Rock Revival's Top Best 20 Drummers of All Time

Here's a list to compliment our top guitarist, bass player and vocalist lists. This should be equally controversial. I have looked at drummers accross all genres, with a special emphasis, perhaps, on prog, funk and jazz given they seem to be the most demanding. let me know what you think

1 Art Blakey (and the Jazz Messengers)



The master of the instrument. It's sometimes hard to believe that he can produce the power the subtelty and most of all the groove that he does. Proof that a drummer can indeed be the leader of the band.

2 Neil Peart (Rush)

Always in the top three of any list, for good reason. The man all prog drummers look to for inspiration

3 Dennis Chambers (Parliament/Santana/ Niacin/ Steely Dan)

Lesser known, but the producer of incredible funk; master of precision, played with everyone

4 Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown)

The Funky Drummer himself; no Clyde = no Hip-Hop, although some of you might say that's a good thing.

5 Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)

I have lost many brain cells listening to him on my ipod, complexity and force par excellence

6 Gene Krupa

If you havent heard this jazz great you havent heard what the drum can do

7 Keith Moon (The Who)

The sloppiest member of the group, a rock drummer in the true sense of the word (ie: a madman)

8 Billy Cobham

Drummer for Mahivishnu Orchestra and solo (check out 1973 album Spectrum). The best fusion drummer ever.

9 Jon Theodore (Mars Volta)

Not sure how he does this; Mars Volta rock !

10 Phil Selway (Radiohead)

Certainly the most progressive on the list; clicks and beats that made the second stage of Radiohead's sound

11 Jack DeJohnette (ECM label)

He creates an atmosphere with his drums that noone else can do, a feeling of floating thru air, a container for the esoteric jazz that makes you feel you are inside it (ok, I'm trying my best to describe it)

12 Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson)

13 Ginger Baker (Cream)

14 Ian Paice (Deep Purple)

Check out the drums on Burn, enough said.

15 David Garabaldi (Tower Of Power)

Soul with a Capital S; Tower of Power bring the funk like no other, if you havent heard them you havent really lived !

16 John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)

Rest in peace; this shot captures what he could sound like.

17 Buddy Miles (Band Of Gypsys)

The man Hendrix chose after experience, previously of Electric Flag, died this year too.

18 Dave Mackintosh (Dragonforce)

Picked for pure speed, maybe he's really a robot.

19 Zigaboo Modeliste (The Meters)

20 Jason Rullo (Symphony X)

See Neal Peart for his inspiration