No doubt. Those lists that just automatically put him at #1 are stupid. He is great, but so are a lot of guys.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

For sure, Chris Frantz too.

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Burke is definitely a Moon disciple. He takes it to a more elegant place though. Moon had a lot of room to move in a three-piece band. It's a real "look at me" kind of style. Johnny Rowan was a HUGE Keith Moon fan and he tried to play just like him except faster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvZc38JOhW0
When he hooked up with the Urge Overkill boys they got him to clam down a bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekeOblgUHj4

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

John Bonham
Ginger Baker (probably the most underrated rock drummer ever)
Steve Gadd
Gene Krupa
Keith Moon

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I don't think you can call him underrated. He's always been a star. They let him jerk off on "Toad" for an entire album side for God's sake. Here's a great performance when he was in his 50s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beyj3BE7RPY

_________________
General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

Lee Kerslake. Done.

Densmore is in the top ten no question.

Another Joliet West grad.

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“How do you get to be president and you’re stupid?” Donald J Trump - 4/10/25
When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus. - Turkish Proverb

The movie "Beware Mr. Baker" is fascinating, illuminating and disturbing all at once. Well worth seeking out for those interested in rock history and drummers in particular.

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“How do you get to be president and you’re stupid?” Donald J Trump - 4/10/25
When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus. - Turkish Proverb

I saw a doc on Baker, huge asshole, nobody liked the guy..not even his family.. Giant scumbag

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I give most underrated to Bill Ward, if that's possible.

Sometimes I like him better than Bonham. Like on "the Wizard", "Planet Caravan" and "Never Say Die".

It's become comical how many times Jimmy Page has remastered the Zep catalog. But he really did a good job on "the Mothership". Bonham on Whole Lotta Love on that one is just crushing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaSk5vnAVJ8

Why Ringo is better than Bonham is because Bonham could never play the drums how Ringo did on "Don't Let Me Down". He wasn't subtle enough. Keith Richards was right when he said of "Bonham" that he was a little "heavy-handed."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y

Great video on Ringo's drum kit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJTjjAXDZSY

I don't know about greatest, but my favs go something like this:

30 years ago? Easy.

Peart, Copeland, Moon, Bonham and Mitch Mitchell.

Peart is the reason I play drums.

Bonham drove a band like few can. I have come to appreciate his unique talent ever more now. Killer mix of power, grace and restraint.

Copeland is another hard hitter with a style like no other.

Moon and Mitchell were great drummers to play along to as a kid.

Today? That is incredibly tough.

More interested in groove these days, so guys like Simon Phillips, Matt Chamberlain, Stephen Perkins, Jeff Porcaro and Clyde Stubblefield really speak to me.

Great mentions in Clem Burke and Marco Minnemann. Burke in another guy who knows how to drive a band, even to this day. Minnemann is one of the few shred-type drummers that I really dig.

Grew up with Alex Van Halen, but appreciate his style even more today.

Honorable mentions to guys like Louie Bellson Jean-Paul Gaster, Steve Gadd, Benny Greb, Manu Katche', Terry Bozzio, Tony Thompson, Bill Bruford and Roger Taylor from Queen.

And It's Jimmy Chamberlin, not Chamberlain.

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

Oh yeah, and George Hurley is fuckin' awesome:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hkDZvsewlM

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

Watt is so unbelievably great

Page has remastered them twice. Once in the early 90s, and then again recently given the technology advances. "Whole Lotta Love" isn't even Bonham's best performance on that album, let alone one of his best overall.

You could give Ringo two sets of arms and legs, and still wouldn't be able to what Bonham did on "Achilles Last Stand" and "Fool in the Rain." Those songs should always be #1 and #2 when talking about Bonham's best performances.

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Page remastered the catalog in the 90s for cds, did it again for "Early Days, Later Days", and then on "Mothership". I thought he also remastered the albums again recently, accompanied by previously unreleased material of different takes.

What song on Zeppelin II did he play better drums on than Whole Lotta Love? I'm not buying it.

I'm not a fan of either Achilles Last Stand or Fool in the Rain. They are both sub-par Zeppelin songs. That was the era of Plant's irritating screechy vocals after he blew his voice out. I guess you could make a case for Bonham's drumming being good on those, but I just don't care for the songs. In my view, his other best performances were on Dazed and Confused, How Many More Times and When the Levee Breaks.

Ringo on "I Want You/She's So Heavy" off Abbey Road stands up to any of the heavier stuff Bonham did.

Moby Dick
Ramble On
Heartbreaker

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Maybe Heartbreaker, but I prefer WLL.

My Top 5

Copeland--My reason for playing. Ghost in the Machine was my first vinyl and his playing during the Zenyatta tour is fun stuff for me to watch. Love all his projects today and it's great when other drummers like Peart or Danny Carey drop by his house and he records the proceedings.

Colaiuta--Joe's Garage...my favorite drum recording by a Zappa drummer, besides his general awesomeness.

Gadd--First pair of signature artist sticks by Vic Firth I owned (lots of black marks on cymbals and toms). Paul Simon live in Central Park, Aja...I mean come on...one take for Brecker and Fagan?

Stanton Moore--Chops and feel with his New Orleans thing going on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOksu7pZYLQ

Steve Jordan--Great pocket and killing it with Robert Cray right now.

Other Faves

Bonham-Love his shuffling
Purdie-See Bonham
Pocaro-Ripped off Bonham and Purdie for Rosanna
Ringo--Not a matter of chops just right guy in right band at right time...playing what was right for the music
Burke--Blondie is a guilty pleasure

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An unjust law is no law at all--St. Augustine of Hippo

Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole...
life?--Gener and Deaner

I liked Copeland's work in Driven to Tears.

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Really.

Rube, I don't care what songs you like or don't like. Bonham's drumming on those two tracks is second to none.

Levee is a great sound, but its not a complicated beat. The sound is amazing because of Page using mics in a giant staircase, and the drums being set up in a foyer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWI9bMe7gHE

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Bonham could play anything Ringo could play. Ringo couldn't play everything Bonham put down. It takes true talent to manipulate a bass drum the way that Bonham did.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

Right on. Fantastic beat.

I've played since I was 5, so I'm going to base this off of who I enjoy playing along to.

1. Bonham
2. Mitch Mitchell
3. Beauford
4. Moon
5. I am having trouble deciding between Peart and Carey

Travis Barker, Ginger Baker, and Matt Cameron are all deserving of mention, too.

This is all that needs to be said about lists like this. You like what you like. There are no wrong answers.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

bonham
beauford
moon
peart
portnoy
Carey

From the Ghost tour, not the more popular Frejus/Zenyatta tour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH52zX4 ... H52zX41uQg

_________________
An unjust law is no law at all--St. Augustine of Hippo

Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole...
life?--Gener and Deaner

Mike Pornoy is a fantastic drummer, but when it comes to the really great technical cats, he's lower on the totem pole...

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"I'm not smiling because I thought what you said was humorous. I'm smiling because one day I know you'll be dead..."

Absolutely quote-worthy post...

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"I'm not smiling because I thought what you said was humorous. I'm smiling because one day I know you'll be dead..."

Crazy talk. Fool in the rain is one of the coolest drum grooves, ever!!!

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"I'm not smiling because I thought what you said was humorous. I'm smiling because one day I know you'll be dead..."