Travis Barker has proven that he’s one of the best drummers of the new generation. In stores Tuesday is Barker’s solo debut, Give the Drummer Some, which puts the Blink-182 timekeeper alongside a cast and crew that includes everyone from Lil Wayne to Slipknot’s Corey Taylor.
Bad news: The record gets a failing grade. If you want to hear Barker, or any other rock drummer, properly, he needs to be part of a crew. There’s no shortage of good drummers. But at the end of the day, the best often hail from the halls of rock ‘n’ roll.
The drummers below were chosen from a shortlist of dozens. The competition was crazy good, but these stood out from the rest.
Keith Moon
Moon the Loon played the drums like a caveman, hammering with a maniacal intensity every floor tom, cymbal, snare and kick drum. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t finesse his way through a song, as he did on the Jeff Beck instrumental, "Beck’s Bolero," one of his few sojourns outside The Who. Truly one of rock music’s largest personalities, he had a drumming style that was flamboyant, though not unnecessarily so.
John Bonham
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant hogged most of the spotlight from Bonham, even though he’s considered by generations of fans to be the key cog in the Led Zep machine. You can’t mention Bonham without also mentioning his seemingly endless solo during live versions of "Moby Dick." He was more than simply a showman. "Custard Pie," "Kashmir," "Nobody’s Fault But Mine" — these are merely a few of the moments in which Bonham’s role was essential.
Neil Peart
As the lyricist behind most of the material written by Rush — who place third behind the Beatles and the Rolling Stones for consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band — Peart’s status as a living legend is already established. As a drummer, however, he’s consistently in the running as the rock world’s greatest, making him a double threat unlike anyone else on this list. The number of items he brings on stage each night would make your head spin — that is, if your noggin is still attached after seeing him play.
Stewart Copeland
The Police can thank Copeland — not Sting — for the trio’s unique sound. His bouncy and highly active backbeat on "Walking on the Moon" is instantly recognizable, while the subtle ska undertones on "Roxanne" were his suggestion. Simply put, on nearly every song by the group, there’s a standout Copeland moment. He’s a favourite of purists and passersby alike.
Dave Grohl
As with most heavy hitters, Grohl can sometimes appear unsophisticated in his approach. Nothing could be further from the truth. The former Nirvana skinsman (whose boom-tastic fills, it could be argued, were key factors in the band becoming huge) has done exceptional work for both Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures, in addition to the first two recordings by his own band, Foo Fighters. Grohl hits hard, plays fast and never misses a beat.
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Ginger Baker
Peter "Ginger" Baker is often described as a jazz drummer moonlighting in a bluesman’s body. His involvement with both Cream and Blind Faith didn’t disprove that theory. He could be both jazzy and bluesy, with a penchant for rock flamboyance (as evidenced by his epic drum solo on the Cream song "Toad," considered by many to be the first of its kind). Explorations in world music further cemented his reputation as a versatile, consummate player.
Ringo Starr
The least musical but most naturally charismatic member of the Beatles is renowned for his feel, if not his ability to play precisely what was needed. During his time with the Fab Four, he wasn’t flashy, nor was he technically superior (Ringo blames that on playing left-handed). But he was, in any event, an essential part of the Beatles. His big moments behind the kit — "Come Together" and "The End" — are nothing short of brilliant.
Danny Carey
The famously complex Tool drummer is a master of the compound triple-metre time signature, a complex beat pattern that nicely complements his progressive metal band’s experimental side. Carey has studied both jazz and mathematics, which he claims are integral parts of his approach to drumming. Regardless of his motivation, few can compete with Carey in trickery or style.
Jimmy Chamberlin
It wasn’t imperative to have a great drummer in the grunge era; good was often good enough. But in the case of Chamberlin, who was heavily jazz-influenced, Billy Corgan and Co. had themselves a secret weapon. The snare rolls that open "Cherub Rock," along with the machine-gun blasts of "Geek U.S.A.," are among Chamberlin’s best. He held records by the Smashing Pumpkins together in the early going, and turned in one solid performance after another for more than a decade.
Brian "Brain" Mantia
There’s no hiding in a power trio. Every member in a three-piece has to pull his or her weight, and during Mantia’s time with the group Primus, a wildly erratic, technically mind-blowing combo fronted by bassist Les Claypool, that was akin to hauling a car through quicksand. Mantia, who has also contributed to records by Guns N’ Roses, Tom Waits and Praxis, brings something unique to the table without fail.
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