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Who is the best drummer in the world?
By kevin | July 7, 2008
OK - I know I’m opening up a whole can of worms here when I ask this question!
There are so many great and amazing drummers around these days, that its really hard to know if perhaps we’ve missed out on hearing about someone who might be amazing, whom we just haven’t encountered because we may not listen to that particular style of music.
I could of course give my opinions on this topic, however what I’d like to do is open this up - all you have to do is leave comments on this blog post with who you think are the best FIVE drummers in the world at the moment, ordered from 1 to 5.
With this information I’ll compile a list of the most popular and post in a follow up posting, where I’ll be able to create a list of the most influential drummers currently.
I know that there will be many diverse opinions - Those who like heavy metal music are not going to agree with those who like jazz… but that is what makes music so interesting!
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Topics: Announcements, Drum Kit, Drum Set, Drum Technique |
July 12th, 2008 at 5:30 am
PS the best drumme of the world is FRANZ DI CIOCCIO from PFM group
July 12th, 2008 at 7:44 am
TRAVIS BARKER
GREG BISSONETTE
STEVE GADD
BUDDY RICH
TITO PUENTE(I’M PERCUSSIONIST BY THE WAY)))
July 12th, 2008 at 7:44 am
This is an extremely hard question to answer. There are so many extraodinary drummers out there today that all drummers can look up to. These include legends like Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl,Dennis Chambers,Buddy Rich. There are also many modern greats too like Virgil Donati, Antonio Sanchez, Horacio Hernandez, Clayton Cameron, the list go’s on…. I don’t think we should try to choose between them, we should enjoy and learn as much as we can from each of them as they all have plenty great qualities in their playing for us to listen and learn.
July 12th, 2008 at 7:59 am
hi there everyone .
between worldwide drummers i,ve choose this persons (this is my idea only) :
1-Mr.Giovanni hidalgo
2-Mr.Changuito
3-Mr.Kalani
good luck
July 12th, 2008 at 8:38 am
1. Peter Erskine
2. Vinnie Colaiuta
3. Steve Gadd
4. Trilok Gurtu
5. David Garabaldi
July 12th, 2008 at 9:24 am
1. Steve Gadd
2. Dave Weckl
3. Marco Minnemann
4. Vinnie Colaiuta
5. Steve Smith
July 12th, 2008 at 9:28 am
1… Vinnie
2…Steve Smith
3….Thommas Lang
4….Jo Jo Mayer
5… Dennis Chambers
July 12th, 2008 at 11:51 am
1. Grant Collins
July 12th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Jo Jo Mayer, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta
July 12th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Top Five (in no particular order)
1. Art Blakey
2. Jeff Hamilton
3. Buddy Rich
4. Dave Weckl
5. Roy Haynes
July 12th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
oh boy…i cant actually name that many.
1.Joe Marchisella (spelling..cough)
2.grant collins
well…theyre the notable ones
July 12th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I agree with Tim Kirkwood (above), There are just to many great players to pick one. Plus, they’re all different. How do you compare a Buddy Rich to a Steve Gadd to a Horacio Hernandez, etc. Then there are people that we’ve never heard for one reason or another. There are people here in Green Bay Wisconsin whose playing I really love. What’s the point, really?
To paraphrase Frank Zappa “Shut up and play your drums!”.
July 12th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Bloody ell thats a tough one…
1-Steve Gadd
2-Thomas Lang
3-Mike Portnoy
4-Vinnie Colaiuta
5-Gregg Bissonette
July 12th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
nobody ever heard of alex gonzales ( the drummer in the band mana )
July 12th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
lets not forget the locals..
mark kennedy (the ayers rock recordings)gordon rytmeister (for total professionalism) david jones (for dedication to different sounds and tranquility in performance) hamish stuart (total pocket) andrew gander (the benders..mark isaac “for sure” cd.. ) james waples(mike nock) for dedication to the drum not the buck .. kerry jacobsen for all the dragon songs he played on and totally played the song.. now with renee geyer
my first teacher
and of course it all connects with the international faves
July 12th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
hello kevin nice hear from you
in my profesional and personal opinion i think first we have to get the most musical and melodic an the drummers that have their own voice there a lot of factors that i think make a drummer more than a drummer a mucisian
like peter erskine,vinnie colauita
the hole idea is to be musical
July 13th, 2008 at 2:59 am
and who cannot forget the australians who have inspired me since high school in the 70s
mark kennedy : for the ayers rock recordings
gordon rytmeister: professionaly covers all bases
andrew gander: check out “for sure” cd and the benders albums..pure magic
hamish stuart: who actually gigged with ayers rock (crikey) still playing the best grooves in sydney.
david jones: for inspiration to play at all volumes using not only sticks!
these guys definately move the room when you wander in !
July 13th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Elvin
Philly Joe
Stix
Airto
Tony W
July 13th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
1 jojo mayer
2 morgan agren
3 dennis chambers
4 kenwood denard
5 vinnie colaiuta
July 14th, 2008 at 2:29 am
1. Vinnie Colaiuta (No Question) I had the op to record him in Seattle & he’s so humble but so solid and tasteful.
2. Dave Weckl
3. Buddy Rich
4. Steve Gadd
5. Dennis Chambers
July 14th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Art Blakely
Gene Krupa
Pancho Sanchez
July 14th, 2008 at 8:04 am
so many incredible drummers!!these are the ones that are inspiring me at the minute…but obviously theres loads more with lots of different things to offer!
Tony Williams
idris muhammed
elvin jones
buddy rich
clyde stubblefield/jabo starks
but hey as some people have already said there isnt really a best everyones got there own thing and if that makes a song or moves people then what more do you need.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:43 am
There are a large number of amazingly skilled drummers alive today. No way I could pick “the best” so I will offer my favorites. I prefer to lean towards the ones on that list that are also extremely musical, innovative, and play to share rather than to show off. My favorites are:
Jeff Hamilton
Yaron Isreal
Favorite all-time:
Louis Bellson
July 14th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Kevin MacNeil is the world’s best undiscovered drummer.
I am extremely fortunate that I am born in the right place and right time with this guy; kinda like the lottery. As a bass player,a great drummer turns my mediocrity into gold-sooo happy.
-Lee
July 14th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I played with Kenwood Dennard- good drummer.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am
It is very hard to pick ” the best” because really each drummer known and unknown have so much to offer. This would be my top five.
1. Louie Bellson
2.Vinnie Colaiuta
3. Peter Erskine
4. Jeff Hamilton
5. Steve Gadd
July 14th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I agree with so many of the post about there being a myraid of great drummer depending on what genre of music you are addressing. I haven’t seen Joe Morello’s name mentioned or Billy Cobham’s. In the rock veing what about John Bonham and Neil Peart. We can’t forget about the guys who drove the James Brown band for so many years. Clyde “the Glide”Stubblefied and John “Jabo” Stark. These guys are the most sampled drummers in the world and haven’t gotten a dime for it.I also liked the comment about the local drummers. Being from the U.S. I have no idea about any of the drummers from Australia but would love to hear them. There are just so many that have influenced us all it’s impossible to pick just one. And that is my honest humble opinion
July 14th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
This is a very difficult question, since music is purely subjective anyway. Here is a list of only some of the GREATS.
1. Art Blakey
2. Jeff Hamilton
3. Buddy Rich
4. Dave Weckl
5. Roy Haynes
6. Steve Smith
7. Peter Erskine
8. Vinnie Colaiuta
9. Steve Gadd
July 14th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I’m going to only pick one since the question implies one person to be named. Here it is:
Thomas Lang
I saw him live at PASIC ‘06 in Austin, Texas and have never seen anyone with chops like that.
Thomas Lang only proves that there was a landing in Roswell.
July 14th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
1. Neil Peart
2. Jon Knox
July 14th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Weckl, Rich, Puente, Gadd, Erskine. I had the opportunity to play with Weckl and Erskine…very different but both are amazing.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Steve Gadd? Are you guys out of your minds? Here is my list:
Buddy Rich, Peter Erskine, Art Tatum, Gregg Bissonette, Louie Belson
July 15th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Buddy Rich
Neil Peart
Dennis Chambers
Tony Royster Jr.
John Bonham
July 15th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I think that Neil Peart, Jason Bittner, Simon Phillips, and Buddy Rich are the best in the world
July 15th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Rich,Garibaldi,Porcaro,Gadd and Weckl
July 16th, 2008 at 1:03 am
I think with so many different styles of drumming in the world, this is really an impossible question.
Alex Duthart woudl be a better pipe band drummer than say Buddy rich.Jeff Queen would be the sest in his individual style. Drum line playing, Top Secret would be hard to beat. As far as tutors are concerned probably Freddie Gruber,And for technique Joe Morello and Gary Chaffee.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:16 am
Max Roach
Elvin Jones
Roy Wilfred Wooten
Tito Puente
Jason Bonham
July 16th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I would have to say that really only one person comes to mind and that would be Evelyn Glennie
July 16th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
best drummer? hard question
for me
No1 is JOEY BARON
No2 is Billy martin
No3 is Jim Black
No4 is Dougie Bown
im very interessted in the drumming of the KNITTING FACTORY guys
and there are really o lot of really good but unfortunately unknown drummers, taka a look at myspace…..
thomas lang and CO are only artists with o lot af technic but no musicality (MY PERSONEL OPINION)
cheers and keep the groove
andi
July 17th, 2008 at 6:23 am
I’m surprised nobody has named Jack deJohnette, Alec Acuna (great percussionist too) or Omar Hakim. I was fortunate to see and hear them, and they blew me away. Hakim is a dancer on his kit, he makes plyrhythms look everyday.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Yim Hok Man, Lung Heung Wing and Evelyn Glennie
July 18th, 2008 at 2:06 am
1. chris adler from lamb of god
2. danny cary from tool
3.vinny paul from pantera damage plan and hellyeah
4.neil pert
5. buddy rich
July 19th, 2008 at 2:36 am
Without a doubt, Neil Peart
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:41 pm
horatio hernandez (el negro)
July 29th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Jo-Jo by far is the greatest drummer to have ever walked this Earth…
August 7th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Are you all lost on another planet……….
GENE KRUPER GENE KRUPER GENE KRUPER GENE KRUPER need I say more (for all you Metallica noise lovers look him up)
August 20th, 2008 at 7:09 am
I’ve been playing for almost 40 years and I’ve basically seen ‘em all.This cat I’m talkin’ about is from another planet. When I judge a drummer,it is based on how ‘complete’the total package is.Most professional drummers can play a few style well,but fall apart in another.Good example was when I saw the late Alan Dawson(Berklee instructor)sit in with a professional big band.It was sad, and I couldn’t believe it because at the time I was studying his independence exercises and thought he was the best there ever was.This man I’m talking about is an alien called CLYDE CONNOR.He will swing anything that approaches within a mile of himself.He ’sight reads’ charts(complex big band arrangements)like he’s been playing it for years.He went straight into the 2 o’clock lab band at the famed North Texas jazz program-nobody ever did that in the history of the school.He’s completely ambidextrous.His composing/arranging ability rivals the very best ANYWHERE for the contemporary music platform.When he plays with a band, he’s usually operating from a much higher level than anyone in the band.If I had to choose one drummer to take lessons from, it would be CLYDE hands down.
August 23rd, 2008 at 2:45 pm
carter bueford from the dave matthews band, hands down!!!! Just amazing!!!
September 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Buddy Rich
Neil Peart
John Bonham
Keith Moon
Jacob Armen (Relatively Young Cat but Amazing Drummer!)
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:13 am
This is an add-on about CLYDE CONNOR. Most of the professional players have never heard of him. He was a former member of the U.S. Navy Band’s premiere jazz ensemble called ‘The Commodores’ in Washington,DC. This is a special band of the military and in the DC area there are 4 full-time big bands, all special bands of the military. STEVE GADD was a member of the U.S. Army Field Band’s jazz ensemble which used to be called the ‘Studio Band’ at Fort Meade,MD,also part of the special bands in the DC area.Then as we all know he got out and started to conquer the drumming world in NYC in the 70’s. I first saw him at an outdoor concert at the capital steps(Capital Bldg.,DC)for thier summer concert series in the mid-’90s. I’ve never been so mesmorized by the guy’s command,execution,power,musicality and chops all at once.This guy was a genuine BADASS! Like I said, it takes alot to impress me.Chops alone just don’t do the trick for me. Well, I was speechless for about 2 weeks after seeing what a true professional performance was all about.I’ve been playing for nearly 30 years at that time and never felt so inadequate. Half the KICK-ASS contemporary arrangements they played were CLYDE’s! These were difficult to say the least,like Patittuchi’s ‘Wind Sprint’ to Weckl’s ‘Festival de Ritmo’ arranged so hip for an 18 piece ensemble. Lastly they played one that featured Clyde called ‘CLYDASCOPE’.Holy Moly. His ideas, double-bass chops,modal changes….it was too much. He was BY FAR the absolute BEST drummer in or out of the military in the DC area, bar none.The Navy won’t have a drummer like him for at least another 100 years.How far does his talent go? Well, apparently forever.He’s also a PRO GOLFER,as if being a BADASS drummer/composer/arranger wasn’t enough.Sounds like a bad dream, I know.And I’m not done yet. He was also a member as a VOCALIST of North Texas’ contemporary vocal group called the ‘Jazz Singers’ while he went to school there. NORA JONES was also a member before she became a household name.And NO, I am not kidding about this cat.There is not a band in the world he can’t play with. I better quit before I get depressed.
September 27th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
MIKE PORTNOY
October 14th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Hey Fireman Sam, Its Krupa!!!!
Anyone who thinks about putting Gregg Bissonette on any list needs to watch the Buddy Rich Memorial video with G.B., Louie Belson and Dennis Chambers. He can’t (and does’nt) keep up, plain and simple. He is not in the same league as the all time great Jazz and Fusion drummers. He is a great drummer but not near an elite drummer.
There are so many great ones out there but Buddy Rich deserves the #1 spot.
October 29th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I can’t believe not anywhere is MICK FLEETWOOD of Fleetwood Mac mentioned. He is the greatest and most original drummer and percussionist of his time!
November 13th, 2008 at 6:50 am
For me there are only drummers who have extreme talent..Virgil Donati And Thomas lang