27% Of People Think This Drummer Is The Absolute Worst
The drummer is often the unsung hero in a rock band. While the lead vocalist provides the audience with the lyrics to sing along to, and the lead guitarist melts faces with sick shreds, the drummer often sits at the back of the stage, obscured by his own instruments. Indeed, so disposable is the drummer — at least, when played for laughs — that the fictitious band Spinal Tap made the strange deaths of their drummers a running joke in “This Is Spinal Tap.”
However, the drummer’s job is harder than it looks. If a song is in a complicated time signature, for example, the rest of the band relies on the drummer’s rhythm cues to keep time. Or in other cases, a song may be known almost exclusively for a spectacular drum break, in which case all of the credit goes to the person holding the sticks. Grunge asked 597 U.S.-based readers which drummer was the absolute worst. Here are the “winners.”
Our readers have a whole lotta love for John Bonham
If you listen closely to Led Zeppelin’s song “Black Dog,” you can clearly hear the sound of John Bonham clicking his drumsticks together. As a fan noted on musicians’ message board The Gear Page, that’s because the song features two distinct time signatures that come into play at different sections, and it was up to Bonham to keep on top of it all.
This sort of technical proficiency is what made Bonham one of the most respected drummers in rock history. Indeed, Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons told Modern Drummer that Bonham’s drum “sound” was arguably the best of them all. “Bonham couldn’t be separated from his sound; it went with him,” Irons said.
Bonham, a notoriously heavy drinker, died in 1980 at 32 following a bout of exceptionally heavy alcohol consumption, according to The Express.
Despite his relatively brief career, our readers were loath to consider him the worst drummer of all time, with only 6.87% saying he was the worst.
Neil Peart was a working man for 46 years
The Canadian band Rush may be known for the high-pitched voice of lead vocalist Geddy Lee, but often as not, Lee was actually singing words penned by someone else — that someone being his band’s drummer, Neil Peart.
As Rolling Stone reported, Peart joined Rush in 1974, just before the band exploded in popularity. In addition to bringing his technical and jazz-inspired drumming abilities to the band, he also wrote multiple songs for the group, drawing on Ayn Rand and science fiction, among other influences, for inspiration.
“Neil is the most air-drummed-to drummer of all time,” former Police drummer Stewart Copeland told The Washington Post. Peart died in January 2020 at 67 following a three-year battle with brain cancer. His legacy remains largely untarnished, as only 15.08% considered him the absolute worst.
Our readers think Dave Grohl smells like teen spirit
Dave Grohl and Nirvana were both having issues finding the right fit for their respective careers when they teamed up in 1990. As Music Feeds explains, Grohl had tried his hand behind the drums for a short-lived band named Scream, even while Nirvana was going through drummer after drummer trying to find the right guy. Eventually, Scream broke up, leaving Grohl unemployed, and Nirvana managed to get a hold of his phone number, and the rest is history.
Grohl was only with Nirvana for a few years, up until Cobain’s tragic death in 1994, which effectively ended the pioneering Seattle grunge band once and for all. Dave would go on to find other work, notably the Foo Fighters. According to Guitar World, he and his old Nirvana bandmates sometimes get together to play music, just for the love of the process.
Our readers still look kindly on Dave Grohl’s Nirvana years though, as only 15.41% said that Grohl worst.
Phil Collins will be in our readers' hearts
If you were asked to name a song known for its drum solo, you’re likely to think of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” Its drum break so famous it became a cultural touchstone, and even served as the basis for a gag in the 2009 comedy “The Hangover.”
Of course, that was from Collins’ solo career; before that, he’d spent over a decade behind the drums with the band Genesis, providing the lion’s share of the lead vocals as well. He would continue to reunite with his old band for one-off concerts, reunion tours, and such over the decades, according to Smooth Radio.
Collins’ drumming career with Genesis was the right fit for the band from the beginning, former member Tony Banks once said, via Ultimate Classic Rock. “I think there was little doubt at the end of [his audition] that Phil was the best. Certainly Peter [Gabriel] and I felt that,” he said.
Our readers are equally impressed with the Collins-Genesis combination, with only 16.75% calling him the worst drummer.
All our readers need is Ringo Starr at the drums
Ringo Starr is in the unenviable position of generally being the least respected member of the most-respected rock band of all time. As The Guardian reported, while The Beatles were selling out arenas, melting the hearts of teenage girls everywhere, and forever changing the face of Rock & Roll, he labored more or less in obscurity behind the drums.
Indeed, even his own bandmate, John Lennon, once famously said that, as a drummer, Starr, whose real name is Richard Starkey, was “not technically good.” Similarly, The Guardian music reviewer Ben Cardew wrote that Starr’s drumming was “not complicated,” but at the same time, it was “lethally exact” and sometimes sounded like five drummers at once.
Our readers are also willing to give Starr’s drumming a pass, as only 19.10% called him the absolute worst drummer.
Our readers say “not now” when it comes to Travis Barker
Perhaps no other drummer on this list is as much of a journeyman as Travis Barker. Officially he’s the drummer for pop-punk act Blink-182, a job he’s had since 1998, according to Kerrang. He’s also lent his talents to other groups in genres ranging from EDM to rap, according to Rolling Stone. He also brings to the table a marketable look, complete with a TV-ready boyish face, and his punk-skater aesthetic.
Depending on whom you ask, Barker is either among the best of rock drummers, or he’s a workhorse whose celebrity eclipses his technical ability. As to the former claim, that’s made by Rolling Stone, which referenced his “animalistic” artistry when naming him #99 in its list of the top 100 drummers of all time. However, over on Drumming.com’s message boards, users are convinced that Barker is just an OK drummer, nothing more nothing less, albeit one who benefitted from celebrity.
When it comes to Grunge readers, they’re quite clear in their feelings about Barker. A clear plurality of poll respondents — 26.80% — say Barker is the absolute worst drummer.
53 thoughts on “27% Of People Think This Drummer Is The Absolute Worst”
Leave a Reply
Why A Bar Urinal Ended Up In Ernest Hemingway's Key West House
John Hinckley Jr: The Reason Ronald Reagan's Attempted Assassin Was Found Not Guilty
Here's What The Bible Really Says About Immigration
What Was The Deadliest Blizzard In History?
The Tragic Death Of Aaron Burr's First Wife
The Truth About Julio Iglesias' Terrible Car Accident
The Untold Truth Of The Iroquois Midwinter Festival
Here's How Serial Killer Vlado Taneski Gave Himself Away
What Really Happens To Your Body After 50 Years In A Coffin
The One Moment That Ruined Jerry Lee Lewis' Career
order fenofibrate 160mg generic tricor 160mg ca buy generic fenofibrate 160mg
order zaditor online cheap imipramine cheap tofranil cheap
order tadalafil pills sildenafil for men over 50 cheap viagra generic
buy acarbose 25mg online cheap buy micronase 2.5mg generic buy griseofulvin 250mg pills
order minoxytop for sale order tadalafil 10mg without prescription buy erectile dysfunction medications
dipyridamole 100mg price buy lopid 300mg online cheap pravastatin 10mg usa
cost aspirin 75 mg zovirax creams imiquimod cream
buy fludrocortisone 100 mcg online cheap bisacodyl ca imodium 2mg canada
purchase meloset order desogestrel 0.075 mg online danazol where to buy
order duphaston generic generic dapagliflozin 10 mg buy empagliflozin 25mg generic
etodolac without prescription buy pletal 100mg generic cilostazol 100mg generic
order ferrous 100 mg for sale ascorbic acid 500mg generic betapace sale
pyridostigmine generic brand pyridostigmine 60mg rizatriptan price
betahistine pills probenecid 500mg cost order benemid 500mg generic
premarin 0.625mg drug order premarin 600 mg sale viagra canada
order micardis generic micardis 20mg without prescription buy molnupiravir online cheap
tadalafil 20mg over the counter order cialis online cheap viagra medication
order cefdinir 300mg for sale prevacid 30mg price prevacid pills
buy provigil 100mg online order deltasone 20mg online cheap oral prednisone
famotidine 40mg drug famotidine 20mg drug tacrolimus 1mg canada
esomeprazole 20mg cost buy generic topamax 100mg topiramate 100mg cost
allopurinol 300mg uk clobetasol ca buy rosuvastatin pills
imitrex 25mg brand order levaquin online order dutasteride online cheap
order buspar 10mg generic buy generic buspar online buy cordarone for sale
zantac online buy zantac 300mg sale celecoxib cost
buy motilium no prescription carvedilol 6.25mg brand tetracycline 250mg pill
buy flomax 0.4mg for sale buy generic zocor online buy zocor 10mg generic
how to write a letter to a hiring manager term papers help help with term paper
generic aldactone 100mg valtrex 500mg price proscar brand
buy sildenafil for sale female viagra sildenafil order yasmin generic
order generic diflucan 100mg how to buy ciprofloxacin cipro canada
lamictal 50mg pill order vermox for sale buy cheap generic mebendazole
order flagyl 400mg generic purchase bactrim generic order generic keflex
tretinoin gel ca retin for sale avanafil for sale
buy cleocin sale buy cleocin 150mg buy sildenafil for sale
tadacip 10mg cheap tadalafil pills indomethacin 75mg price
nolvadex 10mg drug buy cheap generic tamoxifen buy generic budesonide
lamisil uk terbinafine 250mg uk real money blackjack
buy cefuroxime online axetil over the counter buy robaxin without a prescription
buy generic trazodone 50mg desyrel 100mg cost buy clindamycin for sale
paper assistance order cefixime generic suprax 100mg uk
buy aspirin 75mg online aspirin pill play roulette for free
buy amoxicillin 500mg amoxicillin 500mg uk cheap biaxin 250mg
assignment company slot online online blackjack with friends
order catapres 0.1 mg pill cost antivert 25 mg order spiriva 9mcg generic
calcitriol 0.25mg cheap cheap rocaltrol buy generic fenofibrate 200mg
order minocin 100mg without prescription hytrin price order ropinirole 1mg without prescription
order alfuzosin generic uroxatral usa anti nausea medication from pharmacy
order femara 2.5mg online cheap abilify 30mg abilify 30mg cheap
cheap sleeping pills online weight loss pills online doctor best weight loss pill fast
best brand for quit smoking most commonly used pain reliever order pain medication online prescription
where can i buy valtrex buy inhaler over the counter diabetic meds two in one
duloxetine 40mg brand buy modafinil pills for sale modafinil price