Accelerando's 25 Best Rock Drummer Performances vs. Not Literate Enough In Jazz

[Accelerando]

Some of the tunes i've been spinning have great drummers and really awesome drumming. I have currently have (well, actually tonight i threw in Daft Punk's great live album , Alive 2007....you can go ahead and mark it down as one of the greatest live albums ever) The Police's Reggatta de Blanc playing in my car, and on my iPod i've been shuffling tunes from Zeppelin, DT, Genesis, and Hendrix Experience. It inspired me to do a list of the greatest drumming performances I've ever heard. But only in the rock/metal categories. I'm not very well versed in Jazz music, which has amazing drumming. My list will be very well rounded, nonetheless

What I'm looking for while i create this is that these drumming performances must follow this criteria:

- Firs and most importantly, It must serve the song. Showing off can be impressive, but also just takes me out of my song listening experience (Looking at you, Jay Lane)

- The performance must have a well tuned sense of time patterns and groove.

- Complexity with precision and technical agility. Speed helps, but it's not everything.

- Discipline


If you are unfamiliar with my lists (i think this is the first i've done for music besides my top Alter Bridge songs), what I do is I pick 50 or so items that feel that are worthy and start a process of elimination. I take time and much thinking when I make these lists, because I figure that if you take your time to look at this, it has to be solid at the least.

So watch this space! Formulating list...now.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Will follow.

[73109]

InB4 Neil Peart.

I have to say, I know he is not everyone's cup of tea, but on a list like these you NEED to have Dave Lombardo.

[Gadough]

I agree that Dave Lombardo is unfairly underrated. I think people overlook his abilities just because he's in Slayer.

[Dimitrius]

This is the first I heard of "Dave Lombardo" and "underrated" in the same sentence. Dude's a fucking beast!

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

This is the first I heard of "Dave Lombardo" and "underrated" in the same sentence. Dude's a fucking beast!

This.

[Accelerando]

As far as thrash drummers go, I prefer Vinnie Paul buuuuut that's just me  

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

As far as thrash drummers go, I prefer Vinnie Paul buuuuut that's just me  

Great choice.

[Dimitrius]

I've never found Pantera to be thrash, but Vinnie Paul is great!

Also, I expect Lars Ulrich to be number one on the list. Anything else is failure!

[The King in Crimson]

I've never found Pantera to be thrash, but Vinnie Paul is great!

Also, I expect Lars Ulrich to be number one on the list. Anything else is failure!

Meg White.

[Accelerando]

Ok, here we go.

#25 Megadeth - "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" (Nick Menza)

The drumming in this song is absolutely perfect for the song's punishingly heavy riffs. I love how in the beginning of the songs, Menza imitates the riffs, then adding a heavy rhythm to the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d4ui9q7eDM


#24 Deep Purple - "Burn" (Ian Paice)

Paice is a great drummer. In this song he unleashes speed with discipline and form. Sure some drummers are faster but none sound as enjoyable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCnebZnysmI


#23 Yes - "Heart In The Sunshine" (Bill Bruford)

The alternation between 6/8 and 3/4 time makes this Bruford best performance for Yes, and a dazzling display of skill and timing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSsJqWyTc3s


#22 Mahavishnu Orchestra – "Eternity’s Breath" (Narada Michael Walden)

I love Billy Cobham and his contributions to this band, but there's something about what Narada did when he replaced Cobham that just really fit the sound. Eternity's Breath is a prime example. It's one of the best sounding drums tracks ever recorded. He plays it with such a punch, and it's just crisp and smooth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4K1VxNg9Bc


#21 Jethro Tull - "Dharma For One" (Clive Bunker)

This band is known for their flute hauling frontman, but check out the chops that Clive Bunker gives with this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgB1HB6-K3M


#20 The Smashing Pumpkins - "Geek U.S.A." (Jimmy Chamberlain)

Jimmy Chamberlain could quite possibly be the most underrated drummer of all time. His energy reminds us of a one John Bonham and Keith Moon, and the kinetics of his drumming were better than most modern rock drummers of the 90's. What im basically trying to say is Dave Grohl has nothing on Chamberlain. This song is has fantastic drumming, and it really fits with the song. He just gets filthy with each sequence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4Ok35HEJQ


More to come

[Dimitrius]

Nick Menza was amazing when he was in Megadeth.

[zxlkho]

Nice picks so far. If there isn't any Tool in this list, you fail though.

[Marvellous G]

Nice picks so far. If there isn't any Tool in this list, you fail though.

Yeah, watching a video of some guy on YouTube doing a drum cover, the last two minutes of The Grudge was the thing that's ever come closest to making me want to learn the drums.

[zxlkho]

I was thinking more along the lines of Eulogy or Ticks and Leeches actually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNqYlkGYtGM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cid-tgW2Lw&feature=related

[Marvellous G]

Yeah, to be honest any single Tool song except the fillers could probably top my list.

[reneranucci]

Nice choices but I personally prefer "Meeting of the Spirits" from Mahavishnu and "Close to the Edge" by Yes. I'll pay more attention to the songs you put in your list.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Mahavishnu! One Word is my favourite drum performance from them.

[Perpetual Change]

Great list so far. However, if Flip makes the cut I'm calling extreme bias 

[Gorille85]

I expect some Gojira! maybe

[Accelerando]

Great list so far. However, if Flip makes the cut I'm calling extreme bias 

If this was Facebook, I would've liked this comment



EDIT:
 

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

Ticks and Leeches is an obvious pick. And probably Lateralus as well.

[TAC]

#24 Deep Purple - "Burn" (Ian Paice)

Paice is a great drummer. In this song he unleashes speed with discipline and form. Sure some drummers are faster but none sound as enjoyable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCnebZnysmI

A great song.

[Accelerando]

#19 Oysterhead - "Psuedo Suicide" (Stewart Copeland)

Oysterhead is the greatest supergroup of all time. Les Claypool, Trey Anastasio of Phish, and the great Stewart Copeland of the Police created great neo-funk/psychedelia music, and this song is one of their best. One reason: the drumming is a standout, and Copeland is a beast. He shows amazing variation in this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_okcf8W0To

Here's a live version of the song that absolutely love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhH3fsRni54



#18 Soundgarden - "Jesus Christ Pose" (Matt Cameron)

This is a rippin tune, but the drumming is God like (no pun intended....ok, maybe it was). With a bit of syncopation and one bar of 4/4, it's like Matt Cameron never has time to breathe in this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umHoQBZeXJQ



#17 Queen - "Great King Rat" (Roger Taylor)

It's so sad that Queen early stuff doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Quenn and Queen II are fucking fantastic albums. Great King Rat is one of their songs that is adored by Queen fans. The drumming shows off Taylors underappreciated chops and acute sense of timing. His bass work is fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ZxV7wul8A

[wolfking]

Jesus Christ Pose is such an amazing tune, brutal!!! 

[The King in Crimson]

Jesus Christ Pose is such an amazing tune, brutal!!! 

Fuck yeah! 

[Accelerando]

# 16 "The Sufaris" - Wipeout (Ron Wilson)

I can't imagine having a drumming performance list and NOT mention this song. It's one of the most well known, most influencial drumming performances of all time. Wilson's drumming is steady, and doesn't exaggerate on the toms, giving it a perfect feel for the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p13yZAjhU0M


#15 Van Halen - "Hot For Teacher" (Alex Van Halen)

This song is a perfect example of great double bass drumming. It's just a simple 8th note shuffle, but it's the body of the song. The cymbal work is also infectious, alternating 32nd and 16ths. The song is just totally  i my book, and the drumming is my favorite part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my-gEdtsJ3Y



#14 ELP - "Karn Evil" (Carl Palmer)

This is simply great drumming in every aspect, and it includes such a great drum solo. It's just unbelievable. Carls speed and tempo makes up what ive heard from other fans that he lacks time. Well if that's the biggest problem about Carl Palmers, and i don't wanna know whats right, but his drumming is fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIFBpn7_uBQ

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Just finished listening to Karn Evil 9 when I saw this.

Also, just for kicks, my top 5 drumming performances:
1. Master Builder - Gong (Pierre Moerlen)
2. Anything by Tatsuya Yoshida. Could never choose definitively.
3. Slightly All the Time - Soft Machine (Robert Wyatt)
4. Spray - Can (Jaki Liebezeit)
5. K.A. 1 - Magma (Christian Vander) Not sure why I love this one so much.

[Kosmo]

Roger Taylor fuck yeah. 

[Dimitrius]

Hot for Teacher has some great drumming!

Few people can correctly do that alternating 16th, 32th cymbal part.

[Accelerando]

#13 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Manic Depression" (Mitch Mitchell)

I am a huge fan of Mitch Mitchell. He was one of those great drummers who blended jazz styles with rock n roll drumming, but he probably pushed it further than anyone before him. Are You Experienced? is a great drum record, and Manic Depression is a song that that really stood out on that album with incorporating both styles. It has a rhythmic sense of swing. All those triplets! Mitchell's fluidity on the kit on this song is complimented by his wild man playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlCCaoxumSw



#12 The Police - "Reggata de Blanc" (Stewart Copeland)

Copeland revolutionized the hi-hat playing, and in this song it is super crazy. He has fast stuff going on between the hi-hat and rim-knocks on the snare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFkUS1sSoPA



#11 Tool - "Ticks and Leeches" (Danny Carey)

The intro drum solo alone should get this song ranked as among the best drum performances of all time. The coordination that Carey has to play to this song is amazing. It's definitely one of the most creative drumming of the past 10 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RelR85j09XY

[Kosmo]

You're a smart man. Danny Carey is god.

[zxlkho]

Great to see you picked Ticks and Leeches. That's Danny Carey's best performance imo.

[Accelerando]

#10 Rush - "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" (Neil Peart)

I've grown to like this song a LOT more than I originally did, due to the really cool musical breakdown around the solo. While it's still far from a favorite of mine, I've definitely gained an appreciation for it. There's a fantastic, if brief, drum solo toward the middle that has a truly flawless snare drum roll crescendo. Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UU62UcP_BA



#9 King Crimson - "21st Century Schizoid Man" (Michael Giles)

This song is so freakin epic, and the drums are very provocative. They show a great display of jazz styled drumming that are intense and energetic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBfCzhYbWBk



#8 Led Zeppelin - Moby Dick (John Bonham)

What a groove! What a solo! This is song is truly Bonzo's baby. He performed the drum solo live at lengths up to 30 minutes long through improvised jams. Those sessions really showcased his ability as a drummer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed5YvFkcR7g

[Accelerando]

#7 ELP - Tarkis (Carl Palmer)

Carl Palmer's drumming is quite exceptional in this song, and like for many ELP songs, his drumming makes the song for me. ELP is a unique band because of Palmer, and his jazz influenced drumming. In fact, Palmer's lack of groove/funk is one of the reasons I like his playing so much! I feel like the entire drums for Tarkis is scored. There is something about it that makes is very orchestrated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDzNkLh8Rsk



#6 Dream Theater - Erotomania (Mike Portnoy)

This is a drumming masterwork, with a song that consists of a lot of switching and changes of tone, temper, and style. . He has a high accuracy rate on his timing, especially on the 16th notes. His double bass drumming is on par with precision and balance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nd8vTOUnO0


#5 The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (Keith Moon)

Talk about a drummer who has the ability in creating an outstanding drumming performance on a consistent basis. However, from all the Who songs i have listened to, non are as exciting to me than Won't Get Fooled Again. Moon definitely unleashes some chops on this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhrZgojY1Q