Top 25 Favorite Drummers countdown thread! (Number 1 & 2 Up!)

[HOF]

The brass section on Big Big Train's "Roman Stone" is probably my favorite NDV moment:

https://youtu.be/l-C2ARZzE6Q?t=476

Spock's Beard's Snow album also has some of his best work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMAYSHu2HJk

Big Big Train's "Master James of St. George" is another essential NDV piece.

https://youtu.be/rCJiLZQPR0Y?t=171

This demo and analysis of the closing groove of "Stairway to Heaven" is a great watch as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6uvA8U35mY

Some other favorite tracks would be "At the End of the Day" by Spock's Beard, "Flare" by The Fringe, "Mudlarks" by Big Big Train, there are so many great ones though. Mystery's "The World Is a Game" is another album Nick played on that has some fantastic drumming.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

2/16. 

From the limited amount of D'Virgilio I've watched/listened to he's a crazy talented guy, but I'm not that into into any of his bands, so I didn't really consider him. 

Not really a big fan of Mastodon, they have a few songs I like but their output on the whole is just ok to me.  But Dailor's drumming is easily the best thing they have going. 

Brann is another incredible drummer. Unmistakable sound. Energetic, chaotic, but still tight. Not keen on his singing voice though.

Fascinating, I don't love his voice per se, but I prefer it to everyone else's in the band. 

[coz]

25. Keith Moon I think this maniac will be picked
24. Dirty chance he'll make it
23. Pretty sure you'd say "who"?
22. I miss this guy.  Wish he was still with us.  Not gonna make it here. :'(
21. This weirdo won't make it.  40 years and 14 studio albums with the same original quartet+.  Impressive stuff.
20. Carter Beauford A unique cat whose style is highly revered in drumming circles.  Not sure here though.
19. Larz Huge name.  Guaranteed pick.
18. Spicy lefty.  He has a shot.
17. Martin Lopez  In 2005, a no-brainer to be on here.  Today.  Maybe?
16. Probably won't be here.  It's a crime.
15. 100% this monster's here.
14. Alex Van Halen  Brother of a legend on one of our other lists.  Won't be surprised if he makes this list.
13. Groove metal master.  Won't make the list though.
12. Another real cool cat.  A rock player with a huge jazz background.  I'm gonna say he won't be named here.
11. Stewart Copeland Classic rocker who's very likely.
10. Blake Richardson Also very likely but not a classic rocker.
9. Liked him before, but since the band's 3rd release in 93 I have loved his playing.  Not going to make the list.
8. He started further down my list.  But the more I thought about it, his talent and style make him absolutely unique.  Probably.
7. This forum?  Of course.
6. Nick D'Virgilio Prog dude.  Pretty sure he'll be here.
5. Brann Dailor Not sure on him.  Highly respected, but not sure how well his name is known outside the drumming community.
4. Second one on my list who's known by a nickname.  (My first draft had three).  Not going to be named here.
3. Ringo For sure.  Legend
2. I've thought mostly highly and sometimes low of this guy.  He's still my number 2 basher though.
1. The master

29. Dave Lombardo
42. Bill Ward

10/16

My 5 & 6 today!  Nick is just an awesome dude.  There was a time, Snow era, he probably would've been my #2 fave.

Surprised and pleased to see Brann placing here.  His playing in Mastodon just is so frantic, complex and yet so tasty.  A modern take on Keith Moon, I feel.  More of a controlled chaos though.  His sense of humor makes him more of a likeable person too.  He illustrated a "101 Clowns of the Coronavirus" book for God's sake.  Interesting guy to say the least.

[coz]

I'm curious, will this be more of a runaway victory than JP over EVH? (759-396)

[TAC]

I didn't vote for either. The dude from mastodon is obviously great, but I'm not really a fan of Mastodon.

I don't think I've heard anything Nick D'Virgilio that I know of.

[HOF]

I didn't vote for either. The dude from mastodon is obviously great, but I'm not really a fan of Mastodon.

I don't think I've heard anything Nick D'Virgilio that I know of.

You’ve at least heard some of his Spock’s Beard stuff from your What Am I Missing roulette.

[TAC]

I didn't vote for either. The dude from mastodon is obviously great, but I'm not really a fan of Mastodon.

I don't think I've heard anything Nick D'Virgilio that I know of.

You’ve at least heard some of his Spock’s Beard stuff from your What Am I Missing roulette.

Oh, right.

[Dream Team]

Not familiar with these latest 2. So I’m about 7/15 I guess.

[lonestar]

I'm curious, will this be more of a runaway victory than JP over EVH? (759-396)

Nah, I think the admiration between who I think the top 2 will be is much more evenly distributed

[wolfking]

Yeah, I had Brann at number one mainly because I don't remember a band where the drums were such a draw card for me.  His work on both Remission and Leviathan just blew me away.  I love everything about those albums but the drums were the thing that stuck.  Don't think any other drummers have had that impact.  Although, thinking now, he could have easily swapped with someone else for the top spot on any given day.

[HOF]

I'm curious, will this be more of a runaway victory than JP over EVH? (759-396)

Nah, I think the admiration between who I think the top 2 will be is much more evenly distributed

I’m just sitting here wondering which DT drummer will finish higher. 

[ReaperKK]

Not familiar with these latest 2. So I’m about 7/15 I guess.

Clear your inbox!!!!

[Kram]

I’m also a Big Big (see what I did there) NDV fan, and had him in my top 5! I echo what HOF has been saying, this guy is just an amazing musician (not just a drummer). For those of you who haven’t checked out Big Big Train, and are fans of classic prog, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice, check them out now!  Their music is some of the best I’ve heard in my 53 years on this earth period! We all have different tastes, and it might not be for everyone, but their music is so well thought out and so well done, it’s worth giving it a shot. I’m glad I finally did about 2 years ago!

[pg1067]

11 - Nick D'Virgilio


12 - Brann Dailor

No idea who these guys are.


25   Keith Moon (Maybe...not sure)
24   Probably not
23   I'd say 60-70% chance no
22   Ringo Starr (Probably)
21   Probably not
20   Probably not
19   90% yes
18   Nein
17   Absolutely should be, but I'm thinking less than 50/50
16   Nope
15   Not even a little chance
14   No way, eh
13   90+% yes
12   Not a chance
11   Nope
10   Lars Ulrich (I think yes, only about 60% sure)
9   Bill Ward (Should be...75+% likely)
8   75+% likely
7   Cozy Powell (50/50)
6   Scott Rockenfield (Hmmm...really not sure, but I think less than 50/50)
5   Same band as #8 - one of them should make it, if not both
4   90+% yes
3   Lock
2   Mark Zonder (Might sneak in around 21-25)
1   Lock for top 3

Not ranked:  Gene Hoglan, Blake Richardson, Carter Beauford, Alex Van Halen, Martin Lopez, Stewart Copeland, Dave Lombardo, Nick D'Virgilio, Brann Dailor

[The Realm]

11 - Nick D'Virgilio
Appeared on 11 of 29 lists
Highest Finish: 1 (HOF)
7 Top 10 Finishes

12 - Brann Dailor
Appeared on 10 of 29 lists
Highest Finish: 1 (wolfking)
4 Top 10 Finishes

Nick D'Virgilio - no chance to be on my list.

Brann Dailor - my number 11. I remember hearing of Mastodon when Remission was released and getting some great reviews so I checked it out. The drumming was just amazing, and then came along Leviathan. Brann is a very busy player with a ton of what seems to be complex fills going on but it all seems to work and have its place.

I'm at 9 of 16 overall, which is much higher than I expected to be.

[HOF]

The brass section on Big Big Train's "Roman Stone" is probably my favorite NDV moment:

https://youtu.be/l-C2ARZzE6Q?t=476

Spock's Beard's Snow album also has some of his best work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMAYSHu2HJk

Big Big Train's "Master James of St. George" is another essential NDV piece.

https://youtu.be/rCJiLZQPR0Y?t=171

This demo and analysis of the closing groove of "Stairway to Heaven" is a great watch as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6uvA8U35mY

Some other favorite tracks would be "At the End of the Day" by Spock's Beard, "Flare" by The Fringe, "Mudlarks" by Big Big Train, there are so many great ones though. Mystery's "The World Is a Game" is another album Nick played on that has some fantastic drumming.

Another favorite that is a really nice showcase is Big Big Train’s Apollo.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=88HHhbD1vFE&list=OLAK5uy_kyVlACwgaWNAXxfAJ0P5sWGpkVqFdTWgU&pp=ygUbYmlnIGJpZyB0cmFpbiBjb21tb24gZ3JvdW5k

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I'm curious, will this be more of a runaway victory than JP over EVH? (759-396)

Nah, I think the admiration between who I think the top 2 will be is much more evenly distributed

I’m just sitting here wondering which DT drummer will finish higher. 

If both DT drummers make the list I'll eat my hat....

[Glasser]

Big Big Train!

[TAC]

I'm curious, will this be more of a runaway victory than JP over EVH? (759-396)

Nah, I think the admiration between who I think the top 2 will be is much more evenly distributed

I’m just sitting here wondering which DT drummer will finish higher. 

If both DT drummers make the list I'll eat my hat....

[wolfking]

My updated standings;

25.  Lars Ulrich
24.  Gene Hoglan
23.  Cozy Powell
22.   
21.   
20.   
19.   
18.   
17.   
16.   
15.  Scott Rockenfield
14.   
13.   
12.   
11.
10.  Bill Ward
9.   
8.  Blake Richardson
7.   
6.   
5.  Mark Zonder
4.   
3.
2.
1. Brann Dailor

[King Postwhore]

I didn't rate Brann but I dig his style.  His singing is great too.

Ni k I had at #10.  He's a jack of all trades. Has dimension, swing and touch. He does little things that make you rewind and listen again.

[The Realm]

I'm curious, will this be more of a runaway victory than JP over EVH? (759-396)

I think the gap at the top of this countdown will be pretty close, I don't see there being a runaway winner here.

[jingle.boy]

I'm curious, will this be more of a runaway victory than JP over EVH? (759-396)

Nah, I think the admiration between who I think the top 2 will be is much more evenly distributed

I’m just sitting here wondering which DT drummer will finish higher. 

If both DT drummers make the list I'll eat my hat....

Nacho, Nacho, Man.
I want to be, a Nacho Man!

Nick just missed the cut for me.  High 20s rating.

Brann who?

[wolfking]

Brann who?

Dailor.

[ReaperKK]

9 - Phil Collins
Appeared on 15 of 29 lists
Highest Finish: 2 (romdrums & Stadler)
6 Top 10 Finishes

Pretty surprised by this one. I never considered Phil to be that great but my only real exposure to him is as a solo artist. Genesis never did anything for me.

10 - Bill Bruford
Appeared on 17 of 29 lists
Highest Finish: 5 (Metropolaris & romdrums)
5 Top 10 Finishes

Haven't heard much of Bill's music, wasn't even a consideration on my list

[Zydar]

Phil's drumming was excellent in Genesis (especially the 70s stuff) and his jazz fusion band Brand X.

[TAC]

0-2 today.

Not familiar with a single thing Bruford has played on AFAIK.

[Adami]

0/2 again.

[SwedishGoose]

Had Phil at 23 and Bill at 7. So I'm at 4 now.

25  highly likely
24  no way
23  Phil Collins - probably
22  no chance
21  slight possibility
20  Stewart Copeland  - possible
19  slight possibility
18  doubt it, but he should
17  Nick D'Virgilio  -  possible
16  probably not
15  possible
14  possible
13  sadly not a chance
12  doubt it
11  no way in hell
10  definitely
9  possible
8  possible
7  Bill Bruford - possible
6  sadly not a chance
5  definitely
4  definitely
3  high probability
2  sadly I don't think he will make but he should
1  Locked in here....


Not ranked: 

Gene Hoglan
Cozy Powell
Blake Richardson
Bill Ward
Carter Beauford
Alex Van Halen
Scott Rockenfield
Lars Ulrich
Dave Lombardo
Keith Moon
Ringo Starr
Brann Dailor

[SwedishGoose]

Phil's drumming was excellent in Genesis (especially the 70s stuff) and his jazz fusion band Brand X.

So much this....

[SwedishGoose]

0-2 today.

Not familiar with a single thing Bruford has played on AFAIK.

Then you are missing out on a lot of great Prog.
His stints in Yes and King Crimson are fantastic and even playing electronic drums with Anderson , Bruford, Wakeman & Howe is soo cool althogh horribly dated soundwise.

[KevShmev]

I had Collins at 9, Bruford at 12.

Love or hate the 80s, but the influence of Collins on the drum sound that was everywhere that decade is immeasurable.  And his work with Genesis even before that was tremendous.

[lonestar]

Bruford made the list, hard to overlook his contributions to early prog, especially being on two of my favorite albums, Fragile and CttE.

Collins barely missed the cut for me.


25- Alex Van Halen Should be there
24- Nope
23- Mayyybeee
22- Definitely not, and a damn shame too
21- Lock
20- Should make the list
19- Lock
18- They'd be on everyone's list if they heard them
17- Blake Richardson (Yeah)
16- Probably
15- Bill Bruford (Lock)
14- Might make it, definitely worthy
13- Unfortunately no
12- Lock
11- Another unfortunately no
10- Lock
9- Not too sure...we'll see
8- Lock
7- Lock
6- No, and I hate you all that they won't make it
5- Lock
4- See #6, multiply by 1000
3- Keith Moon(Yeah)
2- Lock
1- Lock


Not Listed-
Gene Hoglan
Cozy Powell
Bill Ward
Carter Beuford
Martin Lopez
Mark Zonder
Scott Rockenfield
Stewart Copeland
Lars Ulrich
Dave Lombardo
Ringo Star
Nick D'Virgilio
Brann Dailor
Phil Colins

[TAC]

0-2 today.

Not familiar with a single thing Bruford has played on AFAIK.

Then you are missing out on a lot of great Prog.
His stints in Yes and King Crimson are fantastic and even playing electronic drums with Anderson , Bruford, Wakeman & Howe is soo cool althogh horribly dated soundwise.

King Crimson is not for me. I heard an album I got from my library. I forget the name. Whatever one has Elephant Talk. Holy shit did it blow.

I don’t listen to Yes.

Who’s the drummer on Roundabout. I always assumed it was Alan White.

[KevShmev]

King Crimson is not for me. I heard an album I got from my library. I forget the name. Whatever one has Elephant Talk. Holy shit did it blow.

I don’t listen to Yes.

Who’s the drummer on Roundabout. I always assumed it was Alan White.

No, that's Bruford on Roundabout.  Alan White didn't take over till the Tales album.

Discipline is the KC album with Elephant Talk.  I thought it wasn't very good on the first listen, but I stuck with it and after a few listens, I was like, "Woah, this is incredible."  It's definitely not for everyone.