The 9 Most Famous Drummers of all Time

As anyone who's ever started a garage band knows, you can get away with only knowing three chords and two bass lines, but if your drummer can't keep a beat, you're never making it out of that garage. Behind every great band lies an even greater drummer, and hidden away behind all those cymbals and high-hats, many of the greatest ones never get their due. And if you are interested in them, please check out the article Insidermonkey published on the most famous drummers of all time.

What makes them the greatest? Well, this isn't a list of the most technically proficient drummers. Sure, that's part of it, but we took a lot of other factors into account, including their overall musical contributions, their inventiveness and just how much fun they are to listen to. A good drummer keeps the band together, and can build on those simple back beats with a flair and style of their own - but only if they're good enough. The entrants on this list are a perfect example of that. The guys on the list haven’t been selected because they can play a ridiculous number of beats per minute or because they can pull off the most craziest, bone snapping poly rhythms known to man. They have had the greatest impact on people. Inevitably, a few names have made the cut that were too technically astounding to ignore, primarily due to their pioneering and radical ability, but the remainder were included because, well, they get the blood pumping.

Now, there’s a vast universe of drummers in the music industry, but unlike the top 10 one hit wonders of all time, which we covered in a previous article, this list is reserved for rhythmic legends.