411 Music Ten Deep 8.13.09: Top Ten Rock Drummers (Not Named Bonham, Moon, or Peart)

Posted by Andrew Moll on 08.13.2009

Yeah, ANYBODY can name John Bonham, Keith Moon and Neil Peart as the greatest drummers of all-time. But this week we delve a little deeper to look at some more of rock's great drummers, like Dave Grohl, Ginger Baker, Danny Carey, Matt Cameron and more. Find out who else made the list and who came in at number one in this week's edition of 411 Music Ten Deep.






(Disclaimer: All opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of 411 Music and its staff.)



Hi, hello and welcome everybody to the fourth edition of 411 Music Ten Deep. The heat has made its way to the Northeast which means summer has finally come to this part of the world. Too bad it took until the middle of August, but I guess you have to take what you can get. Of course, it led to me getting a bit of a sunburn late last week, but you know that the weather is great when you can peel your own skin.

We've got another great list for you this week, so let's start things off by going over some of the feedback from last week and the list of the Ten Best Songs by The Who.





Pretty good list here. About the only argument I could make is Behind Blue Eyes not making the top 5, let alone the top 10, but then again, it could be a backlash from the hideous Limp Bizkit cover that makes it hard to listen to these days.

Also, I think Love Reign O'er Me would be number one on my list, but that's personal taste.
Posted By: Michael L (Guest) on August 06, 2009 at 09:37 AM

Being unfortunately associated with Limp Bizkit certainly doesn't help "Behind Blue Eyes" any, but I'm just not enough of a fan of it to place it in the top ten. It's definitely a good song, I just don't think it's as good as the ones that made the list.

'Won't Get Fooled Again' is NOT about Pete's so called disenchantment with "flower power." It and many of the other tracks, including "Behind Blue Eyes", from 'Who's Next' were conceived and written for Townshend's Lifehouse project. It is part of an overarching storyline, just like the songs from Tommy & Quadrophrenia.

I also agree "Eminence Front" should be included, but I'm betting you did not include it since Moon was already gone when it was written.
Posted By: Danielle (Guest) on August 06, 2009 at 01:20 PM

I realize that much of Who's Next was taken from the Lifehouse project, but there's no doubt in my mind, judging from the lyrics that the song has a deep political context. It was surely written in line with the rest of the story but that doesn't mean there aren't other interpretations.

A lack of "Eminence Front" makes me cry.
Posted By: Blode (Guest) on August 06, 2009 at 03:22 AM

No Eminence Front? Come on.
Posted By: Hardcore (Guest) on August 06, 2009 at 08:47 AM

Yeah. Eminence Front, please. I was waiting to see WHERE it was going to rank.
Posted By: Billy Whack (Guest) on August 06, 2009 at 05:32 PM

Eminence Front. At least an honorable mention.

I personally wouldn't have put Substitute in the top ten, and Won't Get Fooled Again would have been higher. The Who had so many good songs, it's down to opinion, though.
Posted By: Sly Reference (Guest) on August 07, 2009 at 12:56 PM

Sorry everybody, but I'm just not an "Eminence Front" fan. Maybe the fact Keith Moon was gone has something to do with it, but I've just never really enjoyed it. I wouldn't call it a bad song, though, just certainly not one of my favorites.

My fawning over Keith Moon last week got me to thinking about some other great drummers and how much they mean to certain bands, so that led to me making up this week's list of rock's best drummers, although with one small caveat:


Top Ten Rock Drummers (Not Named Bonham, Moon or Peart)


You see, anybody can list the greatest drummers and have some combination of John Bonham, Keith Moon and Neil Peart as their top three. So I figured I would try and dig a little deeper to find some of the other greats in rock history and give them some love and recognition as well. All the people on this list have greatly helped to shape the sound of their respective groups with their distinctive styles. Whether its lightning-fast hardcore, powerful metal, or jazz-rock fusion each of these drummers man their kits with amazing presence and authority and make the drums as an exciting part of any great song as any other instrument. On another note, I left out jazz drummers even though I'm sure the great ones are superior to most rock drummers since I can't pretend to know enough about jazz drumming to accurately put them on a list like this. Also of note, I took songwriting into account when applicable, but didn't really hold it against anybody. With all that out of the way, let's move onto the best that didn't quite make the cut.

Some Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Chamberlin, Topper Headon, Levon Helm, Glenn Kotche, Mike Portnoy, Steve Shelley, Ringo Starr, Lars Ulrich, Alex Van Halen, Charlie Watts





10. Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta, One Day as a Lion)


The Mars Volta's highly complex and wild music required a drummer that was capable of handling the ever-changing music, and Jon Theodore was certainly capable of that responsibility. Whether it was Latin, free jazz, psychedelic rock, or progressive Theodore was up for the challenge, giving the music an added quality of bravado and energy that helped make the band one of the most exciting groups of this decade. Of course, The Mars Volta has always tended to have certain indulgent qualities and Theodore took advantage of his moments to shine with displays of showmanship and bombast that were both remarkable and impressive but also fit with the rest of the routinely chaotic music that the band produced. Listen to his powerful, impactful work on De-Loused in the Comatorium's "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" or his machine-gun like work on "Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore," off of Frances the Mute and you'll find a drummer with a stunning ability to add flourishes that leave you amazed at what you just heard and provide the fury and energy that helped make The Mars Volta so great.





Theodore left The Mars Volta in 2006 to work on other projects, including joining up with former Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha for the group One Day as a Lion. He left many of the flourishes of his former band behind, instead opting for a more funk influenced style that matches greatly with de la Rocha's political raps. The result is a heavy product that may not show off some of Theodore's more dramatic flairs, but they're not necessary when One Day as a Lion only needs his power and rhythm. A song like "If You Fear Dying" has such a groove to it, and a big part of that is Theodore's commanding beat that is a perfect fit for de la Rocha's passion. If it's either in that group or the frantic energy of The Mars Volta, Theodore has proven himself to be one of the best drummers in the world these past few years.





9. Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney)


Sleater-Kinney was always a pretty straight-forward band, making loud and forceful punk rock with plenty of attitude. While guitarists Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker were usually the focal point of the band, it was drummer Janet Weiss that led the way with her incessant stomp. The first song on the band's first album, "Dig Me Out" opens up with a great rhythmic guitar riff, but it really kicks into a higher gear with Weiss' forceful drums and her intensity made Sleater-Kinney more than just a typical punk band. But it wasn't all heaviness and power, as Weiss lent her skills to more somewhat light-hearted fare, on songs like "Dance Song ‘97" and "Oh!" These songs had a real groove to them and a big part of that was her work. As I mentioned before, Sleater-Kinney moved straight ahead at all times with full force, but it was Weiss that kept the band from being repetitive. Sure, many of their songs featured their trademark loud and rough around the edges guitars, however Weiss constantly shifting drum patterns kept everything fresh and exciting.





More than a lot of other bands, Sleater-Kinney always seemed to keep the drums prominent in the mix, especially on the blisteringly loud and distorted album The Woods. This was a great aesthetic choice as it allowed Weiss to drive the songs herself with her great abilities, and the drums ended up being as important a part of each song as the guitars. In fact, Weiss probably shaped the songs more than her band mates due to her ever-changing beats that stood in contrast to the always-loud guitars. While in Sleater-Kinney, Weiss provided those same skills to the indie band Quasi, and after SK's breakup she not only played with Bright Eyes but also joined Stephen Malkmus' band The Jicks. Her work with that band was also great as she provided a great groove for Malkmus' jam-inspired work that was expansive and gave Weiss room to rove. Overall, Weiss has been a great and important drummer for the band's she plays with, whether they are Sleater-Kinney or her newest group.





8. Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü)


Hüsker Dü was always the loudest and fastest band in the hardcore scene in the 1980s, and a band can't survive like that if their drummer isn't up to the challenge. Grant Hart was actually more than up to it, since he not only helped shape the band's early sound, but his songwriting abilities also helped the band evolve with a more pop-influenced sound that didn't require the band to play only at break-neck speed. Hart could do that though as evidenced by classic work like the aptly titled Land Speed Record which featured the band in a live setting playing as fast as any other group that had been put to record. But over time the group slowed down and the songs got better and more melodic as they allowed Hart to show off his other skills while remaining a great drummer. Tracks like "Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill" and "Books About UFOs" not only were irresistible and infectious but there was also a real energy to them, especially the former, as Hart's drumming remained top-notch even when he wasn't required to break the sound barrier with his drumsticks.





It should be noted that on many of his great songs even the rapid-fire ones, Hart sang great lead vocals. He was like Phil Collins or Don Henley, only awesome. On those songs, Hart became a swirling mass of energy, with his playing and singing managing to match the passion of the lyrics and music that he wrote. Unfortunately, none of the Hüsker Dü albums have been remastered even for CD so it's sometimes tough to fully appreciate what Hart brought to the group. But buried under the mass of guitars lies Hart's furious drum fills and unbridled energy that made Hüsker Dü a legendary group.





7. Brendan Canty (Fugazi)


Brendan Canty is more than a drummer, having written many songs on both guitar and piano, composing soundtrack music for the Discovery Channel and producing acts like Ted Leo & the Pharmacists. But Canty is best known as the man behind the drum kit for Fugazi, the most earnest band in punk rock. He never seemed completely in line with where the rest of the band was going, but that sense of friction and urgency is what made Fugazi great and Canty was a huge part of that. Unlike some of the names previously mentioned, Canty wasn't necessarily the driving force of his band; instead he reacted to what the rest of the band was doing, either complementing them or even standing in contrast to what they were doing. No band ever kept listeners on their toes more than Fugazi with their frequents start-and-stops and numerous shifts in any given song, and Canty staying out of the fray and going on his own some of the time only added to the feeling that you didn't know where things were going to end up.





Even though there was often a compelling disconnect between Canty and the rest of the band, he and bassist Joe Lally formed one of rock's most formidable rhythm sections. When guitarists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto would go off on sonic flourishes, Canty and Lally could lock into a groove and help make the song a classic. Canty may not have been the fastest or most powerful drummer in music, but few knew better what to do and when to do it than Canty did. His background in composing songs was perfect for Fugazi as his parts were individually perfect and when grouped with the rest of the band they heightened the songs' energy and sense of the unexpected. Canty was an integral part of one of the best collectives of musicians that punk has ever seen.



6. Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam)


To write and play drums for one hugely successful rock band is a great achievement; to write and play drums for two hugely successful rock bands is absolutely remarkable. Matt Cameron has done just that, starting out in Soundgarden before joining Pearl Jam a decade ago. He's proven to be one of the most versatile drummers in rock as he helped Soundgarden move from a proto-metal band to a hard rock band tinged with psychedelic influences, and then applies his own style to the already established work of Pearl Jam. Cameron has said that his main interests lie in progressive rock and jazz, and you can hear those influences in his work. Although his style has never been showy, there's a free and improvisational feel to what he does. He is perhaps the best complimentary drummer in rock today, never attempting to overshadow the song itself, instead supporting the other musicians, which is a reason why he's so respected.





As Pearl Jam moved to a more experimental side at the beginning of this decade, Cameron proved to be the perfect drummer for this version of the band. His freeform style not only served as a great combination of previous drummers Dave Abbruzzese and Jack Irons, but allowed plenty of room for the band to grow with their last few albums. You can also hear his influence on songs either written or co-written by him, like "Evacuation," "Save You," and the recent hit "The Fixer" (in addition to Soungarden tunes like "Mailman" and "Rhinosaur"). Cameron's ability to seamlessly shift from one genre to another, sometimes all in one band, has made him an invaluable part of some rock's biggest bands.





5. Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)


Jimi Hendrix's revolutionary style was an aggressive updated version of the blues, but his group's drummer Mitch Mitchell excelled in combining that version of the blues and rock with his own take on jazz. The trio atmosphere of The Jimi Hendrix Experience afforded Mitchell the opportunity to use patterns and time signatures not normally seen in rock music. There was no need for an expansive kit setup as Mitchell used the relative basics to get the most feeling and rhythm out of his instrument. He served as the perfect drummer for Hendrix, providing somewhat sparse yet effective backing on songs like "Hey Joe" and "Manic Depression," a thrilling song where Mitchell standouts, playing in three-quarters time. The sense of uneasiness presented by the lyrics is enhanced by Mitchell's tumbling drums that never let up, making you feel somewhat manic yourself. This is the type of quality that Mitchell brought to Hendrix's songs as the two meshed as well as any guitarist and drummer ever had in the history of rock.





Mitchell was never able to match the sheer power of a peer like Keith Moon, but it was never necessary for him to play like that. Hendrix provided all the power the band needed just through his guitar alone; Mitchell provided the jazzy backbone for the band, filling the spaces after Hendrix's sonic explosions left any listener dazed and confused as to what they had heard. Being overbearing was never part of Mitchell's approach as he preferred to let Hendrix be the star and he did is best where he was needed. This was clearly the right choice because of Hendrix's once-in-a-lifetime guitar skills, but nobody should overlook the importance of Mitchell in shaping the sound of one of the most important and influential groups ever. Before Mitchell, jazz and rock hadn't mixed together in such a way and any drummer who combines the two owes a huge debt to Mitch Mitchell, one of rock's most important drummers.





4. Danny Carey (Tool)


There is no drummer in rock or metal today that is as overtly impressive as Danny Carey, the man that helps turn Tool's math-metal into technically proficient and popular music. For all their perceived indulgencies and pretentiousness, none of it would work if Tool wasn't at its core a kick ass band and Carey plays a huge role in that. It's easy to get lost in his drum work when listening to a Tool album, as impressive drum fill after impressive drum fill continuously fly at you and nearly taking over each song. That's not an indictment of him or the band, but rather a testament to his abilities that tremendous songs like "Forty Six & 2" and "Prison Sex" end up being almost overshadowed by the work of Carey. In fact, the entire Lateralus serves a master class in drumming, as many of the songs deal with odd time signatures that have rarely been heard before in rock music, as well as the use of numerology that includes something called the Fibonacci Sequence that I'm not nearly smart enough to begin to understand. Any band without Danny Carey on drums would probably be crazy to even try something like that, but Tool made it work in, largely thanks to their drummer.





Carey's dedication to his craft is also impressive, as it requires a tireless work ethic to be able to handle the type of songs that Tool produce. He has said that he practices with his feet as he would do with his hands, including doing snare drum solos with his feet to improve his technique on the bass drum, hi-hat and more. That, ladies and gentlemen, is insane. And it's just part of the reason why Carey is so revered as a drummer. He and his band are willing to try things that no other band would and that effort he puts in makes sure there are no missteps on his part, even when dealing with things like polyrhythms and unheard of time signatures. But at the core of it, Carey remains the powerful drummer for one of the best metal bands in the world and all the impressive work he does is just icing on the proverbial cake.





3. Ginger Baker (Cream)


Like The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream was a trio that relied heavily on a formula that updated the blues into a new, heavier sound that blew people away. And like that band's drummer Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker was more of a jazz drummer than a rock drummer and that style suited the band greatly. But Baker also had plenty of the blues in him, meaning he was the perfect man to work with bluesmen like Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. Few bands of that, or any, era have matched the primal energy that Cream did in their short tenure, and its exemplified inn song like "Tales of Brave Ulysses." Each band member plays all the way to 11, and Baker is the strong backbone, providing plenty of dramatic and exciting fills while Bruce and Clapton go off and do their own thing as well. The Cream catalog is full of songs like this and without Baker, few of them would work as well as they do. That's not to mention his standout thirteen minute drum solo, "Toad." This was years before Bonham's "Four Sticks" and one of the most impressive displays of blues rock drumming that rock fans have heard.





Few drummers at the time were as nimble as Baker was and his ability to shift with such fluidity was perfect for Cream. In some ways, he was a less manic version of Keith Moon, with arms thrashing all around. But, like with other bands mentioned on this list, Cream didn't need any more than Baker provided. His jazz/blues/rock fusion helped make Cream the preeminent blues rock band of the time, and perhaps of all-time, and also make Baker the top drummer in that genre as well.





2. Stewart Copeland (The Police)


If Baker was one of the first to combine jazz with rock music, Stewart Copeland updated it for the next generation by combining it with reggae that helped make The Police the biggest band of their time. In fact, it always seemed to me that The Police really were a reggae band, partly because of Sting's voice and songwriting ability but also because of Copeland's skills behind the kit. I can't recall a drummer that was right on the beat as precisely as Copeland was, even while he sometimes added flourishes that managed to stay right on beat and make the songs better





Like Brendan Canty, Copeland has moved from rock to composing for other forms of media while also focusing on work in reggae and jazz. It was a real blessing for The Police to have three incredibly talented men in their group and you can make a good argument that Copeland was actually the most talented of the bunch. Naturally, the members couldn't get along at all, but as is so often the case that intra-band conflict led to the creation of great music filled with plenty of energy and tension. Listen to all the great Police songs, and you'll hear a passion there that you don't find in many other bands. Part of that may be due to the problems in the band, but no matter what the reason was you hear Stewart Copeland hitting those drums with all his might while incorporating his personal influences. He is one of rock's most skilled drummers who could have been a star in whatever genre he decided to go into.





1. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)


Dave Grohl has been the drummer for not one, not two but THREE amazing and popular rock bands in the last twenty years, in addition to writing and being the frontman for one of rock's currently most popular bands. Grohl's contribution to Nirvana can't be overstated. His intensity and power gave Nirvana all the edge it needed and helped to offset Kurt Cobain's pop songs. Without Grohl those melodies might not have had the impact than they would have had without him. The ominous beats on a track like "Scentless Apprentice" have a heavy weight to them, while the speed and fury on something like "Stay Away" remains astonishing to this day. From there Grohl started his own band and played every instrument himself at the beginning. He eventually gave some responsibilities to others, but he still played tremendous drums on classic Foo Fighters songs like "My Hero" and "Everlong," songs that he also wrote. With those particular songs, it sounded almost like the drums were part of the melody itself, enhancing it and playing its own part in the hook of the song.





Even though Grohl gave up drumming in the Foo Fighters, he's still kept at it, including working on what I consider to be the best drumming album I've ever heard, Queens of the Stone Age's Songs for the Deaf. He leaves his mark all over the album on tracks like "No One Knows" and "Hangin' Tree," but in reality pretty much every song on the album allows him to be Dave F'in Grohl, Best Drummer in the World. He doesn't pass up the opportunity, giving QOTSA all he has to offer and dominating each song in a good way. I could go all day talking about that album so I'll just move on and mention that Grohl has also lent his immense talent to his metal band Probot, as well as Nine Inch Nails, Tenacious D, Neil Young and more. The reason all these artists recruit Grohl to help shape their work is because even though he hasn't been a full-time drummer in fifteen years, he's still the most talented drummer in the world, capable of taking a piece of music to another level simply by playing drums on it. One listen to works by Nirvana, Foo Fighters, QOTSA and more is all the proof you need as to why Dave Grohl is indeed the best drummer in the world.



That'll do it for this week folks, thanks for reading. If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to let me know, and make sure to leave your own lists in the comments. I'll see you all next week. And if you're out on your bike tonight, do wear white.