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
falconquest
What made John Bonham and LZ different from other bands was that they did not use the traditional rhythm section. Bonzo played with Page, not with JP Jones. Listen to Page’s rhythm and lead, and the drums are playing along with those rhythms. Jones provided a virtuoso-like back beat and very often played keyboards and bass pedals, he was not following the drums.

Was Bonham often heavy-handed? Oftentimes, the answer is yes, but so was Page. And the bass triplets were less about showing his prowess, it’s part of what gave them a sound that no other rock band had. His bass/floor tom rhythms and fills come from the basic rudiments of drumming. He was a drummer who was out in front, which was decidedly the sound they were going for. To a drummer, I agree it could be called a lack of finesse, but IMO, it worked.

bdp24, The drummers you mentioned were masterful, and played wonderfully for what the music required. That’s why I stated early that there are different types of drummers and the music determines what is needed.
Now, Neil Peart is a drummer who is showing off his technical prowess. Luckily, he’s in a band that allows for that style of drumming. When I first heard him, I thought he must be the greatest drummer in the world. But after a few songs and seeing Rush live, he was just way too much.

I wish you could have seen the tribute band Rat Race Choir, here on the east coast. Their drummer, Steve Luongo was so skilled and polished, he played Bonzo exactly but with finesse. In fact, he may have been even better than Bonham. I always wanted to study with him, but he had a limited number of students.
@lowrider57

+1 Led Zepelin really grooved because Page is a fantastic rhythm guitarist and the drumming accented the guitar. However Bonham often alternates between bass and rhythm guitar as you go from verse to chorus and this is really innovative. Most drummers will stick to bass or rhythm guitar and lay down a continuous groove with the odd fill thrown in but NOT alternate (often radically) between both. This is what makes LZ so interesting and refreshing whereas as most rock/pop/blues gets repetive after 2 minutes. Chad Smith applies this technique too.

Ramble On is a simple but good example.

As for fills, Bonham had tremendous swing and triplet feel - he often leaves you in suspense on a fill that starts off in 1/8 note groove and then ends with a gap of 2/24 followed by an accent on a "let" and finally in a flourish of 1/24 note triplets and then goes perfectly back on the one. His drumming feels like it is always just about to fall apart - lurching here and there but then he nails the One and you are back in the groove.

Was he a show off. For sure. Apart from John Paul Jones LZ were all extravagant show offs and it was fun and enormously entertaining and still is to this day!

RHCP are the same - enormously talented over the top entertainers. Chad Smith hits so damn hard but still grooves as good as any New Orleans cat!

Perhaps a lot more music would be like his if lead guitarists weren't so controlling of drummers and demanding they take a back seat!!!!! 

Kudos to Page for allowing Bonham to simply go for it! 

Kudos to RHCP for allowing Chad to have a significant role in their sound.
Check out two drumming styles - same song

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U3sMjm9Eloo

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6UdZIh8_xGc

What a huge huge difference a drummer can make!

Which version really swings and makes you tap your foot or move?
I like that upfront, on-top-of-the-beat drumming. Hate that it's used in a movie soundtrack.