Nothing beats a guitar solo like a DRUM solo… Let’s talk about Drums, as loud and diverse as they can be.
In Rock music, drums developed to become a core element of the genre. Drummers were responsible of keeping the chaotic, loud music steady and solid. We will dive into a few of the fundamental roots of rock drumming with many legends who laid down the basis of everything we know in the genre today.
At first, the drums morphed the groovy and complex jazz music of the 40’s and 50’s throughout the classic and psychedelic rock of the 60’s. We will then explore how innovative metal drummers fueled this steady machine made of wood and steel, bronze and brass, by blasting even harder, louder and faster beats as they filled a wider and more aggressive and complex role in the metal genre from the 70’s and 80’s until this day.
Here’s a list of the top 30 drummers who were very influential in laying down the foundation of rock drumming, in addition to a few metal drummers who took it all to the next level.
John Bonham
When the Levee Breaks – Led Zeppelin
Good Times Bad Times – Led Zeppelin
Moby Dick – Led Zeppelin
Fool In The Rain – Led Zeppelin
Michael Giles
21st Century Schizoid Man – King Crimson
Roger Taylor
We Will Rock You – Queen
Keith Moon
My Generation – The Who
Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who
Ian Paice
Space Truckin – Deep Purple
Perfect Strangers – Deep Purple
Ringo Star
Come Together – The Beatles
Please Please Me – The Beatles
In My Life – The Beatles
Stevie Wonder
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
Mitch Mitchell
Fire – Jimi Hendrix
A. J. Pero
We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister
Terry Bozio
Black Page #1 – Frank Zappa
Nick Mason
Time – Pink Floyd
Money – Pink Floyd
Echoes – Pink Floyd
Phil Rudd
Back In Black – AC/DC
Neil Peart
YYZ – Rush
Tom Sawyer – Rush
Danny Carey
Ticks And Leeches – Tool
Forty-Six & 2 – Tool
Mike Portnoy
The Dance of Eternity – Dream Theater
Act I: Scene Two: I. Overture 1928 – Dream Theater
Gavin Harrison
Blackest Eyes – Porcupine Tree
Anesthetize – Porcupine Tree
Bill Ward
Rat Salad – Black Sabbath
War Pigs – Black Sabbath
Nicko McBrain/Clive Burr
Sign of the Cross – Iron Maiden
Where Eagles Dare – Iron Maiden
Run to the Hills – Iron Maiden
Scott Travis
Painkiller – Judas Priest
Lars Ulrich
One – MetallicA
Blackened – MetallicA
Battery – MetallicA
Dave Lombardo
War Ensemble – Slayer
Raining Blood – Slayer
Igor Cavalera
Territory – Sepultura
Arise – Sepultura
Martin Lopez / Martin Axenrot
Deliverance – Opeth
Demon Of The Fall – Opeth
The Devil’s Orchard – Opeth
Mario Duplantier
The Art of Dying – Gojira
The Heaviest Matter of the Universe – Gojira
Remembrance – Gojira
George Kollias
The Essential Salts – Nile
Lashed To the Slave Stick – Nile
Kafir! – Nile
Nicholas Barker/ Tjodalv
Progenies of the Great Apocalypse – Dimmu Borgir
In Death’s Embrace – Dimmu Borgir
Tomas Haake
Bleed – Meshuggah
Francesco Paoli
The Violation – Fleshgod Apocalypse
The Fool – Fleshgod Apocalypse
Chris Adler
Walk With Me In Hell – Lamb Of God
Blacken The Cursed Sun – Lamb Of God
Laid To Rest – Lamb Of God
Richard Christy
Flesh And The Power It Holds – Death
Scavenger Of Human Sorrow – Death
