# When it's good to be the drummer: Great "drummer's" songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342 "2009-02-04T01:31:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/1 "2009-02-04T01:31:59Z")
Listening to some oldies while working on the ol’ thesis, I had to stop and pretend to be Phil Collins when “In The Air Tonight” came along. I don’t know if he ever performed the song in concert – I understand the technology used to get that sound was pretty cutting-edge and pretty much confined to the studio. But it occurred to me that there are a good number of rock and pop songs that are “drummer’s” songs – not just because of the solo potential a la “In A Gadda Da Vida” but because the drums really carry the music. I think Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” is one, and Swampdawamp’s “I’m Feelin’ Saturday” is another. What others can y’all think of? If I’m the drummer in my fantasy garage band, what do I want to play? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/2 "2009-02-04T02:22:38Z")
Wipeout. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/3 "2009-02-04T02:26:55Z")
I was at a dance this weekend and heard the orchestra do a damned good job on _Sing, Sing, Sing_. Although the drummer was no Krupa, Nashville is brimming over with excellent musicians and this guy was one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/4 "2009-02-04T02:36:17Z")
You’re a woman after my own heart, **Zoe** ; exactly the song I came here to mention. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/5 "2009-02-04T02:36:38Z")
Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Well, OK, it’s not played on drums, but there are places in it where it feels like you are running up and down the toms like there’s no tomorrow. One hell of a great drummer’s song, despite not being a drum song. I wonder what Emerson and Palmer could do with it? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/6 "2009-02-04T04:30:26Z")
Arcturus’ [Collapse Generation](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY54HIENlNA). That’s not a drum machine. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/7 "2009-02-04T06:44:18Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > I was at a dance this weekend and heard the orchestra do a damned good job on _Sing, Sing, Sing_. Although the drummer was no Krupa, Nashville is brimming over with excellent musicians and this guy was one of them. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > You’re a woman after my own heart, **Zoe** ; exactly the song I came here to mention. Either of you got a link to this? It sounds great. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/8 "2009-02-04T07:18:06Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Either of you got a link to this? It sounds great. There seem to be many versions around; different lengths, maybe depending on how much energy the band had that night. Good sound on [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwDN9UMMi3c). If you want to see Gene on the skins, he’s [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9J5Zt2Obko). The skill level required may be just a smidge beyond your average garage band. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/9 "2009-02-04T08:57:25Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > There seem to be many versions around; different lengths, maybe depending on how much energy the band had that night. Good sound on [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwDN9UMMi3c). If you want to see Gene on the skins, he’s [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9J5Zt2Obko). > > The skill level required may be just a smidge beyond your average garage band. Thanks! That brings back some memories… My dad used to play sax in a big band called The Lamplighters. There are several bands by that name, but [this](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEFD7133BF937A3575AC0A967948260) is the only reference to them that I found, and his name isn’t mentioned. He used to listen to that stuff constantly. I can imagine him listening to that, and feeling like I do when I hear “Stairway to Heaven,” or something like that… Joe ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/10 "2009-02-04T17:10:04Z")
Moby Dick, of course. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/11 "2009-02-04T17:40:12Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Moby Dick, of course. When I break into the riff for Misty Mountain Hop, everybody else steps back because we know from experience that our drummer Mark is going to _explode_ into the beat when the 1 comes back around. Green Day’s Basketcase features the drumming in a cool way, too… ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/12 "2009-02-04T17:48:18Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Moby Dick, of course. I love Neil Peart, but Bonzo was the fucking KING. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/13 "2009-02-04T18:15:04Z")
Don’t know about it from a drummer’s perspectives, but one of my favorite drum songs as a listener has always been _Radar Love._ ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/14 "2009-02-04T18:15:27Z")
In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel (Manu Katche, drums) Some Grateful Dead Jams - Scarlet Begonias/Fire on the mountain, Lazy Lightning/Supplication, Help on the Way/Slipknot, Cassidy, Bird Song (Hart & Kreutzmann, drums) Cinema Show - Genesis (Seconds Out - Collins & Bruford) To name a few… ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/15 "2009-02-04T18:23:20Z")
My husband’s the drummer, not me (yet), but he flipped when I played [Galileo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTuSDNRJYmE) by the Indigo Girls. It has become one of his favorites. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/16 "2009-02-04T18:27:00Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Don’t know about it from a drummer’s perspectives, but one of my favorite drum songs as a listener has always been _Radar Love._ I love the drum break in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/17 "2009-02-04T18:56:15Z")
Here’s a [list of songs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=500594&highlight=drums) I got when I asked a similar question. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/18 "2009-02-04T19:02:58Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > I love Neil Peart, but Bonzo was the fucking KING. > > Joe There were sooo many Zep songs where that tremendous driving drum sound just took it to another level. One of my favorites is _Gallows Pole_. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/19 "2009-02-04T20:10:58Z")
Won’t Get Fooled Again Hot for Teacher ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342/20 "2009-02-04T20:45:47Z")
“Dreaming” Blondie. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-its-good-to-be-the-drummer-great-drummers-songs/484342.md?page=2)