From an objective viewpoint, who is the most "accomplished" drummer?

[Cheeseplug]

Billy Cobham

 

[IronWing]

Madonna

 

[Ns1]

MEG WHITE

never has a drummer accomplished so much with only a snare and cymbal.

 

[grrl]

Madonna

Plus she also plays guitar and can speak with a British accent!

 

[Preyhunter]

Max Weinberg? He's in Bruce Springstein and the E Street Band and he's on tv every night (excluding these pas few months).

C'mon, only a fuckstick would say something like this...

 

[CallMeJoe]

Gene Krupa?

 

[Sureshot324]

I'm not talking about who is better. That could be argued to be Neil Peart, Harrison, and more than a handful of other drummers.

But for fattest resume, I'm thinking Mike Portnoy..

Dream Theater has had several cd's enter the BillBoard charts in the top 20.

He played on Avenged Sevenfold's new cd, which entered BillBoard charts at #1

He's won more "drumming" awards than just about anybody else.

Youngest drummer elected in the Drum Hall of Fame

If I remember correctly, he's sold more drumming instructional DVD's and drum dvd's than anybody else (liquid drum theater comes to mind).

He's not my favorite drummer (gavin harrison from Porcupine Tree is), but I can't think or find anybody else who has quite as fluffy as a resume.

Some drummers have been made famous because of the band they are in (Peart with Rush for example), but they haven't been involved with nearly as many successful projects, etc.

I would say it's the other way around. Mike Portnoy is known just because he was in Dream Theater, but Neil Peart would have been famous regardless. IMO Rush would not have succeeded without him, and if he ever were to leave the band, there would be absolutely no reason for them to keep going. He's that important. Rush isn't Rush without Neil Peart. Dream Theater could replace Mike and would not lose their identity as a band.

Post a thread anywhere on the internet about who is the greatest drummer in the world and Neil Peart's name is guaranteed to come up. That alone is an accomplishment. Billboard charts mean nothing because most people don't give two shits about how good the drummer is. Avenged Sevenfold was already a successful band before he joined so I don't see how their albums continuing to sell well is a big accomplishment on his part.

 

[broon]

For current living drummers I'd have to go with Peart. Even though he's old he's still learning and Rush isn't his only project. It may be old but he did the Burning for Buddy tribute CD (that was his project). He also studied under Krupa. He also writes all the lyrics...how many drummers do that? Not to mention the books he's written. Granted...he's about 30 years older than any other drummer in his class so he's had more time.

 

[Sureshot324]

"I've watched how successful Kim Kardashian became and I think a lot of it was due to the release of her sex tape."

"The first time is really nerve racking ... but, I have a lot of at-home experience."

lol

 

[broon]

"I've watched how successful Kim Kardashian became and I think a lot of it was due to the release of her sex tape."

"The first time is really nerve racking ... but, I have a lot of at-home experience."

lol

Are you suggesting Peart or Portnoy release a sex tape? Or maybe Tommy Lee is the most successful drummer?

 

[dawp]

"I've watched how successful Kim Kardashian became and I think a lot of it was due to the release of her sex tape."

"The first time is really nerve racking ... but, I have a lot of at-home experience."

lol

I think you're in the wrong thread. you want this one.

 

[alkemyst]

Neil Peart

 

[CPA]

Sweet Jesus

Better Buddy Rich "solo"

 

[Homerboy]

Sweet Jesus

No doubt.
Animal tore that shit up!
My vote goes to Animal now.

 

[Spineshank]

he's only known as a drummer for 2 bands (does he still play drums for QOTSA?), and even then barely anyone knows him for crooked vultures.

Nirvana, Probot, and Them Crooked Vultures.

 

[SearchMaster]

No doubt.
Animal tore that shit up!
My vote goes to Animal now.

This. My wife proudly wears an Animal t-shirt, but I've never seen a Buddy Rich, Mike Portnoy, Josh Freese, or any other drummer t-shirt.

Therefore based on the criteria outlined in the OP, Animal wins.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Carter Beauford?

 

[BassBomb]

little drummer boy?

 

[Eli]

Lars?

:sneaky:

/runs out of thread, giggling

 

[MetalMat]

Carmine Appice? He has been a shitload of bands and has a rockin' stash.

 

[SP33Demon]

Definitely Neil Peart. I saw him 2 summers ago and he's incredible, even as an old man. His drum kit has electonic drums that surpass Portnoy's level IMO. He's the best because he's so versatile, e.g. he can successfully drum in different genres like jazz. Peart uses many more experimental MIDI sounds than Portnoy with his electronic drums. His digital sound sample library is extensively amazing... and the unique sounds in conjunction with his crazy time sig's add a creativity to his solos that Portnoy cannot match.

Portnoy is good and may even surpass Peart in technical ability (young arms vs old) but I wasn't impressed with his performance on "Nightmare". In fact, I think the Rev (Avenged Sevenfold's dead drummer) was an all around better talent because he provided amazing backup vocals + very very good technical skill (almost on Portnoy's level). Their Nightmare CD sounded very hollow without Rev's vocals and Portnoy's drumming was mediocre IMO.

Portnoy on Peart in Modern Drummer interview from 10/2007:

My biggest and most obvious progressive drumming influence was Neil Peart. Before I heard Rush I was into The Who, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles. Neil Peart’s drumming was the first time I’d ever heard a drummer playing a lot of odd time signatures, and his massive kit was immediately intriguing to me. The way he created drum parts that played such a lead role on the early Rush albums captured me. I couldn’t listen to Hemispheres, 2112, Permanent Waves, or Moving Pictures without immediately being drawn to the drumming. I was one of the kids obsessed with Rush and the drumming of Neil Peart in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

http://www.moderndrummer.com/updatefull/200001603/Mike%20Portnoy

As far as accomplishments:

Peart - writes Rush's lyrics, wrote 4 books, youngest drummer to make the Hall of Fame (beating Portnoy by 6 years), Modern Drummer awards: Best Rock Drummer X9 (no longer eligible for the award lol) and won Multi-PercussionistX4, Percussion IntrumentalsX1, Best All AroundX1, Best Promising New Drummer (early career), Best Instructional Video (2006 Anatomy of a Drum Solo), Best Drum Recording of the 80's (and 2007), and Best Recorded Performance X16 for every tour he's ever done.

DRUMS! magazine: He's either swept or flip-flopped runner up from 2007 - 2010 with Portnoy for Best Progressive and Mainstream Pop drummer and beaten Portnoy every year for Drummer of the Year.

With Rush, 24 gold and 14 platinum albums which are third only to the Beatles and R.Stones for most consecutive gold or platinum albums. They also have Canadian Hall of Fame status and estimated 40 million sold worldwide.

Portnoy - writes many of DT's lyrics, and has Modern Drummer awards:
"Best Up & Coming Talent" "Best Clinician"X2, "Best Educational Video/DVD"X2, "Best recorded performance"X6 and "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" X12 (for 12 consecutive years). Also Has 10 bootlegs out.

With Dream Theater, a couple of gold albums but no platinum. They have an estimated 8 million sold worldwide.

So all in all, I think ability wise: Peart by a little because he uses more electonic sampling, then Portnoy who is probably better technically off youth alone, and then everyone else. Overall resume: Peart by a mile with Rush and pretty even with respect to Modern Drummer awards where they are annually awarding Portnoy Best Progressive + Educational stuff (Clinician, Instuctional) and Peart Best Rock + Recorded Performance.

Some pics of their amazing kits:

Peart's Time Machine tour (current) kit:
http://traviswhitmore.com/post/820956388/themurph-neil-pearts-steampunk-inspired-drum

Portnoy's Progressive Nation tour kit:
http://www.metalsucks.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/prognationdrummers.jpg

 

[JulesMaximus]

Ginger Baker

 

[TwiceOver]

Peart's Time Machine tour (current) kit:
http://traviswhitmore.com/post/820956388/themurph-neil-pearts-steampunk-inspired-drum

Whoa!

 

[TechBoyJK]

Definitely Neil Peart. I saw him 2 summers ago and he's incredible, even as an old man. His drum kit has electonic drums that surpass Portnoy's level IMO. He's the best because he's so versatile, e.g. he can successfully drum in different genres like jazz. Peart uses many more experimental MIDI sounds than Portnoy with his electronic drums. His digital sound sample library is extensively amazing... and the unique sounds in conjunction with his crazy time sig's add a creativity to his solos that Portnoy cannot match.

Portnoy is good and may even surpass Peart in technical ability (young arms vs old) but I wasn't impressed with his performance on "Nightmare". In fact, I think the Rev (Avenged Sevenfold's dead drummer) was an all around better talent because he provided amazing backup vocals + very very good technical skill (almost on Portnoy's level). Their Nightmare CD sounded very hollow without Rev's vocals and Portnoy's drumming was mediocre IMO.

So all in all, I think it's still: Peart by a little then Portnoy and then everyone else.

Portnoy on Peart in Modern Drummer interview from 10/2007:

http://www.moderndrummer.com/updatefull/200001603/Mike%20Portnoy

Some pics of their amazing kits:

Peart's Time Machine tour (current) kit:
http://traviswhitmore.com/post/820956388/themurph-neil-pearts-steampunk-inspired-drum

Portnoy's Progressive Nation tour kit:
http://www.metalsucks.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/prognationdrummers.jpg

Interesting approach. Yea, if you ask Portnoy the same question, he would Peart. If anybody would know, it'd be portnoy. Regards to Nightmare.. Portnoy was only playing what REV had played in the demos. If you listen to the Nightmare demo, it's obvious that Portnoy had very little creative input into the drumlines. He might as well had been a violinist reading sheet music in an orchestra.

 

[oogabooga]

In a bizzaro world where Protney is older, Peart might list him as a reference/inspiration. It just happens with drummers. You listen to whats out there an try to improve on it.

Again, its what makes this topic frustrating. Trying to define "Accomplished" is like trying to define "best"

For me : My favorite is Carter Beauford, but I wouldn't argue he's the most "accomplished". I'd probably go with Peart for that since he probably covers the most bases.