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- Christian Vander. You could say that French bandleader Christian Vander is among the top drummers not principally known first and foremost for drumming.
- Travis Barker. Blink-182's Travis Barker is one of the most famous drummers of the new millennium thanks to his hardcore sensibility, skater aesthetic, hip-hop energy, pop appeal and reality TV-ready baby face — not to mention his ease working with EDM superstars or rappers, and DJ-ing in his spare time.
- Steven Adler. Guns N' Roses' landmark debut, Appetite for Destruction, gets much of its swagger from the tense yet swinging beats of Steven Adler, the band's energetically goofy drummer.
- Cindy Blackman. In 1993, Blackman altered the course of her career, shifting from a Tony Williams–style jazz ace to an arena-playing rock star as a member of Lenny Kravitz's live band.
- Neil Peart. There’s never been a band quite like Rush, and there’s certainly never been a drummer quite like Neil Peart. Consider the reasoning and it’s clear to see why you have voted the Rush drummer as the definitive GOAT.
- John Bonham. Brace yourself. This is a poll of the greatest drummers of all time, and John Bonham isn’t number one. Surprising, given that Bonzo is widely celebrated as the absolute best by so many, and the evidence is all there.
- Buddy Rich. Drummer, innovator, band leader: to many, Buddy Rich is and always will be the definitive GOAT. Bursting to prominence during the golden age of jazz and big band, Buddy Rich had actually been performing in Broadway since he was a toddler, giving him the perfect grounding to shock the world with his speed around the kit, showmanship and ability to play complicated arrangements from memory (Buddy did not read music).
- Ginger Baker. As we approach the top of your rankings, there’s a theme emerging: many great drummers also had the personalities to match, and Ginger Baker was no exception.
- Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan
- Anika Nilles
- Matt Cameron
- Brian Blade
- Matt Garstka
- Will Calhoun
- Tony Royster Jr.
- Joey Jordison
- Josh Freese
- Abe Laboriel Jr.
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Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan was the drummer for the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. He began playing the drum set when he was ten years old. During his early years, his primary areas of focus included rock, fusion, and thrash metal. He also studied drum theory and technique. Throughout his time with Avenged Sevenfold, Sullivan became known for his...
Anika Nilles became a YouTube sensation when she released her first video “Alter Ego.” She started drumming when she was six years old and has since studied with master educators like Claus Hessler and Jost Nickel. In addition to releasing play-through videos on her YouTube channel, Nilles performs with Nevell as well as her own band. Her playing s...
Matt Cameron is best known for his work with Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Cameron began performing professionally in San Diego when he was 14 years old. At the age of 20, Cameron moved to Seattle. It was in Seattle that he met the members of Soundgarden. It wasn’t until the late 1990s when he joined Pearl Jam as their permanent drummer. Matt Cameron ...
Brian Blade is one of the most accomplished contemporary jazz drummers of the past 20 years. He grew up listening to gospel music, and when he was a teenager, he began playing the drums. When he started drumming, he discovered legends like Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. In addition to leading his own group, Brian Blade & T...
Matt Garstka became the drummer for the progressive metal band Animals as Leaders in 2012. When Garstka was young, his father introduced him to blues, reggae, and rock music. By the time he was a teenager, he had already begun playing jazz, fusion, and Latin music. By learning how to play all of these different styles, Garstka set himself up for su...
Will Calhoun is an accomplished drummer from New York known for being a member of the band Living Colour. While Calhoun is typically considered a rock drummer, he has also had a successful career playing blues, jazz, fusion, pop, and hip-hop music. He has performed with Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Mos Def, B.B. King, Paul Simon, P...
Tony Royster Jr. won the 1995 Guitar Center Drum-Off Competition when he was just 11 years old. When he was young, his drumming heroes were two of the greatest fusion drummers in history: Billy Cobham and Dennis Chambers. His drumming frequently demonstrates his blazing fast hand and foot speed, as well as his incorporation of “gospel chops” and li...
Joey Jordison is best known for his work with Slipknot. He joined the band in 1995 and continued to record and perform with them until the end of 2013. Jordison is known for his double bass drumming and his incredible speed and endurance. On stage, you will typically find him seated behind a massive double bass drum kit, masked or unmasked. In addi...
Josh Freese is known for his work as a touring and session drummer, and as the new drummer for the Foo Fighters. He started playing the drums when he was eight years old, and by the age of 12, he was performing professionally in the Disneyland Top 40 Band. Freese began playing with Dweezil Zappa at the age of 19 and later went on to work with Sting...
Abe Laboriel Jr. is a touring and session drummer best known for his work with Paul McCartney. Having been mentored by Jeff Porcaro himself, Laboriel was bound for success. He began playing the drums when he was four years old, and by the time he was 21, Laboriel was playing with Steve Vai. Since the 1990s, he has also performed with Sting, Eric Cl...
Discover the top drummers of all time in order, based on their innovation, technical ability, and achievements. Learn about their styles, influences, and recommended albums from rock, jazz, metal, and more.
- Gene Krupa. Born in 1909, we have first up jazz drummer Gene Krupa. The man peaked in his career during the 1920s and ’30s, along with another drumming legend, Buddy Rich.
- Max Roach. Born in 1924 in North Carolina, drummer Maxwell Lemuel Roach was one of the first drummers to play the jazz-inspired style known as bebop. He trained classic percussion for a time at the Manhattan School of Music before co-founding a record company and performing with big-name musicians and singers at the time, like Louis Armstrong and Dinah Washington.
- John Bonham. If you love the fast, powerful beats of Led Zeppelin, then you most likely love the man behind the drums: John Bonham. Born in 1948, the English drummer was influenced by the above-mentioned Max Roach and brought his drumming skills to Led Zeppelin in 1968.
- Buddy Rich. Let’s go back to classic jazz sounds with Buddy Rich, who was highly esteemed in the genre with his drumming skills. From Brooklyn, New York, Rich was already talented at the drums at the young age of two, and he only continued to improve his skill as he grew older.
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- John Bonham. John Bonham, who died aged just 32, in September 1980, following a night of ferocious drinking, was another drummer in awe of the jazz masters.
- Keith Moon. Londoner Keith Moon was only 31 when he died, of an overdose, in September 1978. The Who drummer, who also worked with Jimmy Page and John Lennon, had a reputation for wild behaviour, but was one of the most distinctive and influential drummers in the history of rock.
- Neil Peart. Canadian drummer and songwriter Neil Peart was born on September 12, 1952 and, like so many of the drummers on this list, was inspired after watching The Gene Krupa Story.
- Ginger Baker. Londoner Ginger Baker, who helped invent the rock power trio and reluctantly became the genre’s first star drummer, during a multi-faceted and always eventful career, was born on August 19, 1936.
Mar 6, 2024 · A list of the best drummers of all time, from jazz and rock to metal and hip-hop, featuring legends such as Moe Tucker, Joey Jordison, Cozy Powell and Questlove. Learn about their styles, influences and achievements in this comprehensive feature.
May 3, 2011 · Of the famous British drummers who stunned the world in the ’60s bill has been most successful at continuing to evolve, taking chances and staying relevant. Leaving Yes at the height of their popularity took guts. He conquered electronic drums in the ’80s before settling back to acoustic jazz. Essential downloads: Yes: Close To The Edge
