STEWART COPELAND

1. Neil Peart (Rush)
2. John Bonham* (Led Zeppelin)
3. Carl Palmer (ELP)
4. Keith Moon* (The Who)
5. Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa)
6. Ginger Baker (Cream)
7. Hal Blaine (Session man)
8. Danny Carey (Tool)
9. Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson)
10. Earl Palmer (Session man)
11. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
12. Dave Lombardo (Slayer)
13. Benny Benjamin* (Funk Brothers)
14. Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
15. Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge)
16. Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne)
17. Stewart Copeland (The Police)
18. Bernard Purdie (Session)
19. Vinnie Colaiuta (Zappa)
20. Jeff Porcaro* (Toto)

Criteria: - Drummers are ranked for their influence, innovation, originality, and technical ability.

I dont agree with that Nº 17 for Stewart but I agree Neil Pert was the greatest!!.. that of course untill our "dear leader" came along!
I started paying attention to drummers when I saw a drum solo by Neil Pert of RUSH another 3 piece band that I highly recommend!

Copeland should be #1, IMO. Keith Moon and Ginger Baker? Are you kidding? Copeland has more technique in his little finger.

Yeah, Stew should be at the top!
But nevermind, at least we have good taste.

heh not biting on the never-ending Keith Moon/Bonzo/Peart debate heh...I instead go for my "favorite" drummers, based on the completely subjective, non-quantifiable criteria of "likey/no likey" /grin

For me Stewart is the best drummer of all times.

Now he is at 17 place, but let see what happen at the time pass...

Anyway, thanks a lot for the cool information Jackie

Psh... No Simon Phillips? No Carter Beauford? And uh, where is Gene Krupa? Buddy Rich?!?!? That list makes no sense. Not only should Stewart be closer up top, but Buddy Rich trumps them all- ALL drummers know that, no matter who your fav is!!

Now my personal list:
Stewart
Neil
Carter

That's all, The end.

This will probably get me sent to the 3rd circle of drummer hell, but I've NEVER cared for Neil Peart. I've always felt that he was just way too busy, and not necessarily in a musical way. What especially turned me all the way off was when I saw some concert footage of Rush, and he was playing the songs EXACTLY the same as on record....as if there was no room to grow and change them.

I know I'll get flamed for this, but what the heck.....I like what I like, or don't like as the case may be.

Can't believe Ringo doesn't make the list for influence alone...how many picked up sticks and got Ludwig 4pc sets b/c of Ringo? But then I can help but think of the time when John Lennon was asked if he agreed that Ringo was the best drummer in the world to which he replied, "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles"

John Densmore is another drummer I adore...

What about Buddy Rich or Gene Krupa...I mean in terms of making people take to the sticks (and in terms of major influential drummer's influences) I thought they'd be top

Ringo=riding on the coat tails! Hehe. He did influence plenty, Not exactly a stellar drummer in my book tho.

Neil I agree is stale. You have to admire his technical precision tho. But yeah, ever hear him play jazz? YIKES! Talk about stilted! I've seem him with RUSH 5 or 6 times now in concert, and while it's predictable, the fills are 90% the same, his solo hasn't changed a whole lot- he is still a great drummer. One thing that I really like about him was after his wife and daughter died in the mid 90's he took like 3 years off, then started fresh and relearned drumming with traditional grip. I play traditional grip (because of Stewart of course) but it was cool to see Neil totally relearn after 20 years of playing matched.
He's now back to matched tho.

>I've always felt that he was just way too busy, and not necessarily in a musical way.

Good way of putting it. I've always respected Neil's technical skills but found his playing style and character just a bit...cold for my tastes. One of the things I enjoy so much about Stewart's drumming, in contrast, is that it's just so full of character and personality. I can just recognize his sound instantly.

I love Moon, too, though his playing is 100% personality and pretty much zero technical skill! He probably could never have played in another band, but for the Who he was perfect.

Well, you know, I think you're missing the point about Peart kinda - with Rush, Peart composes the drum parts, and leaves them that way, on purpose. Or at least he used to. And as far as 'cold' goes, Portnoy takes the cake, out of that list, IMO.

I am suprised (well actually disgusted) that Mark Zonder of Fates Warning and Mark Brzezicki of Big Country (and session work with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey etc) aren't even mentioned. Cause for me, Brzezicki sits next to Stewart on my list of "Tasty Drummers From That Era".

Regarding Gene and Buddy, or Ringo, I would say it depends on what age you are right? When I picked up the sticks in the 80's the guys who inspired me to play were (don't laugh) Peter Criss, Neil Peart, Stewart and Mark Brzezicki and a few local drummers in the Twin Cities: Lance Polonaise (Reggae & Soca), and Robin 'Adnan' Anders (Rock, Middle Eastern, wheatever). I didn't appreciate most of those 'blues based' dudes in Zeppelin or Cream, or those other hard rock bands until much later. I knew about Krupa and Rich, and sundry other Jazz drummers, but these were influences that I couldn't aspire to, or relate to as a teenager... Wasn't about to start with jazz back then.

I think it's reasonable to accept the fact that LOTS of drummers nowadays have no idea who Buddy Rich is... until they get past the pop world and into the art.

I guess this list isn't just based on "influence, innovation, originality, and technical ability" so much.

in rock Copeland is not number 1, is an alien... is another dimension.
In music world, for me, actually the n1 is ANTONIO SANCHEZ (from Metheny group -he say that Stewart has much influenced his sound) and Jack DeJohnette.

Very interesting that I would meet so many people who feel that way about Peart. Almost every drummer I've met while touring with my band worships at the alter of Neil, and I just never felt that way. I do appreciate and respect his technical prowess, for sure....it's just not what I dig. You are so VERY right about his jazz Spec A, the tracks he did on 'Burning for Buddy' are the weakest ones on those albums.

Also funny, Sockii, that you would use the word 'personality' to describe Stewart's drumming, as that has been the term I always felt best fit him too. I've always liked the drummers that you can recognize in just a couple measures of the song....it takes a potent person to pull that off! I've just been getting into Moon & the Who over the last year or so....the biography out about him is one of the best biog's I've ever read! Anyone into Moon should pick it up.

You know, isfahani, I think that Brzezicki is one of the only drummers who can pull of using the octobans with style. I loved his drumming on 'Love' by the Cult. That's a great rock performance...

[quote]in rock Copeland is not number 1, is an alien... is another dimension.
[/quote]

And here I called his style Avant-garde/vanguard.