Phil Ehart (Kansas) and Neil Peart (RUSH) for the same reasons:
Very quick, excellent soloists, interesting styles, awesome live and difficult to imitate
Durability: still recording 25 years after, still in great shape at age 50+, still with the same band 25 years after
John Bonham, Led Zeppelin.
Bill Bruford. I’ll second Neil Peart.
As usual, a lot depends on what you mean by “best” drummers.
When people are rating the “best” guitarists, they tend to pick guys who do lightning-fast, flashy solos. But while the Eddie Van Halens of the world are impressive, they tend to repeat themselves far too much. I’m generally more impressed by guys like David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler, who may not have Eddie van Halen’s dexterity, but who have a real feel for what a song needs.
If you’re rating drummers by their ability to play flashy solos, there’s no question who the best is: Carl Palmer. 90% of the time, I get utterly bored by drum solos. They’re usually my cue to go get a hot dog, or make a trip to the men’s room. Neil Peart and Carl Palmer are the only drummers who’ve ever held my attention during lengthy drum solos. And, good as Peart was, Palmer was MUCH better.
That said, soloing is only a small part of what makes a good drummer. John Bonham was a pathetic drum soloist, but his drum work defined the Led Zeppelin sound- Buddy Rich couldn’t have played “Dazed and Confused” or “Whole Lotta Love” any better.
Then there’s the question, how much value do you place on versatility? Bill Bruford and Phil Collins come to mind as drummers who excelled in several different genres. Though they’re best known for their work in “art rock” (Bruford in Yes and King Crimson, Collins in Genesis), both did some fine work in jazz fusion as well (Bruford in his own band, featuring Allan Holdsworth, and Collins with Brand X).
Then, of course, there’s the all-time great studio session drummer, Hal Blaine. People are often astonished at how many of their favorite records of the 60s and 70s actually featured Blaine on the drums (in the mid 60s, whether you were listening to Frank Sinatra or Frank Zappa, you were hearing Hal Blaine).
So, my short list is (in alphabetical order):
Hal Blaine
John Bonham
Bill Bruford
Phil Collins
Carl Palmer
Neil Peart
But I retain great admiration and affection for numerous other drummers, including Terry Bozzio and Ian Paice.
Well, Jay Osmond was ranked among the USA’s top drummers in his time. One might not consider him a “rock” drummer, but the Osmonds did perform their share of rock tunes back then.
“Durability: still recording 25 years after, still in great shape at age 50+, still with the same band 25 years after”
I sincerely thought this was a gag posting when I read it.
Then I thought:
I always wondered: "Exactly who ARE these people who call the Stones “THE GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL BAND OF ALL TIME”?/
Durability ! That explains it!
I]Durability???*
Totally invalid stat.
For multiple reasons. On so many levels.
Especially for drummers.
Think about it.
Phil Ehart (Kansas) and Neil Peart (RUSH)
Still with the same band 25 years after"
Totally invalid stat.
For multiple reasons.
On so many levels.
Especially for drummers.
Think about it.
I]Durability???*
“Durability: still recording 25 years after, still in great shape at age 50+, still with the same band 25 years after”
Totally invalid stat.
For multiple reasons. On so many levels.
Especially for drummers.
Think about it.
I sincerely thought this was a gag posting when I read it.
Then I thought:
I always wondered: "Exactly who ARE these people who call the Stones “THE GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL BAND OF ALL TIME”?/
Durability ! That explains it!
I]Durability???*
Phil Ehart (Kansas) and Neil Peart (RUSH)
Still with the same band 25 years after"
Totally invalid stat.
For multiple reasons.
On so many levels.
Especially for drummers.
Think about it.
I]Durability???*
I know I might get pilloried for this but Max Weinberg is one damn fine drummer, and anybody who survived the seventies know that drum solos are a) overated and b) boring as hell to sit through.
God help me favorite drummers from the late seventies, early eighties are Gina Shock of the Go Go’s, Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads and Pete Thomas of the Attractions :hangs head in shame and retreats from this thread:
Eight posts and not one mention of Keith Moon?
Phillistines. 
Yeah, I was wondering what took so long.
My list? Bonham, Collins and Stewart Copeland. How can y’all forget Stewart Copeland?
Unfortunately, Neal Peart has never done it for me. For that matter, neither have Rush in general. It’s just that Peart reminds me of the drumming equivalent of Yngwie Malmsteen. He almost sounds like a computer behind a drum set.
Bonham and Copeland in particular sound far more “organic” with the music, if that makes any sense. Bonham has a tendency to pull the beat (ie. play behind it) and Copeland pushes it, never mind the tasty wild syncopations. It’s something a bit intangible, something akin to “soul” in music. Pearts drumming is a bit inhuman for my tastes.
what? No mention of Carmen Appice? Actually not my favorite but I learned to play from his instructional book 
Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, of course! The best drummer of his or any other time. He has written several books on the history of drums and drumming, and his work both with the Dead and other bands is most excellent.
So where would you all rate Joe Vitale? He’s kind of a journeyman, playing with lots of people, but concentrating on CSN(Y) and had a stint with the Eagles.
Back in the late 70’s I used to go skiing almost every weekend. It was a 2 hour trip from the mountain to my house, and after a long, hard day skiing I was so tired that it was a real struggle to stay awake and alert enough to negotiate those steep, slippery mountain roads. Thank God for Rush’s All The World’s A Stage album. Neal Peart’s drum solo on Working Man was awesome! I never had any trouble staying awake while THAT was playing!
While I’m at it, how about Def Leppard’s Rick Allen. You’ve gotta give the guy a lot of credit for having the guts to come back and play for one of the biggest bands of the era, and record one of the biggest albums in history (Hysteria) after losing his ARM!
I can see how lots of popular acts from the ‘60s might feature session musicians, but why Frank Zappa? Zappa was notorious for being a perfectionist in auditioning musicians for his band, and, judging from the Mothers’ ethos of being the “ugliest rock band,” it’s not like they needed to hire band members for looks or charisma rather than musicianship. So does anyone have a cite for this?
Keith Moon, Neil Peart, John Bonham
Mick Fleetwood. Perfect pop drummer. Excellent progressive rock drummer. He could handle multiple styles with equal aplomb.
Clive Bunker, of Jethro Tull, was considered one of the best by his peers. He was the best I ever saw and that includes Moon and Bonham. He may not be as well known because he left Tull in 1971 after their 4th album.
Neil Peart, no doubt about it. No one even comes close. Both in keeping a rhythm, inventing a complex rhythm, or using it as a lead.
While I like Moon (but not really Bonham or Palmer) for his enthusiasm and energy I’ve never really viewed him as more than a rhythm-keeper. He never seems to contribute to the songwriting.
Then again, I always really dug Roger Taylor, too.