The rock’n’roll cliché says that the drummer is all the time the wildest, unhinged a part of the band – which can be true while you’re speaking about The Who or Led Zeppelin. However on this planet of prog rock, that stereotype will get ripped to shreds. The prog world is filled with drummers who’re versatile, inquisitive musicians, and typically the band’s resident deep thinker – and in at the least one case right here – they have been additionally the band’s lyricist. Almost each drummer right here did plenty of exploring, many ventured into jazz or classical music and have become higher prog drummers in consequence. Together with a number of neglected masters on this checklist, a few of these drummers are a number of the most admired musicians in prog rock or wherever else.
25: Steve Smith (Journey)
Sure, Journey’s prog days have been largely over when Steve Smith joined in 1978, however not utterly if Smith had something to say about it. Throughout his two Journey stints (he returned within the mid-2010s) it was a kick to listen to an incredible jazz drummer taking part in area rock and maintaining the frontline from getting too set in its methods. Smith proved equally spectacular doing fusion along with his longtime band Very important Info, and pure prog in his one-album stint with Focus.
24: Ron Howden (Nektar)
If his band Nektar was better-known, Ron Howden could be acknowledged as one of many nice prog drummers. He can do the type of heavy pulse that Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason focuses on, however can also be good at shock fills and fast bursts of vitality. Take heed to the storm he conjures up within the “Confusion” jam that closes half one among Keep in mind the Future. Now in his mid-70s, Howden was nonetheless at full power when Nektar did a uncommon US tour in early 2020.
23: Tony Fernandez (Strawbs, Rick Wakeman)
To place it bluntly, Rick Wakeman’s solo bands tended to characteristic gamers who have been in no hazard of upstaging him. Flashy drummer Tony Fernandez was one of many few who made his presence felt, particularly when he was the one different participant. On “Montezuma’s Revenge” (from the White Rock soundtrack) he provides some wild touches to an already wild piece. He’s presently in Wakeman’s former band Strawbs, whose current Settlement album marks them as one of many few classic-era prog bands nonetheless doing A-level work.
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22: Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Large Large Practice)
Nick D’Virgilio is a second-generation prog drummer who can channel all of the first-generation masters, reminiscent of Phil Collins and Neil Peart whereas including some muscular vitality of his personal. He even did a Collins transfer by taking up as Spock’s Beard’s frontman after Neal Morse left. No shock that he was additionally one of many prog drummers who bought tapped to take Collins’ seat on Genesis’ Calling All Stations. He’s presently in Large Large Practice, whose 2019 single “Alive” was an exhilarating efficiency.
21: Kevin Ellman (Utopia)
The opposite prog drummers who performed with Todd Rundgren and Utopia have been no slouches, however Kevin Ellman was one thing else. Neil Peart claimed him as an affect, and when you hearken to the busy but in-the-pocket drumming on Utopia’s debut, you’ll be able to hear why. And he’s bought probably the most numerous resume of all of them, having recorded with Bette Midler and Barry Manilow throughout his comparatively transient stint as a session and touring drummer. He’s now a fairly profitable monetary planner.
20: Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull)
Jethro Tull by no means had a nasty drummer, however its founding member Clive Bunker stands out for his sense of swing and imaginative use of incidental percussion when the band was nonetheless out to play primarily jazz and blues. Take heed to the Aqualung observe “Up to Me,” and be impressed by the array of sounds he provides to an acoustic quantity.
19: Pierre van der Linden (Focus)
It wasn’t simply the yodeling or the heavy riff that made Focus’ “Hocus Pocus” a traditional – it was the eight (rely ‘em) short drum solos, every one electric and different. And that’s not even Pierre van der Linden’s greatest second– that might be “Anonymous II,” the place his propulsive ride-cymbal work retains the observe zooming alongside for a full 26 minutes.
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18: Pierre Moerlen (Gong)
Throughout its “Pothead Pixie” days, Gong may shift on a dime from Daevid Allen’s flights of lyrical whimsy to free-flowing fusion, so that they wanted a drummer with a agency hand on the steering wheel. However Pierre Moerlen actually blossomed throughout Gong’s second predominant incarnation when he ditched the vocals, added extra percussion, and gave prog its first actual publicity to the Indonesian gamelan.
17: Jon Hiseman (Colosseum, Tempest)
Like lots of his contemporaries (Ginger Baker, Invoice Bruford), Jon Hiseman was a jazzman who crossed into the rock world. In one other time, he would have been at dwelling driving a giant band. His work with Colosseum, one of many UK’s first and best fusion bands, is probably the most celebrated, however prog fanatics want to take a look at the 2 albums by Tempest, with a younger Allan Holdsworth on guitar. He additionally joined the rock and jazz influences to blues on one among John Mayall’s most bold items, the side-long “Bare Wires” suite.
16: Chester Thompson (Genesis, Zappa, Climate Report)
When Genesis snatched Chester Thompson out of Climate Report, they didn’t get a drummer who steered them towards jazz, fairly they bought one who may play Phil Collins’ present drum components that rather more forcefully. Thompson’s all the time been particularly good at locking in with a rhythm companion, whether or not it’s his stay drum duets with Collins, his interaction with bassist Alphonso Johnson in Climate Report, or his drum/mallet teaming with Ruth Underwood in Frank Zappa’s band.
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15: Nisse Bielfeld (Par Lindh Undertaking)
Of all of the drummers in millennial prog, the Par Lindh’s Undertaking’s drummer (who’s sadly been quiet in more moderen years) appears probably the most knowledgeable by thrash steel. Along with his thundering double-bass drum assaults, he may go a Metallica audition handily. It’s a kick to listen to that fashion in a prog context. On the Par Lindh Undertaking’s title observe from “Veni Vidi Vici,” his full-throttle intro results in an unleashed Hammond organ, and the vitality boils for over eight minutes. It seems like classic ELP with two Carl Palmers.
14: Dave Mattacks (Fairport Conference, Jethro Tull)
Dave Mattacks will not be a strictly prog drummer (or else he’d be listed a lot larger) however he’s an incredible and versatile participant who’s finished prog together with many different types. Although best-known for his lengthy service in Fairport Conference, Mattacks has been the last word songwriter’s drummer, capable of work with the world’s greatest and determine precisely what each music requires. By way of prog credentials, he’s bought a yr with Jethro Tull, performed on a number of Camel tracks and periods with Gary Brooker and Phil Manzanera and extra surprisingly he performed on Invoice Nelson’s Crimson Noise’s groundbreaking little bit of prog-punk futurism, Sound-on-Sound.
13: Andy Edwards (IQ, Frost, and so on)
Not like many modern-day prog drummers, Andy Edwards is as a lot of a traditional rock drummer as he’s a fusion man. Throughout his late 90s stint with Robert Plant, he may shift from heavy-duty John Bonham components to extra fluid instrumental exercises. His skill to work each side of the fence has distinguished Edwards’ work ever since. See Frost’s huge epic, “Milliontown,” which weaves collectively dramatic heavy sections and free-flowing fusion stretches.
12: Chris Cutler (Henry Cow, Pere Ubu)
Like everyone who performed in Henry Cow, Chris Cutler was out to broaden his instrument’s vocabulary; which meant exploring the melodic, trancelike, and noisy prospects of percussion. He seldom performed a straight backbeat, although he actually may. Throughout his mid-80s stint with Pere Ubu, he tag-teamed with founding drummer Scott Krauss on a number of the most muscular rock that “avant-garage” band ever made.
11: Terry Bozzio (Zappa, UK)
Frank Zappa’s drummers all have an controversial place right here, contemplating the superb dexterity it took to play Frank’s music. Terry Bozzio has the clearest prog connection, taking up in UK from the seemingly irreplaceable Invoice Bruford. (He reportedly turned down a proposal to affix Jethro Tull afterward, preferring to get Lacking Individuals off the bottom). Although he was a relative short-timer, he’s the one drummer Zappa ever honored with a very solo piece: “Hands With a Hammer,” on You Can’t Do That Onstage Anymore #3.
10: B.J.Wilson (Procol Harum)
When it got here to pure creativeness, B.J.Wilson was the person. You merely by no means knew what he was going to do subsequent. His drum entrance on “A Salty Dog” was merely majestic and when you’ve seen video of Procol Harum in its prime, there’s one good instance of Wilson‘s dexterity. The cowbell half that goes all by way of “Whiskey Train” was no overdub; he performed it in real-time together with the remainder of the complicated drum half.
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9: Gavin Harrison, Pat Mastelotto, Jeremy Stacey (King Crimson)
No prog band has ever had a line-up like modern-day King Crimson, during which this triumvirate sits upfront and performs the function of a single drummer with very busy palms. It’s not simply the drum vitality that makes this line-up a marvel to see, it’s the proper synchrony of their percussive tradeoffs. They’re a lot of 1 thoughts that we included them right here collectively. Honorable point out additionally goes to the late and nice Invoice Rieflin, who was a part of the frontline earlier than shifting to keyboards, then succumbing to sickness.
8: Jaki Liebezeit (Can)
You gained’t get any flashy polyrhythms from Can’s drummer, but Jaki Liebezeit’s invention of the grinding, machine-like strategy to rhythm makes him one of the crucial influential prog drummers on this checklist; and a favourite of post-punk innovators like Brian Eno and Jah Wobble within the early 80s. The attention-opening nature of Can’s early albums derived partly from attempting to play funk and getting it gloriously flawed. But it surely’s price noting that they mastered straight-ahead funk on their neglected later albums (Stream Movement, Noticed Delight), nonetheless with Liebezeit driving.
7: Alan White (Sure)
Sure followers have a tendency to consider Invoice Bruford because the finesse drummer and Alan White because the muscular one, however that’s a little bit of a discount since they each had creativeness to spare. White proved an ideal match for the headier path that Sure have been going when he joined, and he was audibly having the time of his life with the massive area path of 90125. White will get additional pre-prog factors for his iconic drum half on John Lennon’s “Instant Karma,” earthshaking cymbal crashes and all.
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6: Marco Minnemann (solo, periods)
Fashionable-day prog has upped the boundaries on pure virtuosity, and no drummer embodies that higher than Marco Minnemann, a technical wizard whose stay solos can prime a half-hour. Give him a double-kick drum and a hi-hat and he can already play circles round most drummers. However he wouldn’t be on this checklist if he didn’t have creativeness, or the power to faucet right into a well-written melodic piece. See the way in which he builds depth on Steven Wilson’s epic “The Watchmaker.”
5: Phil Collins (Genesis, solo)
Neglect his different profession for a minute, and respect Phil Collins for the dazzling drummer he’s. First, with the jazz-influenced drumming he dropped at early Genesis and Model X after which got here the momentous periods for Peter Gabriel’s third album the place he junked his cymbals, cranked some reverb, and invented the 80s drum sound. He additionally deserves extra props for his final album, Going Again, the place he mastered the types of the nice Motown drummers – and did it whereas his palms have been ailing and needed to be duct-taped to the sticks.
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4: Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
For superhuman velocity and flash, Carl Palmer is tough to beat – whether or not he’s pumping arduous behind Emerson Lake & Palmer, or placing the identical prospers right into a pop context in Asia. Fast, attempt to title a classic-rock hit moreover “Heat of the Moment” that options marimba. He was a 19-year-old firebrand when he joined ELP, and a 70-year-old firebrand now along with his powers impressively intact. He’s additionally residing proof that eradicating your shirt throughout a double-bass roll could not enhance a solo, nevertheless it certain doesn’t harm.
3: Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Transatlantic)
The last word prog-metal drummer, Mike Portnoy is a whizkid who places prog complexity into his steel and steel ferocity into his prog. He’s additionally nice at keying into the drama of a music, as evinced on the prospers he provides to the massive finale of Dream Theater’s “Finally Free.” His vitality is boundless, simply examine the top of steam he maintains by way of Transatlantic’s crowning epic “The Whirlwind” – all 75 minutes of it.
2: Neil Peart (Rush)
We’re not simply getting sentimental right here, regardless that Neil Peart’s loss of life in early 2020 nonetheless hurts. The person was a brilliantly ingenious drummer who remodeled the band he was in, becoming a member of Rush once they have been nonetheless a workmanlike hard-rock outfit. Peart’s numerous solos weren’t simply fashions of dexterity; in addition they had nice riffs and even tunes. He additionally saved rhythm in thoughts whereas rigorously selecting the phrases he’d use as Rush’s lyricist. As a fan of big-band jazz (he produced two Buddy Wealthy tribute albums), Peart knew it didn’t imply a factor when you couldn’t make it swing.
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1: Invoice Bruford (Sure, King Crimson, Earthworks)
Invoice Bruford is solely one of the crucial distinctive drummers that rock ever produced. There’s all the time one thing in a Bruford efficiency – whether or not it’s a tough snare hit, a glide throughout the cymbals, or his impeccable sense of timing – that instantly lets you recognize it’s him.
As a Sure member, he sounded utterly at dwelling with the trickiest moments: just like the midsection of “Perpetual Change” the place the band performs two-time signatures directly. As a jazzman with Earthworks, he discovered musical prospects in digital drums; when he may lastly drive the band whereas taking part in melodies. And with King Crimson and past, he proudly embraced the band’s credo of by no means taking part in something you’ve performed earlier than.
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