Best Rock Drummers

Haha best drummer thread...classic!

They all start with Neil Peart or John Bonham with a non-rock tip of the hat to Buddy Ruch. There’s also Keith Moon up there as well.

Better to ask professional drummers who they admire most and I guarantee Neil Peart won’t hit the top ten.

I have a ’crieria’ which I ’judge’ drummers but I use it to quantify every type of artist: it’s a countdown from ’facility/skill’ to creativity to something a bit rarer...something the best artist strive to have but is something that cannot be taught. It is fearlessness.

If it was fearlessness alone, Elvin Jones, Steve Gadd or Keith Moon would be at the top of the list.

If it was creativity alone, Max Roach, Steve Gadd, Steve Smith, Vinnie Colaiutta are up there. I’m sure I’m missing a few.

If it was musicality alone, Jeff Porcaro, Hal Blaine, John Bonham

My criteria:

5. Facility

4.Influential contribution

3.Musicality

2.Creativity

1.Fearlessness

This is why Neil Peart would never crack the top 20 in my list and why I rate John Bonham in the top 5.

I’m a huge Steve Smith fan. His solo on Journey Captured Live is the best recorded rock solo in my book. But he is not fearless like Max Roach or Elvin Jones or Keith Moon.

I think Neil Peart is a great drummer and I’m a huge Rush fan.

I think the best living drummers are still Steve Gadd and Vinnie Colaiutta.

Keith Moon lived such an outrageous life, he would have re-learn how to play the drums before recording the later albums. 

As good as Bonham is, he was not as fearless as Moon. It is true that Moon would play over things that most session drummers would dare not try. It's something only novices attempt.  But he's fearless...he made it work and The Who's style allowed for it. 

There is more consistent badass style with Bonham from song to song. But Moon gives me goosebumps on just the few songs he's great at.

Best Rock Drummer is a really fun...but it's a joke. Everyone has their great moments and made their contributions. They're all great. I think Ringo is fantastic...it took me a long time to realize that he simply deferred to the music. He was also mire influential than Buddy Rich to aspiring drummers.