100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time

[visog]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1459773587' post='3019413']
As I said, divisive. Lists suck, but certainly give rise to debate. My favourite tub thumpers are all there, but spread amazing widely, from the top 10 (Copeland, which I think is high) to barely scraping in (Steve Jordan, way too low). Ultimately it's a bit of fun which, to paraphrase Elvis Costello, tells much about lists and nothing about the musicians contained therein.

Bruford was in the top 10 I think, certainly top 20.
[/quote]

#16 actually but no Mike Portnoy or Mick Burt (Chas n Dave). Not being sexist but there's a frankly an unrealistic quota of female drummers in there... (*runs to nuclear bunker*)

[spectoremg]

I only looked at the last 20 - is Ian Paice in it?

[Graham]

Disappointed that Jean-Paul Gaster wasn't on the list, but glad to see Danney Carey and Dave Lombardo made the cut, though personally I'd liked them to be higher

[stevie]

Ringo Starr miles ahead of Steve Gadd? Can't be right!

[gjones]

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1459710176' post='3018859']
I can't and don't want to judge the "best", but if there's one drummer I'd want to play with, my "favourite", it's Bonzo. So powerful, so groovy, always sounds like he's got more time than anyone else, if you know what I mean? Otherwise it's just a list of great drummers
[/quote]

I like his playing but I'd have to hear him playing jazz on a little Gretsch kit before I'd let him join my band

With brushes!

Edited April 4, 2016 by gjones

[gjones]

Keith Moon's playing, always reminds me of a drum kit falling down a flight of stairs.

[RhysP]

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1459795544' post='3019763']
I only looked at the last 20 - is Ian Paice in it?
[/quote]

Yes he is.

[chris_b]

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1459801191' post='3019868']
Ringo Starr miles ahead of Steve Gadd? Can't be right!
[/quote]

At least they are both there. . . as is Earl Palmer and Levon Helm.

There are some puzzling inclusions, Mrs White Stripes for instance (in the 100 greatest drummer list. Really?) but I can live with that because they've included the fantastic Ritchie Hayward, legendary Bernard Purdie, the marvellous Freddie Below and the essential southern soul drummers Al Jackson Jr and Roger Hawkins. Looks like a good list to me.

[spectoremg]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1459806034' post='3019944']
Yes he is.
[/quote]Ta.

[Guest bassman7755]

Michael Shrieve #74 - really ?.

[MoonBassAlpha]

I suspect Meg White isn't even the best drummer in the White Stripes....

[lowdown]

Most of the people I expected to be there, are.
And In the order I expected from 'Rolling Stone'.

Considering the amount of top TV/Film/Album sessions and credits (100's) they have,
I am surprised that Carlos Vega and Harvey Mason are not mentioned.

Hey ho, it's just a Brahms and Liszt, list.

[timmo]

I assume you could expect anyone not in the list above Meg White is a bit controversial. Ric Lee from Ten Years After deserves at least a top 75 in my opinion, and not mentioned

[scalpy]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1459801951' post='3019882']


I like his playing but I'd have to hear him playing jazz on a little Gretsch kit before I'd let him join my band

With brushes!
[/quote]

In a modern drummer magazine back in the 80s/90s there was a story about Zep being on the same bill as James Brown. Apparently Bonzo sat down with the various drummers in the group and goes 'you play like this' to Clyde Stubblefield, and 'you play like this' to Jabo Starks, impressing them suitably. I do admit I've not heard this story repeated anyway else.

There are numerous accounts of him buying a toy kit for his son Jason when he was small and demonstrating how to drum on it, and sounding pretty much as dynamic and huge as he was on his regular kit. He had such an ear and touch for rhythm that I don't doubt tiny jazz kit and brushes would be far out of his reach.

[spectoremg]

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1459890761' post='3020688']
In a modern drummer magazine back in the 80s/90s there was a story about Zep being on the same bill as James Brown. Apparently Bonzo sat down with the various drummers in the group and goes 'you play like this' to Clyde Stubblefield, and 'you play like this' to Jabo Starks, impressing them suitably. I do admit I've not heard this story repeated anyway else.

There are numerous accounts of him buying a toy kit for his son Jason when he was small and demonstrating how to drum on it, and sounding pretty much as dynamic and huge as he was on his regular kit. He had such an ear and touch for rhythm that I don't doubt tiny jazz kit and brushes would be far out of his reach.
[/quote][attachment=216316:Amber kit.jpg]
And his Ludwig amber vistalite is the coolest kit of all time. Resistance is futile

Edited April 5, 2016 by spectoremg

[oldbass]

There are literaly hundreds of very good drummers out there......Was watching a Tube vid about cruise ship musos, the drummer was being filmed and boy was he crisp!...and he was reading every dot, amazing.

But nail my colours to the mast?

Buddy Rich for shear originality followed by Steve Gadd who has probably played every style possible in a live recorded environment..

[chris_b]

Our old drummer in the cover band had a Vistalite and he also had the Vistalite with the lights in.

He always used it because it "punched through" the noisy guitars. It just sounded harsh and hard to me.

His wooden kit sounded much better.

[spectoremg]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1459944402' post='3021092']
Our old drummer in the cover band had a Vistalite and he also had the Vistalite with the lights in.

He always used it because it "punched through" the noisy guitars. It just sounded harsh and hard to me.

His wooden kit sounded much better.
[/quote]Good point. Of the other well known players I can only think of Barry Barlow from Tull who used one for any length of time - no-one else seemed to like them.
Edit: Tull did have a very particular sound though.

Edited April 6, 2016 by spectoremg

[ezbass]

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1459955427' post='3021243']
Good point. Of the other well known players I can only think of Barry Barlow from Tull who used one for any length of time - no-one else seemed to like them.
Edit: Tull did have a very particular sound though.
[/quote]Ooh, great call! BB is often overlooked, which is a shame. You could say the same for Martin Barre and any of their bass players too. I suppose most folks don't see beyond Ian Anderson.