Greatest Rock Drummers


Given the subject line many names come to mind such as  Ginger Baker, Keith Moon, Phil Collins and Carl Palmer but, is Neil Peart the greatest rock drummer of all time?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSToKcbWz1k
128x128falconquest
I knew someone many, many years ago -- I'm talking way back in the 1970s -- who said Carl Palmer's drumming reminded her of a too-heavy meal. I laughed then, and I laugh now to remember that very wise comment.
For my money, I'd pick Stuart Copeland. Listen to almost any song he's on -- by The Police or some other band -- focus on the drumming, and be amazed.
One man's opinion, of course.
-- Howard

Ginger has played some Rock music, and played in some Rock bands, but his basic approach to playing drums is that of a Jazz drummer. That’s one element of my "problem" with Cream, and Ginger’s playing in that band; their music was basically blues, but played by non-Blues players, at least Ginger and Jack Bruce. It doesn’t "work", it sounds "wrong". Jazz and Blues are very different musics, opposites in fact. Before Cream, Ginger and Jack were in The Graham Bond Organization together, a Trad Jazz band in London. Prior to Cream, Ginger had never played Rock music, or in a Rock band. His drumming models are Art Blakely and Elvin Jones, pure Jazz players.

Steve Jordan (the drummer Keith Richards chose for his "Hail, Hail Rock 'n' Roll" Chuck Berry documentary movie band), in his testimonial to the brilliance of Band drummer Levon Helm, described Levon’s approach to playing drums as that of a Blues player, and I agree. The fact that Levon played Rock ’n’ Roll in a R & R band does not change that fact.

Interviewer: "Could you play in the Buddy Rich Big Band?"

Keith Moon: "No, and Buddy Rich couldn’t play in The Who."

mitch2
"It is a good list but some will find it incomplete....particularly fans of John Bonham."

I knew when I typed the post that I left out Bonzo but then I would have to mention Mickey Hart. I felt bad about that but one has to draw the line somewhere. I still think Neil Peart is among the best due to technical ability and creativity.
I agree the Neil Pert is probably at the top, but I want to add Nick Mason, the late Jeff Pocaro was awesome too. Carl Palmer is also at the top of this list as mentioned as is Ginger Baker, Stuart Copeland, Bill Bruford, Michael Shrieve...the list goes on. Really hard to pick one as the end all be all. Going back a number of years some of the studio drummers were good as well, Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon did a lot great work that wasn't really acknowledged.