# Drums at the forefront of a song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361 "2011-05-26T21:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/41 "2011-05-27T17:53:55Z")
Longview by Green Day ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/42 "2011-05-28T17:16:53Z")
Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2 has that kind of military sounding drumming throughout. “That’s Not My name” by The Ting Tings has a great drumline though technically I think the drums are synthesized. Still great baet though. “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes. ---
**Author:** ![Av8trix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@Av8trix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Av8trix)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/43 "2011-05-28T18:13:38Z")
Not rock=style drumming, but very percussion-heavy nonetheless. [Obvious Child- Paul Simon](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y11yMCnhxZE) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/44 "2011-05-28T18:56:18Z")
[Masters of Reality](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beyj3BE7RPY) Sunrise on the Sufferbus album had forefront Ginger Baker drumming throughout, great stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Dietrich\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@Dietrich\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dietrich_K)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/45 "2011-05-28T19:28:52Z")
Much like **Av8trix** ’s example of Paul Simon, there’s [“They Don’t Care About Us”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNJL6nfu__Q), by Michael Jackson. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/46 "2011-05-28T21:16:47Z")
Kate Bush’s [_Sat In Your Lap_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4csr6pLZLg) was hugely influential on the drum sound that came after, and [another song from the same album](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Wa0LdCsvM) is basically only drums and vocals. Peter Gabriel’s [Rhythm of the Heat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YDKs-xd0Ek) is about the power of drumming. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/47 "2011-05-28T22:02:04Z")
Try this one, Michael Shrieve, only 19 years old and probably the best recorded live drum performance ever. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inzIlad74CE) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/48 "2011-05-28T22:44:22Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Try this one, Michael Shrieve, only 19 years old and probably the best recorded live drum performance ever. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inzIlad74CE](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inzIlad74CE) 1. I did a lot of work on his [Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shrieve) and did the math. He had just turned 20. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/49 "2011-05-28T22:59:38Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I think that the Who’s [“The Kids are alright”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF99m4wGgqw) is classic example of a drum driven song. Moon basically is the lead instrumentalist on this (of course, what makes many Who songs so great is the permanent battle between Townshend, Entwhistle and Moon for the lead, but in this case Keith clearly wins). > [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > In addition, I suggest “The Real Me”. Again though that is a bun-fight between drums and bass (and one of the greatest intros ever!) Yeah, that’s a great song, but this time Entwhistle is the winner. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/50 "2011-05-28T23:11:19Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > [The End](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a_8F6gflxQ) is another good one. And, of course, [“Rain”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPjDMZiuhbQ). Ringo’s a great drummer, hands down. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361/51 "2011-05-29T03:13:57Z")
I’d say that Nine Inch Nails [“You Know What You Are”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yae8V6QODg) has pretty prominent drums. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drums-at-the-forefront-of-a-song/583361.md?page=2)