Best of each artist · One record per artist
Best drumming
One album per artist, chosen for the drumming. Listen to the track we point out – then hear the rest of the record with new ears.
- 1 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV John Bonham’s drums on “When the Levee Breaks” were recorded in the stairwell at Headley Grange, with the microphones high above. It is one of the most sampled drum sounds there is. Listen to “When the Levee Breaks” Timeless classic
- 2 John Coltrane A Love Supreme Elvin Jones plays like weather, not like a clock. On “Pursuance” he opens with a drum solo that lifts the whole quartet. Listen to “Pursuance” Timeless classic
- 3 Steely Dan Aja Steve Gadd’s solo in the title track is one of the most famous moments in session drumming – advanced, but always serving the song. Listen to “Aja” Timeless classic
- 4 Rush Moving Pictures Neil Peart wrote drum parts you can sing. “Tom Sawyer” is a whole drum school in four and a half minutes. Listen to “Tom Sawyer” Timeless classic
- 5 Fela Kuti & Africa 70 Zombie Tony Allen – the man Fela said there would be no Afrobeat without. Listen to how he plays four things at once without it ever feeling crowded. Listen to “Zombie” Timeless classic
- 6 The Police Reggatta de Blanc Stewart Copeland’s hi-hat and reggae feel make a trio sound like a full band. “Walking on the Moon” floats thanks to everything he leaves out. Listen to “Walking on the Moon” Timeless classic
- 7 Miles Davis Miles Smiles Tony Williams was twenty and played as if time were a rubber band. The whole quintet follows him. Listen to “Footprints” Timeless classic
- 8 Tool Lateralus Danny Carey builds songs from odd time signatures and polyrhythms, yet it still swings. “Schism” keeps changing metre without losing momentum. Listen to “Schism” Modern classic
- 9 D'Angelo Voodoo Questlove plays just behind the beat, so everything feels slightly drunk. No drum groove has ever sounded so human. Listen to “Playa Playa” Modern classic
- 10 The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out Joe Morello’s solo on “Take Five” – in 5/4, on a record that became a hit even though nobody thought odd time signatures could sell. Listen to “Take Five” Timeless classic
- 11 Nirvana Nevermind Dave Grohl’s snare fill at the start of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is one of the best-known drum moments in rock. He plays hard, simple and exactly right. Listen to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Timeless classic
- 12 Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the Deaf The same Dave Grohl, ten years on and heavier still. He guested with Queens of the Stone Age and played as if he had something to prove. Listen to “No One Knows” Modern classic
- 13 Can Tago Mago Jaki Liebezeit played like a machine with a soul. “Halleluhwah” is eighteen minutes of the same groove – and it only gets better. Listen to “Halleluhwah” Timeless classic
- 14 Talking Heads Remain in Light Chris Frantz and the guest musicians build layer upon layer of rhythm inspired by Fela Kuti. The drums are the record’s engine. Listen to “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)” Timeless classic
- 15 Slayer Reign in Blood Dave Lombardo’s double bass drums set a new standard for how fast and precise metal could be played. Listen to “Angel of Death” Timeless classic
- 16 Meshuggah obZen Tomas Haake plays his feet in one time and his hands in another. “Bleed” is one of the hardest drum tracks in metal. Listen to “Bleed” Modern classic
- 17 Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Moanin’ Art Blakey was both bandleader and engine. “The Drum Thunder Suite” is his own fireworks display. Listen to “The Drum Thunder Suite” Timeless classic
- 18 The Who Who’s Next Keith Moon played as if the drums were the lead instrument. Wait for his entry after the synth loop in “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. Listen to “Won’t Get Fooled Again” Timeless classic
- 19 Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage Tony Williams again, but gentler: here he paints the sea with his cymbals. Listen to “Eye of the Hurricane” Timeless classic
- 20 The Beatles Abbey Road Ringo Starr’s only drum solo with the Beatles is on “The End”. It is short, melodic and very Ringo. Listen to “The End” Timeless classic
- 21 Mastodon Leviathan Brann Dailor plays metal like a jazz drummer, with fills everywhere. “Megalodon” goes from straight thrash to country in a few seconds. Listen to “Megalodon” Modern classic
- 22 Kamasi Washington The Epic Kamasi Washington’s band has two drummers, Ronald Bruner Jr. and Tony Austin, playing against and with each other. Listen to “Change of the Guard” Modern classic
- 23 Gojira From Mars to Sirius Mario Duplantier’s double kick drums are like a machine gun with a feel for dynamics. Listen to “Backbone” Modern classic
- 24 Sepultura Roots Igor Cavalera mixes thrash with Brazilian rhythms and percussion – and recorded with the Xavante people in Mato Grosso. Listen to “Roots Bloody Roots” Timeless classic
- 25 Slipknot Iowa Joey Jordison held nine musicians together in a chaos that still landed perfectly. Listen to “Disasterpiece” Modern classic
25 artists in the list.