The 13 Greatest Rock and Roll Drummers Of All-Time

12. Danny Carey – Tool

Of all the drummers in all the bands on this list, it’s Tool drummer Danny Carey who is probably most obscure. That relative obscurity (relative being an important word, as there’s a ton of die hard Tool fans out there), however, should not detract in any way from what he’s been able to accomplish as a musician. Renowned for his ability to incorporate his classic jazz training into the progressive metal sensibilities of Tool, Carey is an innovator who often writes and practices in off time key signatures that would astound other popular musicians. A master with the double kick pedal, Carey uses his hands and feet in equal measure to craft a signature sound that ranges from quiet accents to thundering solos and fills. Even if you aren’t into the heavier stuff, it’s worth checking out some Tool just to listen to Carey kill it on the drums.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/music/2007-05-23/477825/ Via AustinChronicicle.com

11. Mike Portnoy – Dream Theater

Mike Portnoy is best known for his phenomenal work with prog rock/metal act Dream Theater, and he was also the co-founder and backing vocalist with the band. His impressive technical ability behind the drums has seen him win dozens of awards, as well as become the second youngest person to be inducted into the Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame (37 years old). A few of his Modern Drummer awards include Best Clinician (2000, 2002), Best Progressive Rock Drummer (1995 – 2006), and Best Rock Drummer (2015). In 2010, Portnoy left Dream Theater after 25 years, but fortunately he has remained highly active and started several new projects. This includes Adrenaline Mob, Flying Colors, and The Winery Dogs. Shortly after leaving Dream Theatre, Portnoy also played with Avenged Sevenfold after their drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, passed away during the production of their fifth album.

http://musicianedge.com/mike-portnoy-drum-solo-testing-new-drums/ Via musicianedge.com

10. Mitch Mitchell – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Jimi Hendrix came in at No. 1 on our (and everyone else’s, for that matter) list of Greatest Rock and Roll Guitarists of All Time, but it’s his underrated and under appreciated drummer we’re going to talk about right here. For all Hendrix’s splendor, he had the fortune of playing with one of the best backing bands a rock star could hope for. In particular, drummer Mitch Mitchell absolutely slays the drums on all three studio albums released by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Mitchell, who was renowned for his stick work and ability to alternate between rudiments on his snare drum, was given more and more freedom to contribute creatively as the band progressed. It really shows in tracks like “Fire,” where Mitchell’s instrumentals are just as prominent as those being cranked out by the greatest guitarist of all time.

http://besparked.com/blog/?p=214 Via besparked.com

9. Josh Freese – Various

Josh Freese has a remarkable body of work and has played in a number of the biggest and most influential acts of modern times. He is a constant fixture in Devo and The Vandals, but he also played with Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails, and Weezer. His ability to play a number of different styles has made him one of the most respected drummers around, and he has consequently collaborated with a staggering amount of musicians and has a lengthy and impressive discography. For Freese, it all began at just 12-years old when he played professionally with a Top 40 cover band at Disneyland. Then, at 16, Freese left school and began to make records and tour. This would be the beginning of a long and successful career which has seen him play with, and contribute to, numerous respected acts in a range of genres.

http://www.planet-musician.com/music/news/drums-percussion/page/5/ Via planet-musician.com

8. Buddy Rich – Various

Buddy Rich isn’t really a rock and roll drummer. Rather, he made his money as a jazz drummer, playing with some of the biggest names of his or any era (Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra…ring any bells?). The reason Rich is being incorporated into this list is due to the overwhelming influence he had on the development of modern drum techniques. If you look at a list of influential percussion musicians, Rich will always be found near the top due to his contributions to the art; a master of style and dynamics, Rich would go from loud-to-quiet-to-loud again quite quickly, while working within perfect time and measurement. Rich’s bombastic playing and relentless energy behind the kit would go on to set the standards for rock and roll drumming when the movement became large in the 50s and 60s. There’s simply no way to overstate his influence on the genre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDUmytzcsI0 Via YouTube

7. Ginger Baker – Cream

Cream’s legendary drummer Ginger Baker will have influenced every single drummer on this list, and his playing helped to define what makes good rock percussion. Baker is responsible for giving drummers the chance to shine through his use of drum solos, and many claim that he is “rock’s first superstar drummer.” Cream would only last two years but they would release four fantastic records in this short time, and Baker would play with Eric Clapton again in the short lived super-group Blind Faith. Baker would then move to Nigeria and became heavily involved in world music, but he would return back to rock and even reunited with Clapton and Bruce for a series of Cream concerts. Baker became famous for his flashy, flamboyant style which ensured that his playing was hard to ignore and ensured that drummers were able to be rockstars too.

http://savetheflower-1967.tumblr.com/page/10 Via tumblr.com

6. Chad Smith – Red Hot Chili Peppers

For all the influence they’ve had on the genre over the past two decades, there’s alot of folks out there who don’t care for the funk/rock fusion of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (there’s plenty of complaints about Anthony Keidis’s voice, which is somewhat understandable). Regardless of your affinity for the band, there’s no denying that they feature some of the best musicians of this era, with both Flea (bass) and former guitarist John Frusciante ranking near the top of the game at their respective instruments. But this isn’t an article about bass or guitar, is it? Drummer Chad Smith (perhaps best known to the general public for his physical similarities to popular comedian Will Ferrell) is a monster on the skins, playing with a ferocity and funky attitude that you don’t find often in popular music. Drawing inspiration from a variety of genres, Smith is a legend amongst rockers with a huge fan base among fellow musicians.

http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/aug09/articles/chadsmith.htm Via performing-musician.com

5. Stewart Copeland – The Police

Steward Copeland proved himself to be one of the greatest and most influential drummers thanks to his work behind the kit for The Police. He has a distinctive, immediately recognizable reggae-influenced style which helped to define the their sound. Copeland is also considered to be a master of the syncopated beat and has a strong emphasis on groove. Over the years, Copeland has also proven that his talents extend outside of rock drumming and he has written music for opera, orchestra, and ballet. He has also worked on dozens of soundtracks, including She’s All That, Rumble Fish, and Dead Like Me. He may not be your typical rock drummer, but his distinctive sound, the important role he played in helping The Police to become an enormous act, and his work outside of the genre make him one of the greatest drummers there is.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/drums/jam-with-stewart-copeland-583329 Via MusicRadar.com

4. Dave Grohl – Nirvana/The Foo Fighters

The man, the myth, the legend. Quite possibly the only person who can claim to have been involved in two (yes, two) bands that were at one time the biggest in the world. Dave Grohl is an unstoppable force for rock and roll awesome. While he’s best known these days for his work behind a microphone rather than behind a drum kit, Grohl maintains a constant presence on the skins, doing all the drum work on some early Foo Fighters albums (before the equally awesome Taylor Hawkins joined the band, a drummer who just barely missed this list), and laying down drum tracks for both Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures. An unstoppable force, indeed. Grohl’s well known for his perfect sense of timing and his unique approach to percussion, which stems from a lack of classical training and more of a “let’s hit things very, very loudly” mindset. It works, and we’re certainly not going to question the man from both Nirvana and the Foo.

http://www.percussionpartners.com/story/dave-grohl-rock-drummer%E2%80%99s-drummer Via percussionpartners.com

3. Keith Moon – The Who

Whilst Keith Moon was not the most technical drummer, his wild and animalistic style helped to define The Who’s style and epitomized rock and roll. It has been said that Moon was to the drums what Jimi Hendrix was to the guitar. His drumming is universally praised by critics and he continues to inspire rock drummers. His wild, uncontrolled, yet brilliant drumming was mirrored by his destructive behavior which included smashing his kit on stage and destroying hotel rooms. His self destructive nature led to his unfortunate death in 1978, and The Who have never sounded the same since. He may not have been the most precise or skilled of drummers, but his energy and distinctive style is unmistakable and “Moon the Loon” embodied everything about rock and roll. Many believe Jim Henson’s Muppet character Animal is based on Moon due to this drumming style, appearance, and personality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOdqAhjDW5c Via YouTube

2. Neil Peart – Rush

Rush are a divisive band; you either love ’em or you hate ’em, plain and simple. But regardless of how you feel about the band, there’s one element of it that is almost always lauded, and that element is Neil Peart. Yes, that Neil Peart, the man tucked behind the monstrous drum kit at the Rush concert whose epic drum solos have become a thing of legend. Seriously, the man released a DVD called The Anatomy of a Drum Solo. He knows a thing or two. He’s also known for his overwhelmingly complex drum arrangement, which features an astounding number of toms, cymbals, and percussion tools. Peart routinely mixes ten minute solos into Rush songs when they play live, and he’s also put down on tape some of the most astoundingly complex rock and roll drumming ever. If you listen to a Rush album, any album, the drumming will absolutely blow your mind.

http://picshype.com/dw-drums-neil-peart Via picshype.com

1. Jon Bonham – Led Zeppelin

There’s a mystique surrounding Jon Bonham, an air of mystery that begs the question…how did he do it, really? There’s nobody who has been able to match the urgentness, power, speed, and soul of the Led Zeppelin drummer, and it seems unlikely that anyone will be able to match it moving forward. But don’t take our word for it, there’s plenty of others willing to praise him. Speaking of Bonham, Dave Grohl said “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. 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.” We said it before: we’re not going to argue with a rock authority like Grohl.

http://static.echonest.com/bonhamizer/go.html?trid=TRSBVUT12F87DF0212 Via static.echonest.com