Who is the best drummer of all time?

Question

Who is your favorite current drummer?  Who is the best of all time?  Which ones get honorable mentions?  This can be from rock, or another type of music if you prefer.

Answer 1

This comes with a lot of personal bias considering I myself am a HUGE Arctic Monkeys fan, but I honestly think that Matt Helders, the Arctic Monkeys drummer is the greatest drummer of all time. If you need ANY proof please please please listen to 'whatever people say i am thats what im not', , and from 'favourite worst nightmare' Brianstorm and Teddypicker! Also- the view from the afternoon and a certain romance! aside from the amazing drumming, they are some of my favourite songs ever!

Answer 2

hmm best drummer  keith moon uf the who

Answer 3

My favorite drummer is Bill Bruford. His drumming on The Yes Album, Fragile & Close to the Edge is astounding. 



For me, honorable mentions are Mitch Mitchell, Stephen Morris, Topper Headon, Boris Williams, Reni & Loz Colbert. 

Answer 4

Best Of All Time John Bonham

Honorable Mention Keith Moon

Answer 5

GingerBaker................................ 

Answer 6

Current drummer: Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)

B.O.A.T.: John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)

Answer 7

Although I like all different kinds of music in general I think maybe jazz drummers are the most technically proficient.There’s a large consensus that believes Buddy Rich was the best of all time. Like that his playing was at such an incredible level that people thought maybe he was from another planet. A guy I was talking to recently who plays the drums somewhat and is pretty smart said that he thinks Dave Steckl who played with Chick Corea’s Electric Band is way up there among those still living,  (assuming he still is alive). I did check out some older YouTube videos of him and he seemed pretty darn good.  I guess it really comes down to a matter of personal preference because technique isn’t the only factor. You just have to like a drummer’s style, also. . Like I don’t know if Ginger Baker of Cream was/is considered one of the ‘best’, although he was considered a top rock drummer (or jazz/rock/blues fusion drummer depending on how you wanna classify Cream’s music) I liked his style of playing, footwork, etc, and what it did for Cream’s sound overall.  Even if he wasn’t a Buddy Rich. He just was a good fit for that trio. 

Answer 8

My favorite drummer of all time is Bill Bruford. I just really like his style. My current favorite drummer is Pat Mastelotto, of King Crimson and is currently with a band called O.R.k..I also like Gavin Harrison, Dennis Chambers, Terry Bozzio, and Mike Portnoy.

Answer 9

1. Grant Hart



2. Grant Hart



3. Colm Ó Cíosóig, Dale Crover, Clifford Jarvis, Robert Wyatt, Flo Moneir, Hellhammer, Nicholas Barker, 

Answer 10

Gene Krupa is one I can think of

Answer 11

All time, for me is Stewart Copeland (The Police). He put emotion and force into The Police songs and his style is one of a kind.

Answer 12

Gene Krupa was one of the best.

Answer 13

Best - Kenny Aronoff,  Cozy Powell

My favorite - Roger Taylor of Queen

Answer 14

Only a few real drumming listeners leaving comments and the rest are troll accounts that say garbage British kid non-musicians John Bonham, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and Ringo Starr, the over-marketed over-rated British crap quartet troll favorites of drumming history. It shows you the proficiency of answers you're dealing with here. The greatest drummers in the world are the child prodigy drummers who have never played professionally in their adult lives but whom play with the technical prowess matching or surpassing the real professional drummers of proven mastery and earned repute of recorded history like Buddy Rich, Joe Morello, Louie Bellson, Gene Krupa, Shelly Manne, Max Roach, Johnny Williams, Danny Barcelona, Jimmy Vincent, Elvin Jones, Dave Tough, Art Blakey, Jim Chapin, Sid Catlett, Ed Shaughnessy, Bobby Rosengarden, Mel Taylor, Jimmy Cobb, Chick Webb, Joe Porcaro, Grady Tate, Vic Firth, Sonny Igoe, Peter Erskine, Steve Gadd, Dennis Chambers, Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Gary "Chicken" Hirsh, Joe Butler, Michael Clarke, Gary Hobbs, Tom Flye, Chuck Ruff, Ralph Johnson, Dave Weckl, Bernard Purdie, Ronnie Tutt, Vinnie Colaiuta, Billy Cobham, Alice De Buhr, Neal Smith, Danny Seraphine, Alex Acuna, Danny Gottlieb, Omar Hakim, Michael Narada Walden, Michael Shrieve, Terry Bozzio, Fred White, Karen Carpenter, Huub Janssen, Willie Hall, Christopher Franke, Charly Antolini, Henry Garner, Gregg Bissonette, Gregg Potter, Carmine Appice, Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, Max Weinberg, Jimmy Ford, Jerry Allison, WS "Fluke" Holland, Ziggy Modeliste, Jerry Mercer, Jim Keltner, Gary Mallaber, Maurice White, Jeff Porcaro, John "JR" Robinson, Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett, Peter Criss, James Beck Gordon, Al "Tiny" Schneider, Sheila E., Alex Van Halen, Carlos Vega, Clem Burke, Mike Clark, Mickey Curry, Bill Gibson, Carl Palmer, Pete Young, Ronnie Verrell and onward.

Answer 15

All Time Best - Lionel Hampton



Honorable mentions - Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell, John Bonham

Answer 16

Buddy Rich.....

Answer 17

I've always loved Proscriptor McGovern from Absu's drumming.

Although eccentric & "different" personality wise,he practices 6 or 7 hours a day & is highly committed to his art

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdn0FFOX2A4

Answer 18

Larry Mullen Jnr of U2

Answer 19

Dave Grohl is way up there.

Answer 20

Ginger Baker was certainly one of the best.

Answer 21

Keith Moon.....

Answer 22

Keith Moon.....

Answer 23

Tony Williams

Jack De Johnette

John Bonham

Bill Ward

Mike Portnoy

Keith Moon

Bill Bruford

Art Blacky

Ginger Paker

Billy Cobham

Answer 24

As someone who considers himself a jazz fan, I have to say that Buddy Rich was a technically proficient and little else clown who could only play one style of music. A big band drum version of metal guitar masturbators completely lacking in all subtlety and shading (and songwriting ability) and not a COMPLETE musician. Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Jack De Johnette... here's where you look for technically proficient drummers who were/are also COMPLETE musicians... 



That said, Paul Motian (probably the archetypal piano trio drummer- Bill Evans, Paul Bley, Keith Jarrett, Marilyn Crispell and others- but also so much more, as is borne out not only by his other, varied contexts sideman appearances, but also by his 40-year solo career) has long been my FAVE. (Note that I am not saying the BEST.) Another COMPLETE musician, with fantastic songwriting skills, that's for sure. Of people still alive and playing, my nod goes to either the aforementioned Mr. De Johnette or Joey Baron (Motian's successor?) or Jon Christensen.

Answer 25

Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa.  

Answer 26

Personally, I've always really liked Mikkey Dee. Scott Travis is also terrific. Rounding out the Top 5 would be Phil Rudd, John Bonham, and Bill Ward. 

Answer 27

I think the best is Joe Morello.

Answer 28

Phil...................

Answer 29

Buddy Rich is generally recognized as one of the best drummers of all time, even though he was a jazz drummer but not a rock and roller. I like Keith Moon and John Bonham.

Answer 30

Neil Peart is best with a nod to John Bonham 

Answer 31

keith moon from the who was wild on the drums.a great drummer he was.

Answer 32

Ringo Starr



15 characters....

Answer 33

Neal Pert...   and you know it....