Who Is the Greatest Drummer of All Time? Lars Ulrich Settles the Debate
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2020
- Lars Ulrich joins Howard and the Stern Show staff in deciding whether John Bonham or Neil Peart is the greatest drummer of all time.
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These people have clearly never heard me at my cubicle desk with two pencils.
Lol
I know. You rule dude!
You ought to hear me at a red light tapping on the steering wheel, especially if I’ve got the turn signal on!
Hahahah right on!
You are by far my favorite of all cubicle desk drummers!
They once asked Neil Peart the same question, he said well... there's Buddy Rich, and then there's everybody else
EXACTLY!! ... and that still stands to this day!
Thank you my man. Nobody else.
Thank you!
Yeah it's actually hard to argue when you see what he could do. I think with that in mind, we always have to say best ROCK drummer. I go with Bonzo but peart is kinda like a 1b to his 1a.
Yeah, no point in even responding to other comments. However, I do think Ginger Baker was something other than else. But in a way I think its like saying "who is the greatest painter". I mean, how do you actually quantify that shit? What I do know is that Bonham had a relatively short career.
"Neil Peart is your favorite drummer's favorite drummer." - Dave Grohl
ANIMAL of THE MUPPETS is the greatest drummer of all time...
Lars actually inspired me, to play guitar...
Lars is the #1 most ripped on drummer in history. Followed by Ringo, so that's not bad company.
I got to see Lars play from just a few feet away. He's an entertaining drummer live.
Lol 😂
What the fuck🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Bill Ward of Black Sabbath is so underrated.
Oh yeah definitely
War pigs has amazing fills
Its nuts how Ian Paice never features too prominently in these polls. He is one of the most technically and rudimentary talented drummers out there.
Bill Ward is pretty underrated.He is definitely up there.
So is Mike Portnoy
Absolutely.
Stewart Copeland is better than a lot of people will ever realize.
He's huge in the drum community, almost all drummers like myself are huge Stewart Copeland fans
Good choice...ty.
Good choice.
Very true but I think Neil Peart and Dennis Chambers are also a good option. In general I’m not one of those ‘the best’ types
Definitely!
No one can do what Neil did. Neil could do what everyone did.
I like that Lars gave a Shout out to Phil Rudd.Highly underrated IMHO.Not the most technical but nobody was better for ACDC.
Thank you, Lars, for putting IAN PAICE😁❤
Paice was/is a better snare worker than either Peart or Bonham.
I'm so glad Lars mentioned Phil Rudd. He was so crucial to AC/DC's simplicity and gave them that signature rock n' roll swing. He's a very underrated drummer, and I'm glad Lars mentioned his name
Absolutely agree.
Phil makes the difference in the band for sure.
The man was a human metronome after all
Danny Carey has the power of Bonham and the speed of Peart, and an iconic style all his own.
Buddy Rich (of all time)
John Bonham (Rock)
Neal Peart (Most innovative)
Keith Moon (Most bewildering to imitate)
Also enjoy old Gene Krupa stuff
And, Ron Tutt!
Clyde Stubblefield- most sampled
Gene is more innovative than Neil. He basically created drumming.
For me, it's the Professor Neil Peart. No one could play like him let alone recreate his music.
Peart and Bonham were in different bands. Most people are biased based on the type of music each band palyed.
I would have to agree with that
That's true and I love both bands, but there's something ethereal about Zeppelin that Rush doesn't quite touch on for me.
Neil was definitely better technically and had a great sense of groove and creativity in his own right, but Bonham was literally a god on the drums. Everything he played moves you.
I never liked Lars, but once he mentioned Ian Paice and Phil Rudd he gained so much respect
Pretty known fact that he started playing drums because of Paice
70s drummers were something else. They didn't just play rock, they played and practised a wide variety of things.
Ac/Dc are awesome and I like them but a teenager could play Phil Rudd's drum parts
Lars is the ultimate metal and rock fan.
Yup exactly. I have to admit, back in the day I was a big fan of Lars. Now a days not as much lol
Today the respect that Lars gets is not from his incredible chops 😂but his knowledge and experience in the music industry .I’m not surprised he mentioned Paice and Rudd. Any pro would. After all these years he is still extremely humble. Had the opportunity to meet him a few years ago, that dude hung out until the very last kid went home. He signed anything that you would ask and he personally interacted with everyone that was there to meet him. Total gentleman.
How many drummers do you know that can write a song that changes time signatures 5 million times like Neil did with Limelight, and still be a massive hit?
'When the levee breaks' still gives me goosebumps. Brilliant.
This video made me realize Ringo Starr plays the flute.
hahahahaa
Try to play his drum parts.
John had a thunder soul to his drumming while Neil had god-like precision and quickness.
I agree with you. But as far as quickness I think John bonham's under rated. If you ever watched the song remains the same Bonham's hands just shred on Dazed and Confused. He out does himself in Dazed and Confused vs Moby Dick!
I really prefer Neil's earlier style where he had the classic rock of Bonham with a Stewart Copeland vibe in places
Yes exactly two very different approaches!
The world set their clocks to Pearts timing!
What about Keith moon or buddy rich???
Bill Ward 's 'the wizard' parts are so smooth and swingy
Neil Peart could also write. And write he did - very very profoundly.
While they are both true legends - for me it’s always going to be Neil as the best that ever lived.
After all he did write Subdivisions!
Bill Ward is criminally underrated in these discussions, I'm not really a drummer but the first two Sabbath albums are so fun to play on drums. Same with Zeppelin too, I have no problems with Bonham being considered the best but Ward needs to at least be mentioned!
I'm also really into Megadeth right now and Gar Samuelson was a monster.
Nick Menza too RIP
I agree 100% about Bill Ward...he was a beast...!!
YES! Even the Gar part. I'd pick him over Nick Menza
Hear, hear! Love for Bill Ward!
(Nick Menza was great too.)
The criticism of Bill is that he is a bit too orchestral in his style. Could be he is dealing with crappy recording(no isolated snare and kick mic ) on those first couple albums.
The one that isn't playing when you're tuning your guitar.
Drummers know this. This is why some drummers used to keep a coffee-can FULL of drumsticks next to the throne - for spares, yes, but also for throwing at annoying people(like guitar players). This is what led to the invention of in-line tuners for guitar, so that the guitar player can tune up and the crowd not have to listen. Drummers are now encouraged to not keep a large supply of ammunition for throwing at people. And so drummers are more socially accepted, now.
Seriously, there used to be books about "How To Start a Rock Band." And the book had a paragraph in it that said, "when you see a rock band, there's 3 guys with guitars, and another guy. The other guy is the drummer." So the drummer has always been a little different.
Hugely underappreciated comment
Ian Paice is amazing, really like the shout out by Lars. Maybe over-shadowed by so many other state of the art rock musicians in Deep Purple because he definately seems underrated
I think, in my opinion of course, it really comes down to John being completely at one with the drums, and Neil being a master of them.
Well said
I agree with this decision, but Mitch Mitchell needs to be included within the top contention for greatest drummers. As unbelievably great as Hendrix is, Mitch's drumming not only matches him, but makes the Hendrix Experience tunes the legendary songs that they are.
Jimi Hendrix was Mitch Mitchell's guitarist!
Most underrated.
One of my favorites!
Nobody can play drums in a band doing a Hendrix song and sound like Mitch! So unique!
Neil Peart. Dany Carey.
You’re half right
Nah. Peart certainly.
Neil Peart & Danny were actually really good friends, and they both kind of have similar styles of drumming, but I love both, to me there’s really no number 1 drummer, because they’re all so good, imo.
Good second for sure.
You nailed it
Most powerful: Bonham
Most technical: Peart
Most underrated: Ward
Most innovative: Moon
Most unique: Carey
Coolest: Ringo
Best dressed: Watts
Best voice: (tie) Collins & Henley
Honorable mentions: Copeland, Paice, Van Halen
Does Danny carey not get a mention? He is highly regarded by other artists
BUDDY RICH
buddy rich was wayyyy ahead of his time :D
I think they are talking about rock drummers even John Bonham said Buddy Rich is the best drummer ever
Great drummer, HUGE asshole.
Nah
they forget the old jazz drummers all the time!! Gene Krupa too
Ian Paice, baby! The drumming on Burn is fucking iconic.
Neil Peart was a gift.
That’s so cool that Neil took an interest in Lars way back when. Reminds me of how Eddie Van Halen helped out Jerry Cantrell early in his career.
Jeff Porcaro ! You hear him on more music than you actually realize!!!!!
“Lars is the best drummer in the world and history”. -13 yo Timothy who recently listened to nothing else matters for the first time.
This is the best comment in this entire thread!
EXACTLY!!!! Touché
Something else splatters.. 🚽
@@lindsayheywood7195 hahahhahaha
They all b******* aside he is probably the best drummer in terms of a well-rounded person businessman and of course I believe deep down he was Neil peart's greatest fan. You'll never know that I'll never know that however judging by the storyline that went from their first album to justice for all he probably had some of the concept feedback to give to the albums and that's exactly if you notice what rush too there is wonderful story line with some of their albums less fantasy the Metallica but Metallica also had some similarity if you really listen to the lyrics and how everything builds up so do the math guys Lars Neil who knows maybe best friends rest in peace Neil I'm sure you battled for a long time now you finally get to see those loved ones that you had to miss so long ago so soon
Lets just say John was the soul of drums while Neil was the brain of drums. (Neil is no.1 in my book)
No love for Bill Bruford? One of the most technically impressive drummers of all time
Calling Neil Peart a drummer is like calling Freddie Mercury a crooner. Neil Peart was a master percussionist. Bonham was a drummer.
Facts. 👍🏼
great point.
That’s why bonham is the best drummer
What is the difference?
So what? You can't whistle a tune played solo by a master percussionist. That's why people vote for John Bonham or Stuart Copeland. They both played on more songs which were played more often on more radio stations.
🔥Danny Carey🔥
I'd say Bill Bruford. Danny Carey's favourite drummer
One of Neil's besties... They hung out with another bestie, some guy named Copeland.... 🤔😄
Fax
Pretty easy
Haven’t seen all the comments but cannot believe there’s not more votes for Carl Palmer. Fantastic drummer
Really glad Lars mentioned Ian Paice . There is an elegance to his playing that you do not hear in hard rock and metal and he has the coolest glasses too.
Spot on.. seems like the 70s rock drummers had a wider range of influences in general
The guy who both Bonzo and Neil took inspiration from, Keith Moon...but there isn’t a wrong answer, it’s preference
No question about it. Neil Peart. I’ll never understand the argument for John Bonham although he was very good. Neil did so many amazing things over the years that made ihim so influential. If you want to compare the two. They’re missing many great drummers like buddy rich in this discussion.
I was going to say the same thing. Now Granite I'm not a huge Led Zeppelin fan but I do give credit where credit is due and John Bonham was a good drummer but I really don't think that John was better than Neal.
Agree as well, Bonham was amazing and had his own classic sound but Neil Peart is on a different planet hands down. Two different style of drummers. I can't believe Buddy Rich wasn't even mentioned in this conversation. Then again it's Howard Stern who's never played the drums lol.
"No question about it". Haha, as if your opinion is the final word on the subject. Always cracks me up when people say things like on something that's totally subjective.
John Bonham was good, but not as good as they say he is, imo. Neil was way better, in my opinion.
Buddy is the all time GOAT though
Danny Carey and Neil Peart. Not sure why they ask Lars with his horrific timing issues, how would he ever know who’s the best?
I agree that Lars isn’t anywhere near as good as he once was, but the man is an encyclopedia of musical knowledge when it comes to the history of rock music. Not to mention he has excellent taste, so yeah despite his limited vocabulary on the kit, he can definitely hold his own during a music discussion.
And he’s right on the money with Bonham being the best.
I pick the Octopus Carey too
no mention of Buddy Rich?
Bonham is mustard and Neil is Grey Poupon. Love them both and equally. One is a beast and one is a beauty.
You must not play drums. There’s a feel to music that’s indescribable. Neil is super super technical but he plays like a robot like a drum machine. JB not only came before him and paved the way, but his swing, feel and licks are way more studied. Look how many people including chicks can play tom sawyer with the solo and how many people struggle to play a song like fall in the rain because they can’t get the field down that’s what music is all about right there not to technical shit.
@@h.epennypacker2598 Exactly
Sacrilege!! Neil went back to school in humility, and started all over again with a good teacher. From how he hit the drums to how he held the sticks; Neils spirit transcended being a musician. That combined with INSANE chops made him the greatest drummer ever. My top 5 are Neil Peart, Steve Gadd, Carter Beauford (most musical drummer), John Bonham and Dave Weckl.
For the record, I feel Lars isn't the best judge on this...
Some other drummers that I feel don't get a lot of recognition in terms of greatness and influence, are Pace of Deep Purple, Bill Ward of Sabbath, Vinny and Carmine Appice, Cozy Powell, etc.
Neil made drummers want to play better and Bonham made everyone want to play drums.
Buddy Rich. No question. Howard likes to act like he knows music - but the best drummers are in the jazz genre, without a doubt.
Young Hemingway Ginger Baker.
perhaps Howard's talking about those working within a song. Someone that makes a song memorable and iconic just by the drumming alone and "When a levee breaks" is a good example of that....and John Bonham is a veritable source of those. In contrast, Buddy Rich is the most impressive to watch but really leaves me cold.
Okay hipster
Yeah, it's so kick ass to listen to a bunch of Buddy Rich?!
Im sure he meant “rock drummer”. Cause if it was greatest drummer in general then of course its Buddy Rich.
Alice In Chains’ Sean Kinney and RHCP’s Chad Smith are criminally underrated.
Steve Gadd ... come on break the mould and broaden the debate from Bonham, Peart, Watts, Paice, and maybe get Mitch Mitchell in your mind too. Definitely agree Copeland is way under-rated, fantastic hands. Thankfully the world is just so big there is space for all these genius contributors to the sound, and may be not even get into the debate as to Who is the greatest. Louie Bellson pretty cool too, and those twin bass drums were before Keith Moon. But I still love that When The Levee Breaks sound, and Andy John's sound engineering (Was it Headley Grange?) ...
Danny Carrey has to be in the discussion. But Bonham is the rock icon.
Amen Danny Carey is so technical
^ This right here. Was thinking this the whole time, but it's tough to go against the Gods/Legends of rock. I'd say if you took both away from their bands and had them play head to head in front of a group of people who didn't know who they were, Carrey would probably win, but I'm from that generation, not Bonham's.
I came here to say this. Danny Carey is other worldly.
If you throw Carrey into the discussion, I would also bring Chris Adler & Thomas Hakke to the table.
Never heard anyone like him, that should say something
Neil Peart, no contest. He was at another level.
AGREED. i was screaming at the radio when i heard this.
Bonham can be imitated. Peart is one of a kind.
I think Bonham was the one who laid the foundation during the early days of hard rock, but Neil Peart has influenced an untold number of drummers through the years. He has raised the art form and expanded the role drumming plays in music. So yes, Bonham was great, but Neil was a genius.
@@TanMann23 same 😂😂
Add another level there and you'll get Buddy
John Bonham was great, no doubt, but for me it's Neil Peart, The Professor!!!!!!
Neil for me, but I always thought Jimmy Fox of James Gang was so underrated. Just listen to his drumming on The Bomber, it's overshadowed by Walsh's guitar but it's so damn good.
Animal!!! Best drummer
Right?!!!
Animal learned drumming from Keith Moon. Funny but true.
Google claims, "It is a popular legend that Animal (Muppets) was inspired by Keith Moon (drummer of the Who)."
Don Henley!
Hahahahahahahahaha! Jk!!
(He CAN sing, though!)
The only logical choice
I would say besides drums Neil was a genius and was very ambitious about educating himself and contributing great stories that turned into lyrical content.how much more well-rounded as a person into me that makes a person qualified to be a number one drummer.
Terry Bozzio, Simon Phillips, Vinnie Colaiuta, Bill Bruford, Chad Wackerman, Marco Minneman, etc. are all every bit as talented as Bonham and Peart. There are too many good drummers out there with different qualities to pick just one.
Thank you finally someone said it. Buddy Rich is The Greatest Drummer there is no debate
Bonzo was a legend but the stuff that Neil Peart played and wrote was insane. There's no need to compare them (they played two completely different types of music) but from a technical standpoint Neil Peart was definitely a cut above.
absolutely
And from a musical standpoint, and an influential standpoint, Bonham was on another level
For me, both drummers are great, but I think Neil Peart could play Led Zep better than Bonham could play Rush. So to me, that makes Peart #1.
They were both amazing in different ways! Both are my favs! ♥️
Neil Peart.
all the way
Yes
Daney carey
Nuff said.
All the way...ALLt the way.
When it comes to TECHNICAL drumming, id give it to Peart, Carey, Mangini or anyone of those AMAZING progressive drummers. When it comes to FEEL, not to take anything away from ANYONE, id give it to John Bonham.
Body of work alone, it's Neil Peart!
As a huge ACDC fan I'm glad he mentioned Phil Rudd
I LOVE Neil Pearts' playing. He is, by far, my favourite drummer. Having said that, when asked the question, "Who is the best drummer of all time?" any answer other than BUDDY RICH just shows that you really weren't paying attention.
As a drummer, it's like asking, "What is your favorite color?" Just like different colors can burst forth as most vibrant within context and contrast and light intensity and surroundings there are any number of greatest drummers, each in their given style and interpretive musicianship and in their given musical surroundings.
I love how John Bonham would listen to Jimmy Page's guitar and he would fit the notes in I've been listening to led Zeppelin a lot this week just paying attention and you hear Jimmy Page talk with the guitar and then you hear bottom start swinging and his bass drum and then jonesy comes in with the bass each of them know how to talk to each other as they play and that made him such a kick-ass band that they could talk to each other with their instruments and they were great listeners
And, don't forget the Def Leppard drummer who re-learned to drum one handed after his accident. Just saying give him credit
I'd love to hear Dave grohl weigh in on this debate.
Yes 😂
There is no winner!… I just know both were great for the bands they played in. I loved John Bonham’s playing and studio sound. I also love Neil’s laser precision on his often very complicated drumming skills. Then there’s the discipline and dedication one must have to constantly improve and that’s where Neil had the edge. I figure John was someone Neil thought of as a legend and no doubt John would have been amazed at Neil’s expert abilities. This BEST DRUMMER shit or BEST anything dealing with musicians is always a no win and matter of taste. Let’s all agree both were the best! The right hand and left hand to rock music.
Well said
Also Def leppards drummer for coming back and doing it with one arm
Love that Lars mentioned Ian Paice.
Personally, I would have to say that in the rock music genre the best drummer hands-down is Neil Peart, but overall for technical expertise I would give the nod to Buddy Rich. Now what about the drummers that not only play, but simultaneously sing on a regular basis (not just an occasional song either), and do both well? Phil Collins, Don Henley, Kelly Keagy and a few other greats come to mind. If you want to see a great up-and-coming drummer, that both plays and sings, check out Paulina Villarreal from "The Warning." Paulina is amazing for a teenage girl in a band that plays some great rock music. Her sisters are no slouches as musicians either. Just ask Lars, he is very familiar with Paulina and "The Warning."
Nope... nobody beat like the Professor , he re-invented the drum kit, may he rest in peace
Neal Peart is #1 in my opinion. In terms of top 10 Stewart Copeland of the Police has to be in the conversation. Very underrated. He has a very unique sound.
Who is the best drummer Peart or Bonham you say? First off Lars would probably be the last person I would ask!
Why ask someone who plays drums for one of the most successful bands of all time, right?
Totally!
Danny Carey of Tool... another great is Stephan Perkins of Jane's Addiction
Today in 2020.....Danny is the greatest....no one comes up with stuff like him.....
There was a time when Stephen Perkins had the most recognizable drum sound in rock. Amazing.
Mitch Mitchell of the JHE is my favorite. He made his jazz style work very well for rock.
No chance. Peart is the most gifted drummer ever
The engine of The Who - Keith Moon.
Yes!
Neil is probably more skilled, but it's all about the effectiveness of what they do in the context of the band or song. With tremendous respect for both, I would have to say they're equal. I tend to gravitate towards Bill Ward and Ian Paice for that era.
I recently watched a UA-cam video of Sabbath in Paris in 1970 and based on that performance alone I think Ward deserves consideration.
Ive never understood the adoration for Bonham. But, i could say the same for rankings of any musicians. Its seems like people just look at the most popular bands, then decide who was more iconic. Seems like a silly game to me.
Bill Ward is a fucking boss
Bill ward is a monster
Always loved Bill Ward, deserves more credit in these types of debates
To me Neil Peart is the man who can make me cry via drumming .
Bonzo's groove is out of this world tho
You’ve got to do it by genre. For rock, it’s Neil Peart. 🤘🏾
“Ok Lars, who’s the greatest drummer of all time?”
“Throw Phil Rudd in there”
Couldn’t expect anything less from Lars
Tanuj Singh
Phil Rudd is a great drummer. ✌️
Rudd is a great drummer.
@@kiekko673 yes but shouldn't be compared to Neil Peart and Bonham. Neil
Drumming is all about perfect timing the only person I can think who is better than timing and in the pocket more than Phil Rudd is Jonathan Moffat Michael Jackson’s drummer
Phil Rudd is that good and props to Lars for saying that...Lars himself is very good...People just follow other idiots that talk trash and don't know shit about drums and being a musician...
Nick Mason, Mitch Mitchell, & Phil Collins are so underrated.
Collins was brilliant on Robert Plant's first album !
Collins especially. He was a beast of a drummer back when Genesis were actually good. He stopped focusing on his drumming and started focusing on his pop tendencies when the 80s rolled around though.
Gotta love seeing @Polyphonic clips on the Howard Stern Show
It’s gotta be Neil Peart for me. As much as I fucking LOVE John Bonham, nothing blows my mind like listening to Neil. His drumming is truly hard to process it’s that good
Danny Carey
Sean Kinney
Stewart Copeland
To name 3 more great drummers..
There is no one greatest drummer .... It's all just opinion...
Type in "Mike Magnini drum solo" and watch the first video at the top a drum solo over 20 years ago bet no one in the World can play that.
Yup. And really it's not even fair. He's the Michael Angelo, Barry Sanders and Michael Jordan of percussionists and percussionist is the proper title and in a league of his own. I dare anyone to watch and listen to Tool "Pneuma" drum cam and disagree. ;-)
Pete de Freitas is super underrated and had he not died so young people might recognize him more
@@bruun1974 I never get why so many people have such a hard-on for that Pneuma video. For Danny Carey, that video doesn't even show off all his talents. He's really not as great of a drummer as everyone says he is as well. Polyrhythms. Yes they're tricky, but that does not instantly make someone of the greatest drummers to ever live
Glad to see you mention Sean Kinney
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. This discussion is genre specific. If you expand it to include abilities, precision, fundamentals, creativity, speed etc., you cannot leave out names like Buddy Rich or Steve Gadd and certainly a few others such as those mentioned in the video. When I was a kid, I attended a drum workshop by Buddy Rich. He could do some things one-handed that many drummers struggle to do with two.
bonzo first, peart and moon joint 2nd for me as moon was the inspiration for peart and moon was so different, it sounded so random but was actually so perfectly on the button
I'd say Bonham had the soul of Zeppelin. He was the base of their Rythyms.
Neil peart changed modern Drumming. He was Front and Center on stage. He didn't just keep the beat, he wrote songs for the drums, (and for the band as well) making the drumset a complex and equal part of the music. He was technically and physically more proficient than Bonham on the kit, and mastered this realm.
It's sad, but Bonham, like Moon found their noteriety from remembrance post death.
His work with Led Zeppelin is great and his ability to cross the Blues to Rock mix and make that legendary was AWESOME!
As a drummer, growing up on both those bands and a bushel more, Bonham was great, but we barely talked about him before he died. He wasn't the driver of Led Zeppelin. Peart was the driver of the industry (rock drums), and he was on the cover of more mags and in every conversation about drums.
Lars Ulrich may be in Metallica, but he's a terrible drummer. He shouldn't be the crux of all the pros oppinions. I think the industry giants would say nice things about both, and Neil would come out on top.
For me, Buddy Rich is technically the best drummer that ever lived.
Other drummers vying for best drummer title consideration are: Dave Weckl, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, Dennis Chambers, Billy Cobham, Michael Walden, Terry Bozzio, Steve Jordan, Simon Phillips, Bill Bruford, Steve Smith, Lenny White, Jack Dejohnette, Idris Muhammad, Al Dawson, Richard Baily, Bernard Purdie, Hal Blaine, Joe Morello, Matt Cameron, Louie Bellson, Gene Krupa, Stewart Copeland, etc.
I like this list + Neil Peart and John Bonham. It's next to impossible to name a singular "greatest" in any art form. Still subjective, but may be easier within categories - for a given time period, given genre, level of formal training, constraints of bands they were in, etc., but always filtered through personal experience and taste. I would also add Tony Williams next to Billy Cobham, Jeff Porcaro next to Steve Gadd, Alan White next to Bill Bruford, and Stephen Perkins, Tim Alexander, Danny Carey, Jimmy Chamberlain, and Chad Smith next to Matt Cameron. Others: Bill Ward, Ian Paice, Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell, Keith Moon, Omar Hakim, Jonathan Moffett, Peter Erskine, Mark Portnoy, Mike Mangini, Thomas Lang, Gregg Bissonette. Although totally overshadowed by his brother's guitar, Alex Van Halen is actually a really solid drummer. For amazing technique I'd say Buddy Rich, Dave Weckl, and Vinnie Colaiuta. For dynamic groove and feel I'd say John Bonham, Steve Gadd, and Jeff Porcaro. For creative sonic thrills I'd go with Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, and Mark Portnoy. The first time I heard each of these guys I thought to myself "this might be the best drummer I've ever heard." All that said, if I had to pick one guy to take drum lessons from it would be Vinnie Colaiuta, whose favorite drummers were Buddy Rich and Tony Williams.
Neil has my vote. Guys like Bonham, Moon and many other singers/instrument players were elevated after they died. Also, I think people confuse Influential with actual ability. That's not saying any of these musicians weren't great in their own right, but that there are many better musicians that just aren't in a more popular band or were/are at a different time in music.