Who's your favorite rock drummer?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

I have a feeling I know who'll take it

edit: by the way, these are the first blokes who popped in my head and do not reflect my tastes. My favorite drummer is Questlove? from the Roots

[Loonman]

1. Boris Williams

ex-Cure.

[midnight armadillo]

2. Carl Palmer

of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer

[mouse7]

9. Ditto

Carl was in Asia, too, if anyone cares. I may be the only one that does though.

[bbernardini]

23. Carl's great, but he can't keep a steady beat to save his life!

He speeds up and slows down all over the place. Check out "Heat Of The Moment" for the best example of this. (Don't get me started on the dropped beat in "Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 2".)

Great technique, though. :)

[Dees]

3. Jeff Porcaro R.I.P.

[boxster]

4. The one-armed thunder god.

Rick Allen.

[Richardo]

5. Stewart Copeland...

...although the drummers for the "horn bands" were great too:

Danny Seraphine (Chicago); Bobby Columby (BS&T)

[ProfessorGAC]

15. Stewart's My Pick

Second for me would be Bruford.
The Professor

[Whitacre D_WI]

6. David Lovering.

True, Black Francis and Joey Santiago were never world-class guitarists; but the Pixies' rhythm section was TIGHT.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

8. Lots of Pixies fans here

eh?

[Whitacre D_WI]

13. As well there should be.

I am astonished that Bonzo hasn't gotten any votes yet. I much prefer the Who to Zeppelin, but Bonham had something Moon didn't -- the ability to keep proper time. Come on, if Ox hadn't been a human metronome, the Who would have never finished a song in the same rhythm it began.

Bonzo didn't really play in my favorite style (I prefer a jazzier, angular playing), but he was the best "heavy" drummer ever (the only competition being Baker, who played both heavy AND jazzy at the same time).

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

42. Who's the guy from Tool?

He's effing awesome!

[redqueen]

44. Danny Carey!

I think this makes five votes for Carey. :)

His site is awesome too. www.dannycarey.org

[KissMyAsscroft]

50. Danny Carey..

Best drummer on earth in my opinion...he has chops and musicality.

[AntiCoup2K4]

7. Bonzo for power. Peart for technique. Moon for absolute inimitability

..if that's even a word. Meaning nobody will ever copy him. Ringo's kid (or whoever the so called "Who" has this week) doesn't come close.

[rjbcar27]

10. On that list, Neal Peart but Manu Katche is my favourite

I'm a massive Katche fan ever since I heard him on Joe Satriani's self title album. Stunning.

I also like Dennis Chambers, phenominal.

[Stevendsmith]

31. Manu Katche

Oh my! Manu is a beautiful drummer. How about his work on Sting's 'Soul Cages.' Unreal.

[Commendatori]

11. Ian Paice

I got drunk with him once in 1994, great guy. The stories he was telling me and my friends were priceless.

[HEyHEY]

12. Kieth Moon

[RandomKoolzip]

14. Oh boy!

Bonham is numero pinche uno, as my friends from below the Rio Grande might say.

The others are:

Doug Clifford (CCR)
Levon Helm
Bill Ward (Sabbath)
Bill Bruford
Steve Jordan (sessions, Keith Richards' solo work, etc.)
Kenny Aaronoff (JC Mellencamp)
Charlie Watts
George Hurley (Minutemen)
Earl Palmer (Little Richard)
Brendan Canty (Fugazi)
Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
Stewart Copeland
Paul Cook (Sex Pistols)
Phil Collins
Ziggy Modeliste (Meters)
Keith Moon

Those are my favorites, anyway. (yes, in that order, too.) Rock Drumming should be about keeping time, grooving, being in the pocket, and DRIVE. It's not about showing off and playing millions of fills. The power of your groove should be your number one concern. After that, your timbre is the most important aspect. All these drummers grooved like a son of a boitch, but more importantly, I can I.D them within thirty seconds because they all play with their own personal timbre. And Yes, Doug Clifford is probably the best ROCK drummer after Bonham. (Listen to "Sweet Hitchhiker" or "Travellin' Band" if you don't believe me.)

[redqueen]

16. Criminy - I was the first to vote for Bonzo!

I also love Copeland of course and Danny Carey too.

[bbernardini]

17. No Nick D'Virgilio?!?

An amazing drummer, and the leader of Spock's Beard.

However, I can't pick just one. I respect everybody in the poll for different reasons.

[southpaw]

18. Peart... for all the years that I idolized him

but I really love Sean Kinney (Alice in Chains). Understated power.

[muchacho]

25. Plan and simple

Nobody can touch the Professor....

[Stevendsmith]

33. Kinney

I have recently re-discovered him. Understated power is an apt description. His drum track on 'No Excuses' is just brilliant.

But yes, I chose my hero, Neil Peart.

[Ready4Change]

19. Animal from the Muppet Show.

Anyone else pales in comparison.

[Whitacre D_WI]

20. What? No love for Cozy Powell?

You people are savages.

[VelmaD]

21. from your list, would go with Neil P...but it's really Danny Carey...

from Tool.

[redqueen]

26. Yeah baby!

:headbang:

[Stevendsmith]

39. Three Words For Carey

Oh. My. God.

The guy is a frigging witch!

The drum tracks on Lateralus are nothing short of stunning

[Esurientes]

22. Chris -- Slade, is it?

The bald guyB-)

[XNASA]

24. Moon, hands down. But the best living drummer is.........

Phil Selway.

[chenGOD]

27. Mitch Mitchell

He gave Jimi the driving rawness he needed. Buddy Miles was a good drummer and all, but I've always felt Mitch Mitchell was the one for Jimi.

And he's a great drummer, lots of feel, interesting beats and shuffles, even a bit of polyrythmyical stuff at times.

[bobthedrummer]

28. Bonzo, and his son ain't bad either!

[Howardx]

29. bill ward

then bonham

[Fenris]

30. Moon. But only because Topper Headon wasn't included in the list.

[Whitacre D_WI]

32. Yes, Topper could keep the beat.

That definitely puts him in a class above Moon.

[Fenris]

35. Indeed.

[CO Liberal]

34. You Forgot My Fave - Ringo Starr

Especially his drumming on "Day Tripper".

[Whitacre D_WI]

36. I prefer what he did with "Ticket to Ride"

Mediocre drummer, my ass. Ringo could RAWK!

[CO Liberal]

41. Those Were Two Of His Best

:-)

[Mick Knox]

37. missing allotta good drumers on that list...

And Phil is also a Jazz Drummer.. much more complex.. and missing Rick Allen!

A list without Buddy Rich is unworthy.

sigh.. I guess i'm an other.. neil pert though...

[Stevendsmith]

38. No Votes For Nicko?

For shame. I include myself, but I had to vote for Peart.

But I love Nicko! (see Where Eagles Dare)

[southpaw]

51. Nicko is not a bad drummer

but what turns me off is that he is a "feather-tapper". He doesnt Whack the drum, he taps... His volume comes from being miked-up and cranked through the P.A. But it lacks the Power that can only be produced by hitting the drum with gusto.

Still, he has good technique and is pretty creative.

[frylock]

40. other - john stanier of helmet..

sick snare hits and off-meter tempo.

[pdx_prog]

43. Hmmm....

Bruford borders on rock and jazz....

Let's not forget..

Terry Bozzio...
Rod Morgenstein...
Chad Wackerman...
Alan White...
Bill Maddox...

Too many to list!

[Whitacre D_WI]

45. We also seem to be forgetting Jaki Liebezeit.

[Zomby Woof]

46. Artimus Pyle

Skynyrd's drummer from 1975-77, and 1987-91. You asked for favorite, not best, although if you check him out on "One More From The Road" ('76 live album), no one else could pound a double-bass roll like him, and I love his use of cymbals and chimes. You can hear a jazz influence quite a bit underneath the blues jams.

[Hand]

47. Morans!

The correct choice is Ginger Baker. That clears up this issue forever.

[WoodrowFan]

48. Bun E. Carlos

Cheap trick

and Ringo!

[Rhiannon12866]

49. I was pleased to see Ginger Baker on your list

He was the first one who came to mind when I saw your thread, but I thought I'd probably have to write him in. Good choices.:-)