Three Best Drummers

What would your list consist of for the:

Three best drummers in music?

Mine:

1. Ginger Baker (Cream, Material, Masters of Reality, etc.)
2. Neil Peart (Rush)
3. Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson, etc.)

If you doubt that Ginger Baker is the best living drummer, then you need to check out the current Cream revisited DVD entitled Cream At the Royal Albert Hall, 2005. Thirty-seven years after their final tour, they are no less stellar.

Eric Clapton looks great; Jack Bruce looks like a Dachau survivor (but plays and sings wonderfully!) and Ginger Baker snags the drumkit as though he was 40 once again -- but try to ignore his socks and shoes.

I have ancillary drummers of course; Carl Palmer (ELP), Carmine Appice (Cactus, BBA) , Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa), Billy Cobham (Mahavishnu Orchestra: performed fabulously live!), John Bonham (Led Zeppelin, likely the strongest drummer ever!), Phil Collins (Genesis), Rick Allen (Def Leppard), Bev Bevan (ELO), Phillip Rudd (AC-DC) and, oddly enough, Ringo Starr. Ringo knew when to begin, and, more importantly in terms of tracks, when to stop. Sometimes simple really is good.

WHAT ARE YOUR THREE BEST DRUMMERS IN MUSIC?


BZ