What is a great band without its drummer? Not much, honestly. In rock especially—an animal music where rhythm rules—everything rests on those sticks. Woodbrass takes you on a tour of the ten most talented hitters in the history of rock.
First off, any list of ten drummers leaves a lot of worthy names out, many of whom are right up there with the finalists. For this selection, we considered technique of course, sound, legacy, and above all the musician’s contribution to the band they’re in. We also stuck to straight-ahead rock, so don’t be surprised not to find giants like Krupa or Cobham here.
Stewart Copeland
The Police’s drummer flung the doors of rock drumming wide open in the late ’70s. At a time when most British drummers played punk fast and raw, Copeland folded reggae feel into his playing, showing the way to the next generation. That didn’t stop him from being aggressive, powerful, and wildly energetic—but always with finesse and inventiveness.
gear: Tama, Paiste
must-hear: The Police – Walking On The Moon
Ringo Starr
It’s easy to dismiss Ringo as a plain, groove-less drummer, and he’s often billed as the least gifted of the Beatles. While his singing career didn’t carry the weight of McCartney’s, he tracked some of the most legendary drum parts ever—always original and often instantly recognizable (think of the “Come Together” roll!). And what would the Beatles’ albums be without that laid-back, almost lazy feel? If Lennon asked Ringo to play on his solo records when he could have hired any drummer, there had to be a reason…
gear: Ludwig
must-hear: The Beatles – A Day In The Life
Phil Rudd
Phil Rudd is a bit like the Ringo Starr of the ’70s: drummers knock him for lacking flash, and it’s easy to forget that AC/DC’s entire edifice rests on his shoulders. He keeps a low profile, avoids flashy fills, and never played a solo on stage. Yet no drummer can lock down the groove so calmly in a band where groove is the main event. In fact, the ten years when Phil was out of the band yielded some of AC/DC’s least compelling albums.
gear: Sonor, Paiste
must-hear: AC/DC – Night Prowler
Ginger Baker
Baker was already a respected drummer on the London jazz/blues scene in the ’60s when he joined the trio Cream with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce. But it was within that supergroup that he truly stunned his peers with a flawless, virtuosic approach. He was the first to use two bass drums, and every modern metal drummer owes him a debt for that! He also folded African influences into his playing, making his style one of the richest in rock.
gear: Ludwig, Zildjian
must-hear: Cream – Toad
Dave Lombardo
Few metal drummers have married pure violence, technical prowess, and groove so completely. With Slayer, Dave Lombardo has always juggled those three strengths. He has the aggression demanded by the band’s punk-tinged thrash, the technique to pull off fills you need five listens to fully grasp while keeping the double kick churning underneath, and he can even give the band’s ternary tunes a near-danceable feel (listen to “Piece By Piece”). His talent goes well beyond Slayer, too—check his stellar work with Fantômas, Testament, and Grip Inc.
gear: Tama, Paiste
must-hear: Slayer – Angel Of Death
Nicko McBrain
The first thing that comes to mind with Nicko McBrain is the massive sound he gets—few drummers achieve that thickness while keeping a bright, quick attack. Technically, he’s hugely impressive and created many of heavy metal’s go-to moves, notably the galloping rhythm heard in many Iron Maiden tracks.
gear: Premier, Paiste
must-hear: Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills (live on “Live After Death”)
Neil Peart
Love Mike Portnoy (ex–Dream Theater)? Then you’ll adore Neil Peart! Put simply, he’s Portnoy but more effective—and the New Yorker borrowed plenty of licks from the Canadian, along with a taste for oversized kits… Over 40 years in the progressive-rock trio Rush, he cemented his take on odd-meter rock, balancing extreme complexity (without burying the musical idea) with straight-ahead big rock support (see “Tom Sawyer”).
gear: DW, Sabian
must-hear: Rush – YYZ
Keith Moon
Rock history remembers Keith Moon as much for his wild excesses and fondness for sinking luxury cars in swimming pools as for his drumming. But he fully deserves a podium spot among the greatest drummers of all time. “Moon the Loon” was just as extreme behind the kit, with a merciless attack (he landed The Who gig by smashing the previous drummer’s bass drum—which clearly wasn’t hit as hard) and chatty, cascading fills that always matched Roger Daltrey’s phrasing. Not to mention the on-stage kit explosions.
gear: Premier, Zildjian
must-hear: The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again
Dave Grohl
No, not every drummer on this list peaked in 1965! Dave Grohl hit the mainstream with Nirvana in the ’90s like a real-life Animal from The Muppet Show. Beyond his power, colossal sound, and ultra-clean technique, the constant with Grohl is the sheer joy he seems to take in hitting heads without mercy. He’ll seize any chance to back other bands—Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, Tenacious D… You could almost forget he’s the singer and guitarist of one of the biggest rock bands on the planet, Foo Fighters.
gear: DW, Zildjian
must-hear: Queens Of The Stone Age – No One Knows
John Bonham
If there could only be one, it’d be Bonham! The most sampled—and most imitated—rock drummer ever, for good reason: every note he played drew on a quiet force that powered Led Zeppelin into the pantheon of the heaviest, most electrifying rock bands. He could go off the rails while staying perfectly in control (“Since I’ve Been Loving You” on the BBC Sessions), keep it to three hits when the song needed it (that insane intro to “When the Levee Breaks”), delivered the ultimate drum solo (“Moby Dick”), and sometimes played with four sticks (“Four Sticks”). No one has truly replaced Bonham yet—and we may be waiting a while for his successor.
gear: Ludwig, Paiste
must-hear: Led Zeppelin – When The Levee Breaks
