Question of the Week: Who’s your favorite drummer of all-time?

Local Spins’ Question of the Week (April 29, 2021)

Who’s your favorite drummer of all-time?

This week’s winner of Local Spins merch: Email subscriber Jon Miner, who responded to the Question of the Week and was entered into a drawing for a Local Spins gift. Sign up for email updates and the weekly newsletter here: https://localspins.com/subscribe-local-spins-mailing-list/

THE READER RESPONSES:

Chad Michael Wedeven – Stevie Wonder

Bill Van Ess – Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad

Eric Brown – Danny Seraphine of Chicago. Unbelievable.

Don Bidell – Billy Cobham, Neil Peart, Michael Shreve, Keith Moon, Bill Kruetzmann

Chuck Whiting – Bill Stevenson

Alex Austin – Levon Helm, Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, John Bonham, Brian Downey (Thin Lizzy), Ginger Baker.

Daniel P Hudelson – Bonham

Todd Long – Rikki Rockett, Vikki Fox, Blas Elias and Zoltan Chaney

Dan Kesterke – Danny Carey of Tool

Marc Alderman – Tony Allen, Billy Martin, Stanton Moore, Herb, Neil Peart, Bonham. I don’t think Tony Allen gets enough credit.

James Lilac – Thirteen Walker

Gilbert Martinez – Terry Bozzio

Matthew Farage – Forgot all about him (Terry Bozzio). One of the best. Zappa knew what was out there and demanded the best. Vai, Underwood and Bozzio.

Scott Kelly – Three way tie: Max, Buddy and Ringo
Sondra Loucks Wilson – Scott Kelly, of course!

Jon Miner – Here’s my pick for favorite drummer: Peter Hoorelbeke (of Rare Earth). That’ll test your history a bit. Loved his voice more than his drumming. “I Just Want to Celebrate!”

Timmy Lee Vandyke – Michael Shrieve, Bonham, Ringo, and Ginger Baker.

Steve Aldrich – If you want the GOAT drummers, you need to look past the rock era. The heyday of the Swing Era brought its own set of challenges, with sound reinforcement, as well as recording, a far cry from what it is today. In the early days, drum sets weren’t even recorded, as the low frequencies exceeded what was possible to cut to acetates, so the drummers usually kept time on temple blocks, or something similar. Live, they liked really big drums to cut thru the brass, and combined with calfskin heads, produced a thunderous, deep tone. The first live concert album is still, for my money, the all-timer, Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall 1938. Recent remasters of this set have finally revealed the full glory of engineer Bill Savory’s vivid original recording, and it benefits nobody better than Gene Krupa. His two Slingerland kits, one for the big band, and a smaller set for the “quartette” numbers, rattle the walls and Gene puts on the show of his life. From deft brush play, to the stomp of “Sing Sing Sing,” Krupa completely steals this show and seals his reputation. After this, everybody was looking at drummers. Chick Webb was equally amazing, other greats include Papa Jo Jones, George Whettling, Shelly Manne, Big Sid Catlett, Louie Bellson, Don Lamond, Cozy Cole, Nick Fatool, and the most in-demand player of the era, Davy Tough. All of these guys were monsters, and chances are that these are the guys your favorite rock drummers admired.

Michael John Beyrle – Levon Helm

Chris Kohane – Phil Ehart

Kevin Hole – Nobody has said Steve Gadd yet?!

Matt James Young – Lars Ulrich

Shane Roberts – Zach Hill

David Burns – Buddy Rich

Jerry Ford – I’ll throw in Max Weinberg

Jessie Beveridge – Mike Bordin

Ben Hassenger – Tom Ardolino

James Klomparens – Karen Carpenter

David Burns – Michael Dawe

Kat Hovingh – Ringo Starr (Ben says Buddy Rich).

Matthew Farage – Ginger Baker. I shared a birthday with him.

Roger Kintner – Levon Helm!!!!!!!!!

Charlie Merkel – As a teenage drummer, I definitely would have said Bonham, Buddy Rich, Keith Moon, Neil Peart, etc. because of their flashy technique and solos etc. As a grumpy aging drummer that hasn’t played music with other people in over a year, I’m not interested in playing or listening to drummers like that much anymore. I prefer ‘feel’ drummers like Levon Helm, Clyde Stubblefield, Gadd, and Bernard Purdie… My favorites from the classic rock set might be Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker

Mike Skory – Steve Gadd and Ringo

Michael Kroll – John Bonham, Hal Blaine, Ringo Starr.

Jeff Martin – Jazz cats including Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Motian, Jack DeJohnette, Ed Blackwell, Billy Higgins, Art Blakey, Dannie Richmond and Tony Williams. Fave rock drummer is Robert Wyatt.

Justin Stover – Stewart Copeland

Cory Olsen – Neil Peart. No contest.

John Barnes – Dave Grohl. Contest.

John Nowak – RINGO!!! And Leon Helm, Larnell Lewis, Mike, Andy, and Da’Veonce

Paul Magnan – Tommy Davis

David Walenga – If the criteria is driving a band that has had generations of impact on music – Ringo and Charlie Watts.

Chad Michael Wedeven – Among people I actually know, Madison George is mesmerizing.

Tyler Beer – There’s drumming, and then there’s Tony Williams.

Dan Lynn – Not saying they are ‘the best’ but Topper Headon and Stewart Copeland were pretty amazing when I was coming up.

John W. Hartel – Ginger Baker

Kevin Murphy – Lars Ulrich is no slouch. Nor is Max Weinberg.

Doug Chesnut – Bill Vits and Randy Marsh

Kyle Rasche – Phil Collins

Mark Svekric – Vinny Colaiuta
Todd Hix – How about Gene Krupa?

Michael Packer – Loaded question, man! This should be interesting. I’ll just sit back and watch!

Charles Schantz – Elvin Jones

Ed Kettle – Max Roach

Terry Oosterhart – J. C. Heard

Robert J Lutz – I have to pick two that I like because they are so fun to watch. Keith Moon and Billy Cobham/

Daniel W Dawe – So blessed to have seen Keith Moon.

Dansir McCullough – Billy Cobham

Elle Lutz – Alan White, and he is wonderful man. I met him in a hotel lobby before a Yes show and he asked my husband and myself to accompany him to the after party. What a night that was!

Thom Postema – Jeff Porcaro

Brian Haik – Keith Moon!

Jim Rodery – Charlie Quintana

Dylan Smith – Mark Brzezicki: Big Country, The Cult, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, Procol Harum, Ultravox, From the Jam, Tom Cochrane, etc.

Bob Yokabitus – Bill Bruford
Thomas Leonard Saxe – Hal Blaine, John Bonham, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Ginger Baker, Buddy Rich and a few others. There can never be just one.

Michael Grosvenor – For me, it’s easily Liberty DeVitto.

Kevin Murphy – Ric Buckler

Brian Morrill – Phil Collins

Roy Wallace – Bonham.

Patty Dykstra – Ringo

Brian Vannieuwenhoven – Bonham, Garibaldi, Gadd, Copeland, and Stanton Moore round out my Top Five.

Nathan Purchase – Mitch Mitchell and John Densmore

Nathan Kettle – I wouldn’t say she’s my favorite, but I just recently learned what a badass Karen Carpenter was behind a kit. Had no idea.

Lee Chase – Richie Hayward – Little Feat

Mike Filkins – Michael Shimmin

Michael Shimmin – Haha. That’s sweet of you. I see no one here has mentioned Chad Smith or Dave Grohl. (Two of my faves.) And of course Zakir Hussain. And for John Sinkevics’ question for “favorite drummer?” For me, if I could only pick one, I’d say Elvin!

Rob Kirkbride – Keith Moon
Kyle Brown – If I gotta pick 1? Art Blakey, but it’s tough not to mention Jeff Porcaro, Levon Helm, and Billy Cobham.

David Burns – Senri Kawaguchi.

Robby Jewett – Buddy Miles and Bernard Purdie.

Andrew Szumowski – it used to be TONY WILLIAMS without question, but I really believe ELVIN JONES has that high level mystique that almost nobody else had or will ever have. Neil Peart couldn’t swing himself out of a paper bag, but then again I’d sell my own grandmother down the river to see three bars of “Clap Hands! Here Comes Charlie” or “Harlem Congo” – yes, I’m talking about the GOAT, the midget drummer of Harlem, the Emperor of the Savoy Ballroom, William Henry “Chick” Webb (February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939

Shazzer McBroddle – Bruford. Hal Blaine. Karen Carpenter

Randy Scott Marsh – So many of the drummers mentioned in the comments I have to agree are bad dudes. My list would be too long and many of them have already been mentioned. I love all of my Drum Brothers and all of the great drummers who have shaped and continue to creatively shape and redefine the vocabulary of jazz, blues, funk, Afro-Latin, pop, country, rock and world music. I guess what I am trying to say is there are so many known and even more unknown and upcoming drummers who are constantly changing and influencing all of the music and it’s all good. Somebody say yeah.

Andrew Ogrodzinski – So many greats mentioned. Surprised Vinnie Colaiuta was only mentioned once. You’d be hard pressed to find a drummer that can play polyrhythms like him. Just to throw one out there: John Marshall from Soft Machine was phenomenal and completely underrated.

Patches Bearman – Bill Ward, baby. Not surprised he hasn’t been mentioned. Think there are better but in my opinion it’s wild to me how underrated he is. Black Sabbath wouldn’t have been nearly as good without him.

Dave Adams – It’s hard to pick my favorite Steely Dan drummer (Steve Gadd, Bernard Perdie), let alone favorite drummer. Buddy Rich was the earliest drummer I was exposed to on ‘I Love Lucy.’

William Hahs – Jon Hiseman: He played with Coliseum. Bill Bruford, Buddy Miles, Ginger Baker, Gene Krupa, Carl Palmer, Carmine Appice, and of course, Neil Peart.

Michael Packer – Remember Pip Pyle. I’d lump him in with this gang. Also Joachim Ehrig (Eroc).

Mark Weymouth – I love all these guys listed and so many more, but to pick one is hard. I’ll just say Vinnie does it for me.

Charles Honey – Why has no one mentioned Animal from Dr. Teeth?? Famous Muppets emo band

Buck McDougall – Moe Tucker!

Ted Lowis – Tony Thompson

Mike Schertenlieb – I don’t really do “favorites” and wholeheartedly agree with Randy’s comment. But to throw some names out that haven’t been mentioned (because there are so many phenomenal players in the world): Adam Deitch, Nate Smith, Anike Nilles, Matt Garstka, Benny Greb, Peter Erskine, Ron Bruner Jr., Mike Clarke, Nikki Glaspie, Kris Myers, Earl Palmer, Clyde Stubblefield, Louie Bellson, Dave Elitch, Zigaboo Modeliste, Sput Searight. The list goes on and on and on. I’m inspired by all!

Ross Morgan – Danny Carey and Gavin Harrison

Jay Jylkka – John Merikoski

Thom Postema – Vinnie Colaiuta, Kenny Aronoff, Will Calhoun, Dennis Chambers, Keith Carlock, Omar Hakim, Josh Freeze, Simon Phillips, Larrie London, Eddie Bayers, Chris Pruit, Mike Portnoy, Mick Fleetwood, Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Steve Gadd, Taylor Hawkins, Carter Buford, Lars Ulrich, Tommy Lee.

Peter Stieler – Yep! Gene Krupa!

Don Small – Neil Pert!
Jim Weiler – Dejohnette, Baker, Krupa, Cobham.

Da’Veonce Washington – Nate Smith

Nicholas James Thomasma – Danny Carey

Bob Niedt – Max Weinberg and Kenny Aronoff. Wait! Dave Grohl. Karen Carpenter.

Jack Fivecoate – Joe Tomino for sure. Followed closely by Marc Alderman.

Marc Alderman – Thank you, brother.

Jeff Vantol – Bonzo

John Serba – In my particular dank musical alleyway, nobody had more profound influence than Bill Ward and John Bonham. Philthy Animal Taylor invented the “Motorhead beat” that the whole world copped from him (and his replacement, Mikkey Dee, is a stud). Dave Lombardo (SLAYERRRRRRR), Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Testament, Strapping Young Lad, etc.) Tom Hunting (Exodus) and Igor Cavalera (Sepultura) are the biggest beasts in metal. Charlie Benante of Anthrax and SOD pretty much invented the blastbeat, and I’d say Mick Harris of Napalm Death perfected it. Matt Cameron is the true great of the grunge era. Of this millennium (ha) I really like Jason Bittner (Overkill, etc.) and Brann Daillor (Mastodon and before that, Today is the Day). The most KVLT underground guy is Proscriptor McGovern of Absu, who’s an absolute nut (and kind of a controversial figure) and famously deemed too crazy when he auditioned for Slayer. I see a few mentions of Lars Ulrich here but I’d say he’s a far greater music-biz guy and writer/arranger of music than he is a drummer; all you have to do is listen to some live Metallica performances from the past 20-odd years to see his rep as a less than stellar drummer is absolutely warranted.

Kevin Langeland – One’s gotta be Mitch Mitchell

James Markus – As mentioned, Bonham has got to be one of the best drummers. However, Aric Improta’s “Blur-Lights In The Videodrome” is one of the most amazing drum solos ever, and at almost 40 minutes, one of the longest.

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