The 10 essential drumming albums, according to Clem Burke
As a founding member of Blondie, Clem Burke fused high-energy punk with the slick beats of new wave.
Alongside Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, Blondie stood out in a sea of New York creatives, producing effortlessly cool and imminently danceable tracks like ‘Heart of Glass’ and Call Me’. They were the chart-topping peak of the CBGB movement, illuminating punk’s path into the synthy 1980s.
As the drumming powerhouse behind the iconic band, Burke was never one to hide behind his Keith Moon-esque red sparkle drum kit. “I never subscribed to the notion of the drummer being the guy you never notice,” he told MusicRadar in 2020.
The late drummer continued, “I like drummers who are unique and have tons of personality. If that comes through in my own playing and how I present myself on stage, I get it from all the players I’ve studied.” And he was most certainly a student, often openly explaining that the only way to achieve originality is, ironically, through copying others first.
Having been drumming since his late teens, Burke had extensively studied the greats, nailing down his essential ten albums for drummers to absorb every lick and pattern of. “I don’t know how you can become a good drummer without listening, learning, and copying [these artists],” he said.
First on his list was 1963’s With The Beatles, with Burke touting Ringo Starr as his favourite drummer of all time, owing to his study of Earl Palmer and Hal Blaine. “As a drummer, it taught me so much,” said an empathic Burke. “’This Boy’ taught me how to play in 6/8. An inspiring drummer to me and millions of guys.”
Continuing with the ‘60s influence is The Dave Clark Five’s Greatest Hits. Despite all the dispute over whether Dave Clark actually played on the album, Burke always admired Clark’s production. “The presence of the drums on these songs, the way they’re featured, the fills, the sounds; everything was really in your face,” he said. The fact the band was named after him was also impactful, a reminder that drummers “don’t always have to be the guy in the back that nobody knows”.
Then there was The Who Sings My Generation, with Burke saying: “Other than Ringo and Dave Clark, there was Keith Moon, who totally changed my outlook on drumming. He stood out from the crowd in singular way.” Burke struggled so much to pick a record for both Earl Palmer and Hal Blaine that he settled for saying “anything” of theirs was valuable for aspiring drummers.
Similarly, after recommending Booker T & The MG’s, Burke said he tried to combine all the icons he loves into one sound. “That’s what I go for,” he explained after praising Al Jackson Jr. “These guys are the shining lights for me.”
Burke looked to everything from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (‘Night Fever’ turns out to be the crucial inspiration behind ‘Heart of Glass’) to the soulful sounds of John Coltrane. Burke pays tribute to all those he named in his essential list, saying that after studying hundreds of players over the years, “they’re all a part of what I do”.
In his book, drumming is all about being the heartbeat of the band, and all that embodies. As he put it himself, “I wanted to be able to contribute to the song rather than detract.” With that outlook, he became the supporting pulse of Blondie, playing for the song but also emboldening it along the way. You know a Burke beat when you hear one.
As Blondie announced in the wake of Burke’s passing back on April 6th 2025, “Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie. His talent, energy, and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable.”
That was ratified by a range of others, from Nancy Sinatra to Dave Davies. And these are the albums that made him a master of the kit. From the steady sound of Ringo Starr to the thunder and flair of Keith Moon, Burke was an amalgamation of all these classic records in the form of one smiling mot top maestro.
Find Clem Burke’s 10 essential albums for drummers below.
Clem Burke’s 10 essential drum albums:
- The Beatles – ‘With The Beatles‘ (1963)
- The Dave Clark Five – ‘The Dave Clark Five’s Greatest Hits‘ (1966)
- The Who – ‘The Who Sings My Generation’ (1965)
- Booker T & The MG’s – ‘Greatest Hits’ (1970)
- The Dave Brubeck Quartet – ‘Take Five’ (1961)
- John Coltrane – ‘A Love Supreme’ (1965)
- David Bowie – ‘The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars‘ (1972)
- Television – ‘Marquee Moon’ (1977)
- ‘Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track’ (1977)
- Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer (“anything” by either)
