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

[lonestar]

2/2.

Thank god Moon made it - RJ doesn’t have to hate you all now!  I’m surprised Ringo made it, tbh. But, for the guy that basically invented rock and roll drumming, yeah … he makes the list.

Seriously...I was starting to think you all were going to do Keith wrong like you did Pete.


Aside from being the drummer for my favorite band as a kid...Keith was a rarity in that he pushed drumming into a lead position...that was such a unique aspect of the Who, John and Keith really handled the lead duties with Pete carrying the melodies, and damn did it work. I read the Who biography years ago, and Pete refers to Keith as his muse...I think that statement alone speaks to what a unique talent he was, and the impact he had, that he was the inspiration for arguably one of the greatest songwriters the rock music industry has ever seen.

Kind of surprised Ringo made the list, not that he isn't deserving, I just didn't think there'd be room for him once the prog and metal drummer dust settled.

12 spots, and I got 10 so called locks...5 of them I really, really can't see being left off...



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- 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

[HOF]

Neither made my list, but I appreciate both drummers. Never really got into The Who, but I have Who’s Next, and Moon is definitely a main presence on the album. The intensity of his playing is impressive at least. I am only a casual fan of The Beatles and don’t think Ringo was bad at all, but he just doesn’t wow me enough to be a favorite drummer. Both were obviously influential and make sense being ranked.

[Evermind]

I know Ringo Starr. Keith Moon on the other hand...

Who?

[Stadler]

25   Reasonable chance, depending.
24   No chance in hell; there are other drummers IN HIS BAND that might, though.
23   He's either going to be in someone's top ten or not on the list, so probably won't make the final.
22   No chance. I might take some crap for this one.
21   No chance; most people won't know who he is.
20   No chance.
19   No chance (part of what will possibly be the only "father/son" pair on anyone's list)
18   No chance, due to this band being a pariah around here.
17   60-40 he makes it.
16   Probably no chance, but a crying shame.  The man is a mule.
15.   Slim chance; he is arguably my vote for best drummer in his genre, though there's another guy that gets all the press.
14   One of three guys from a certain band to make my list; probably won't make the final.
13   Keith Moon (90% lock)
12   100% lock
11   Slim chance; the other guy who replaced him has a better shot.
10   Should be a 100% lock; this forum?  50-50 at best.
9   Cozy Powell (I submitted my predictions AFTER this)
8   No. 11's "other guy".   Should be 70-30 to make it.
7   Sadly, no chance. 
6   Bill Ward (Sadly, probably no chance; he's a pale shell of his former self, but some of his early live work is incendiary.)
5   Ringo Starr (SHOULD BE 100% lock.)
4   100% lock
3   100% lock
2   100% lock
1   100% lock and my guess for Number One overall.

27: Carter Beauford
38: Lars Ulrich
NR: Stewart Copeland
NR:  Gene Hoglan
NR: Dave Lombardo
NR: Martin Lopez
NR:  Blake Richardson
NR: Scott Rockenfield
NR: Alex Van Halen
NR: Mark Zonder

Keith Moon, just because; you can see how much The Who fell off after he passed.  he's one of those guys that even NON-drummers love.  Like me.

Ringo.  I think this says it all: "Paul, did the Beatles ever play to a click track?"  "We didn't have to; we had Ringo".  He was - and is - ROCK SOLID.  For a guy who was supposedly lucky, everyone who plays with him - including some of the greatest musicians of all time, like McCartney and Steve Lukather - say he's the real deal.  I love that underdog quality about him.  And despite all the underrating, he goes through life happy as a clam, "Peace and love, peace and love!"   Five, because he's just THISCLOSE to missing my Mt. Rushmore.

[KevShmev]

Wow, I am shocked that Ringo made it; I didn't think there would be enough supporters here.  I love the Beatles and think Ringo is better than the detractors say, but I still can't call him a favorite, even though there are definitely drum parts in Beatles song that were quite inventive for their time.

I am surprised Keith Moon is this low, to be honest. I figured he had a good chance for the top 5 and was a lock for the top 10.  The Who aren't close to a favorite for me, but I am still a big enough fan of Moon's playing to have ranked him 8th.  It's crazy to think what he was going in the later 60s on the drums.

[Dream Team]

Had Ringo (SO innovative) but not Moon. Moon was certainly unique.

[King Postwhore]

I had Keith Moon at 24. He was the 1st drummer  for me at least to see play with a reckless abandon.   He charged the whole band to come alive on stage.

Ringo didn't make mine. He was a swing metronome though. The man carried the tempo to perfection. 

[Glasser]

John Rutsey number 1?

[Cool Chris]

Cool bit of serendipity that #13 was the godfather to #14s son, and also that #14s son played drums in #13s band for many years, with the surviving members believing he was the most suitable and appropriate replacement.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

0/2 for me today. I didn't realize we had that many people around here that thought that highly of Ringo. I like the Beatles, but Ringo never stood out in any way to me. Moon I can understand a bit more, although I am not the biggest Who fan, so he wasn't considered.

[Stadler]

Cool bit of serendipity that #13 was the godfather to #14s son, and also that #14s son played drums in #13s band for many years, with the surviving members believing he was the most suitable and appropriate replacement.

And he was; I saw that Quadrophenia tour with Zak on drums and he captured it PERFECTLY.  It was sooo good.  He (Zak) brought that same feel to Oasis, and was, IMO, their best drummer. 

[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. Prog dude.  Pretty sure he'll be here.
5. 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

8/14

I love roughly 98% of the Beatles catalog and on just about every track, Ringo played just what was needed.

Moon the Loon was certainly unique and quite the dynamo.  Perfect for what was The Who.

Interesting these two coming in together as CC pointed out.

[HOF]

Cool bit of serendipity that #13 was the godfather to #14s son, and also that #14s son played drums in #13s band for many years, with the surviving members believing he was the most suitable and appropriate replacement.

And he was; I saw that Quadrophenia tour with Zak on drums and he captured it PERFECTLY.  It was sooo good.  He (Zak) brought that same feel to Oasis, and was, IMO, their best drummer.

Huh, didn’t even know Ringo Star has a son who plays drums. Never heard of Zak Starkey before looking it up just now.

[TAC]

I didn't even consider either but no problem with either making the list. Not surprised Moon made it, but didn't realize people loved their Ringo.

To me, Moon is the Hendrix of drums. I do think a lot of the stuff he does is cool and all. But I don't know.
A lot of people rate him as a major influence. I've really only heard his playing in Neal Peart and Nicko McBrain.

you can see how much The Who fell off after he passed.

I feel like this is an overstatement. Not that they fell off, but the fact that you'd tie it to Keith Moon.

[lonestar]

you can see how much The Who fell off after he passed.

I feel like this is an overstatement. Not that they fell off, but the fact that you'd tie it to Keith Moon.

Actually, I'd say the changes that happened to the Who's style of music were directly related to Moon's death. As I said above, Pete is quoted as saying that Keith was his muse, his inspiration, but it was so much more than that, he was basically a brother to him too, much moreso than Roger or John. Keith was able to outwardly express the raw emotion that Pete kept so close to him, and in turn was able to bring it out of him, especially in the music and on stage. Before the Who, Pete was a brutally introverted person, it was Keith who was able to get him out of that shell, both physically and spiritually. Without Keith around, Pete had some serious changes to go through, and that's reflected in their music. His first solo album really has this on display, you can hear him trying to find his way musically with that massive part of him missing. Even the first album without Keith, the difference is glaring, they hired a true professional, a studio guy, and while skilled as can be, that 'it' factor was missing from both the album and their live shows. That was Keith's presence.

[TAC]

Gotcha. Nevermind me. Never been a Who fan so what do I know.

[King Postwhore]

Yeah. Face Dances and It's Hard were more structured,  less spontaneous.   Less dynamic.

[lonestar]

Gotcha. Nevermind me. Never been a Who fan so what do I know.

Yeah, I'm a massive fan. Read their huge biography Before I Get Old a few times (outstanding read for any fans), and watched countless documentaries. Fucking love them so much.

[pg1067]

Lars Ulrich - yeah just way too easy to bash Lars these days. Honestly, anyone who does 'wasn't there' in the 1980s. Lars was extremely influential and he was everywhere in the 80s. Sure, he overplays live but when you are in person at a Metallica gig it is still awesome. Its a list of favourites, so he had to be there for me. My rank 10.

Hogwash.  Now, if you want to argue that those of us who started listening to Metallica in the 90s don't get it because the 80s was the only decade where Lars was worth a damn and we didn't experience it in real time, I might be able to get on board with that, but does that overcome decades of incompetence and horrible live playing?  He is the poster child for "I stopped caring about my craft once I (my band) made it."

Yeah...that's weird reasoning.  Having been awesome on four albums in the '80s doesn't immunize him from criticism for whatever he has or hasn't done over the last THREE DECADES.  I also don't get the notion that Ulrich "was everywhere in the 80s."  The band didn't achieve any degree of mainstream success until well into the second half of the decade.  Frankly, if any member of the band was "everywhere," it was Hammett in the second half of the decade.

Anyhoo...

13 - Keith Moon


14 - Ringo Starr

Keith Moon barely squeaked in at #25 for me.  It's been a while since my Who phase, but he was definitely an integral part of the band.

Richard Starkey made it at #22, and he might be the only guy who made the list primarily because of his band than for his own playing.  Can't not have him there.


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

[The Realm]

13 - Keith Moon
Appeared on 11 of 29 lists
Highest Finish: 3 (lonestar)
4 Top 10 Finishes

14 - Ringo Starr
Appeared on 8 of 29 lists
Highest Finish: 3 (coz)
5 Top 10 Finishes (4 Top 5 Finishes)

Ringo Starr - no chance for me. Nothing against him being here though.

Keith Moon - my number 18.

[wolfking]

Appreciate the influence of these two, but neither were ranking for me.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Don't have either for opposite reasons.  Ringo's playing is just a little too understated for me.  Moon's is too reckless and not very cohesive.  I recognize their historical importance, but they just aren't for me.  Though admittedly I've heard far less of The Who than the Beatles, who my parents were pretty big fans of. 

[KevShmev]

Keith Moon, just because; you can see how much The Who fell off after he passed.  he's one of those guys that even NON-drummers love.  Like me.
 

Even though Moon was a top 10 drummer for me, it felt like the band had dropped off long before his death.  Their last two studio albums with him were inconsistent to put it nicely, and for me the real greatness of Moon's drumming was found in his power and reckless style of playing, which was toned way down in the 70s once their production values improved.  In the 60s, Moon sounded like a drummer who played like every performance was life or death.  In the 70s, Moon sounded like, dare I say, just another rock drummer, IMO.  All that said, he was so awesome in the 60s that I still ranked him 8th. 

[ReaperKK]

So question for you Moon guys, what's a great Keith performance to check out, live or studio?

[lonestar]

So question for you Moon guys, what's a great Keith performance to check out, live or studio?

I'll find some good examples of both for you...

[jingle.boy]

25. His reputation should put him on here
24. No chance in hell
23. I highly doubt it.
22. perhaps?
21. Ringo Starr Should be, but most will probably overlook him
20. Maybe?
19. Legend, but won't make it
18. Fo sho
17. Doubt it
16. Nope
15. Prolly not
14. Dunno… maybe?
13. Nope
12. Even the fans of this band have probably forgotten about him
11. should be, but doubt it
10. Keith Moon He's gotta be there
9. Nada
8. Scott Rockenfield Possibly
7. Fo sho
6. Nope
5. Not gonna happen ('specially if Joe/RJ didn't put him on their lists)
4. Alex Van Halen He better be
3. Him too (I'm bothered by your lack of faith, RJ)
2. Guaran-damn-teed
1. As for sure as death and taxes

Ok, so 12 spots left, and I'm 100% confident on 5 of them.  I wouldn't be surprised if the other 7 aren't any I selected, but I think there's a good chance of at least 1 more, maybe 3.

[ReaperKK]

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

Looking through his discography I know next to none of his work. I've heard a few passing Spock's Beard songs and I really loved that Troika album but nothing past that.

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

When first putting this list together Brann didn't pop up in my mind but as I went through my music and saw Mastodon I realized he had to be on my list. The first thing that stood out when I heard Mastodon was his drumming and it remains one of the primary reasons I listen to the band.

[lonestar]

0/2

[SwedishGoose]

Yey..... my second drummer
Got Nick at 17


25  highly likely
24  no way
23  probsbly
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  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

[Adami]

0/2.

Apparently my list and this list don’t have a ton in common. Ah well.

[KevShmev]

Nick D'Virgilio is awesome.  His groove is what makes Spock's Beard a different animal than Neal's other bands.  I ranked him 7th.

I liked a few Mastodon songs years ago, but never listen to them anymore, and I never knew the name of anyone in the band, thus Brann Dailor got a "who?" reaction out of me.

[HOF]

Oh, wow, I was resigned to NDV not making it. As you can tell, he’s my favorite drummer. Everything he does is just excellent, and he’s done a ton. His work on Spock’s is great, but his playing in Big Big Train is on another level. He’s gotten better and better with time, which I think is a byproduct of doing a ton of session work and playing every night in Cirque du Soleil for several years. He’s so tight both in the studio and live. But he has so much feel too. Very much has the sort of Phil Collins swing to his playing, but he can do just about anything (he’s played metal with Fates Warning, pop with Tears for Fears, Zappa-esque stuff with Mike Keneally, and of course loads of prog with Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train, etc.). Makes complex stuff sound so musical. He’s just the best (and an outstanding singer as well).

I also really appreciate Nick as a drum educator and enthusiast, and he does a ton of great work on YouTube for Sweetwater, but also has his own channel where he demos and breaks down all sorts of drum parts (his “Groovy Thursday” segment). I’m not a drummer, but he even makes that stuff interesting to me.

Only know a little bit of Mastadon, so can’t really comment on Dailor. Not a name I was familiar with at any rate.

[lonestar]

So question for you Moon guys, what's a great Keith performance to check out, live or studio?

Sorry about the delay... had a meeting last night then teh Succession finale...

For studio performances, the whole of Quadrophenia is a Moon showcase, his work on that, for me at least, is just about the best drum performance ever. You got two different drummers in him between 'sober' studio focused Moon and Moon the Loon that passed out mid performance in San Francisco.

From Quadrophenia, The Rock really captures all sides of him...he's so well known for his explosive playing that his sublime side gets lost, and man, the dude had tremendous soul to his work...

https://open.spotify.com/track/31JOJ6UI3UoVexi8kSy5mJ?si=8ba6c8ca065345e2


For a live performance, I didn't even have to think, it'd be Sparks from Tommy. What I love about it, and it shows really nicely in this clip from Woodstock,is you can see how integral and entwined him and Pete are, it's definitely a two sides of the same coin situation. I think this shows how I was saying above that The Who had no chance of staying the same band once Keith passed... (it also shows all the reasons why Pete was my #1 guitarist, hands down the best live guitarist ever)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVjJXRAHqmo&ab_channel=Andr%C3%A9sOviedo

[Metro]

Nick and Brann were 3 and 4 on my list, respectively.

Nick’s drumming always sounds so joyful in whatever band he’s with. Great voice too. I’ve always thought he was an underrated drummer, glad to see he’s getting some well deserved recognition.

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

[devieira73]

Nick (my #18) has so much finesse, groove and energy to play progressive music, really incredible. His drumming on the SB's End of The Day is still something that amazes me every time I hear it!

Brann should be on my list, as I admire his style so much - I just forgot him!  Really great and original the way he plays heavy music with intensity and without using double bass drumming that much.