Who is Rock 'n' Roll's greatest drummer?

Drumroll please!

 The Everett Collection

"Bang," "crash," and "thwonk"... 

These are just some of the many sounds rock drummers contribute to their medium. The best, though, elevate the genre even further, gently supporting the rest of the act until it's time for the thunder to shine. 

But... Here's the thing. We want to know your opinions. Who do you think is the greatest drummer in rock music history? Is it someone old? Someone new? Someone... right in the middle between old and new? We'll let you decide. Just expect to back up your opinions in the comments section, especially if you select "Other." 

We want to hear from you!

(Rock not your thing? We've thrown in two drummers from outside that genre who fit into the MeTV world!)

  1. Who is rock music's greatest drummer?

Who is Rock 'n' Roll's greatest drummer?

Your Result...

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227 Comments

gfkraemer 1 day ago
I clicked on Neil Peart for sure out of the options presented. No other percussionist living or deceased can match him in the Prog Rock genre except Carl Palmer (ELP, Asia, etc.) He is still blowing crowds away at 74 years old. I encourage everyone to seek out videos/music with Shannon Larkin (Godsmack/Ugly Kid Joe, etc.) He goes down as the most entertaining drummer playing today. Godsmack Live at House Of Blues Las Vegas is perfect for an acoustic version of their normally (and incredible) heavier sound.
MarioNYC gfkraemer 7 hours ago
FYI: Neil Peart has passed away.
Spencer8 2 days ago
Johny Barbata was the drummer for the turtles(happy together) Crosby stills Nash and Young… Jefferson Airplane… And Jefferson Starship. Most of the albums he dreamed on shipped gold. His name should’ve been on that long list of drummers!
DanDolgin 3 days ago
I chose Ringo Starr who scored #2 (tied with John Bonham) on the list!
4dsc 3 days ago
Hal Blain of the wrecking crew. He was responsible for thousands of hits during the 60s
Cougar90 3 days ago
I'm glad to see that you finally have an "Other" voting option. This should be continued for all polls. Maybe you can add a "Write In" category.
DanDolgin Cougar90 3 days ago
"Other" is the write-in category. It said to write your vote in these comments. The write-in's can't be scored however.
bj1606 3 days ago
Charlie Martin the Silver Bullet Band atriums Pyle Lynyrd Skynyrd
SashaPayneDiaz 3 days ago
Bill Kreutzman & Mickey Hart w/ The Grateful Dead.
Yebel 3 days ago
I have been a Charlie Watts fan for 45 years. The way he and Bill Wyman had the Bass and rhythm going was in my opinion unmatched.
garfield24 3 days ago
Even though Karen Carpenter wasn’t in a rock band, I never knew she played til about a year ago and she was pretty good.
ncadams27 5 days ago
How about Hal Blaine, session musician for The Wrecking Crew? Played on tens of thousands of recording sessions with 150 #1 singles.
sjbang88 5 days ago
John French aka Drumbo - Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band
MannyOlavarria 6 days ago
Bobby Brady
Bapa1 MannyOlavarria 4 days ago
Unfortunately, his responsibilities as a Safety Patrol member interfered with his drumming aspirations.
ILikeMeTvToo 6 days ago
Carl Palmer! Not only is he a mentor and an inspiration he's also an outstanding percussionist! From elp to Asia he definitely deserves consideration.
JERRY6 6 days ago
luckiest drummer Ringo Star , best Bonham , Baker , Mitchell , Copeland , and Charlie Watts , there is no best all different Krupa and RICH ARE NOT ROCK DRUMMERS BUT GREAT NONR THE LESS , there are so many great jazz drummers not listed
Bapa1 JERRY6 5 days ago
Unluckiest drummer, Pete Best
sjbang88 JERRY6 5 days ago
Ringo was not lucky. The Beatles weren't exactly the world's biggest sensation until he joined the band
JERRY6 sjbang88 8 hours ago
he was an average drummer at best , would not make the top 200 in my books
BradBeall 7 days ago
While Neil Pert was by far the best drummer listed here, Keith Moon pretty much invented the "Crazy Rock-N-Roll Drummer" genre. Not only was Moon a very talented drummer, the guy was a bit of a nut as well. He was the one who started the whole "hotel trashing" thing when he chopped a hole through his hotel wall to get into John Entwhistle's room. When the manager told him he was going to be billed for the damage, he AND the manager decided to completely trash the entire room, just for kicks!
JHP BradBeall 6 days ago
"love reign O'er me" listen to Daltrey's vocals and Moon's smashing to the drums at the end of the tune (chills all over )...if it don't get you it you need two more ears and something in between

better than caffeine:) have a good turkey or chicken or ham day
MarioNYC BradBeall 7 hours ago
Brad, Crazy Rock 'n' Roll Drumming amounts to being inaccurate drumming that doesn't match the music. That shouldn't qualify a drummer for recognition. But if you really like The Who's music, you may appreciate that drumming.
Neil Peart did difficult and fast drumming that very few drummers could match. (Rush is one of my favorite bands.) But I think Neil Peart overdrummed sometimes.
ShawnM 8 days ago
Rick Allen Of Def Leopard. 💪🏻
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