’t even hear a place for drums on a song. Maybe it just needs some motion, but not necessarily a whole kit. Joni Mitchell’s ‘Carey’ was like that – just a simple conga part.”
Check out: “Running On Empty”
74: Bernard Purdie
When you create a transfer that different drummers copy – as Bernard Purdie did with “The Purdie Shuffle” – then you realize you might be influential. The American drummer, who was nicknamed Pretty Purdie, created his transfer on Steely Dan’s “Home At Last,” from their 1977 album, Aja. Purdie, certainly one of 15 kids, began taking part in drums by banging on his mom’s pots and pans as a toddler, and mentioned he knew he wished to be a drummer. “He always had some unique stylistic thing that you would never imagine in advance and that nobody else would do,” mentioned Steely Dan’s Walter Becker. He toured and recorded with the greats of 60s soul, funk and jazz, together with James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Louis Armstrong. In all, Purdie might be heard on greater than 4,000 information.
Check out: “Home At Last”
73: Fred Below
Former military recruit Fred Below discovered jazz drumming in Chicago at The Roy C Knapp School Of Percussion. But he turned a serious participant within the electrified Chicago blues motion of the 50s and 60s because the employees drummer at Chess Records, the place he recorded with Elmore James, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Etta James and Bo Diddley. His fashion turned massively imitated. Below mentioned that touring Africa with Junior Wells in 1967 for the State Department was the very best expertise of his profession. “I was in drumming country,” Below mentioned, “and I had my eyes, ears and fingers all ready to learn any kind of thing I could pick up.”
Check out: “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man”
72: Sonny Payne
Sonny Payne had drumming in his blood – his father was Wild Bill Davis’ drummer – and he performed with Erskine Hawkins’ massive band earlier than getting his break in 1954, when he joined Count Basie’s band. He stayed with Basie for greater than ten years of fixed touring and recording. He was admired by Frank Sinatra, who requested that Payne sit in on drums at any time when he sang with Basie within the 60s. Payne, who died in 1979, introduced a profound sense of rhythmic swagger and panache to his taking part in.
Check out: “One O’Clock Jump”
71: Roger Hawkins
Roger Hawkins was a key member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, who have been affectionately referred to as The Swampers. Hawkins was an excellent technician, with no ego, and he tailored his private fashion to the wants of various musicians. Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge (Hawkins performed on “When A Man Loves A Woman”) have been amongst those that benefitted. When Paul Simon wished one thing particular for “Kodachrome,” Hawkins discovered the fitting sound by beating on a tape field.
Check out: “Chain Of Fools”
70: Jimmy Cobb
Jimmy Cobb had stints with John Coltrane and was an in-demand jazz session musician, working for Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery and Joe Henderson. Cobb additionally famously drummed for Miles Davis, showing on the trumpeter’s groundbreaking 1959 album, Kind Of Blue. Cobb’s drumming was highly effective and delicate, and he knew methods to swing with fashion.
Check out: “Tribute To Brownie”
69: Bobby Elliott
The English drummer Robert Hartley Elliott was born in Burnley on December 8, 1941. Best recognized for his work with The Hollies, he’s thought-about one of many best pop drummers of that period and notably impressed Charlie Watts. Elliott, who was recognized for his flamboyant taking part in and use of intelligent snare rolls, mentioned the drummer that he hero-worshipped was jazz nice Gene Krupa.
Check out: “Just One Look”
68: Tony Royster Jr
Though German-born Tony Royster, Jr, is basically recognized for a few of his work as a session musician for hip-hop stars – amongst them stadium-filling artists resembling Jay Z – he’s a proficient and versatile drummer. Royster has performed R&B, pop, rock, Latin and jazz, and backed musicians as various as Norah Jones and Eminem. He broke on to the music scene aged 12 with an attention-grabbing drum solo on the 1997 Modern Drummer Festival and is thought for his speedy hand- and foot-work. He performed at President Barack Obama’s inaugural ball in 2009 and has additionally obtained the distinguished Louis Armstrong Jazz Award.
Check out: “Caravan”
67: Al Jackson, Jr
As the drummer in Booker T And The MGs, the home band of the Memphis-based Stax/Volt file label, Al Jackson, Jr, was the person behind the spectacular regular beats that underlay a number of the greatest soul recordings of the 60s, together with Eddie Floyd’s “Knock On Wood,” Otis Redding’s “Shake,” Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” and Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour.” Jackson died in 1975, when he was shot within the chest throughout a fracas along with his spouse of their Memphis house.
Check out: “Green Onions”
66: Art Taylor
New Yorker Arthur S Taylor, Jr, was one of many best jazz drummers of the 50s. He labored with saxophonist Jackie McLean after which began recording with Coleman Hawkins in 1950, earlier than working steadily with pianist Bud Powell in 1952. By the top of the last decade he had turn out to be one of many nice masters of accompaniment. After working for Prestige and Blue Note Records, together with on periods with Donald Byrd, he moved to Europe and wrote a e book about drumming, Notes And Tones.
Check out: “Giant Steps”
65: Maureen Tucker
New York drummer Maureen Ann “Moe” Tucker, who was born on August 26, 1944, made her identify with the cutting-edge rock band The Velvet Underground. As effectively as being a pioneering feminine rock drummer, she broke floor together with her standing place, minimalist package and choice for mallets over sticks. At some early gigs, she even used metallic rubbish cans after her drum package was stolen. Tucker additionally sang and performed guitar, saying as soon as of her solo profession: “When I do shows, I prefer to be playing guitar. I started trying to play guitar way before I started to play drums.” She influenced a era of younger drummers, together with Caroline McKay, former member of Mercury Prize-nominated group Glasvegas.
Check out: “I’m Waiting For The Man”
64: Honey Lantree
Another drummer who may additionally play guitar and sing was Honey Lantree, who made her identify within the 60s with The Honeycombs, taking part in alongside elder brother John (bass guitar). The pulsating 4/4 rhythm that Lantree, who died in December 2018, laid down on “Have I The Right?” helped make the tune one of many massive hits of the last decade.
Check out: “Have I the Right?”
63: Gavin Harrison
For Gavin Harrison, drumming is all in regards to the groove. The English musician, who first toured as a 19-year-old with progressive rock band Renaissance, has written three books on drumming: Rhythmic Illusions, Rhythmic Perspectives and Rhythmic Designs. Harrison has performed with Iggy Pop, Dave Stewart, Tom Robinson and jazz and people bassist Danny Thompson, the previous musical accomplice of John Martyn. He is, nevertheless, greatest recognized for enjoying with the British prog rock bands Porcupine Tree and King Crimson.
Check out: “Start Of Something Beautiful”
62: Buddy Miles
Buddy Miles was a member of Jimi Hendrix’s Band Of Gypsys from 1969 till Hendrix’s loss of life in 1970 (he additionally performed on two tracks on Hendrix’s influential Electric Ladyland album in 1968). He discovered to play drums in his father’s jazz band, The Bebops (George Miles, Sr, had performed upright bass with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon). During his profession, Miles performed on greater than 70 albums, and performed with Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Muddy Waters. The Nebraska-born drummer was a flamboyant character on stage, holding audiences spellbound along with his stars-and-stripes shirts, high-brushed Afro coiffure, giant body and vast smile. In a troubled later life, he was despatched to San Quentin jail. With attribute fashion, he began a jailhouse band.
Check out: “Them Changes”
61: Levon Helm
As a six-year-old, Mark Lavon Helm noticed Bill Monroe And His Bluegrass Boys and determined proper then that he wished to be a musician. The Arkansas-born (and renamed) Levon Helm achieved worldwide fame as drummer and singer for The Band. As effectively as his soulful voice, Helm’s inventive drumming fashion was a robust level on lots of their nice recordings, together with “The Weight” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” The Grammy-winning musician has additionally had a profitable performing profession that included taking part in Loretta Lynn’s father in Coal Miner’s Daughter.
Check out: “Up On Cripple Creek”
60: Tony Meehan
Tony Meehan, who died in 2005, was a founding member and the unique drummer of The Shadows, who have been a preferred instrumental group in their very own proper, in addition to backing band for Cliff Richard. Meehan’s distinctive drumming fashioned the spine of The Shadows’ fashion and influenced a era of youthful musicians. Their 1960 hit “Apache” was No.1 within the UK charts for six weeks and helped established the group as probably the most vital bands of the early 60s. Meehan’s highly effective and disciplined drumming might be heard on a number of different Shadows hits, together with “Kon Tiki.” In 1961, he left the band and went to work at Decca Records of their A&R division. His alternative was the wonderful Brian Bennett.
Check out: “Apache”
59: DJ Fontana
DJ Fontana was a rock’n’roll pioneer and Elvis Presley’s first – and longtime – drummer. He met Presley on Louisiana Hayride, a preferred and influential radio and TV country-music programme. “Presley wasn’t playing rock’n’roll until DJ put the backbeat into it,” mentioned Levon Helm in 2004. Fontana admired big-band drummers resembling Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa, however he himself went on to affect different drummers that got here after him, together with Ringo Starr. Fontana was famend for his energy, velocity and steadiness. He performed on early Presley Sun Records hits resembling “Hound Dog” and in addition appeared on the “comeback” Christmas TV particular of 1968. In 2000, he performed on Paul McCartney’s cowl of an early Presley hit, “That’s All Right.”
Check out: “Jailhouse Rock”
58: Papa Jo Jones
Papa Jo Jones was famend as an modern drummer within the swing period and was a core member of Count Basie’s band from 1935-48. Jones was forward of his time in utilizing a gradual four-beat rhythm on cymbal, and through the 50s he carried out with Lester Young and was a part of the Jazz At The Philharmonic touring jam periods. Later, he led his personal small teams. He made common appearances in movies of the time, together with Jammin’ The Blues (1944) and Born To Swing (1973).
Check out: “Jumpin’ At The Woodside”
57: Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones was a famend member of The John Coltrane Quartet. His highly effective, complicated taking part in helped modified the function of the drummer in jazz teams and influenced a era of rockers, together with The Doors, Grateful Dead and Santana.
Check out: “Mr Jones”
56: Carlton Barrett
Carlton Barrett, who was murdered in 1987, on the age of 36, stays an influential determine on the earth of drumming, for his work with reggae star Bob Marley from 1970 to 1981. Barrett, who constructed his first set of drums from empty paint tins, helped popularise Jamaican beats, resembling steppers and one-drop. His laidback grooves have been an important a part of Marley’s sound.
Check out: “Jammin’”
55: Shelly Manne
Shelly Manne was 64 when he died of a coronary heart assault at his ranch. At that time, he had been on the forefront of jazz for greater than 40 years and performed on greater than 1,000 information. Manne performed with the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman bands and went on to play at his personal influential Hollywood nightclub (Shelly’s Manne Hole) and with a number of small combos. As a composer, he wrote the rating for the Daktari TV collection and the movies Young Billy Young and Trial Of The Catonsville Nine. Manne additionally suggested Frank Sinatra on drumming approach for his function within the film The Man With The Golden Arm.
Check out: “Flip”
54: Buddy Harmon
After establishing his repute as the home drummer for The Grand Old Opry, Buddy Harmon helped outline the Nashville sound, turning into probably the most influential nation music musicians of the Twentieth Century. His rhythmic signature might be heard on 1000’s of recordings by stars resembling Elvis Presley (“Little Sister”), Johnny Cash (“Ring Of Fire”) and Simon & Garfunkel (“The Boxer”). He performed on an estimated 18,000 recordings, lots of them main hits, resembling Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man.” Harmon, who admired jazz drummer Gene Krupa, confirmed versatility and creativeness, and his highly effective 4/4 drumming helped make Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” memorable, as did his deft brushwork on Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.” He was a proficient bass participant, too, and performed that instrument on Ringo Starr’s 1970 nation album, Beaucoups Of Blues.
Check out: “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”
53: Earl Palmer
In 2000, Earl Palmer turned one of many first session musicians to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The New Orleans-born musician’s highly effective and inventive drumming helped partially outline the sound of early rock’n’roll; between 1949 and 1956 he performed on hit information by Fats Domino (“The Fat Man”), Lloyd Price (“Lawdy Miss Clawdy”), Smiley Lewis (“I Hear You Knocking”) and Little Richard (“Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally”). After transferring to Los Angeles, Palmer labored on films. His distinctive backbeat might be heard on iconic information resembling Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” and Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba.”
Check out: “Tutti Frutti”
52: Jim Keltner
Jim Keltner is without doubt one of the most in-demand session drummers of the fashionable period. The Oklahoma-born musician began out as a jazz drummer however went on to play on 1000’s of information of every type, together with John Lennon’s Imagine and each Traveling Wilburys albums. He’s performed on information by Tom Petty, Harry Nilsson, Bee Gees, Pink Floyd, Randy Newman, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Pretenders and Oasis, and was hailed by Ry Cooder as a grasp of decoding refined music. “He reacts to everything that’s going on in the music,” mentioned Leon Russell. Keltner additionally performed on Bob Dylan’s album Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, which incorporates the tune “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” “That session was a monumental one for me because it was such a touching song, it was the first time I actually cried when I was playing,” mentioned Keltner.
Check out: “Jealous Guy”
51: Louie Bellson
Duke Ellington as soon as described Louie Bellson (who was generally credited on albums as “Louis Bellson”) as “the world’s greatest drummer”. In a profession that started when he was 18, Bellson moved from massive bands to small teams and again once more, and served as musical director for his first spouse, the singer Pearl Bailey. His drumming was one of many driving forces within the orchestras of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Duke Ellington and (briefly) Count Basie. He was a showman who displayed finesse in his taking part in fashion.
Check out: “Sunshine Swing”
50: Jeff Porcaro
Jeff Porcaro, who was solely 38 when he died, on August 5, 1992, was a founder member of Toto and an in-demand session musician. Drumming was within the blood of the son of the acclaimed Hollywood percussionist. He left faculty at 17 to tour with Sonny And Cher, and went on to play on information by dozens of main stars, together with Diana Ross, Etta James, Elton John, Robert Palmer and Bruce Springsteen. His work with Toto reveals why he was thought-about the most effective Twentieth-century American “groove” gamers – capable of create pleasure whereas taking part in a easy beat. He was at all times modest and when requested about drumming approach used to inform followers to hearken to Jim Keltner.
Check out: “Rosanna”
49: Gene Krupa
When he was a part of Benny Goodman’s orchestra within the 30s, Gene Krupa modified the standing of the jazz drummer, elevating him from being a timekeeper to a soloist. His flamboyant performances in concert events, as he flailed away at his snare drum, tom‐toms and cymbals, made him a star. His showmanship reached its peak with “Sing, Sing, Sing,” a tune by Louis Prima, which the Goodman band started taking part in early in 1936. Krupa later led his personal profitable band with Anita O’Day as a vocalist and Roy Eldridge on trumpet. He was 64 when he died in New York in 1973.
Check out: “Sing, Sing, Sing”
48: Steve Smith
Steve Smith, who was born on August 21, 1954, in Whitman, Massachusetts, is greatest referred to as a member of the rock band Journey. Smith studied music in Boston at Berklee College Of Music from 1972-76 and commenced life as an expert musician within the Lin Biviano Big Band. He performed with jazz-fusion bands till he joined Journey in 1978, leaving eight years later to pursue his unique ardour, jazz, and develop his profession as a session participant. Over the previous 40 years, Smith has performed with such various artists as Michael Brecker, Ahmad Jamal, Bryan Adams, Mariah Carey and Savage Garden. Smith is thought for his explosive solos and complex timekeeping. In 2016, Steve re-joined Journey, touring with the band for the primary time in 32 years.
Check out: “Any Way You Want It”
47: Hal Blaine
Massachusetts was additionally the state the place Hal Blaine was born, on February 5, 1929. Grammy-winning Blaine can lay declare to being probably the most prolific drummers in rock’n’roll historical past and a member of the famed Wrecking Crew studio musicians. He guested on 35,000 tracks, together with 150 singles that made the Billboard Top 10. He drummed on many Elvis Presley movie soundtracks through the 60s, and was additionally a key part of Phil Spector’s “Wall Of Sound” manufacturing, which yielded classics resembling “Be My Baby” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.” He additionally performed on some basic Beach Boys hits, together with “Good Vibrations,” and on a lot of periods with Glen Campbell (watch him talk about his friendship with Glen in this uDiscover interview). Blaine was an modern musician – “My set always had 12 drums, which no one had ever heard of, and it really was a major change,” he mentioned, and it enabled him to attain a much bigger spectrum of sound. Unlike most drummers of the time, Blaine mentioned he tuned his drums right down to regular, mid-range, moderately than holding them at a excessive vary. He handed away on March 11, 2019, on the age of 90, forsaking a legacy that might be unattainable to beat.
Check out: “Good Vibrations”
46: Max Roach
When Max Roach died in August 2007, on the age of 83, he was saluted as probably the most inventive and influential percussionists within the historical past of jazz. Roach, who began out on the piano, modified devices when his father purchased him a drum package at 12. He made his recording debut at 19, in a band led by Coleman Hawkins, and his groundbreaking work with Charlie Parker within the 40s confirmed off his superb sense of kind, allied to an impeccable approach and mastery of tempo. Roach was additionally the drummer in Dizzy Gillespie’s first massive band and went on to make his personal profession as bandleader, forming a quintet with the younger trumpeter Clifford Brown which is considered one of many best small bands of the Twentieth Century. He was lively within the civil-rights motion of the 60s and later held a educating put up on the University Of Massachusetts.
Check out: “I’ll Remember April”
45: Topper Headon
Nicholas Headon, who was referred to as Topper due to his resemblance to the cartoon character Mickey Monkey from Topper, was born in Bromley, Kent, on 30 May 1955. He made his identify because the drummer of the punk rock band The Clash, becoming a member of them in 1977 and staying for 5 years, till drug issues compelled him out. The power in his taking part in helped songs resembling “I Fought The Law” turned massively fashionable, and his fashion, which emphasised a easy bass-snare up-down beat, accompanied by hi-hat prospers, was extremely distinctive. After leaving The Clash, he performed with Big Audio Dynamite and, in 1985, launched a canopy model of the Gene Krupa instrumental “Drumming Man” as a single.
Check out: “Train In Vain”
44: Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd has laid down some iconic drum tracks, together with “Aja,” “Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover,” and “Nite Sprite,” and has influenced a era of drummers. Born in Rochester, New York, on April 9, 1945, Gadd began drumming on the age of seven and sat in with Dizzy Gillespie by the point he was 11. He is so fashionable in Japan that they nonetheless promote transcriptions of his drum solos. He has performed recurrently with Chick Corea, who mentioned, “Every drummer wants to play like Gadd because he plays perfect. He has brought orchestral and compositional thinking to the drum kit while at the same time having a great imagination and a great ability to swing.”
Check out: “Chick’s Chums”
43: Art Blakey
Drummer and bandleader Art Blakey, who was 71 when he died, on October 16, 1990, was probably the most influential figures in jazz for greater than 4 many years. He was recognized for his epic solos, layering on textures whereas controlling the dynamics and exhibiting a real capability to improvise. “Art was an original,” mentioned Max Roach. “He’s the only drummer whose time I recognize immediately. And his signature style was amazing; we used to call him ‘Thunder.’ Art was the perhaps the best at maintaining independence with all four limbs. He was doing it before anybody was.”
As a bandleader, Blakey employed and nurtured an enormous forged of nice jazz musicians, together with the trumpeters Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard and Wynton Marsalis; the saxophonists Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley and Wayne Shorter; and the pianists Horace Silver and Bobby Timmons. Marsalis mentioned Blakey was influential in the best way he built-in the drums into small-group preparations “of building the ensemble, where the drums were more orchestrated”.
Check out: “The Drum Thunder Suite”
42: Bill Bruford
Bill Bruford, who was born on May 17, 1949, in Sevenoaks, Kent, gained a repute as a skillful and delicate drummer as a part of the rock band Yes within the late 60s. He later performed in King Crimson and toured with Genesis. Bruford retired from performing in 2009 however went on to run file labels and achieve a PhD in music from the University Of Surrey. He as soon as mentioned that it was jazz drummers who had formed his improvement, together with the “elegant style of Max Roach”. He paid particular tribute to Art Blakey’s capability to “make a drum kit sound so personal”.
Check out: “I’ve Seen All Good People”
41: Travis Barker
Californian Travis Barker, who was born on November 14, 1975, is a producer and songwriter greatest referred to as the drummer for rock band blink-182. He has additionally performed with Transplants, Box Car Racer, DJ-AM and TRV$DJam, and was described by Rolling Stone journal as “punk’s first superstar drummer”. Praised for his energy and flexibility as a drummer, Barker additionally based a clothes firm. In October 2018, he was cleared to carry out once more after blood clots in each arms had induced him to briefly cease taking part in the drums.
Check out: “Let’s Go”
40: Nicko McBrain
Londoner Michael “Nicko” McBrain, who was born on June 5, 1952, determined he wished to be a drummer as a boy after watching Joe Morello carry out on tv with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. McBrain’s drumming has been an important aspect of Iron Maiden’s sound since 1983’s Piece Of Mind album, writing the drum components for the band’s songs. “Nicko always had the chops and the technique, but in Maiden he really exploded, to the point where a lot of stuff we did after he joined was then founded on his playing, all those busy patterns he does, displaying tremendous technique,” mentioned guitarist Adrian Smith. One of his quirks is that he generally performs barefoot. In 1991, McBrain made an tutorial drum video referred to as “Rhythms Of The Beast.”
Check out: “Where Eagles Dare”
39: Alan White
Not to be confused with the Oasis drummer of the identical identify, Alan White was born on June 14, 1949 and was one of many mainstays of the progressive rock band Yes, after becoming a member of them in 1972. He had earlier performed with Plastic Ono Band after John Lennon invited him to hitch; White performed on the tune “Imagine”. His various profession has seen him play with George Harrison, Ginger Baker and Joe Cocker, and he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. White was a wonderful timekeeper as drummer and good at giving course to a tune’s association. “Louie Bellson’s bass drum always turned me on; the control and technique. I don’t think any of the others mastered it as well as he did,” mentioned White. “I concentrate on bass drum work a lot. I went to two bass drums just for a while and I realized that I can nearly do as much with one as the effect you can get with two.” White can be an completed pianist.
Check out: “The Gates Of Delirium”
38: Simon Phillips
Londoner Simon Phillips, who was born on February 6, 1957, turned Toto’s drummer in 1992 after the loss of life of Jeff Porcaro (who sits at No.50 on our record). Phillips is a technically gifted drummer who was launched to music by his musician father, Sid Phillips. He has toured and recorded with a number of the main rock musicians of the fashionable period, together with Mick Jagger, The Who, Jeff Beck, Roxy Music and The Pretenders. He moved to America in 1992 to play with Toto and later recorded his personal albums, together with Protocol in 1988. He has additionally labored as arranger, producer and engineer.
Check out: “Manganese”
37: Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham, who was born on May 16, 1944, is a Panamanian jazz musician who began taking part in with pianist Horace Silver after which got here to prominence within the 60s with trumpeter Miles Davis after which the New York jazz-fusion outfit The Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was one of many first drummers to mix jazz, funk and rock. In current years, he started educating drums on-line on the Billy Cobham School Of Drums.
Check out: “Feio”
36: Josh Freese
Josh Freese, born on Christmas Day in 1972, is without doubt one of the trendy period’s hottest session drummers, in addition to being a everlasting member of The Vandals and Devo. He was the drummer for Guns N’ Roses from 1997 to 2000 and has additionally performed saxophone on some recordings. After 2016 he started taking part in with Sting. “My drum set up never gets that crazy or out of the ordinary,” mentioned Freese. “In the studio my drums are usually something really basic: a four-, five- or six-piece kit with lots of snare and cymbal choices.”
Check out: “Blood On Your Knuckles”
35: Vinnie Paul
Vinnie Paul, co-founder and drummer of the metallic band Pantera, died of a coronary heart situation on June 22, 2018 on the age of 54. The Texas-born musician began Pantera in 1981 along with his brother, and the heavy metallic band earned 4 Grammy nominations earlier than disbanding in 2003 amid rumours of a rift. He was recognized for utilizing triggered samples blended with live-miked drums throughout reveals on a package that had a customized dragon end modelled on the design of his hat.
Check out: “13 Steps To Nowhere”
34: Chad Smith
Chad Smith is the drummer with Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith, who was born on October 25, 1961, joined the band in 1988. He mentioned he discovered his commerce taking part in numerous golf equipment in Detroit. “Six nights a week, three sets a night. That was my schooling instead of going to university,” he mentioned. He has additionally labored recurrently with exhausting rock band Chickenfoot. Smith, who is thought for the infectious beats in his taking part in, has additionally been an in-demand session musician, taking part in with The Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash and The Avett Brothers.
Check out: “Give It Away”
33: Cozy Powell
The man born Colin Trevor Flooks, however recognized professionally as Cozy Powell, was solely 50 when he died in a tragic automotive crash in April 1998. In a glittering profession, he performed with rock heavyweights Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Queen’s Brian May and Peter Green’s Splinter Group. In the mid-70s, he additionally scored three hits with tracks that includes his trademark thumping fashion. “Dance With the Devil,” “The Man In Black,” and “Na Na Na” all featured his tour de power drum solos.
Check out: “Dance With The Devil”
32: Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Colaiuta, who was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, on February 5, 1956, attended Berklee College Of Music. His first massive break got here when he auditioned for Frank Zappa, becoming a member of his band in 1978 and turning into a key participant on Zappa’s albums of that period. As a session musician he has labored with Joni Mitchell, Barbra Streisand, Chaka Khan and Jeff Beck. His is taken into account a flexible drummer and has labored within the jazz enviornment with stars resembling Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. In 1994, Colaiuta launched a self-titled solo album.
Check out: “Joe’s Garage”
31: Amir “?uestlove” Thompson
Ahmir Khalib Thompson, who was born on January 20, 1971, in Philadelphia, is thought professionally as Questlove (which he types as ?uestlove). As effectively as his Grammy-winning drum work on information with The Roots, he’s additionally recognized for his appearances with the band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the place they’re the common in-house group. In current years he has been a producer on the hit Broadway musical Hamilton.
Check out: “Thought @ Work”
30: Aynsley Dunbar
Aynsley Dunbar, who was born on January 10, 1946, in Liverpool, England, is a drummer who’s assured working throughout a number of genres, together with jazz, blues, fusion, rock and progressive rock. The information he has performed on embrace 30 which have gone gold or platinum. His early work was with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and he has performed with an unbelievable vary of musicians, together with Jeff Beck, blues musician Champion Jack Dupree, jazz musician Herbie Mann, John Lennon and Rod Stewart. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
Check out: “Roadhouse Blues”
29: Janet Weiss
Janet Weiss, who was born on September 24, 1965, in Los Angeles, is greatest referred to as a member of Sleater-Kinney. She has additionally performed with Quasi and cult indie band The Shins. Weiss is a robust, ingenious drummer who has helped break down a number of the conventional boundaries towards feminine drummers. “Society traditionally doesn’t encourage women to be loud, primitive, aggressive. These properties are crucial in the drummer’s world – they cannot, and should not, be avoided,” she mentioned.
Check out: “Mole City”
28: Carmine Appice
New Yorker Carmine Appice was born on December 15, 1946 and began out with psychedelic band Vanilla Fudge within the late 60s. He later joined Jeff Beck and Tim Bogert within the band Beck, Bogert & Appice. Appice, who mentioned he was closely influenced by Gene Krupa, labored with Rod Stewart and co-wrote the tune “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” He later fashioned King Kobra for 2 Capitol albums within the 80s, a decade by which he performed on the Pink Floyd file Momentary Lapse Of Reason. Appice additionally wrote the acclaimed e book The Realistic Rock Drum Method, which bought almost half one million copies.
Check out: “Young Turks”
27: Clyde Stubblefield
Clyde Stubblefield, who was 73 when he died, on February 18, 2017, had an enormous affect on two eras of music – because the drummer in James Brown’s band and within the formative information of hip-hop. He joined Brown when he was simply 17 and performed on key tracks resembling “Cold Sweat” and “Sex Machine.” He additionally performed within the live performance that Brown gave after the assassination of Martin Luther King. He was recognized for his rolling breakbeats, and his instrumental single “Funky Drummer” was influential within the early 80s, when producers started to create hip-hop by looping copied fragments of music from different information. His solo options in “Fight The Power” by Public Enemy and is believed to have been sampled on greater than 1,400 completely different information. In 2014 he needed to have a thumb amputated however he tailored a drumstick by becoming it with a thick deal with from a maraca.
Check out: “Funky Drummer”
26: Matt Cameron
Matt Cameron was born on November 28, 1962 in San Diego. After an early profession with Soundgarden (a band he later re-joined), he was invited on tour by Pearl Jam and have become a everlasting fixture of their band. He is a technically gifted participant, recognized for his quick solos throughout reside reveals. In 2017, the 12 months by which he reduce his debut solo LP, Cavedweller, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Check out: “Time Can’t Wait”
25: Michael Shrieve
San Francisco-born Michael Shrieve was chosen by Rolling Stone journal’s readers as one of many Top 10 Drummers of All Time in 2017. Shrieve, born on July 6, 1949, was the unique drummer for Santana and performed on the primary eight albums by the seminal group. This subtle drummer has performed alongside artists in such various genres as rock, jazz, digital, dance and world music, and was saluted for his groundbreaking use of digital percussion when it was a brand new medium within the 70s. For the previous 10 years he has been engaged on a private undertaking referred to as Drums Of Compassion, on which he’s composer, producer and drummer. Carlos Santana described him as “a visionary”.
Check out: “Aye Aye Aye”
24: Bill Ward
Bill Ward, who was born in Birmingham, England, on May 5, 1948, mentioned that he was self-taught, studying about drumming from sitting on the stage subsequent to Jim Capaldi of Deep Feeling. He mentioned he additionally liked jazz and based mostly his tuning on the mannequin of Gene Krupa. He is greatest referred to as the unique drummer of heavy metallic band Black Sabbath and was famous for his modern use of flooring toms. “Without the jazz influence, the Black Sabbath drumming would be very different. The feels and jazz feels and rock feels were exactly, to me, what we needed,” mentioned Ward. In current years, after taking part in with a brand new band referred to as Day Of Errors, he was compelled to take a break from music due to coronary heart issues.
Check out: “Fairies Wear Boots”
23: Roger Taylor
Celebrated Queen drummer Roger Taylor is performed by X-Men actor Ben Hardy in the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic. Taylor – to not be confused with the Duran Duran drummer of the identical identify – was born on July 26, 1949 in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. As effectively as being a proficient, powerhouse drummer, he’s a singer and instrumentalist, and wrote Queen’s landmark hits “Radio Ga Ga” and “A Kind Of Magic.” He has additionally made 5 solo albums, beginning with 1981’s Fun In Space. “Drumming came naturally to me – I always found it sublimely easy,” mentioned Taylor.
Check out: “Radio Ga Ga”
22: Sheila E
Sheila Escovedo was impressed by her percussionist father, Pete Escovedo, and godfather Tito Puente, and mentioned in her memoir, The Beat Of My Own Drum, that she was taught from childhood methods to maintain good time on a drum set. Born in Oakland, California, on 12 December 1957, she is named “The Queen Of Percussion”. She began out with The George Duke Band and, in addition to her solo albums, has performed with Ringo Starr, Marvin Gaye, Lionel Ritchie, Diana Ross and Herbie Hancock. She additionally labored carefully with Prince.
Check out: “The Glamorous Life”
21: Lars Ulrich
Denmark’s Lars Ulrich, who was born on Boxing Day in 1963, turned a drummer after giving up a promising profession as an expert tennis participant. He is greatest referred to as the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metallic band Metallica, a band he joined after answering an advert in {a magazine}. He was acclaimed as a pioneer of quick thrash drum beats, a sound that featured on lots of Metallica’s early songs, resembling “Metal Militia,” and his thunderous, complicated drum patterns set the template for exhausting rock within the 80s. He has been knighted by the Danish authorities.
Check out: “Battery”
20: Tommy Aldridge
Tommy Aldridge, who was born on August 15, 1950, in Pearl, Mississippi, taught himself to play the drums after listening to albums by Cream, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. After working with Pat Travers, he made his identify with bands resembling Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy within the 70s. Aldridge is taken into account to have set the usual for double-bass rock drumming and has continued taking part in with Whitesnake into the twenty first Century. He is a perfectionist who mentioned, “I’m not a big fan of my own stuff. Once I have recorded something and then I go back and listen to it, I’m rarely pleased with it. That’s probably the way it is with most musicians. Give me 15 takes and I will want 30.”
Check out: “Burn”
19: Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy, who was born on April 20, 1967, and raised in Long Beach, New York, grew up immersed in music. “My father was a rock’n’roll disc jockey, so I was always surrounded by music constantly. I had this huge record collection when I was real young and loved The Beatles, and then, later on, KISS. It was inevitable that I’d become a musician.” He taught himself to play the drums and was later awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee College Of Music. He mentioned his largest affect was Rush drummer Neil Peart. The co-founder of the progressive rock band Dream Theater, Portnoy was notably happy to turn out to be the second youngest musician, after Peart, to be inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame in 2004.
Check out: “The Mirror”
18: Alex Van Halen
Alex Van Halen, who was born in Amsterdam on May 8, 1953, was the son of Jan and Eugenia, each of whom have been educated as classical pianists. After transferring to America, he began a band with brother Eddie. After assembly David Lee Roth, they fashioned Mammoth. In 1974, the band’s identify was modified to Van Halen they usually launched their debut album in 1978. The two brothers are the one members of Van Halen who’ve been within the band for its total period. Alex is a grasp of the snare drum and at reside reveals is thought for his aggressive solos and stage pyrotechnics. He has cited jazz drummer Buddy Rich as a giant affect on his taking part in.
Check out: “Respect The Wind”
17: Ian Paice
Ian Paice, who was born on June 29, 1948, in Nottingham, England, discovered to play the drums by imitating the types of jazz legends resembling Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, which he heard on the radio. He received his first drum package at 15 and determined that, being left handed, he wanted to plan methods that will match the right-handed drum kits. After taking part in with varied dance bands, he received his massive break in 1968 when he helped kind Deep Purple, and his sensible taking part in has shone on songs resembling “Stormbringer” and on the reside album Made In Japan. From 1979 to 1982, Paice labored with Whitesnake earlier than becoming a member of The Gary Moore Band. He later returned to Deep Purple.
Check out: “The Mule”
16: Benny Benjamin
Benny Benjamin, certainly one of Motown’s nice drummers, was simply 43 when he died of a stroke in April 1969. A key member of the collective of session musicians referred to as The Funk Brothers, he was recognized for his deft brushwork and explosive drum fills. Benjamin, who had a background in big-band jazz, was an important a part of Motown hits by The Temptations, The Miracles, Four Tops, The Supremes, Gladys Knight And The Pips, Martha And The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. “He had a distinctive knack for executing various rhythms all at the same time. He had a pulse, a steadiness, that kept the tempo better than a metronome,” mentioned Motown founder Berry Gordy.
Check out: “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”
15: Carl Palmer
Carl Palmer has been described as “the consummate drummer’s drummer”. An excellent technician, he was born in Birmingham, England, on March 20, 1950. He got here from a musical household: his grandfather performed the drums, his grandmother was a symphony violinist and his father had a dance band. He mentioned his most important affect was Gene Krupa. During an extended profession he has performed with Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Asia and Emerson, Lake And Palmer. In the twenty first Century he began his personal Carl Palmer Band.
Check out: “Toccata”
14: Mitch Mitchell
Roger Taylor has described the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Mitch Mitchell as his early function mannequin. “Listening to Mitch Mitchell, especially the early stuff with Jimi Hendrix, is just fantastic,” mentioned the Queen drummer. Mitchell, who at first modelled his fashion on Max Roach, melded jazz and rock types into what was to turn out to be referred to as “fusion.” His free and explosive approach made the drums a power in their very own proper. Mitchell unsuccessfully auditioned for Paul McCartney’s band Wings in 1974, however he went on to carry out with varied artists, together with Jack Bruce and Jeff Beck, in addition to enterprise numerous session work. In his final years, he was a part of the Gypsy Sun Experience band, together with former Hendrix bassist Billy Cox and guitarist Gary Serkin. He died of pure causes, aged 61, on November 12, 2008.
Check out: “Are You Experienced?”
13: Phil Collins
Phil Collins’ work because the drummer of Genesis has earned him the standing as certainly one of rock’s biggest drummers. Collins, who was born on January 30, 1951, within the London suburb of Chiswick, can be a preferred singer, songwriter and file producer. He had a string of US Top 40 hits within the 80s, together with “Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now),” and would generally play drums on information by musician buddies, together with on some by people musician John Martyn. He mentioned he was given his first drum when he was three. “I always remember drumming as being easy, but I did nothing else,” he mentioned. “When other kids were out playing I was on the drums. I just wanted to make a career out of being a drummer.”
Check out: “Behind The Lines”
12: Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr, who was born Richard Starkey in Liverpool, on July 7, 1940, has had probably the most profitable careers in music, gaining worldwide fame because the drummer for The Beatles. He sometimes sang on their albums, too, together with on the tune “Yellow Submarine,” and was a key a part of their success. When he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Dave Grohl mentioned: “Define ‘best drummer in the world’. Is it someone that’s technically proficient? Or is it someone that sits in the song with their own feel? Ringo was the king of feel.” After The Beatles broke up, Starr embarked upon a profitable solo profession, together with his acclaimed third album, Ringo.
Check out: “Ticket To Ride”
11: Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts introduced the sensibilities of a jazz drummer to rock music, and as The Rolling Stones’ drummer he is without doubt one of the most revered musicians on the earth. Watts, who was born on June 2, 1941, in London, grew up loving Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and began out as a graphic artist. He mixed his love of artwork and jazz by writing a e book about Charlie Parker. After working with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, he was persuaded to hitch the fledgling Rolling Stones and performed his first gig with the band at Ealing Blues Club. He has remained a key member of the Stones for over 5 many years, taking occasional breaks to work along with his personal jazz orchestra.
Check out: “Honky Tonk Women”
10: Terry Bozzio
Terry Bozzio, who was born on December 27, 1950, in San Francisco, mentioned that after seeing Ringo Starr and The Beatles carry out on The Ed Sullivan Show he begged his father for drum classes. He mentioned that lots of the methods he used all through his profession, together with his snare hand approach, have been discovered from his first trainer, Chuck Brown. Bozzio began his profession in storage bands and have become well-known for his work with the band Missing Persons and as a drummer for Frank Zappa, with whom he appeared on 26 albums. In 2014, Bozzio toured America taking part in solo dates with what he referred to as “the world’s largest tuned drum and percussion set.”
Check out: “Baby Snakes”
9: Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl is extensively credited with giving alt.rock its driving beat. Born on January 14, 1969 in Warren, Ohio, Grohl dropped out of highschool to play with the group Scream earlier than auditioning for Nirvana. After singer Kurt Cobain’s loss of life, Grohl fashioned Foo Fighters. His drumming has been praised for his fills, utilizing sudden accents, breaks and syncopation within the snare. “The drums have to propel everything,” he mentioned. Grohl as soon as paid tribute to Melvins drummer Dale Crover, saying, “I still say to this day that he’s the best drummer in the world. There is no one who does what he does, and there’s no one who could. I get goosebumps when I hear his playing. He’s turned drumming on its side, and if I’d never heard Melvins, I probably would not be playing the drums, because he made me realize that there’s a lot more to drumming than most people hear.”
Check out: “Song For The Dead”
8: Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo, who was born in Havana, Cuba, on February 16, 1965, is greatest referred to as a founding member of thrash metallic band Slayer. A powerhouse drummer, his modern taking part in led DRUMMERWORLD journal to explain him as “The Godfather Of Double Bass.” “Early Slayer albums such as Show No Mercy were all written for drums that needed to be heavy. The drums needed to be heavy and played hard and fast on those records,” mentioned Lombardo. After leaving Slayer in 2013, he carried out with a wide range of bands, together with Grip Inc, Testament, Suicidal Tendencies and Misfits.
Check out: “Haunting the Chapel”
7: Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland has been an completed producer and composer of soundtracks for films and tv, however he’ll at all times be remembered because the drummer for The Police, who achieved worldwide fame and chart-topping albums by the mid-80s (watch him speak to uDiscover about his time with the band). Copeland, who was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 16, 1952, started drum classes on the age of 12 and received his begin within the music enterprise as a highway supervisor for Curved Air, assuming drumming duties for the band in 1975. In 1977, Copeland based The Police with Strontium 90 bandmate Sting. After the band separated, Copeland went on to win a Golden Globe for his rating for the Francis Ford Coppola movie Rumble Fish. His work with The Police was famed for its reggae-tinged rhythms and seemingly easy cymbal work. “Arabic music is in my DNA, informed by Buddy Rich, Mitch Mitchell, Joe Morello,” mentioned Copeland. “I love the sound of Joe Morello and ‘Take Five’… that sound of the drums, full, relaxed. Just letting the drums sing.”
Check out: “Message In A Bottle”
6: Danny Carey
Danny Carey, who was born on May 10, 1961, in Lawrence, Kansas, gained fame because the drummer for Grammy-winning progressive metallic band Tool. He mentioned he grew up on “jazz and crazy prog stuff”. As effectively as his work with Tool, he has additionally performed on albums by ZAUM, Green Jellÿ, Pigface, Skinny Puppy, Adrian Belew of King Crimson, Carole King, Collide, The Wild Blue Yonder, Lusk and Melvins. Carey, who says he liked the jazz drumming of Steve Gadd, is a texturally and harmonically completed drummer. “Most drummers are quite content, I guess, to be a metronome, even though I know a lot of music doesn’t call for much more. It’s lucky for me that I can express myself however I want, and it’s a healthy position for me to be in,” he mentioned.
Check out: “The Grudge”
5: Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich, who was 69 when he died in April 1987, was a self-taught drummer who performed with Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey earlier than beginning his personal band. He had an unlimited, forceful, crisp power in his taking part in and his highly effective beat propelled any band he sat in with. “The whole music world owes something to Buddy Rich,” mentioned Frank Sinatra. Rich performed with lots of the nice jazz stars of the Twentieth Century and toured extensively with Jazz At The Philharmonic within the 40s and 50s, earlier than forming his personal band within the 60s. “When I was coming up in the 60s, Buddy was regarded as the greatest living drummer of the time,” Steve Smith mentioned. “He has this perpetual place as the greatest drum-set virtuoso who ever lived, and that still stands up today. There’s something about Buddy’s visceral energy and natural technique, his swing, his feel, his musicianship, his high intensity and the way he could drive a band, the way he would play the music and raise the level of musicians around him.”
Check out: “9.20 Special”
4: Ginger Baker
Londoner Ginger Baker, who helped invent the rock energy trio and reluctantly turned the style’s first star drummer, throughout a multi-faceted and at all times eventful profession, was born on August 19, 1936. After some studio recordings with The Graham Bond Organisation, Baker joined Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton in Cream, in what would turn out to be referred to as rock’s first supergroup. He later performed with Blind Faith. In newer years, his band Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion, that includes James Brown’s and Van Morrison’s saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, has toured the UK and Europe. Baker, who mentioned you needed to be made to be a drummer, claimed that the key of his drum work with Cream – and his skillful use of the hi-hats, tom-toms and cymbals – was the jazz-like improvisation he delivered to their sound.
Check out: “Toad”
3: Neil Peart
Canadian drummer and songwriter Neil Peart was born on September 12, 1952 and, like so lots of the drummers on this record, was impressed after watching The Gene Krupa Story. Following a spell working in his father’s enterprise, Dalziel Equipment, and taking part in music part-time in native Ontario bands, he joined Rush in 1974, two weeks earlier than the group’s first tour of America. The drummer was a significant factor of their success. Rush have bought greater than 40 million albums worldwide and his sculptured drum solos have been a celebrated characteristic of their reside reveals. “To me, drum soloing is like doing a marathon and solving equations at the same time,” he mentioned.
Check out: “Tom Sawyer”
2: Keith Moon
Londoner Keith Moon was solely 31 when he died, of an overdose, in September 1978. The Who drummer, who additionally labored with Jimmy Page and John Lennon, had a repute for wild behaviour, however was probably the most distinctive and influential drummers within the historical past of rock. Roger Daltrey mentioned that Moon “just instinctively put drum fills in places that other people would never have thought of putting them”. Unlike most drummers, nevertheless, Moon didn’t like taking part in solos in live performance. Asked as soon as whether or not he was one of many world’s greatest drummers, he quipped: “I’m the greatest Keith Moon-type drummer in the world.”
Check out: “My Generation”
1: John Bonham
John Bonham, who died aged simply 32, in September 1980, following an evening of ferocious consuming, was one other drummer in awe of the jazz masters. The English musician taught himself methods to play by trying to greats resembling Gene Krupa, Max Roach, and Buddy Rich as inspirations. He was an impressive drummer for Led Zeppelin, acclaimed for his velocity, energy, distinctive sound and contact, and his quick bass drumming. “John Bonham played the drums like someone who didn’t know what was going to happen next – like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff,” mentioned Dave Grohl. “No one has come close to that since, and I don’t think anybody ever will. I think he will forever be the greatest drummer of all time.”
Check out: “When The Levee Breaks”
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