The ranking of the 33 greatest rock drummers of all time according to BBC Classical Music

Who is the greatest drummer in rock history? That's the question posed by the British online magazine Bbc Classical Music, which has published a ranking bringing together 33 absolute masters of the instrument across more than half a century of music, from classic rock to punk, from progressive to grunge and on to metal.
The ranking doesn't reward technique alone. The criteria taken into account also include musical personality, the ability to build an unmistakable groove, a sense of time, stylistic originality and the stamina needed to sustain top-level live performances. The aim is to celebrate those musicians who turned the drums from mere accompaniment into the true creative engine of a band.
Topping the ranking is John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, described as a drummer capable of combining devastating power with impeccable timing and a unique expressiveness. According to the magazine, Bonham didn't just play: he turned the drums into a force of nature, redefining the standards of rock. It's a choice borne out by other authoritative rankings published in recent years too. Both Rolling Stone and Consequence had already crowned Bonham the greatest rock drummer of all time, confirming an almost unanimous consensus among critics and musicians alike.
Behind him comes another British legend, Keith Moon of Who, celebrated for his explosive, unpredictable style, while the podium is rounded out by Neil Peart of Rush, regarded as the ultimate progressive drummer thanks to his technical precision and the extraordinary complexity of his rhythmic compositions. Among the names on the list are also giants such as Buddy Rich, Ginger Baker, Ringo Starr, Stewart Copeland, Charlie Watts, Ian Paice, Danny Carey, Dave Grohl, Bill Bruford, Mike Portnoy, Nick Mason, Travis Barker, Lars Ulrich and many others, testament to the extraordinary variety of styles that have marked the history of rock.

Here, then, is the ranking of the 33 greatest drummers of all time, according to BBC Classical Music (full feature here).

33. Nick Mason (Pink Floyd)
32. Travis Barker (Blink-182)
31. Phil Rudd (AC/DC)
30. Levon Helm (The Band)
29. Meg White (The White Stripes)
28. Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe)
27. Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick)
26. Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
25. Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam)
24. Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus)
23. Topper Headon (The Clash)
22. Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
21. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
20. Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)
19. Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson)
18. Alex Van Halen (Van Halen)
17. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age)
16. Roger Taylor (Queen)
15. Jeff Porcaro (Toto)
14. Cozy Powell (Rainbow, Black Sabbath)
13. Danny Carey (Tool)
12. Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
11. Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones)
10. Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
9. Ringo Starr (The Beatles)
8. Stewart Copeland (The Police)
7. Hal Blaine (The Wrecking Crew)
6. Gene Krupa
5. Ginger Baker (Cream)
4. Buddy Rich
3. Neil Peart (Rush)
2. Keith Moon (The Who)
1. John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)

Consequence magazine has also dug into this territory, publishing an ambitious top 100 of the greatest drummers of all time (full feature here, with commentary on each musician):

100. Mikkey Dee (Motörhead, Scorpions)
99. Tony Thompson (Chic, Power Station)
98. Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
97. Chris Adler (Lamb of God, Megadeth)
96. Gina Schock (The Go-Go’s)
95. Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders)
94. Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine, Matching Mole)
93. Topper Headon (The Clash)
92. Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint)
91. Jon Fishman (Phish)
90. Moe Tucker (The Velvet Underground)
89. Matt Halpern (Periphery)
88. Meg White (The White Stripes)
87. Clem Burke (Blondie)
86. Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
85. Tony Royster Jr. (Imajin, En Vogue, JAY-Z)
84. Terri Lyne Carrington (Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz)
83. Papa Joe Jones (Count Basie Orchestra, Billie Holiday)
82. Louis Cole (Knower, solo)
81. Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty)
80. Igor Cavalera (Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy)
79. Brian Blade (Brian Blade Fellowship, Wayne Shorter)
78. Jim Keltner (Traveling Wilburys, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Little Village, Ry Cooder)
77. Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
76. Tomas Haake (Meshuggah)
75. Mark Guiliana (David Bowie, Avishai Cohen)
74. Phil Rudd (Ac/Dc)
73. Russ Kunkel (James Taylor, Crosby & Nash, Jackson Brown)
72. Jack DeJohnette (Keith Jerrett Trio, Miles Davis)
71. Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus)
70. Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)
69. Mel Lewis (Thad Jones, Mel Lewis Orchestra)
68. Abe Cunningham (Deftones)
67. Viola Smith (Hour of Charm Orchestra, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Broadway’s Cabaret)
66. Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Steps Ahead)
65. Travis Barker (Blink-182, The Transplants)
64. Jerry Carrigan (The Nashville A-Team)
63. Louis Bellson (Duke Ellington Orchestra, Benny Goodman)
62. Al Jackson Jr. (Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Otis Redding)
61. Steve Jordan (John Mayer Trio, Rolling Stones)
60. Sheila E. (Prince, solo)
59. Roy Haynes (Chick Corea, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker)
58. Dale Crover (Melvins, Nirvana)
57. Tony Allen (Fela Kuti, Africa ’70 Damon Albarn)
56. Mario Duplantier (Gojira)
55. Roger Hawkins (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section)
54. Benny Benjamin (The Funk Brothers)
53. Kenny Clarke (Modern Jazz Quartet, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis)
52. Jeff Porcaro (Toto, Steely Dan)
51. Dennis Chambers (Parliament-Funkadelic, John Scofield)
50. Phil Collins (Genesis, solo)
49. Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Quasi)
48. Alex Van Halen (Van Halen)
47. Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons)
46. Josh Freese (Foo Fighters, A Perfect Circle, The Vandals)
45. David Garibaldi (Tower of Power)
44. Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders)
43. Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio)
42. Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead)
41. Steve Gadd (Paul Simon, Eric Clapton)
40. Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age)
39. Billy Cobham (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis)
38. Hal Blaine (The Wrecking Crew)
37. Steve Smith (Journey, Vital Information)
36. Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown)
35. Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)
34. Questlove (The Roots)
33. Charlie Benante (Anthrax, Pantera)
32. James Gadson (Smokey Robinson, Bill Withers)
31. John “JR” Robinson (Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Rufus and Chaka Khan)
30. Zigaboo Modeliste (The Meters)
29. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)
28. Joe Morello (The Dave Brubeck Quartet)
27. Joey Jordison (Slipknot)
26. Art Blakey (Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers)
25. Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones)
24. Bernard Purdie (Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan)
23. Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson)
22. Karen Carpenter (The Carpenters)
21. Levon Helm (The Band)
20. Cindy Blackman Santana (Lenny Kravitz, Santana)
19. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs)
18. Max Roach (Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis)
17. Ringo Starr (The Beatles, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band)
16. Jabo Starks (James Brown)
15. Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
14. Danny Carey (Tool)
13. Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, Misfits, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas)
12. Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, Asia)
11. Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith)
10. Elvin Jones (John Coltrane Quartet)
9. Vinnie Colaiuta (Frank Zappa, Sting)
8. Stewart Copeland (The Police)
7. Keith Moon (The Who)
6. Tony Williams (Miles Davis Quintet)
5. Dave Weckl (Dave Weckl Band, Chick Corea Elektric Band)
4. Gene Krupa (Benny Goodman Orchestra, Gene Krupa Orchestra)
3. Neil Peart (Rush)
2. Buddy Rich (Buddy Rich Big Band)
1. John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)

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