i think Jimmy Chamberlin of the Smashing Pumpkins is probably my favourite drummer i have heard. but when people discuss drummers they usually go for that guy from The Who or some other 60s/70s drummer.
pert
bohham
ulrich
bozzio
copeland
Ulrich? Lars Ulrich? hahahahahaha! sorry, it’s just i think he’s pretty poor.
Neil Peart (Rush) is certainly one of the most popular rock drummers. In fact, most music magazines of the 80’s had to change their polls to read, “Who is the SECOND best drummer, after Peart?”
Keith Moon (The Who) would definitely be up there, although he does have his share of critics. John Bonham had the power, but wasn’t very technical.
A lot of people tend to overlook Phil Collins, forgetting that he’s not only a pop mega-star but a highly proficient drummer as well.
For the obscure, I’d nominate Mark Zonder of the band Fates Warning.
Carl Palmer
Rod Morgenstern (from the Dregs)
Quasi
as well as Jimmy Chamberlin i think the drummer from Wishbone Ash is superb too.
Buddy Rich
may i just mention most people are putting forward old drummers. is there a lack of talent nowadays?
I have no technical knowledge of druming, so I am judging on entertainment and emotional value only.
Ginger Baker was a big deal in his day…actually he has lately turned (with success) to being a very tastefull jazz and classical drummer.
Keith Moon was no Ginger Baker, but he pioneered the over the top style that dominated hard rock drumming for a long time. Everone from Bonzo to Tommy Lee to Dave Grohl basically did a take on Keith Moon. So I’d say he and Baker were the most influential.
While not technically anywhere close to being virtuosi, I’d say Charlie Watts and Ringo Starr were perfect for their respective bands perfect, and Ringo’s work in “Rain”, “Good Morning, Good Morning” and “The End” does more for me than all of the timpani, gong, and chime rattling solos of Baker, Bonham, et. al. And maybe I’m old fashioned, but they usually used relatively small kits.
No…but those old farts sort of took drumming from Point A (the elementary stuff you’d hear on a Buddy Holly or Fats Domino tune) to Point B - where we are now. I don’t know if any current rock drummers are really all that groundbreaking. Maybe very good and technically brilliant…but not rewriting the book on percussion.
i see. i think you could be correct. in that case i think Jimmy Chamberlin is technically superb.
Animal!
I think drumming is moving from point B to point C, but a lot of the people leading the movement are programmers using music software rather than necessarily sitting behind drumkits. I realise this is a viewpoint that could get me in trouble round here (cf. threads like “are turntables musical instruments”) but some of the beats on DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing album are pretty mindblowing. Similarly drum and bass producers like Photek are putting together amazing drum patterns. Doesn’t necessarily count as “rock”, though.
John Bonham was cool, though.
most programmed drumming just sounds impressive on first listen because it can be very fast and powerful. it usually lacks heart and originality.
also is usually too repetitive.
Both your points are valid.
However, i picked Shadow and Photek as examples because they are original. The beats on one photek album are programmed to mimic the pattern of the blades of two duelling swordsmen clashing. As for repetitive, DJ Shadow has one appallingly funky tune called “organ donor” in which no two bars have the same beat.
I agree much programmed drumming can be repetitive, and lack heart and originality. You could say the same of quite a few “real” drummers.
But there’s no one that i know of moving the art of the beat forward like these guys.
Ever listened to Bonzo’s Montreaux off of Zep’s Coda? Gotta check it out before you vote. It’s magnificent and John was always both steady and inventive. Kashmir anyone?
Drumming has definitely deteriorated over the years, especially if you go back to the big band era and hear people like Buddy Rich. Believe it or not, drummers back them were often in the spotlight, and it was a big deal to have “drum battles” much in the way guitarists might trade off riffs.
I’d pick Keith Moon as the best rock drummer. No one could really imitate his style (few were fast enough).
Paul Bostaph of Slayer.
But, hey, I could be prejudiced. 
No one new to add here, but I’d just like to second Phil Collins and Carl Palmer. I tend to think of Phil Collins’ drumming in the same way that I think of Carlos Santana’s guitar work. Melodic. He doesn’t sacrifice melody and phrasing for the sake of playing the absolute fastest licks. Not that he can’t.
Danny Carey of Tool and Dale Crover of the Melvins.