Greatest Rock Drummers

Einmensch
i have also played drums for over 55 years and from your list, I would only pick Mitch mitchell and Jon bohnam for very good drummers. If you want the very best, I would say Mike Portnoy. He has won dozens of best drummer awards, been inducted in the hall of fame at an early age (maybe the youngest). This guy is so technical. His kid Max is also pretty good. Ginger Baker was pretty good too but pretty basic. I do agree that jazz drummers are usually very good. Blues drummers and pop music drummers are there to keep a beat and that’s about it. Charlie and Ringo, not good technically, but keep a beat for their kind of music. Mickey Dolenz was a better drummer than Charlie and Ringo and Mickey didn’t know how to play in the beginning.

+1 For Ian Paice. Excellent and exciting player who is not often mentioned in this company but shouls be. I'll also throw in Tre Cool of Green Day as a great natural talent.

Steve Becker, from Southside Johnny was a great drummer. Was big on jazz before he joined southside.

bdp24, I do know that Jim Keltner is a very musical drummer, he's just not someone that I know about extensively. Primarily his works with Steely Dan and John Lennon are recognizable. I've spent most of my time and energy invested in jazz and classical, mostly classical, so while I do know about certain drummers, my knowledge is not so far reaching within the rock and pop realms. Additionally, I gave up playing drums and percussion in the early 1990's. But, if I were to choose a drummer to have seen live and in the person, it would have been Philly Joe Jones and preferably with Clifford Brown. However, the Miles Davis Quartet would be a near to equal second.