I gave the nod to Tony Williams, but only because he happened to be on the list and Jack DeJohnette was not.
Sheila E
Danny Carey
Josh Freese
Tim Alexander
Stewart Copeland
Dave Grohl
Chad Smith
A list with Ringo Starr but not Neil Peart? I’m confused.
After some session work and gigs in Nashville where I grew up, I did 3 years in a DCI corps. I’m kind of a drummer with a pinch of percussionist thrown in.
Many people can keep time, a lot can go crazy behind a drum kit, but no one matches the control, rythms, and unusual timing changes that Mr. Peart displays continually.
Long live Neil Peart.
Any rational poll MUST contain name Ian Paice.
Keith Moon
I also think Dave Mattacks is a fantastic drummer. The opposite of Moon, being quite understated, but he does everything just right.
Tough call for me between Tony Williams and Elvin Jones, but ultimately had to go with Williams for the unbelievable grooves he set up with Miles Davis.
Rock Drummers? I’m with akrako1 in being a bit surprised Mitch Mitchell didn’t make it.
No Mike Portnoy? No Christian Vander? No Neil Peart? This list is missing something…
My vote is for Portnoy.
Honestly, I am less surprised by which rock drummers didn’t make it than I am that there are any rock drummers who did. The list is 90% jazz, and frankly jazz drums are a different instrument. It’s like asking who is the better guitar player Segovia or Hendrix, it just doesn’t make sense. Neil Pert, Mitch Mitchell etc don’t belong on this list because they play a different instrument.
Bonzo and Starr don’t really belong either. Maybe I could see a case for Charlie Watts, but he wouldn’t be close to winning.
Edit: and of the 4 people you could honestly call rock drummers, 2 of them are primarily session guys.
Elvin Jones by a mile.
How can you have Ringo Starr on this list but not Keith Moon, who could blow Ringo – or anybody else – away!? Don’t get me wrong – Ringo is a great drummer…really makes me cringe when people call him the “least-talented Beatle” when many, many times his drumming proves that he’s as talented as the others…(not to mention the song “Instant Amnesia,” which despite its corny reference to “Instant Karma!”, is one of the most kick-ass post-breakup Beatle tunes ever!..but this is about drummers, songwriters and singers…)
Mickey Dolenz.
No, seriously, Will Rigby.
And I agree lumping jazz drummers together with rock drummers makes an already unanswerable question pointless besides. So I answered for rock.
Neil Peart
Peart, hands down.
Neal Peart.
Neal Peart.
Stewart Copeland, definitely, or maybe Bill Bruford.
Neal Peart
some great mentions. i love gadd and colaiuta of the famous ones. i also love many others, trilok gurtu and jimmy cobb in jazz, david garibaldi in funk, and i have to give an honourable mention to steve jordan. he’s never mentioned in these things, but what a wonderful feel he has. any band he played in was instantly made more musical by his presence
Hey, someone should start a thread about who’s the greatest Neil Peart-style drummer! <lightbulb>yeah</lightbulb>.
The people are right – he can’t play jazz and jazzers can('t) usually play rock.
I call for a new poll! A better poll! A humane and decent poll!
Also, WTH is with all these Rush fans – it’s like a cult! I kid – I know the power of Rush.
Both Jimmy Chamberlin (of the Smashing Pumpkins) and Phil Collins can play a decent jazz drum. I’m not sure if theyr’e considered “Neil Peart” style, but they both get flashy and complex.