Continuum of Drummers

When I was in college, exploring the vast resources that America's higher education system has to offer, I took classes in percussion. While I learned the finer points of all sorts of percussive instruments - from the marimba to the timpani to the wood blocks - drum set technique was at the heart of the course. My professor, a Ph.D. in percussion, so you know he knows his stuff, once told me his theory for classifying the different styles of rock drummers. This theory has had a major impact on how I view the art of drumming, and I've taken it upon myself to expand on it over time. Here's the basic theory as it was presented to me all those years ago.

The two most basic styles are represented on the one hand by John Bonham, who embodied the epic "Rock God" during his years with Led Zeppelin. No other drummer played with such power and ferocity as Bonzo - he was known for setting aside his sticks for a portion of his lengthy drum solos and wailing on his kit with his bare hands - while still maintaining a distinct bluesy style and feel for the groove. Sadly, his musical genius was fueled by raging alcoholism, which led to his untimely death at the age of 32. His stylistic polar opposite is technical wizard Bill Bruford, who made his bones with the popular progressive rock group Yes, before moving on to the more experimental King Crimson. His lightning fast, complicated, yet light drum parts are no less impressive than Bonham's, but they fit a completely different style of music. Bruford was extremely adaptable - in an interview about his work with King Crimson, described the philosophy of the band thus: "Whatever you do before you joined King Crimson, would you please not do it when you're in the band." Just look at the wall of strange percussion instruments behind him in the picture below.

There's one drummer who represents the synthesis of those two styles, somehow combining the best of both without sacrificing either the virtuosity of Bruford or the Rock Godliness of Bonham: Neil Peart of Rush. Dubbed "The Professor" by his fellow bandmates, Peart is unquestionably the most talented and accomplished drummer out there (at least in my opinion) and has been for the past 40 years. Pratt (as he's also known) is so dedicated to perfecting his art, that halfway through his career he completely revamped his style while studying with jazz guru Freddie Gruber, even though he was already considered one of the best in the business. Here's the marathon 8-minute solo that started my love affair with Rush and with drums in general. Finally, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, is The Who's late Keith Moon, who, in the words of my professor, "got so stoned that he forgot how to drum." Moon the Loon's questionable lifestyle choices aside - like Bonham, he also died at 32 - his signature wild and fast style has earned him the reputation as one of the best rock drummers of all time.

Below is a visual representation of where these Big Four drummers would appear on a continuum of styles, with eight more of my favorite drummers included where I feel they would best fit.

Click image for full-size version.

Going clockwise around the inner circle first, we have David Garibaldi of Tower of Power, the only one of the drummers on this list I've personally met (re: shook hands with). As a funk/soul band, ToP is more known for its horn section, led by Mimi Castillo and Doc Kupka, but as my drum professor explained to me, their rhythm section is just as top notch, and Garibaldi's funky riffs are as important to their unique sound as they are hard to get out of your head. Mitch Mitchell has his roots in jazz drumming, which is evident in his work with The Jimi Hendrix Experience. His skill and liveliness perfectly complement the untamed psychadelia of the group's eponymous frontman (who, again in my opinion, is the best rock guitarist of all time, all due respect to fans of Eric Clapton).

Dave Grohl started out in the grunge scene with Nirvana, but then traded in his sticks for a guitar and a microphone for his own band the Foo Fighters (even though he also played the drums via overdubbing on some of their early albums). More than any other drummer on this list, Grohl lends his caffeine-influenced wild style to multiple acts, including work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam, Queens of the Stone Age, Tenacious D, and the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures (for which he's drumming in the above picture). Then of course there's Lars Ulrich, who this generation sadly may know more for his public objections to Napster than for his drumming, which truly defines the metal genre. From this Danish wunderkind's lightning fast double bass drum work (never replaced with electronic sounds in post) to the coins he attaches to his bass drum heads to give them that signature clicking sound, nobody does it better. Case in point: check out this live drum battle with Metallica frontman and co-founder James Hetfield.

Now let's go counter clockwise through the outer circle, whose placing I'll readily admit gets a little hazy. Famous Canadian group The Band would never have been able to master its American folk sound without drummer/vocalist Levon Helm. The only drummer I know of whose drum parts alone can make you cry, Levon's soulful stylings continued to win him Grammy's until his death in 2012 from throat cancer. Despite Ringo Starr's lack of extreme chops - when asked if he thought Ringo was the best drummer in the world, John Lennon responded, "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles" - I can't in good conscience make a list of my favorite drummers without including the Liverpudlian sensation. He was, however, a quirky and innovative drummer, and an integral part of the Beatles - do you think they could have had all that success without Ringo's perfectly executed eighth-note fills?

Jim Eno is the one drummer on this list of whom I'm least sure of his placement, but after seeing Spoon play live, I have no qualms about his inclusion. Some drummers look as if they're off in their own world, concentrating on their own complex riffs or just keeping time until it's time for their solo. But when I saw him, Eno looked very much like a quarterback, extremely connected to every other member of the band (he wasn't wearing his trademark shades, as this show was indoors and at night) and looking as though he had control over where the music was going - which is understandable given that he's also a founding member of the group and a record producer in his own right. Dominic Howard might be the least-known drummer on this list, but I've always enjoyed his work with Muse, even into their later period, as their music got ever more whiny and entitled. Plus, I thought it would be cool to include a lefty on this list.

So there you have it, a visual representation of some of my favorite drummers and the (rough) musical categories that they fall into. I hope this clears up some of the confusion surrounding the drumming community, and that it leads you all to explore the works of these artists further.