I’d nominate any of the rhythm sections from Steely Dan in their prime. Given that the actual line-up may have changed from one album to another, I suppose what I’m nominating is Becker and Fagen’s approach to creating rhythm tracks.
We probably should work in a mention for Ulrich/Burton on those early Metallica albums.
I third the selection Mick Fleetwood/John McVie. They could lay down a 12-bar shuffle back in the old days with Peter Green, and not miss a beat evolving into the ultra-polished AOR tunes of Buckingham/Nicks.
Solid!
It doesn’t get much better than Tool. Rhythm in multiple dimensions.
Tool is a good choice. Very solid. Hypnotic grooves.
Definitely. If you look at the liner notes for each album, the line-up changed from song to song. Sometimes a guy would play drums on one track and lead guitar on another.
Becker & Fagan are amazingly talented musicians and songwriters, and they were able to attract top talent for their recording sessions.
Tool gets my vote. Another band who may not be an obvious choice beacuse their music isn’t as serious is The Strokes. Great bass lines and some very intricate drumming at times. Tomahawk does some crazy stuff, too.
I’d come in to nominate Watt & Hurley (Minutemen), but was surprised (and glad) to see I’d been beaten to it. Second Gang of Four and The Police (P-Funk obviously had some great grooves, but for some reason the drums seem like nothing special to me). James Brown had some awesome rhythm sections, and let us not forget Lewie Steinberg and Al Jackson, Jr. (of Booker T & The MGs and a million other Stax releases). I’d also add Bruce & Pete Thomas (of The Attractions).
Tool = fourthed. 
I’m liking also:
The Black Keys
Queens of the Stone Age
Rev. Horton Heat
I’m partial to Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams of AC/DC.
Malcolm Young almost deserves to be included as part of that rhythm section too.
Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead
Stuart Copeland and Sting of the Police
John Entwistle and Keith Moon of the Who
Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce of Cream
George Porter and Zigaboo Modaliste of the Meters
Where’s WordMan? I’ve been waiting for a whole day now for his additions to our list.
Last night I saw Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux and Diana Krall at the Entertainment Centre and, despite the fact I had never heard of any of them, each of the bass/drums backing sections was far, far better musically than any rock band I have heard. However they weren’t rock. Of those that were Entwistle/Moon and Bogert/Appice (though I never really liked Vanilla Fudge or Cactus) stand out.
Barry Adamson/Mick Harvey
Peter Hook/Stephen Morris
David J/Kevin Haskins
Craig Adams/Doktor Avalanche 
Harry Crosby/Roli Mosimann
Dude - oy. We have an annual strat planning meeting coming up next week and all materials had to go out this week. I am just coming up for air. 
Like I said when I quoted your list - I like your list! I am just trying to think about what I like in a rhythm section: I mean, the relationship between Bonham and Jones is different than Ulrich and Burton, and they’re both heavy - and the relationship between Wyman (a great, under-appreciated bassist, even if he is a whackjob) and Watts is different from Copeland and Sting (who is an excellent bassist even though I want to smack him) and they’re both light. The push and pull and time play between bassist and drummer is the engine that makes it all go. Whether it’s all on-time push (Metallica, except for Sad but True) or big-time push and pull (Stones and Police) it’s how they complete phrases.
A due I haven’t seen mentioned and may not qualify since they are reggae and not rock is **Sly Dunbar **and **Robbie Shakespeare **- absorbing their groove on **Grace Jones’ **album **Nightclubbing **is a thing of beauty. Same with a lot of ska bands - punchy.
I also really liked **Ben Orr **and David Robinson from The Cars - Robinson has a great, Rudd-like groove to his playing and Orr was solid.
A group I don’t see mentioned but I think has one of the best rhythm sections working today is **Green Day **- **Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool **sound huge and fill up so much space. Dirnt is rock solid and melodic at the same time and Tre has the most musical fills - those guys are both selling all the time while totally locked in with each and Billie Joe - and the hooks are so damn catchy.
Gotta run but also thinking about Pick Withers and John Illsley from Dire Straits…
I assume this is some kind of esoteric joke as The Black Keys have no bass player, being only guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney.
I had noticed that, but didn’t comment. Auerbach can hold down a groove, though!
Actually, that does speak to the whole “role of the rhythm guitarist” thing in all this.
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Ulrich had Hetfield in his monitors, not Burton (back when they couldn’t afford better on-stage monitoring)
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Watts and Wyman without mentioning Keef is just incomplete; especially because their whole formula is about creating the full “sentence” of a riff where each player fills in their word at the right time.
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Malcolm Young - need I say more?
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Townshend is more of a foundation player than Entwhistle and Moon, who are both leading on their instruments (not quite as true for Moon, who really held it down, too…)
Let alone bands like The White Stripes, The Black Keys, House of Freaks and others that are just drums and guitar.
A rhythm section is whatever engine makes the music move forward…
Moon & Entwistle as best drums & bass duo? I can understand that one. But the Who’s rhythm section was Pete Townshend … 90% of the time, at least. The two rhythm sections that most ‘moved’ me, though, were Greg Errico & Larry Graham from the Family Stone, and Carmine Appice & Tim Bogert from Vanilla Fudge, Cactus and BB&A.
Best sections (which SHOULD include guitar IMHO) with worst lead vocals:
U2
The Fixx