The five greatest drummers of all time, according to Dave Grohl
“Your personal history is a part of what happens with your hands and your head as you play music.” — Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl is undeniably one of modern rock’s most formidable frontmen, elevating Foo Fighters from underground alt-rock favourites to global stadium headliners. However, some of his most exceptional contributions have occurred not with a guitar in hand and a microphone at his lips but instead seated behind his drum kit, where he thrashes away with the fervour of a man possessed.
Renowned as the seminal stickman of grunge icons Nirvana, backing Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, Grohl has also lent his talents to Queens of the Stone Age alongside Josh Homme. And even as part of the supergroup, Them Crooked Vultures. At his core, Grohl remains a drummer first and foremost.
Following the tragic demise of Nirvana, Grohl could have easily retreated into the shadows of his past glories. Instead, he emerged as a force in his own right, founding the Foo Fighters, a band that would redefine the sonic landscape of alternative rock. With anthems like ‘Everlong’, ‘The Pretender’, and ‘My Hero’, Grohl proved himself a master craftsman of infectious melodies and stadium-shaking riffs.
As well as being an undeniably talented musician, able to pick up almost any instrument and get something close to a tune out of it, Grohl is also an all-around nice guy. The kind of man who will happily kick through an amp, smash a bottle of JD and yet still find time to play with the kids in the room.
It means he, far from the rest of the industry’s macho-competitive nature, has always been more than happy to heap praise on his counterparts. Most notably, picking out some of his favourite drummers of all time. While there is a legion of sticksmiths, from Matt Helders to Chad Smith, who he has praised, there are five that stand out among all others for an array of reasons.
Ultimately, it is individualism that he admires. He’s said, “I’ve always found simplicity to be a lot more entertaining than complexity.” He has bashed the “misconception that beating the crap out of your drums is the way to make them sound bigger.” And he has admitted that his own supposedly ‘heavy’ stylings are actually inspired by disco bands like “The Gap Group and Cameo.”
All those things mean that when you hear him drumming, within a few bars, you know you’re hearing him drumming. This is the thread that he thinks ties the greats together. So, Grohl’s legendary status has undoubtedly meant that his fans have often questioned: who were his favourite drummers? Which percussionists captivated the heart of the young musician and helped mould him into a rock and roll hero? Here, we get stuck into the answers…
Dave Grohl’s favourite drummers:
Meg White
During the same conversation, Grohl also shared that one of his favourite percussionists is one of the most maligned in modern music. When discussing his possible inclusion in Rush, Grohl noted: “I know the arrangements, but I’m like Meg White to Neil Peart.”
It may have seemed like a small dig at the acclaimed drummer, but Grohl quickly cleared up that he thinks of White as equally favourably, celebrating her as a master of composition. “She’s one of my favourite drummers!” Grohl explained, “She is one of those drummers that if you hear 15 seconds of her recording, you’ll know who it is, and that to me has always been the gold standard.”
“That’s always been the challenge. You want to know when you hear it, like, you’re like, “Oh, that’s John Bonham. Oh, that’s Charlie Watts. That’s Ringo. That’s Stewart Copeland. That’s Meg White.” It’s high praise indeed for a unique player who has often been overlooked for her crucial role in The White Stripes domination.
Stewart Copeland
The same can be said of another Grohl favourite, The Police’s drummer, Stewart Copeland. “I grew up listening to The Police, man”, reflected Grohl when assessing the legendary musician’s output. In the same interview, Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins reminisced about their long-term friendship with the Police percussionist.
Grohl says: “One of the craziest things that this band has ever done is bring Stewart with us on a private jet from New York to Los Angeles; we had Stewart come out and play ‘Next To You’ with us, which was super fun”.
“Then we got on the private plane,” noted Grohl, clearly enamoured with the situation, “And I just kinda sat there and thought ‘what the fuck am I doing with my life right now?’ Just to sit and listen to the stories of ‘the band’ and that was something I will never forget.”Tragedy would bring the two stars back together again following the sad passing of Taylor Hawkins. Copeland flew to London to perform alongside Grohl during the wondrous tribute show.
Ringo Starr
Grohl has a special place reserved for one drummer and one drummer only, the wonderfully talented and far too often maligned talent of Ringo Starr. Starr developed an idiosyncratic style with The Beatles that endeared him to everybody who heard him and made kids start picking up drumsticks.
We needn’t bore you with all the reasons you’re wrong if you think Ringo isn’t up there with the best. Instead, we’ll let Dave Grohl sum it up for you, “Define ‘best drummer in the world’,” Grohl said in a tribute video for Starr’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame presentation, clearly aware of the unfounded rhetoric around Ringo’s playing style.
“Is it someone that’s technically proficient? Or is it someone that sits in the song with their own feel? Ringo was the king of feel.” How many drummers can you say that about?
Neil Peart
One man who seems inextricably linked to the Foo Fighters singer is Neil Peart, and when presented with the chance to play with his Rush bandmates, Grohl quickly distanced himself. The story goes that after Peart decided to hang up his sticks and retire from working with Rush, there were rumours that Dave Grohl could help out Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson and sit behind the kit and take on Peart’s role. It was a frightening proposition for longtime fan Grohl.
After Peart passed away, Grohl led tributes, saying: “An inspiration to millions with an unmistakable sound who spawned generations of musicians (like myself) to pick up two sticks and chase a dream. A kind, thoughtful, brilliant man who ruled our radios and turntables not only with his drumming but also his beautiful words. I still vividly remember my first listen of ‘2112′ when I was young. It was the first time I really listened to a drummer. And since that day, music has never been the same. His power, precision, and composition was incomparable. He was called ‘The Professor’ for a reason: we all learned from him.”
When asked by Rolling Stone in 2015 what he would say if such an offer to replace Peart for a show did come his way, he replied: “I’d say ‘I’m not physically or musically capable, but thanks for the offer.’ Neil Peart, that’s a whole other animal, another species of drummer”.
Neil Peart was more than a drummer—he was a poet, a philosopher, and a visionary whose impact on rock music and popular culture will be felt for generations to come. As the final notes of his drumsticks fade into eternity, his legacy remains indelibly etched in the annals of rock ‘n’ roll history, a testament to the enduring power of artistic brilliance and creative expression.
John Bonham
One drummer on this list of Grohl’s favourites has been constantly compared to the Foo Fighters man ever since he exploded onto the scene as the man behind the kit for Nirvana—the late, great John Bonham. Most of that comparison came after Kurt Cobain referenced the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer as comparable to Grohl during an interview.
It’s fair to say that Grohl held the utmost respect for Bonham, often referring to him as the greatest ever to pick up the sticks. “John Bonham is the greatest rock drummer of all time,” wrote Grohl for a piece in Mojo. “Bonham played directly from the heart. His drumming was by no means perfect, but when he hit a groove it was so deep it was like a heartbeat. He had this manic sense of cacophony, but he also had the ultimate feel. he could swing, he could get on top, or he could pull back”.
He added: “Led Zeppelin, and John Bonham’s drumming especially, opened up my ears.”
We’re thankful he did, as, without Grohl, we would be without two of modern rock’s better bands. Listening to the band’s output from the beginning is often how they become our favourites. Taking a look at the ‘Moby Dick’ solo, the performance Grohl calls the greatest of all time, and it’s hard to argue with the musician’s assessment.
