Favorite or Most Influential Drummers

SomeBadDrummer

Platinum Member
There are so many that have influenced me over the last 50+ years (particularly in my early days) it is truly difficult to choose a few, but let's give it a go.

Here are a few of mine in no particular order:

Billy Cobham
Bill Ward
Richard Bailey
Jerry Mercer
Phil Rudd
John Bonham
"BB Queen" Borden
Danny Seraphine
Stewart Copeland

This is a subjective topic, so there are obviously no right or wrong answers, so let's have yours.

Cheers!
 
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Every single one of these guys has influenced my playing in some way or another:

Eric Hammond
Stewart Copeland
Rod Morgenstein
Virgil Donati
Buddy Rich
Thomas Lang
Deen Castronovo
Aynsley Dunbar
Cozy Powell
Tommy Aldridge
Paul Wheeler
Ken Mary
Dennis Chambers
Vinnie Colaiuta
Dave Weckl
Simon Phillips
Carmine Appice
Ian Paice
John Bonham
Ian Mosley
Billy Cobham
Mickey Curry

I think that’s part 1 taken care of…
:unsure::D(y)
 
Every single one of these guys has influenced my playing in some way or another:

Eric Hammond
Stewart Copeland
Rod Morgenstein
Virgil Donati
Buddy Rich
Thomas Lang
Deen Castronovo
Aynsley Dunbar
Cozy Powell
Tommy Aldridge
Paul Wheeler
Ken Mary
Dennis Chambers
Vinnie Colaiuta
Dave Weckl
Simon Phillips
Carmine Appice
Ian Paice
John Bonham
Ian Mosley
Billy Cobham
Mickey Curry

I think that’s part 1 taken care of…
:unsure::D(y)
Wait..there's part 2??
 
hmmm....this will be an abbreviated list:

Joe Morello
Niel Peart
my dad
Gene Krupa
Stewart Copland
Mark Zonder
Jeff Nelson
Clive Burr
Nicko McBrain
Bill Ward
Phil Eheart
Charlie Benante
Jeff Hamilton
Omar Hakim
Manu Katche
Tim "Herb" Alexander
Chad Smith
Jack Irons
Bill Bruford
Dino Campanella


from the drum corps world:
Marty Hurley
Dennis DeLucia
Fred Sanford
Thom Hannum
James Campbell
Tom Aungst
Scott Johnson
Mike MacIntosh
Collin McNutt
Roger Carter
Ian Grom
Rob Ferguson
 
Ringo
Al Jackson
Dino Danelli
Buddy Rich
Tony Williams
Ed Shaugnessy
Ginger Baker
Jerry Edmonton
Ian Paice
John Bonham
Albert Bouchard
Carl Palmer
Clive Bunker
Barriemore Barlow
Ziggy Modeliste
Billy Cobham
Chris Slade
Phil Rudd
Maurice White
Alan Myers
Tommy Ramone
Terry Bozzio
Anton Zip
Chester Thompson
Will Calhoun
Dude from INXS
Brain
Dave Abruzessee
Matt Cameron
Meg White (yes, I mean it)
Josh Freese
Jeff Friedl
Anderson.Paak
Dude from Vulfpeck/Fearless Flyers
Olavi Sander
Kristjan Oden
Nandi Bushell
Any drummer who can sing and play at the same time

Man, I keep adding drummers...better stop before I go nuts :D
 
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When I was a kid I just wanted to be Terry Williams, playing with Dire Straits

Then I wanted to be Dave Weckl playing more interesting music

Now I just want to be Clyde Stubblefield or Jeff Porcaro playing basically anything
 
I don't have any - in either category..... is that weird?

I really only started to learn about famous drummers in my later years - don't recall ever even thinking about who drummers were when I was growing up.
 
I'm influenced by Arejay Hale, the drummer of Halestorm.
 
I can't believe I forgot to put

Cindy Blackmon
Anika Nilles
Luana Dametto
Evelyn Glennie
Carol CArpenter
 
Buddy Rich & Keith Moon were my idols from the go.

Then Ringo, Clem Burke & Roger Taylor were influential in my teens.

Anyone who ever wrote a column in Modern Drummer during the 1980's shaped how I think, at least a little.

But the biggest "cultural shift" in terms of influence was when I started to pay attention to how Stewart Copeland constructed his parts, & the sheer number of different beats he used to do that.

I could list 50, or 500, favourites & they'll all have influenced me to a degree, but those named had the biggest/earliest effect on me.
 
Joe "Mama" Besser is my personal drumming hero. He's either playing jazz now or he died.

i think it is assumed that he is everyones #1, so we just don't list him....

same with Stumpy Joe Peeps
 
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