Drummerworld's "Top 10 Drummers" UPDATED to Top 15 *

[funkydrummer]

I've always had a lot of difficulty in narrowing the list down to a single, solitary ten entries. There are just way too many cats that I'm into, cats who influence me or have influenced me. The list just gets way too long and out of control. But I can appreciate the lists, because it's always an interesting way to see what guys people are into, whether I necessarily agree or disagree.

[cjbdrm]

...and with this thread HOD has officially jumped the shark...

[Manu]

Vinnie
Weckl
Gadd

Tony
Elvin
Buddy

Copeland
Porcaro

Cobham
Dennis

(so hard to let Ersko, Max, Carlos, Gary, Purdie, Al Jackson, Jordan, Collins, Omar, Jack, Hal and many other out...)

+1

[Henry II]

Yeah not a bad list, I would need to see Billy Cobham though.

Yes, thank you! I would also put Philly Joe Jones in the top ten before a few of the players on that list. JMHO, of course!

[Henry II]

They forgot to add Joey and Travis.

On a serious note. Its hard for me to imagine a top 10 list without Virgil. I really think DiCenso is incredible as well. More so then some of the giants on that list imho.

If it's "just" about the drumming (boring...) sure you could add Virgil or DiCenso, but the question we have to think is : what these did bring to the music industry ? Not that much...

They are great drummers/musicians, but their discography, their impact on the music industry is too minor, don't you think so ?

Agreed, again!

[Henry II]

Billy deserves to be on the list and I think maybe, just maybe he bumps Weckle or Chambers. . . .
I have girlfreinds (ok one) who knew who Bonham was but never Weckle/Chambers. I think when there is a social component (like Krupa) to the impact a DRUMMER has that makes them pretty special.

Why oh why couldn't Drummerworld make it a top 12???!!!???!!???!!

I think we can take the "maybe" out of there!

[Henry II]

so true rodge. i could go less than 10 myself. there are musicians out there that have rocked your world upside down and then some. then you have the ones that influence you enough to make a big impact.

how about top 3

My drumming influences/inspirations were influential more for the music they played on than for the drumming itself, with the exception of Buddy. Among them would be: Philly Joe, Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd, Harvey Mason, Bernard Purdie and Jeff Porcaro (with Steely Dan), among a few others. Buddy was a completely different - totally drummistic - experience/influence/inspiration for me, as was Joe Morello who had the best recorded "drum sound" I've ever heard.

[bclarkio]

I've seen that list before, and it makes a lot of sense.

My list of those I couldn't exclude:

Papa Jo Jones
Gene Krupa
Buddy Rich
Elvin Jones
Tony Williams
John Bonham
Steve Gadd

[Robert Bluman]

I love session drumming and it's contribution to the art, but I wouldn't include a session drummer in my top 10 unless he contributed something huge like Gadd did. I feel Gadd should be the only session guy on the list. This list should be about musical content, not gigs/work.

This sort of thing is based on fact and opinion rolled into one. I too think it's a pretty good list. There are many amazing drummers in the world and in the past. I don't see the point in picking 10. If I WERE to pick 10, they would be the creators of something that influenced music world wide. Tony and Elvin for sure. Gadd for sure. Billy Cobham should be there. Dennis came out of Billy, so I wouldn't have him on there. Weckl came directly out of Gadd so I probably wouldn't choose him. Vinnie came out of Gadd and Tony, but immediately had his own style so I agree with Vinnie being on there. Gene Krupa? Great contributor but he was not an original. He was just handsome and white while copying many black drummers and Buddy. Buddy for sure. Bonham should be on there because he created a style of rock drumming and a sound. I don't agree with many of the suggestions because I don't feel like Peter Erskine, Benard Purdie and Jeff Porcaro were that innovative. The purdie shuffle was dubbed that by purdie himself, but existed long before him. What's missing here is pre-elvin and pre-tony. JoJones was the first to play the hihat as an independent voice. He should be on there. I don't agree with Bellson either. From that style of drumming it should be Buddy Rich only. Bellson is sometimes credited with being the first double bass drummer, but it was actually Sam Woodyard from Ellingtons band.

Wouldn't be my list exactly, but close. They're all incredible either way.

[Ardent15]

"what these did bring to the music industry ? They are great drummers/musicians, but their discography, their impact on the music industry is too minor, don't you think so ?"

Exactly. That's why a "Top 10" list needs to be based on something quantifiable, for instance, Most Recorded would be interesting. It'd be something like..

Vinnie
Hal Blaine
Gary Chester
Bernard Purdie
Jeff Porcaro
etc...


Otherwise, it's a purely arbitrary list. Just as arbitrary as picking 10, as opposed to 12 or 8.

I'm not sure Vinnie is in the top "most recorded" drummers of ALL TIME, though I could very well be wrong. For the 80s on to the present day, I agree, however as we know session work isn't nearly as available as it used to be. The other four guys you mentioned started their careers at the height of the session scene (60s-70s): Vinnie started his at the end of the 70s/early 80s.

Of course, I could be completely wrong about this, like I said.