I always go with John Bonham but lately I guess I am putting Neil Peart alongside him. I always felt Peart was too technical but I have changed my feelings about him.
I watched the doc Beyond the Lighted Stage (on Netflix) and it warmed me up to Rush for the first time in years. I saw them on the Moving Pictures tour. Nice guys. Great band and Peart is portrayed magnificently in that doc.
So for me it is
1, Bonham
1A. Peart
I also always loved Bill Bruford. And for a wildcard I love Steely Dan's recent drummer Keith Carlock.
Below is a link to a Peart drum solo that is simply remarkable.
Neil Peart Drum Solo - Rush Live in Frankfurt - (
New Window )
To me, a more important factor of the ‘best drummer’ is delivering a sense of groove. That, along with keeping time have the most weight. Playing fills is a lesser factor. If you think of Stewart Copeland for example; he played a variety of styles, but his energy really drove the Police’s music. He didn’t need to play monster fills to provide that energy.
That's a great way to put it. Copeland basically propels the band almost single-handedly with just his hi hat.
I used to really love that guy, but in general these days, I prefer a more laid back feel to being ahead of the beat all the time.
3 names I am shocked haven’t been mentioned are: Peter Criss, Steve Smith and Phil Collins. Especially Collins. He may have the most famous drum full of all time. He maybe known for his singing and sing writing but his drumming is so iconic and unique that you can tell it is him. He has his own style and sound.
I throw a few more names out although they aren’t just rock drummers: Omar Hakim, Manu Katche, Chester Thompson.
I have a family story that my cousin (mom's first cousin) introduced Peter Criss to the drums. It's plausible because they grew up in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn and would be roughly the same age (but my cousin died in a car accident before I was born.) Also, my cousin and other family members played in polka bands. He learned to play at very young age bc they needed a drummer. He played drums at weddings and such in his early teens.
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But Peart was an actual "musician". Big distinction. Oh and an all- world lyricist beyond compare.
And for anyone putting Ringo in the mix- just wow.
Did I read your post wrong? Serious ... IMO Ringo was a great drummer for the Beatles.
Ringo was a Left-handed drummer who played a right handed kit. It gave him a unique playing style. He was rock solid on so many tracks ...
"Tomorrow never knows", "Rain", the whole "Abbey Road" album. To this day I will never understand why Ringo's musical abilities gets shit on.
Apologies if I mis-interpreted your post.
Ring tremendously underrated because of the company he kept. But a very fine drummer. A friend of mine who plays professionally on tours all over the world can go on and on about the technical aspects of Ringo’s playing that make him one of the most underrated drummers of all time. He points to Ringo’s inventive drumming on Come Together as an example.
I've felt that too, when our old band replaced our subpar drummer with one who wasn't spectacular, but who was simply rock solid and played with conviction. Everything else, even the vocals, just sounded much better as a result.
"I still remember that moment the first time Ringo played with us. Bang, he kicks in. And it was an Oh My God moment. I remember looking, and we're all looking at each other like, 'Yeah, this is it.'"
Which means that he is indeed the perfect drummer for Rush.
Until now.
This is awesome.
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From any conversation about Peary because I can't stand Rush. But though I can admire his obviously immense skill, his drumming doesn't do it for me... always felt it lacked soul.
Which means that he is indeed the perfect drummer for Rush.
I was never quite sure how to express my respect for and dislike of, Neil Peart.
Until now.
This is awesome.
This is the thing about Bonham, who had great skills, perhaps not on the level of Peart but still great, but who had a groove and feel and an inventiveness within the normal structure of rock music. He played "deep in the pocket" otherwise known as a "fat groove". It is hard to play that way and sound together. Bonham's feel is a big part of Zeppelin's sound. Add to that the heaviness of his playing and the sound he achieves, and you can see why without Bonham there is no Led Zeppelin. Later in his career Peart explored laying back more and studied groove. It wasn't something that came naturally to him.
As it regards Ringo, I'm not a great fan and I think the Beatles would have benefitted from a better drummer. His playing is fine but I think there are many who are just as good and would have been a good fit for the Beatles.
I am actually surprised nobody has mentioned Charlie Watts. Watts is seriously underrated. He helps the Stones swing. And I think he is superior to Ringo.
As it regards Ringo, I'm not a great fan and I think the Beatles would have benefitted from a better drummer. His playing is fine but I think there are many who are just as good and would have been a good fit for the Beatles.
It's so hard to tell though, because even though many of Ringo's parts can be played by a decent drummer, I'm not sure they would have been conceived by many of them.
A guy like Watts, whose feel I love... I'm not sure there are many Stones songs featuring a drum part I can easily identify as a Watts part if someone else played it perfectly. But Ringo provided a ton of easily recognizable parts. Would those parts have been created or surpassed by another drummer? We'll never know.
No other instrument can do that to the whole band like a drummer, IMO. It's too bad the awesome power of drums is wielded by drummers, the most likely people on earth to misappropriate that power!
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As it regards Ringo, I'm not a great fan and I think the Beatles would have benefitted from a better drummer. His playing is fine but I think there are many who are just as good and would have been a good fit for the Beatles.
It's so hard to tell though, because even though many of Ringo's parts can be played by a decent drummer, I'm not sure they would have been conceived by many of them.
A guy like Watts, whose feel I love... I'm not sure there are many Stones songs featuring a drum part I can easily identify as a Watts part if someone else played it perfectly. But Ringo provided a ton of easily recognizable parts. Would those parts have been created or surpassed by another drummer? We'll never know.
Watts makes you dance to the Stones. Watts is the sexy of the Stones music, which is huge. If it was Ringo playing on those songs, honestly I don't think it would be nearly as good. Good drumming on Stones songs.. there are plenty. Maybe you are not much of a fan. Start with Honky Tonk Women, Can't You Hear me Knocking, Gimme Shelter (epic menacing groove), Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil... dark, swinging, sexy.. is Watts.
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In comment 15167088 Producer said:
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As it regards Ringo, I'm not a great fan and I think the Beatles would have benefitted from a better drummer. His playing is fine but I think there are many who are just as good and would have been a good fit for the Beatles.
It's so hard to tell though, because even though many of Ringo's parts can be played by a decent drummer, I'm not sure they would have been conceived by many of them.
A guy like Watts, whose feel I love... I'm not sure there are many Stones songs featuring a drum part I can easily identify as a Watts part if someone else played it perfectly. But Ringo provided a ton of easily recognizable parts. Would those parts have been created or surpassed by another drummer? We'll never know.
Watts makes you dance to the Stones. Watts is the sexy of the Stones music, which is huge. If it was Ringo playing on those songs, honestly I don't think it would be nearly as good. Good drumming on Stones songs.. there are plenty. Maybe you are not much of a fan. Start with Honky Tonk Women, Can't You Hear me Knocking, Gimme Shelter (epic menacing groove), Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil... dark, swinging, sexy.. is Watts.
No no, I didn't mean to imply I didn't think there is no good drumming in the entire Stones catalog. But his parts are more straight-ahead and fundamental than what you'll hear in a lot of later-day Beatles tunes, which are more compositional.
Also, Ringo delivered the danceable R&B stuff very well in their early years.
No other instrument can do that to the whole band like a drummer, IMO. It's too bad the awesome power of drums is wielded by drummers, the most likely people on earth to misappropriate that power!
But was McCartney’s comment more about how good Ringo was, or just how bad Pete Best was. Their label told them they would not allow Best to play on any record. They could tour with him, but they had to find another studio drummer.
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I just have to defer to the quote from McCartney I provided earlier. To hear him talk about how the entire band responded the moment Ringo took over for Pete Best -- how recalling the memory actually made him choke up a bit -- tells volumes.
No other instrument can do that to the whole band like a drummer, IMO. It's too bad the awesome power of drums is wielded by drummers, the most likely people on earth to misappropriate that power!
But was McCartney’s comment more about how good Ringo was, or just how bad Pete Best was. Their label told them they would not allow Best to play on any record. They could tour with him, but they had to find another studio drummer.
yes. A bit of both I suspect. I'm sure Ringo elevated their sound. He was a pro drummer. He is a great drummer there is no doubt. I'm sure he was a good participant bringing the music to tape. But he's not in Bonham's class. Bonham almost defines Zeppelin's sound. And I like the swing of Watts better.
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In comment 15167120 santacruzom said:
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I just have to defer to the quote from McCartney I provided earlier. To hear him talk about how the entire band responded the moment Ringo took over for Pete Best -- how recalling the memory actually made him choke up a bit -- tells volumes.
No other instrument can do that to the whole band like a drummer, IMO. It's too bad the awesome power of drums is wielded by drummers, the most likely people on earth to misappropriate that power!
But was McCartney’s comment more about how good Ringo was, or just how bad Pete Best was. Their label told them they would not allow Best to play on any record. They could tour with him, but they had to find another studio drummer.
yes. A bit of both I suspect. I'm sure Ringo elevated their sound. He was a pro drummer. He is a great drummer there is no doubt. I'm sure he was a good participant bringing the music to tape. But he's not in Bonham's class. Bonham almost defines Zeppelin's sound. And I like the swing of Watts better.
I don't even mention Bonham in conversations like these because I just kind of consider him a consensus.
That Fool In The Rain isolated drum clip someone posted earlier is fantastic. I always appreciated his part but never heard all those subtleties until now.
John Henry Bonham
Vinnie Colaiuta
Stewart Copeland
Neil Peart
Danny Carey
Dave Grohl
Granted there are many great all Around drummers-But these guys completely dominated, revolutionized the sound and were most influential. But thems be the studs.
It was Page, not Bonham, who came up with the idea and set up the drum kit in the middle of a foyer/stairway of an old house, among other things, that gave the drums a unique sound on that song.
I'm far from the biggest Zep fan, but wonder how much Page had to do with the drum sounds on other songs. Of course Bonham was the one with the sticks.
McCartney is a legend, but it isn't because of his drumming.
Ringo was the perfect drummer for the Beatles, he evolved through the British invasion to the point where his style became definitive, minimalist in a new and creative way - his drumming on "Ticket to Ride" is a fantastic example of how he made a simple pop song so much better, his fills on "A Day in the Life" another wonderful example. The Beatles simply wouldn't have been better with any other drummer.
Learn something new everyday ;)
Incidentally, I found out recently that I got married on the anniversary (24th) of Moon's death. So I've got that going for me.
It was Page, not Bonham, who came up with the idea and set up the drum kit in the middle of a foyer/stairway of an old house, among other things, that gave the drums a unique sound on that song.
I'm far from the biggest Zep fan, but wonder how much Page had to do with the drum sounds on other songs. Of course Bonham was the one with the sticks.
The rest is history.
As I understand it, the drum part on "When the Levee Breaks" wound up as it did because Bonhams new drum kit was delivered while the band was already recording in that house - with nowhere to really put it, they set it up in the vestibule.
The rest is history.
That's not how they explained it in the doc. They gave the credit to Page, as if it was intentional, but who knows.
I mentioned him and his star turn at Woodstock. He still kicks ass 50 years later.
unbelievable metal drummer. Best I have ever seen.
You're talking about this guy right?
Awesome Santana drum solo - ( New Window )
Among the sixties clan, Peart has also picked out Cream’s iconic percussionist Ginger Baker as an unstoppable influence on his career. “His playing was revolutionary,” Peart told Rolling Stone in 2009, “extrovert, primal, and inventive. He set the bar for what rock drumming could be. I certainly emulated Ginger’s approaches to rhythm — his hard, flat, percussive sound was very innovative. Everyone who came after built on that foundation. Every rock drummer since has been influenced in some way by Ginger — even if they don’t know it.”
My pick is Mr. Baker.