Across
all musical genres, drums and the great drummers that accompany them create the
backbone upon which the rest of the track is built. While there certainly exist great songs that do not include
drumming, it would be difficult to find a successful artist that does not
employ drumming in at least one of their successful tracks. The following is a list of some
of the greatest drummers of all time. Whether they are known for their
excellent technique, or loud and powerful sound, all of these drummers have
contributed something unique and memorable to rock music.
5. Karen Carpenter (The Carpenters)
Before
her untimely death, Karen Carpenter was known for her vocal performances in the
duo, The Carpenters. While she did
possess great vocal talent, Carpenter’s great skills as a drummer are often
overlooked. As one can see from
this video, Karen Carpenter’s technique and control hold their own against some
of the bigger names in drumming.
One gets the sense that behind the controlled, even rhythms that
Carpenter creates is the ability to produce a drum solo that totally kicks ass.
4. Neil Peart (Rush)
Like
Karen Carpenter, Neil Peart exhibits amazing technique and control. His style is anything but sloppy; it
seems extremely well thought out and executed. While Peart’s style may not appeal to fans of bands such as
Nirvana or Pixies because it lacks that grunge appeal, one cannot argue that
Peart is one of the most technically advanced drummers of all time.
3. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures, Foo Fighters)
Dave
Grohl supposedly learned to play drums on pillows when he was too poor to
afford a real drum kit -- a trait that’s made evident by his loud, powerful
drumming. Grohl beats the drums as
if he’s back home playing on pillows, determined to produce some kind of
sound. Fans of Peart and Carpenter
might not find Grohl’s style appealing, because technically it isn’t as
impressive. But Grohl exemplifies
the rock ‘n’ roll style of grungy, loud, powerful music that defined rock music
for decades.
2. Keith Moon (The Who)
Find
any list of great rock drummers and Keith Moon will be on it -- and for good
reason. Moon exemplifies a great
blend of the technical prowess of Karen Carpenter and Neil Peart along with the
grungy style of Dave Grohl. His
drum solo in the opening of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (found in the above link)
combines admirable technical skills with a powerful rock sound – a feat that’s
anything but easy.
1. John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
While
Keith Moon does a great job of blending technical ability with soul, no one
does it like John Bonham. Bonham’s
technical skill trumps almost anyone, blending soft and loud tones to create a
sound that demonstrates spectacular control. In the midst of this great technical prowess, though, lies a
funky, soulful sound that can be found in few other drummers’ styles. Bonham is one of the few drummers that
could hold his own in a funk band, a grunge band, a punk band -- the list goes
on. His unique sound helped to
define Led Zeppelin and propel them to fame, and helped to establish him as
what many, including myself, consider the greatest drummer of all time.
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