Greatest Rock Drummers of All Time

Not to take anything away from Peart but I prefer ELP's, Carl Palmer.

Separate the jazz from the rock. Neil Peart isn't in the same galaxy as Buddy Rich, can't do a huge swath of things technically that a decently schooled jazz drummer can, and would instantly agree...and Neil Peart is a very gifted drummer. A gifted, precise, strong prog-rock drummer who never had his dynamics tested, and accurately criticizes himself for lacking groove and feel, for playing everything at fff, studied the control and rudiments and touch and stick control of jazz, at length, in recent years, from jazz teachers. No more worship - the guy's just a topnotch rock pro who made legit music - not a god. Listen and enjoy.

Love Neil. but we have to avoid phrases like "most drumming aficionados..."; I've been a drummer, music writer, (Phil Collins apologist) and student of jazz and progressive rock for 35 years...I own about half of all the Rush albums. I always found Peart - apart from being intelligent and physically strong - to be robotic, VERY limited in his dynamics (has less groove the less intense the music, for example), and always lands brutally ON the beat. Peart himself has spoken of studying hard to find more touch and groove. Peart himself wrote a Phil Collins tribute calling him one of his greatest influences, and unparalleled in his ability to combine odd meters and "refined technique "with a feel-goodcapacity to make the beat sound not-odd"; called Collins work on Selling England... as a perfect "masterpiece of drumming". Peart is/was a hard working powerhouse. But just as easily critique-able as a drummer as anyone else, with genuine musical limitations. Not the way to listen to music...but neither is treating musicians like superheroes. Educated opinions will always come up with a different view.

Buddy Rich was not a rock drummer. As such does not make the list. Best overall drummer is a different discussion.

Neil Peart is the best percussionist and drummer ever in Rock n Roll. Rivaled only by Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa.

Neil Peart? did you mean the most awesome drummer of all time?

rite where he needs to be.but anybody who thinks dave grohl or travis barker belongs in this list at all dont kno drums or is narrowminded..vinnie appice (dio ..sabbath) who isnt on list at all blows those 2 guys away combined..carl palmer #3

as much as I love travis and Tommy I voted for this guy he is the best

Neil is the king of the offbeat. His changes constantly are second to none. Takke the solo in YYZ for instance. They start the song roll into his incredible solo and then pick up with the song on the exact beat exactly where they left off. Many have tried to match this talent and have failed. This man is the best.

Neil is the greatest. You are overrated. Talk about overrated, copeland is a joke, tired boring fills, unimaginative.

Why isn't Buddy Rich in this spot?!

Buddy Rich towers over them all and Neil is honest enough to admit it.

Definately he is the best. The perfection in every single movement.

If anyone disagrees with this listen to Tom Sawyer and wet your pants

Neil Peart is unarguably the best drummer ever. Thats coming from a guy when Rush is his seventh favorite band. (Followed by Yes, An Endless Sporadic, John Coltrane, Dream Theater, King Crimson, and Transatlantic) He just wins. No one can come up with the **** he does. Its too out there, in a good way. The only other drummers that closely compare are Bruford, Bonham, and Portnoy. No one else comes nearly as close in rock-drumming talent and technicality. He does even more than drumming, he wrote a HUGE portion for Rush and just had an excellent knack for playing. He is a god of Rock and deserves to be remembered forever in history. Also, i'll mention that half the drummers on this list are Prog-drummers.

Vote 4 ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (thats me lol) I wanna win

It's hard to define the "best" at anything. However, if someone is an influence to you, well that says alot about that person. If you poll all drummers around the world, from the top professionals to the air-drumming amateur, i'm sure fellow Canadian Neil Peart would be at the top again. So if "influence" validates "best", then there you go. (however everytime I see him play I want to both practice more AND quit at the same time because I suck in comparison! What inner tension of inspirational-resignation! So Rush-esq I must say....CL)

Neil Peart Is The Best Drummer Of All Time, Hands Down. Sure, Some People Can Play Really Fast, But What Makes Neil's Drumming The Best, Is The Time Signature Changes, The Complexity, And The Amazing Lyrics That He Writes. Put That All Into One And You Have The Best Drummer Ever, Neil Peart.

Neil is the professor. the drum god. None play the drums as well, and none ever will. Not even the awesome Buddy Rich, who should definitely be second on this list.

there. now neil is where he deserves to be. the top spot. easily the best. he along with keith moon, best at every part of the drum kit.

Another Drummer that should be near the top of this list Is Alan White of Yes phenominal drummer and what about Carman Appice.

I am a drummer myself I have studied many different drummers for many years My son is also a very successful rock drummer . He would definitely vote for Bonham but I think Peart without a doubt is light years ahead of anyone. There are a pile of good drummers out there people But I don't see Billy Cobham or Ian Paice on this list Comeon These Guys are Legends

Bonham is immensely important. And I would have him on this list. But "technicality" is not that much of a strength. It is good, good enough to have played innovative music with Zeppelin. But his strength is impact and feel - technique is only (as it should be) enough to deliver the goods.

He is my vote for the # 1 Rock drummer. I say rock, because fusion,jazz etc. are a different world. His Ludwig Speed King single bass pedal rivals double bass players out there. His speed,intensity and most of all soul can not be questioned. The guy is a rock drumming icon

Anyone who thinks he's not the best really should listen to Achilles Last Stand. He's not only amazing, but keeps up incredible intensity and precision for over 10 minutes.

#1 he play with only 1 bass drum wow

Bonham was the greatest! He hit everything. He pounded the drums hard without losing any technique. He knew when to be subtle. He is truly the greatest ever.

i think he should be number one for sure, just the groove he had , the speed and persision all at the same time, foot like a jack rabbit. truely the best

Seriously? He was the best!!

should be number one

Bonham is the greatest drummer of all time. It is an absolute crime he is not at #1. No one can touch him with a 1,000 foot pole when it comes to drumming. Quote on quote "John Bonham died so he could join heavens rock band." If you disagree with me just listen to his song "Moby Dick" live at Royal Albert Hall.

vote 4 me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (thats me lol) I wanna win

If Holly mother of god , can describe drumming chops Bonham had them in aces. Totally original, powerful , fearless, and still could stand back and take us through Stairway to heaven" while exploding when need be.

This is a drumming legend. All others pale beside him.....

he is the master at technicality. If you are a drummer, three names to idolize: Neil Pert, Keith Moon, and John Bonham.

#1. Just listen to Won't Get Fooled Again" It's the greatest drum track in rock history

#2 intensive genial

not the most skilled but the most original drummer ever,just look around him in 1964 and you,ll get my point..was the neil peart of the 60,s because he brought drums to the front of a band was noticed where the rest hid and were boring to watch and listen to

Yes!!! amazing drummer and he is mad!!! :D

A bit of a polariser. By any technical standards, he was poor; lots of raw aggression, but unable to keep a steady beat. But this was part of The Who's sound - can you imagine The Who with a technical drummer like Phil Collins? Just wouldn't work.

The best EVER! Example: "Won't get fooled again"!!!, "My Generation", "I Can See for miles", "Cobwebs and Strange" and "Go to the Mirror". Impressive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overrated? Pffft. Keith Moon may have been overshadowed by his antics but he was the most original drummer ever. And the since The Who are better than any group on this list, Moon goes to the top.

Yeah, but Ringo was the perfect drummer for the Beatles

The booze and drugs DID take away from his live performances. All the more reason to say that he's UNDER-RATED, not OVER-RATED, you dumb idiots.He should be at #3, but unfortunately Bonham is better. Ringo Starr should be down at #50 or so.

I disagree with the 'highly overrated' comment. It's all very well saying you were pulling Moon's repertoire in a year, but, Keith Moon revolutionised rock drumming. In the early 60s when he started playing with The Who (or The Detours as they were then), he was doing things no other drummer was doing. Most other drummers at that time were just playing "boom-cha". There are isolated drum tracks on YouTube of Keith, and you should check out 'Young Man Blues' from Leeds (in particular)...astounding. It's a crying shame that Keith's ability and style are overlooked by his crazy behaviour. And the comment above about Ringo being superior because he didn't step on anyone's toes, well, if you truly listen to The Who, not only was Keith's drumming absolutely perfect for Pete's songs, but he left a lot of space for the others to shine - especially live, whilst having the most amazing amount of power and energy. A genius in my humble opinion.

Mooney - Loved the crazy SOB. unfortunately HIGHLY overrated . Anyone learning to play drums was pulling Moon's repertoir in a year (I did) Now, his penchant for booze and drugs did take a LOT away from his talent so why critizise the dead specially when he was so much fun to watch desintegrate in public.

one of the best, very creative, a maestro, top 5 for sure

Listen to "One More red Nightmare"... he's genius. Listen to "Heart of the Sunrise"... he's genius! Listen to "Lark's Tongues in aspic"... he's genius! listen to "Close to the Edge"... he's genius! Listen to "Yours is no disgrace"... he's genius! So... Bill is genius!

Brilliant drummer for the likes of prog kings: King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Bruford and UK. His innovative drumming ,extraordinary syncopation. Major influence on some of the greatest drummers of the past 20 years..

I think he deserves his place near the top actually.For one reason.Sheer power.He is also a very humble genuine guy and wouldnt place himself so high.But for power,hes one of the best.

You will all kill me, but anyway... I think he is massively overrated. The fact he was in a legendary band doesn't make him better. He is not bad but not excellent.

Seriously people. Zeppelin reunion would have toured with him. Too bad it won't happen, but it's not David Grohl's fault

Well put my friend....i even think his foo fighters drummer (taylor hawkins) is much better

Dave himself would not feel like he belonged on this list, because he is a true musician and a humble guy. Good drummer... you bet! Great / ground-breaking drummer... nope. The fact that Grohl, Travis Barker, etc. are so high up on this list reveals the lack of either humility and/or musical knowledge of the posters who vote them up. Lay off the hair gel, kids, and do your homework. There is SO much great music highlighting true geniuses on drums... don't be lazy and fall for the popularity contests!

don't forget Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of the stone age! :)

Greatest drummer to emerge in the last 20 years.

An adequate drummer at best. In the right place at the right time; think RIngo Starr.

if anybody knows anything about music you would know he was nirvanas drummer and also drums for queens of the stone age he not just " GIUTARIST FOR THE FOO FIGHTERS!" very talented drummer but needs to be behind danny carey of course who should up closer to number 1!

Umm there's a reason why every1 who starts playing learns nirvana first, definitely influential but not top 10 worthy based on skill wheres Dave Lombardo?

"He plays drums? Glad for him but he obviously shouldn't be in the top 100" You haven't seen/heard him then - think Josh from QOS stated he's the best rock drummer, period.

He plays drums? Glad for him but he obviously shouldn't be in the top 100.

He also drummed for early Foo Fighters,

He also played drums for Tenacious D

Also played drums for Queens of the stone age

Um, he played drums for Nirvana before Foo Fighters.

Excellent drummer, very underrated. Nice to see him back behind the kit in Them Crooked Vultures.

POWER and exquiste sense of rythm and melody . Grooves TOTALLY original . Perhaps had he decided on one instrument he coulve been the GREATEST ROCK drummer of all times.But what he served , he did with inmense gusto and technique.

great drummer, but not quite WOW great...

Um, Dave Grohl is the guitar player for the Foo Fighters

The worlds greatest drummer ever is Mike portnoy

Mike portnoy is the best drummer in the world.

Bonham and Peart are truley legends, but Portnoy is definetly the best Drummer of all time

Dudes lol Mike Portnoy should be after John Bonham and Neil Peart... yep that's 3rd place to spare you time...

Why is Mike so low? He kicks every drummers ass above him but Peart and anyone that has ever heard him play knows that

Portnoy is seriously one of the greatest drummers of all time. If you know anything about drumming, just listen to his timing (or should I say off-timing) and you will know that there are many challenges to his play. I would put him up against anyone. Neal Peart is probably the closest to his playing style...

dude,this guy is awesome

....why is Portnoy so low?

Honestly, just listen to the first three seconds of Honor Thy Father. You will understand.

One more - wanna hear A collins true solo on a tricky, intense fusion piece? Listen to 1976, Brand X at the Marquee Club, Nuclear Burn. Its out there - I mean out there, as well as findable.

Apart from Peart writing a tribute (Rhythm MagaZine, 2011) to Collins' technique, musicality, and unparalleled influence on his own effort to achieve groove and feeling while playing complex parts, John Wetton (of Crimson, of course) called Collins "hands down...the best drummer I've ever played with....tremendous technique", ability to listen and mesh with the bassist, and with greater musicality and ability to rock than BRUFORD, his excellent partner in some of Crimson's most adventurous music. If you automatically snicker when you hear Collins' name, just research - the young, long haired Collins, especially in concert, played some of the most over-the-top complex and involved parts that were simultaneously fluid and exciting, almost melodic (Peart used the same word, along with lyrical) parts, with dynamics and timing heavily influenced by big-band jazz. At his best, it is hard to make a case for a more complete drummer in progressive music - not impossible, but sets a very high bar in the combination of technique (excellent, though not his main strength), imagination, intelligence, and musicality. I've studied and loved almost every prog and otherwise adventurous drummer out there, and I'm not a fan-boy (no matter what it sounds like) - I dare anyone to listen to Firth Of Fifth on Seconds Out, and imagine anyone else playing those VERY tricky times in the instrumental suite with that degree of feel, variation, and complexity while still being nice on the ears. Just sayin'

One of the best especially when playing for Genesis

Phil Collins also was the drummer for the legendary 1970s fusion outfit Brand X. He went from his prog-rock Genesis drumming to a more Cobham / Tony Williams influenced fusion style without any problem. He's on the "Undorthodox Behaviour" & "Morrocan Roll" Brand X albums & half of "Livestock" & "Product."

listen to his lunacy in "The musical box", his epic "Firth of Fifth", the powerfull "Grande Parade", the strong "Supper's Ready" and the dynamic "Cinema Show". Wowwwwww!!!!!!!!!!

A vastly underrated drummer!

At a Music product show, Phil sat on one of the very first electric drums and it became a ad-hoc clinic. In question was his . MASSIVE syncopated fills and he diclosed they were pushed on volume by the bass drum, impecable timing and claims , Ringo as his main influence. nuff said.

Matt is a powerful and creative artist who has been a long time integral part of two of the greatest bands of the last 20 years Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.

Incredible!

Far and away, the best drummer I've ever heard. His precision, speed, power, versatility and technical ability are incomparable.

Palmer is by far the greatest. Keith Moon was great and so are the others. Look at old you tube videos of EMERSON LAKE & PALMER for the early 70's

This ranking is a joke,Carl palmer is the best drummer in the world!

Palmer is the greatest drummer of all time!

THIS GUY IS MY HERO.......

Watch in youtube his perfomance with ELP of "Karn Evil 9". I found the jazz rock god! Better than Grohl obviously!

For me, Carl is probably the best...his classical training really shows and coupled with his fellow classically trained musicians made for some of the best music in any category. Pictures at an Exhibition is a must hear.

This drummer is hard to beat. I think he should be further up than this. Anyone ever hear or Toccoto? Incredible!!

Masiively underrated. Watch Toad and come back latter guys!

I don't agree with this ranking. Even if John Bonham were alive today, he would admit he was influenced by Ginger. (Quoted from JHB) Yes.. he is strong minded, but thats to be expected with brilliance of that statue.

ringo, charlie whats, mic fleetwood, phill collins before baker yeah right. how do people come up with this stuff. i can see buddy rich, neil pert and maybee keith moon...but ringo???baker is top three

Ginger had but ONE problem . he was not likeable or cute and did not take direction well . He had the chops and he wanted EVERYONE to see it. the ugliest drumming style ever , but his patterns , grooves and musicality were impecable . A lil less ego may had given him the Mansion Charlie Watts has.

Watch in Youtube his drum solo with Zappa. WOW!

he doesn't deserve to be on the top ten, neither to be on the top 50 best drummers.

I believe Terry has been a little undrated here.Just listen to Frank Zappa's album Zootalures and see if you agree.

Listen to "The Wizard" by the original Black Sabbath. Bill Ward plays the lead on drums.

Bill INVENTED Heavy Metal drumming. Truly remarkable, without him Lars and Danny Carey would sound like Ringo.

a unique snare drum sound, one of the best

Sting did help Stewart Copeland to create highly inventive rhythm patterns. Actually, the band's spontaneous style of playing did a great job for Stewart Copeland. There are a lot of other great drummers around but Copeland was the one who created a distinct style that will be remembered for generations yet to com. To me, Copeland is the finest percussionist in the world, ever!!! The way he plays is incomparable. He is the one and only Stewart Copeland and has a heavy influence on me. It's his multiple rhythms that really stick out in The Police. If course, I love to hear Neil Peart, but lately, I mean in later years, Peart could not create anything better than revolve around his own creative axis!!! That was never the case in the short tenure of Copeland with The Police. To me, Copeland is the best percussionist/drummer in a rock band, ever!!!

Drumming and weight lifting , with a slight touch of hand muffling and cymbal bells patterns for good measure. A lot of Stings prodigious Bass patterns owe a LOT to Copeland amazing musical talents.

Ian deserves to be higher on this list. He has such great technique, he has a great amount of speed in his drumming, and has inspired tons of drummers. His drum solos are great because he's so creative in said solos and they don't sound like carbon copies of Ginger Baker's "Toad". That's another drummer who should be higher. Ginger Baker. Anyway, if Ian Paice has an appropriate spot on this list, it should probably be around 7th-9th.

Over the span of time this Deep Purple drummer NEVER to leave the band had undoubtibly been one of rocks most influential drummers over and over. Speed King to Child In Time, Strange kind Of Woman to My Woman from Tokyo. His steadfast playing style, playing hard or so soft, the combinations, the four decades of playing alone makes him one of the top picks regardless. Working in one of ROCKS MOST INFLUENCIAL BANDS PERIOD should land him somewhere on the list of top ten drummers if not in the top 5. Ian you will always be one of my favorite drummers and musicians always!

Hontestly he should be #1 not saying that Peart isnt great, its just that buddy never had a single lesson, he couldn't read music, and is just inhuman

Buddy Rich hands down the greatest of all time While Neal is definetly the"professor" Buddy Was and Always Will Be The Master of the drum kit absolutely no contest!

Neil Peart (ranked 1) did a tribute to buddy Rich and references him as the best

Personally this guy is one of best drummers to ever use a drum set

If you asked any of these aforementioned drummers who the best of all time was, they would name Buddy Rich!

Buddy Rich was the BEST! NOBODY could touch him. I am a drummer and his solos make the rest of us look like underlings!!!!

Belongs in the top 5!

I'm sorry, but why on earth is Buddy not on at the top? It doesn't matter that it's rock and roll drummers, Buddy would whip all of their butts and send them home crying to mama. Except for Neil.

Although this is supposed to be R&R drummers. There was not much Rich could not do. his hand work was so effing fast you wonder how he got from floor tom to snare and you HEARD it but did not see it. His "buzzing" using the WHOLE snare and its tuning gave him sounds where todas drummers need 7 drums to achieve. The typical Jazz left hand hold and his finger dexterity made this possible where ever bzzzzz was clean and in tune (Listening Mr. Jazz Watts") . Ever seen a drummer do a whole song hust on the HH ? He did on the carson show. ANY of the new boys .. step forward!

Danny is without a shadow of a doubt the most powerful drummer on this list (Bonham being a close second), and arguably one of the most creative. To put Grohl, Collins and Cameron (even though they are great drummers in their own right) ahead of Danny is highly questionable to say the least. As far along as rock drumming has come it's truly mind blowing how Danny has raised the bar even higher. Nobody in the business today can come close to matching the tribal depth and overall mastery of the kit like Mr. longlegs. The entire Lateralus album is certainly one of the greatest drumming albums from start to finish. Mr. Carey is the only drummer that deserves to be on any top drummer list right after the old school drum gods like Bonham, Peart, Moon, Bruford, Bozzio, Palmer, etc. Not Lombardo (even though he is close) and definitely not Portnoy. Portnoy might have the talent but his drum parts are practically stale compared to Carey's. No amount of talent alone will ever replace innovative thinking when it comes to writing and arranging musical parts. When you have both the talent and the creative mind it becomes a lethal combo. DC is living proof of this. Long live Danny The Octopus Carey, and long live Rock 'N' Roll!!!!!!!!!!!! If Danny aint in your top ten list (maybe even top 6 or 7) then it aint much of a list!

Danny Carey is not only a legend with drums but also a great guy himself with calm exposer and wisdom. If you listen to ticks n leeches, you simply would say that drumming ends here. He's the most creative and alien drummer on earth and for the listeners, he is just too addicting so are the musics of TOOL. Danny Carey has no match and it is understandable that most of the ordinary people will not even understand his logic and philosophy in drumming and which is why probably the best man has the tag of 12 over here. His drumming might not make you dance but certainly will make you think. Salute to Danny ... May you live long.

Ringo ahead of Danny.. Really, really.. No one ever plays like Danny. He makes HIS own rhythm.. Very hard to copy his style. He's def. top ten..

This guys style and ability are a deadend for most, if not all, everyone else on the planet!

Should be #2, dude is amazing!

Bar None, THE BEST there is! If Danny isn't one of your favorite's you simply aren't listening. His style defys logic...how can one man with only 2 arms and 2 legs sound like he might be an Octopus? His timing is impecable. His philosophy's incomparable. If you haven't had the pleasure, may I suggest you start with Fortysix &2 and move on from there...you mind WILL be blown. Try YouTubing Danny Carey you will not be sorry.

has an amazing sense of rhythm. His songs change beat so much

He's one of the best. He's always perfect while recording in studio. One try and it's perfect. foREVer

i listened to many drumers and i think everyone has hes own style same as sullivan had so we cant talk about who was the best but about who we like more . .

I think 15th is a very appropriate spot for the Rev, He certainly wasn't the best by definition but he does deserve to be on this list and he didn't even have time to fully grow as a drummer. He may not be "the best" but he's definitely my favorite. Love you Jimmy!

The rev should easily be in the top 10, dont need to explain it because his drumming does it for me

If people think he should even be in the top 100 they obviously haven't listened to anything besides Avenged Sevenfold. I used to love them but I've realized they are not as good as people make them out to be, none of the members are the best anything.

Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan should be in a catagory all by himself. He was, is, and always will be the number 1 drummer in the World!!!

Jimmy was not just a drummer but a caring friend to the rest of the band and a very dedicated person.. i hope you are having fun in your afterlife

BEST drummer ever. If not #1, at least top 5.

i think he should be in the top 3 The Rev is apparently under appreciated in the general publics eyes not even in the top 100 according to rolling stones

If he wasnt dead he wouldnt even be in the top 200, Just because he has died

Jimmy 'THE REV' is 1 place for his amazing talent and piruets with sticks on the really hard songs!!!!

HE SHOULD BE AT LIKE # 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the best drummer and no one could say anything about it he should be 1 and then travis barker then neil peart

He died therefore he shoots to stardom, which makes him the greatest drummer..Herp Derp..

One of the best drummers of all time. He was right along side Mike Portnoy and Chris Adler. R.I.P Rev

he is the number one best drummer! damn! we love u R.I.P Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan

he sould be in the top 3,

for his age the rev was a very good drummer he was so creative R.I.P. Jimmy

One of the fastest and most skilled drummers, can continue a very complex and technical beat even while singing.

good drummer, not sure of top 5 though...great at technicals and splittin vocals along with it. may he rest in peace.

he is one of the best drummers and song writers ever metal till death

RIP, Jeff. Listen to the 16-note high-hat work on "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs. So much great studio work. As far as that goes, *any* drummer who worked successfully with Becker and Fagan gets a nod. Porcaro is top 5, for sure.

are you lot kidding? Porcaro down in 18th place.. sick! He made the rest of these guys look like they were drunkards beating pots and pans at an 18th birthday party!

Richard Marx dedicated the song "One Man" to him and said Porcaro was the best drummer he had ever worked with. Michael Jackson made a dedication to Porcaro in the liner notes for his 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.

hes on my top 10

AWESOME!!!!!!!

Rolling Stone had him in the top 5 I recall. Drum beat on Rosanna is rock solid

Amazing drummer!

LOMBARDO is the greatest drumme of all time.

lombardo is the beast should be top 1

Should be top 3.

Should be in top 10

Trust me. He really is one of the greatest. Greater than Peart. Peart doesn't even act like a real musician should. He's just Sitting there doing technicalities. That's not what music is about. I'm a musician and a drummer, so I actually know music. Trust me. The three greatest rock drummers are Keith Moon, Ringo Starr and John Bonham. They invented rock drumming. Starr really played with his heart, and if you say that he just did simple stuff, you obvioudly has very little knowledge about music and drumming.

One of the absolutely greatest and most groundbreaking drummers of all time. He invented the modern rock drumming, practically every rock drummer that came after him is inspired by him, whether they know it or not. He was a very musical drummer; a true musician.

John Lennon liked to put people down. He would not have asked Ringo to play on his solo albums if he'd thought he was a poor drummer

When asked in an interview if Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world, John Lennon answered "he's not even the best drummer in The Beatles". Should drop lower on the list.

I believe that Ringo is one of the best drummers of all time. He did pretty good and is still going today.

ringo should be number 1

I hate that Beatles players automatically get voted in the tops for things like this just because they're Beatles. Ringo's beats are ridiculously simple and boring and there are far better drummers out there.

Ya know, It would be different if he influenced some part of drumming, but let's be honest, he didn't. Maybe he was amazing, but he never really showed it. I agree, Buddy Rich would seriously outplay him with two appendages. Jimmy Chamberlin should also be alot higher.

Ringo over Mooney? What is wrong with you people?

Hahaha, Ringo at 4th? You must be kidding? Buddy Rich would outplay him with one hand and one foot.

There wasnt much to Ringo at the begining , until you see those old videos (specially the one in washington) where his right foot is a damn cannon, his bass crawling hell just stop hi left hand work and get it closer. His pounding was SAVAGE , the drums were not miked. and his timing metronomic. Suddenly Ringo is playing melodic drumming. From Something, to Come together . "GET BACK " and RAIN are his masterpieces . GRanted he is actually a left handed playing right hand so his left hand shots were ear shattering , and NO drummer in rock was crashing BOTH cymbals to close a song as Ringo did. Now , watch his timing trick on the hi-hat.. he does not hit UP-DOWN . he hits side to side (still does) and has the ability to interject polytrythms by opening and closing the hi hat. . TOTALLY underrated because he was not Keith Moon. Totally superior becuase he did his job with superior creativity without stepping on anyones toes.

Ringo performed exactly as was needed to make the Beatles the greatest four man group in history.

Reason for the boring beats: the very simple amps they had back then. Ringos job was to bash out the backbeat so the rest could just about hear him, even though they couldn't hear themselves above the screaming fans. That said, I don't believe Ringo IS one of our greatest ROCK drummers! A great personality - yes . . . . . An inspirational musician . . NO.

my vote..... over appreciated....any unknown studio drummer would be way better

This list isn't about a popularity contest with the teenagers, for cryin' out loud!

WTF!!! He should be NO.1 How unappreciated!! I have much respect for David Grohl also.

are you guys kidding me? "over appreciated" and "out of his league"? you guys dont know what youre talking about. this guy is an amazing drummer and definitely should be easily in the top 10.

Perhaps he is not the BEST drummer but he is 1000 times better then RIngo and has lots of talent

what a joke to be even considered in the top 50

Not a bad drummer, but no where near the talent of Jimmy Chamberlin or Buddy Rich.

he's only young , but should be on the top 50..

hahahahahahahah. 50? this guys slightly out of his league in this list. definetly over appreciated.

there is no way he should be number 48 he is way better than what people think

average/good at best but doesnt have a huge degree of talent

An average drummer who is not under appreciated, he is over appreciated to an extreme level. He has skill but nothing close to even top 100 drummers of the world.

he has his own creativty and is quick when he drums

Tommy Aldrige is defenetly Ozzy Osbourne's greatest drummer that he ever had.great drumer with Black Oak Arkansaw,and White snake also agreat fit for Ozzy Ozbourne band.a lot of stamina and great drumming.

This nailed before anyone else even knew what it was. SO far ahead of his time...any time.

he's a psychedelic ringo starr in my book.progressive drummers like micheal giles (king crimson 1968-1970) carl palmer and bill bruford blow his doors off hands down

listen to his drum solo on "TIME", to the Pompeii versions of "Echoes" and "One of these Days", the Ummagumma versions of "Set the control for the heart of the Sun" and "A Saucerful of Secrets", his powerfull drumming in "Interstellar Overdrive", "Money", "Us and Them", "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "The Nile Song"

Um....he was filled in. Gilmour and the gang let him ride his fast ass cars with the money you gave him, evidently thinking he was a good drumer at #21. Jeez. (rolls eyes)

Absolutely right! The man's a metronome, he's not flashy, not as fast as others..... but he's style of playing is very difficult, because 1 minor slip up, and everyone notices, he deserves more recognition! Long live the Floyd, lon g live Mason!

One of the best drummers ever, from psychedelic to progressive to classic rock, he never gets out of beat. Long live the Pink Floyd.

All around most amazing drummer of all time.

Unique! Lays waaay back and almost swings (for lack of a better description) stylistically... but pushes it right to the front of the groove / beat. Weird! I'm a decent-enough drummer and can stretch time... but I will NEVER be able to touch this.... I already know! (Can anyone please help to describe this "technique" better than I have done? I cannot even explain it adequately...)

Well under rated here. Just amazing to listen to him.

Carter's amazing ability to play ambidextrously with a ride cymbal on both the left and right hand sides of his kit makes him unique in the bunch. I agree with the person who said watch Carter play Two Step. He's even said it's the one Dave Matthews Band song that allows him the most flexibility when playing. Carter idolized Bonham and Buddy Rich, and he belongs with the best of them.

Amazing would describe him in one word! Just listen to any of his live performances of Two Step. He clearly belong among greatest drummers of all time.

Totally agree. The man is unreal on drums...his technique is like no other!

Over Bonzo? What is the world coming to?

I agree with another comment that he should be in the top ten , an amazing drummer with the sweet. The man with the golden arm and of course those twirling sticks, they broke the mould when they made him in my opinion, such a shame he was taken from us so young, great drummer and a great guy to boot.

His style was copied by so many ... and yet today he's all but forgotten (except by Sweet fans!!) Lovely guy, such a shame he died so young.... he had HUGE hands too!

Mick Tucker should be in the top ten.

So undeerated. Never got the cred he deserved. Trueley talented.

Such a sweet guy too: RIP Mick Big BIG hands!!!

He was the best out there, working for the best guitarist out there. He didn't solo, he didn't out perform or out shine Jimi, he played WITH him. Drums are supposed to provide the beat, and rhythm, not take over, Mitchell did it beautifully.

amazing. his diffrent styles of drumming fitted hendrix perfectly

lol my names Mitch

If this were a drum fill contest, this guy would definitely be number 1 or 2.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida!

i think lars ulrich should be atleast number 4

39th? oh my GOD......

aAnother drummer who DID what he was to do + added tremendous high harmonics even at live gigs. Musically complete. His drumming goes beyond the norm to the ethereal - a sloo moody groove to ear shaterring polythyms . depended lil on the tipical , HH and Ride cymbal to keep time did it on toms .. hey YU GOTTA be a drummer to appreciate that + his contributions to the Queen catalog was inmese . I sometimes listen to Taylor and come out thinking .. HELL of a keyboard player .. his ouput is THAT good.

White was also the drummer in John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band. His performance on Instant karma alone justifies him being up in the top 20

You have got to be kidding me. Alan White IS NOT a great drummer. I just saw him in concert with Yes and he was undeniably the weakest link in the band. Sluggish and sloppy playing for the entire show.

Alan is not any higher than this perhaps only because not as many get into the complexities of Yes music. I love Bruford too, but White is one of my favs.

Bruford...sit.

His percussion on "The End" are awesome.

Too early in the R&R BURST to be apprecaited not onlu for hisdot perfect drumming but his originality . Probably the most melodious drummer ever. In "When the music is over" he's just accenting every sylable of Morrison without EVER screming "look ma how good I am" BREAK ON THROUGH could be the best drum song ever . not the loudest or most popular but his drumming inspired a LOT of people, and some of my toghest exersices was to reproduce a Densmore performance. Again , where is he? Why are we so prompt in discarding greatness if greatness is not accompanied by 4 other guys ?

He was barely 20 yrs old when he played with Santana at Woodstock. His drum solo and talent on the song "Soul Sacrifice" is legendary. One of the best drum performances ever recorded.

Yes, not purely a rock drummer-more progressive jazz (acid jazz) -but what an incredible drummer considering speed and complexity. Should be in top ten.

A bright drummer. Should be in the top 10. Listen to all his live tracks with "Mahavisnu Orchestra". Awesome

Amazing drummer, but much more a jazz drummer than a rock drummer.

where is buddy rich...Really... list is a joke

huge fan of dave grohl but doesnt hold a candle to joey as well as a lot of these other guys all very talented but come on....

quiet frankly a drumming god!!!

not many people can produce the speed stamina and precision that joey provides for our listening bliss!! definatley top 5 in many of our books way overlooked!!

ha is abouth 4 place

not the best but should be in the top 20's in my opinion.

Joey is full of win.

Should be up at least 20 places.

Jimmy Chamberlain influenced drummers in the 90s and should be top 20

c'mon, just listen to Tristessa. JC should be top ten. If not top 5. Who's better, David Grohl or Jimmy Chamberlin?

The best drummer in the 90's...by far. Should be in the top 5.

Should easily make the top ten of all time, very underated drumming legend who is the coolest drummer I have ever had the pleasure to watch.

Seriously, he's the most brilliant drummer of all time. Definitely #1 on this list. Amazing fills, unbelievably creative and fast. Dont care what others say. Hes the best, simple as that.

So underrated. This guy is amazing. Way too low on the list.

Needs to be higher. MUCH higher.

If you take a moment and seriously sit down and listen to these drummers, it becomes clear that Jimmy outdoes many (not all) of the drummers above him on the list.

Massacre, Warrior and ShaLala to name a few great songs where you can listen to Brian's huge talent....

without a shadow of the doubt he should be in the top 3..he is the only one who can match with flea..no one else can

RHCP is my favorite band, but his ranking is understandable, no offense, he is good.

top 10 for sure

I totally agree. This list is not ranking correctly drummers!!! Definitively Chad Smith should be amongst the top 20. Hey, Terry Bozzio is at the 98th position and try to find Thomas Lang!?!? What a shame...

Chad Smith is top 20 material!

Anyone that plays with Joe Satriani must be good and deserves to climb this list! CHICKENFOOT!!!!!

is that it. chad smith is top 10 material and definatly better than ringo starr.

GREATEST DRUMMER THE WORLD COULD EVER HAD AND METALLICA ARE THE BEST BAND ON HISTORY

i don't care who thinks im crazy or not but lars needs to be number one !!!!!!!!!!!!!

way over rated drummer! shouldnt be in the top 100!

Ok Lars is kina overated since about 90 percent of his are the same beat, boom-snap-boom-snap-crash repeat till chorus and hit the crash just a bit more

abouth 2 or 3 place for his amazing talent with double bass pedal ;)

This is an insult to the real drummers on this list. The dude can't even keep time anymore. I hate his style, hate the sound of his kit, hate metallica, and he's a whining little primadonna

Great Drummer for a great band but (dont kill me) although he is very talented i just feel he is a little overrated to be in the top ten sorry

ALL THA WAY!!

It is a tough choice Lars / Tommy lee when it comes to speed, but lars makes few if any mistakes. and will stop the fastest of roll on a dime (how you can muffle the whole massive set in a millisecond is one hell of a trick - The naysayers say , they cut his mike... Ive seen him pretty close and every limb and sometime fingers go into that exercise

Carmine is a neighborhood "boy" and a staple at Sam Goodies' SOLID, METRONOMIC again , an ego the size of a small country. He did what he did well but theres NOTHING rememrable about his work xcept "do ya think i'm sexy" ( what a curse) whuch he cowrote . He absolutly shoud be in this list but his position at 47 is kindda generous AND dont ever screw up pronouncing his last name !

Harrison has played with the best symphonic rock bands out of Europe.....And now Porcupine Tree!!! He definitely belongs on this list, but up near Billy Cobham......mojo

Without a doubt the most skilled drummer in the world!! He should be top 5 if not number 1!!

Easily my favourite drummer to emerge in the past decade or so. His work with Porcupine Tree is amazing, but you should also check out OSI.

Thanks for the comments guys, I will now seek out this group so I can listen to Gavin. My tastes are perhaps somewhat limited, but I want to hear him.

I'm so glad to see somebody added him. Entirely underrated. He isn't the flashiest drummer, and his rhythms are generally turned pretty low down in the mix compared to some of those higher on the list, but the patterns that he can play are absolutely god-like. He needs some more respect for what he's accomplished.

This man is revolutionary. Ive never heard anything like him and it is a disservice for such a man to be so low on this list.

I've followed him for the past 5 years and I agree he is from another Sector. This list is a combination of skill, influence, popularity, etc. so not surprised he's not at the top...yet. Soon he will be climbing very fast given his amazing and creative drumming style, breadth and musical ear, not to mention his infectious grooves. Check out his "19 Days" and other non-hard rock compositions and you'll see that he's hard to pin down into a genre. An intelligent drummer that plays with both his head and heart. A thinking-drummers drummer indeed!

Honestly there is no better drummer than Gavin. This guy cannot be imitated. He is from another planet.

are you kidding? one of the most underrated drummers in rock and roll history. his precision and back beat drumming propelled the band into the longest successful rock act in history. he and keith kept the song going so that mick could strut around and do what whatever the hell mick does. one the the best!

mick is totally a moron he obviously doesnt know a thing about timing

Charlie rocks solid, the man is a legend. Might not be flash, but he's steady & with Bill Wyman he was tight ~ possibly the best R'n'R beat combo ever. A humble gentleman, Charlie I salute you.

The luckiest man in history. Give anything that Watts has done that comes inmeditely to mind (like Ringo's come together, Get Back, Rain ..) Watts attributes his lack of ROCK CHOPS to his Jazz background. But still the man can not hit a solid clean rim shot , his snare work is a ploof to a bit of rim from one beat to the other. He has not mastered hand indepebdence and still has to stop his right hand before he comes down with the left. Amplitud ? From one beat to the other he's off by a couple of dbs NOT one simple roll will be a cointinous smooth pass .. he can NOT. Probably the worst drummer with the most luck.

Very underated here. Was incredible with one of the greatest fusion bands of all time - Return to Forever

DON IS AWESOME! SAW HIM 3 TIMES WITH GFR. CHECK HIM OUT ON TNUC ON YOUTUBE. CANNOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!

I aggree with guy above, look up conundrum Jethro Tull and tell me aint amazing

Should be in the top ten in my view,Jethro Tull's best period was with Barrie Barlow!!!

to come back drumming after such a severe injury is nothing but inspirational.

He was a terrible drummer though, and couldn't provide a good groove.

he had both of his legs but one arm

highly underated, my fav is go your on way.

Listen to fleetwood mac (1968-70) with peter green, danny kirwan and jeremy spencer..... before the women joined the group!

I could never hear him over Stevie Nicks' billygoat-esque vocals.

Drumming so exquisite it might as well had been a lead guitar . And when he decided to get intricate , it took a LOT of listens to figure out what it was he was doing. again highly underated.

one of the best and compared to other heavy metal drummer he plays better with one bass drum only ....

uhh joey jordison who is 5 times the drummer plays twice the kit twice as fast

Why isnt he before mick fleetwood? HE WOS UPSIDE DOWN FOR CHRIST SAKE!!!

a great drummer, listen to "in the wake of Poseidon" for example.....masterpiece !

he has a drum kit of a five year old

I couldn't agree more. Matt Greiner is the best hard drummer out there. He does some insane stuff.

should be ranked top 20 at least. amazing drummer.

Should be WAY higher up. One of the best metal drummers, if not THE best. Also, very technical.

Can play what most drummers can, but not viceversa

The video of 'The view From the Afternoon' is dedicated to his drumming!

Why isnt he in top 10?! :O Hes got such a unique sound and yet give every song a different sound to the last. Snare rolls and the intro to "A certain romance", That is what sums this guy up!

he has some unreal beats and fills that merge with the bands style so well....check out "4 words to choke upon" (to see for ur self)

Should be higher

Very original and a showman playing drums

Levon Helm at 96? Who are the jokers who put this together!? Levon - if not numero uno - should be in the top 3. If you don't understand why then you know nothing of rock history - and therefore whoever put this together simply aint qualified.

Take some time to listen to some old DC5 tunes. Dave Clark had a sound and style all his own which I believe you will recognize in many of the drummers on this list that followed him. Hopefully, one day Dave Clark will get his well deserved recognition as one of the great drummers of all time.

former cold chisel drummer he will be missed by all

I’m rather shocked that Larry Mullen Jr is way down on this list. I might be biased coz I’m a huge U2 fan but he deserves to be way Rutherford up the list in my opinion.

there are hundreds of drummer who deserve to be named before ...

REALLY ???...he maybe has a proffesional attitude but skill wise shouldnt be on this list at all..never heard a buzz roll or even a fill that involved more than 1 tom from him ever

what an absolute joke larry mullen at 47 ! ive seen many drummers copeland "collins"and many more but larry is just an ultra professional drummer best ive ever seen !

Bev was an incredible driving force behind the Move and especially ELO. He was the reason that ELO rocked. Though Jeff Lynne was clearly the Master Mind, without Bevan, ELO would have had a light weight sound.

this great british session also played with zappa.whitesnake.journey.bowie.jefferson starship..with that resume deserves top 20 period.

In the dictionary, under "pocket", we should be looking at this gentleman's picture.

This guy should be number 1. He defines pocket with all his outstanding drumming in all the Stax hits we still listen to today. Check out Cold Feet, by Albert King, or I Thank You, by Sam and Dave and give me one reason Neil Peart is better.

He Changed the sound of KISS entirely!