# Who are rock's great drummers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053 "2003-01-26T16:45:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/41 "2003-01-28T04:10:37Z")
Animal. Eat drums! EAT DRUMS! ---
**Author:** ![crinklebat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@crinklebat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crinklebat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/42 "2003-02-02T07:22:17Z")
\*_The guy from Blondie_, whose name escapes me at the moment. The drums on “Dreaming” blow my mind. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/43 "2003-02-02T07:23:40Z")
Say what? No votes for that Partridge kid? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/44 "2003-02-02T07:34:16Z")
**Scott Rockenfield** of Queensryche gets my vote. Still. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/45 "2003-02-02T08:29:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JThunder \* > \*\*Say what? No votes for that Partridge kid? \*\* You didn’t look hard enough. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/46 "2003-02-02T12:49:30Z")
Frank Beard is the driving, grab-you-by-the-shirt force within ZZTop. Most of the rest of my favorites have already been lauded here; Watts, Bonham, Starr, Moon, Baker. ---
**Author:** ![MemoryGongs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@MemoryGongs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryGongs)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/47 "2003-02-02T12:52:51Z")
ah right up my alley…havent played in years but i love talking drums my gods growing up were Neil Peart…no one even close Stewart Copeland Dave Abruzzesee from Pearl Jam…refused to listen to em after he left Nicko McBrain or is it Bain? Bonham Now I like the guy from Tortoise…all drummers should be forced to listen to “Seneca” off the Standards album. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/48 "2003-02-03T15:13:05Z")
Stewart Copeland, Jon Fishman, Terry Bozzio. I went to a Bozzio drum clinic last year, the man is amazing, and still quite dreamy:) ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/49 "2003-02-03T15:56:20Z")
Tommy Lee of Motley Crue. All the weirdness over the last 15 years (his relationship with Pamela Anderson, the sex tape, the feud, the drugs, etc.) have obscured that he was the most musically talented member of that group. By far. Live, he was the equal of any drummer of his time. (That being the mid-to-late 80s) I don’t think he still has it, though. Too much time not spent honing his craft over the last decade. Frank Beard of ZZ Top. I really like his stuff, but it could have less to do with his ability than with how it’s mixed. My favorite ZZ Top tunes blend their percussion and lead guitar so seamlessly it’s beautiful. I’m surprised at all the votes for Dave Grohl. I might have to go buy a Nirvana album now. They shouldn’t be too hard to find. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/50 "2003-02-03T17:13:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dinahmoe \* > \*\*Stewart Copeland, Jon Fishman, Terry Bozzio. I went to a Bozzio drum clinic last year, the man is amazing, and still quite dreamy:) \*\* Dinahmoe, Dinahmoe, Dinahmoe, Dinahmoe , If you are a drummer (and you must be, or you are REALLY into the way Terry looks), you should look for Bozzio/Wackerman “alternative duets”, it’s 2 CD’s that absolutely kick ass! (but DO NOT buy them if you are not a drummer, it is ONLY Terryand Chad). unclviny ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/51 "2003-02-03T21:01:27Z")
Actually, I’m a sax/guitar/piano player who lives with a total Zappa freak. The clinic was held at a club where my improv group performs, so I got in free. Even though I’m not a drummer, I may check out the duets anyway. Thanks for the tip!! ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/52 "2003-02-03T22:31:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lizard \* > \*\*I’m surprised at all the votes for Dave Grohl. I might have to go buy a Nirvana album now. They shouldn’t be too hard to find. 😃 \*\* Try getting “There is Nothing Left to Lose” by Foo Fighters - overall a far more enjoyable and accessible record I feel. Certainly, Dave Grohl himself has conceded that there’s no way he’s even close to being the best drummer in the world, and further, in his own words “I don’t wanna be that guy OK? I’m not that guy”… and yet, his name keeps coming up, time and time again. I suspect part of the reason is that, like guitarists who have found themselves being featured on famous songs, Dave has found himself doing the drumming on some famous songs too. Obviously his work with Nirvana is quite up there, but his work recently with Tenacious D, and Queens of the Stone Age proves he’s still quite adept. Also, he’s done the drumming on more than a few “Foos” songs too - “Learn to Fly”, “Stacked Actors”, “My Hero” and “Everlong” being very good examples. This combined with the fact that he then overlays guitar parts and vocals and that he’s also the songwriter has elevated his reputation quite substantially without doubt. Oddly, the Foos are also blessed with another top flight drummer who is often compared to being the “new Stewart Copeland” - although Taylor Hawkins is the first to concede he’s not in that class - but he’s undeniably very good - if only because he plays his own style on Foos songs in the studio, and then, in concert, he mimics Dave Grohl’s style on those tunes that HE didn’t record in the studio. ---
**Author:** ![Morningstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Morningstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morningstar)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/53 "2003-02-03T23:49:09Z")
Jeremy Taggart of Our Lady Peace, moreso on the older material. ---
**Author:** ![Lipid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Lipid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lipid)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/54 "2003-02-04T02:03:18Z")
Rick Allen - Def Leppard He only has one arm! A one-armed drummer…thats almost like an oxymoron. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/55 "2003-02-04T04:10:50Z")
John Densmore of the Doors. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/56 "2003-02-07T00:15:04Z")
Keith Moon----Won’t Get Fooled Again— ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/57 "2003-02-07T05:45:40Z")
Ask the top ten drummers mentioned so far who they think the world’s best rock drummer is, and they will say [Ginger Baker](http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Ginger%20Baker.html) of **Cream**. Check out audio clips on that page such as the drum solo from **Toad** , or **Sunshine of Your Love** , and you will agree. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/58 "2003-02-07T06:45:22Z")
Gotta second \*\*Phil Collins \*\* since one mention of him in a thread like this hardly ever gets any attention. In fact, (blasphemy coming), I’d take him over Peart any day of the week. Along with Bruford. I’d mention **Vinnie Calayuta** (sp?) who among others has played with Zappa, but then we might be moving over into fusion territory and I wouldn’t want to do that. Otherwise I’d have to mention Billy Cobham and Trilok Gurtu (the best I’ve heard anywhere in any genre). ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/59 "2003-02-07T06:57:33Z")
**Vinnie Colaiuta** 🙂 I think he’s played on enough rock to qualify. Great technique (traditional grip) too. Did anyone see that E! ident he did? ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053/60 "2003-02-07T07:01:24Z")
Oh, and while he does mainly country sessions now, I’d like to nominate **Paul Leim**. He did a few rock things over the years. He has a great feel, and his snare sound is so open, yet controlled. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-rocks-great-drummers/151053.md?page=2)