Best Rock Drummers

There were no great rock drummers before Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, and Keith Moon. Everyone, talented though they may be, who came after built on what they created. "If I have seen further than others it is because I stood on the shoulders of Giants." And they learned their craft listening to Art Blakey, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich, but that trio weren't rock drummers.

Count me in on Keith Moon.   I don't have a vast exposure to various artists & musicians as many of you here.  In my mind, nobody plays like Keith Moon.  He was simply magical.   Too bad he died at such a sound age.

Ginger Baker.

Jon Fishman and it's not even close...

Here’s Keith doing his adventurous thing with the drums

He keeps switching from staying with the lyrical content and motion/forces/timing, and then playing with the beat, staying on it, in front, behind, etc.

Like a man trying to play the ENTIRE song all by himself, without dropping any of it, without losing any of it’s macro or micro considerations.. Along with point and counterpoint, dance, flow, all of it. It’s an amazing performance, if you really listen.

One could even propose that the entire intent of the song comes out in the drums and the rest is just wafts of flavoring and colors, mood lighting, etc. That is Keith’s drumming......(at least here, in this tune)

Another one of such nature but not as complex in total sum song form, is Bill Ward’s drumming in ’the wizard’. One take, is that it is more of a SKA ’take’ on being front and center..but in the same overall method as Keith’s. Bill is essentially the lead, but he’s doing the SKA thing. With no repeats.