10 Best Drummers of All Time

[Mike_L]

Vinnie Colaiuta
Dave Weckl
Steve Gadd
Dave Elitch
Antonio Sanchez
John Bonham
Kashikura Takashi
Tony Williams
Buddy Rich
Stanton Moore

That was a hard list to piece together. There are SO many amazingly talented drummers in the world that's it's insanely hard to pick a top ten.

[FlyByNight]

1. John bonham
2. Mike mangini
3. Neil peart
4. Mike portnoy
5. Buddy Rich
6. Stewart Copeland
7. Gavin Harrison
8. Rick Allen
9. Bill Bruford
10. Nick Mason

[NPYYZ]

I'm going to do two lists of five each.
This first five are the drummers I grew up with and helped shape my drumming style. I've listened to them my entire drumming life.
In no particular order.

Ian Paice - Deep Purple
Neil Peart - Rush
Don Brewer -Grand Funk Railroad
Mitch Mitchell - Jimi Hendrix
Alan White - Yes

The second five are a few of my current favorites and guys I just love to listen to.

Stian Kristoffersen - Pagan's Mind
Fabio Costantino - DGM
Mike Mangini - Dream Theater
Truls Haugan - Circus Maximus
Van Williams - Nevermore - Ghost Ship Octavius

[signia fan]

I will take an alternate route here
Randy Rhodes
Eric Johnson
Alan Holdsworth
3 guitar players who inspired me to play, listed in order of discovery not who I think is better.

Steve Smith, who is one of the most versatile players, and I have enjoyed his playing in all the styles from Tony McAlpine to Players
Vinnie Colaiuta. The King of "seat of the pants go for it"
Narada Michael Walden, also a seat of the pants go for it player, not in Vinnies league but still awesome and inspiring
Simon Phillips. Versatile and another player who just survives and rolls with his career, getting the gigs and still showcasing his chops and feel. Often a tough thing to do in the real world.
Bill Bruford. For being the quirky geek technician. He opened the curtains on neat things I would have never thought to try.
Jimmy "the Rev" from Avenged Sevenfold. Just a cool tasteful player where tasteful cool playing is somewhat of a rarity.
Martin Deller. No longer into drumming that I know of. Toronto boy of the band FM (Nash the Slash). He was a guy whom I saw live a lot when I was 19 and he was a great technician, always inspiring. A tighter Stewart Copeland if I had to categorize him.

[Sticks4drums]

Gene Krupa-My older brother was named after him, my father met a talked about him a lot.

Nigel Olson-I was a huge Elton John fan as a young boy, so probably listened to his drumming more than anyones, for the first part of my drumming life until about 13.

Neil Peart-When I listened to 2112, no other drummer really mattered from then on. He was everything I wanted in a drummer(solid time, power, great lyricist, deadly perfect, greatest looking setups, made sure he was noticed with his drumming parts, that were always fantastic!)

Scott Phillips-drummer for Creed, and now Alter Bridge. His drumming is what I like in modern rock today.

Gavin Harrison-great technical drummer

Mike Portnoy-A modern day version of Neil.

Forgot one.

Danny Carey

[gdmoore28]

Just a matter of language, I suppose, but technically speaking there can be only one "best" drummer.

With that in mind, now the choosing gets really hard!

GeeDeeEmm

[Sticks4drums]

Just a matter of language, I suppose, but technically speaking there can be only one "best" drummer.

With that in mind, now the choosing gets really hard!

GeeDeeEmm

Not for me!

NEIL PEART!

[FlyByNight]

Just a matter of language, I suppose, but technically speaking there can be only one "best" drummer.

With that in mind, now the choosing gets really hard!

GeeDeeEmm

Either Mike Mangini or Neil Peart. Mangini isn't known just for speed, but his complexity. He can play some amazing things.

[kay-gee]

Goofy unscientific question. Best of all time? How far back can you go when recorded music has only been around about 100 years.

all the best...

[kay-gee]

Not for me!

NEIL PEART!

Shame the worlds best couldn't find a better band.

all the best...

[gdmoore28]

Not for me!

NEIL PEART!

And only one post later! ONE POST LATER!

But I'm keeping my vow. Not one word about . . . . The Professor.

How am I doing, Sticks?

GeeDeeEmm

[Sticks4drums]

Shame the worlds best couldn't find a better band.

all the best...

Let me see now. Going strong for 40 years. Both the bass player and guitar player are considered at the top of the game by many. Rush's sales statistics also place them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band. They are all very normal guys, that are still alive, in a profession where many succumb to drugs, alcohol, or many of the other paroles of being a Rock star. Not bad for three Canadian kids! Not sure what else they can do.

[Sticks4drums]

And only one post later! ONE POST LATER!

But I'm keeping my vow. Not one word about . . . . The Professor.

How am I doing, Sticks?

GeeDeeEmm

You are doing much better than Kay-gee!

[kay-gee]

Let me see now. Going strong for 40 years. Both the bass player and guitar player are considered at the top of the game by many. Rush's sales statistics also place them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band. They are all very normal guys, that are still alive, in a profession where many succumb to drugs, alcohol, or many of the other paroles of being a Rock star. Not bad for three Canadian kids! Not sure what else they can do.

I'll give them that. No doubt about it! But they're still just a ROCK band!

But the worlds best drummer?..why isn't he playing with Chick Corea and Alan Holdsworth, Al di Meola, John McGauphlin etc... and John Patitucci, Michael Brecker and guys like that who ARE among the absolute best in the world at what they do?

all the best...

[drummer]

But the worlds best drummer?..why isn't he playing with Chick Corea and Alan Holdsworth, Al di Meola, John McGauphlin etc... and John Patitucci, Michael Brecker and guys like that who ARE among the absolute best in the world at what they do?

I agree. OK, let's keep it moving along guys. This is about who you think the 10 best drummers of all time are, not "How to defend my position on who I think the 10 best drummers of all time are". We all know those discussions don't turn out well.

[drummer]

Let me see now. Going strong for 40 years. Both the bass player and guitar player are considered at the top of the game by many. Rush's sales statistics also place them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band. They are all very normal guys, that are still alive, in a profession where many succumb to drugs, alcohol, or many of the other paroles of being a Rock star. Not bad for three Canadian kids! Not sure what else they can do.

Great band for sure and I respect your right to think Peart is one of the best. We'll leave it right there OK?

[drummer]

It's evident by some of these lists that there are many drummers that would make the top 10's if they were to get more exposure. There are a lot of amazing drummers out there flying under the radar.

[Sticks4drums]

I agree. OK, let's keep it moving along guys. This is about who you think the 10 best drummers of all time are, not "How to defend my position on who I think the 10 best drummers of all time are". We all know those discussions don't turn out well.

I wouldn't have to defend my position, if it wasn't attacked in the first place.

[drummer]

I wouldn't have to defend my position, if it wasn't attacked in the first place.

You weren't attacked. Someone just had a different opinion than you.

[Sticks4drums]

You weren't attacked. Someone just had a different opinion than you.

"It's a shame the worlds best couldn't find a better band" doesn't sound like fighting words to you?

Carry on.

[Olimpass]

[rickthedrummer]

Drum sticks at 10 paces. Got to love that.

[drummer]

"It's a shame the worlds best couldn't find a better band" doesn't sound like fighting words to you?

No, definitely not. "Choose not to be offended." was the best advice someone once gave me.

[kay-gee]

It's evident by some of these lists that there are many drummers that would make the top 10's if they were to get more exposure. There are a lot of amazing drummers out there flying under the radar.

This is my whole thing drummer. We have to come to grips with the fact that there quite literally MILLIONS of people that play drums in this world. To say some one is the best is impossible. What Criteria could you even base it on?
Some of the best drummers I've ever seen are not even celebrities. Some local guy in a bar somewhere playing and you're sitting there going Holy****
Only the tiniest fraction of great players get to play in successful internationally known groups.

To have a favourite drummer is different. That's cool, but to claim the someone is the absolute best among millions, then you should be prepared to have a reasoned discussion on how you drew those conclusions.

all the best...

[FlyByNight]

Well put kay-gee. Sometimes the best drummers are the ones that aren't famous.

Listen to this kids fill at 0:53. I was not expecting that!