How do you accurately determine the best drummers in the history of hard rock and heavy metal? You can’t! On this list you will find 100 awesome drummers that have raised the standards of drumming. The order is far from perfect, but one thing that each of these musicians have in common is that each drummer has strengthened their respective bands. This list was compiled based on influence, style, technical prowess, and how valuable he (or she) is to the band. Without further ado, here is the list of the Top 100 Drummers of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal:
#1. John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
#2. Keith Moon (The Who)
#3. Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)
#4. Alex Van Halen (Van Halen)
#5. Neil Peart (Rush)
#6. Roger Taylor (Queen)
#7. Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)
#8. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
#9. Dave Lombardo (Slayer)
#10. Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
#11. Danny Carey (Tool)
#12. Vinnie Paul (Pantera/Hellyeah)
#13. Tommy Aldrige (Whitesnake/Ozzy Osbourne)
#14. Charlie Benante (Anthrax)
#15. Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)
#16. Matt Cameron (Soundgarden/Pearl Jam)
#17. Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath/Kill Devil Hill)
#18. Mike Bordin (Faith No More)
#19. Abe Cunningham (Deftones)
#20. Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine/Black Sabbath)
#21. Joey Jordison (Slipknot)
#22. Randy Castillo (Ozzy Osbourne/Mötley Crüe)
#23. Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan (Avenged Sevenfold)
#24. Dave Holland (Judas Priest)
#25. David Silveria (Korn)
#26. Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle)
#27. Matt Sorum (Guns n Roses/Velvet Revolver)
#28. Igor Cavalera (Sepultura)
#29. Chris Adler (Lamb of God)
#30. Rick Allen (Def Leppard)
#31. Brian Downey (Thin Lizzy)
#32. John Dolmayan (System of a Down)
#33. Sean Kinney (Alice in Chains)
#34. Gene Hoglan (Dethklok)
#35. Mike Mangini (Dream Theater)
#36. Mikkey Dee (Motörhead/King Diamond)
#37. Scott Rockenfield (Queensryche)
#38. Joey Kramer (Aerosmith)
#39. Brann Dailor (Mastodon)
#40. Jerry Gaskill (King’s X)
#41. Mike Wengren (Disturbed)
#42. Eric Carr (Kiss)
#43. Lee Kerslake (Ozzy Osbourne)
#44. Phil Rudd (AC/DC)
#45. Stefan Schwarzmann (Accept)
#46. Eric Singer (Kiss)
#47. Paul Bostaph (Slayer/Exodus)
#48. Scott Columbus (Manowar)
#49. Bobby Jarzombek (Halford/Sebastian Bach)
#50. Phil Taylor (Motörhead)
#51. Jizmak Da Gusha (GWAR)
#52. Tim “Herb” Alexander (Primus)
#53. Dave McClain (Machine Head)
#54. Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
#55. Morgan Rose (Sevendust)
#56. Will Calhoun (Living Colour)
#57. Tom Hunting (Exodus)
#58. Paul Geary (Extreme)
#59. Andy Parker (UFO)
#60. Peter Criss (Kiss)
#61. Steven Adler (Guns n Roses)
#62. Nick Menza (Megadeth)
#63. Jimmy Bower (Down)
#64. Mick Brown (Dokken/Ted Nugent)
#65. Fredrik Andersson (Amon Amarth)
#66. John Tempesta (White Zombie)
#67. A.J. Pero (Twisted Sister)
#68. Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters)
#69. Pat Torpey (Mr. Big)
#70. Shannon Larkin (Godsmack)
#71. Rikki Rockett (Poison)
#72. Tomas Haake (Meshuggah)
#73. Sal Abruscato (Life of Agony)
#74. Bobby Blotzer (Ratt)
#75. Ray Luzier (David Lee Roth/Korn)
#76. Mario Duplantier (Gojira)
#77. Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory)
#78. Rob Affuso (Skid Row)
#79. Danny Schuler (Biohazard)
#80. Jimmy DeGrasso (Y&T/Megadeth)
#81. Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots)
#82. Jon Larsen (Volbeat)
#83. Tommy Ramone (Ramones)
#84. Jon Wysocki (Staind)
#85. Dave Grohl (Nirvana)
#86. R.J. Herrera (Suicidal Tendencies)
#87. Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers/Chickenfoot)
#88. Tico Torres (Bon Jovi)
#89. Johnny Kelly (Type-o-Negative)
#90. Steven Sweet (Warrant)
#91. Craig Nunenmacher (Black Label Society)
#92. Fred Coury (Cinderella)
#93. Stefanie Eulinberg (Kid Rock)
#94. Reed Mullin (C.O.C.)
#95. Tommy Clufetos (Rob Zombie/Black Sabbath touring)
#96. Rob Bourdon (Linkin Park)
#97. Gonzo Sandoval (Armored Saint)
#98. Zoltan Chaney (Vince Neil)
#99. Daniel Adair (Nickelback)
#100. Ginger Fish (Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie)
Remember, there are many drummers in hard rock today that can be swapped in and out of the list as time goes on. No Top 100 list lacks imperfections. Happy puking!
-The Management
P.S. Keith Moon is one of the craziest, heaviest, and most influential drummers of all time. That’s why he is on the list. With that being said, Ginger Baker is also a badass drummer who can easily make it to this list of 100 greatest drummers in hard rock history.