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Led Zeppelin IV: Four Cymbals (arf!)

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A new poll of the Top 50 Greatest Drum Albums is dominated by Led Zeppelin, who have an impressive five albums in the Top 50. The list, published by Rhythm magazine, takes into account the votes of the mag’s writers as well as many of the star drummers the magazine has interviewed over the last five years, including Dave Grohl, Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys) and Steve White (Paul Weller).

Top honours go to Led Zeppelin’s fourth album (featuring the drum double-whammy of Stairway To Heaven and When The Levee Breaks), with The Beatles’ Abbey Road coming in second.

There are some notable omissions in this list, though. There are no albums by Cream featuring Ginger Baker, and the only albums in the Top 10 made in the last 30 years both feature Dave Grohl.

MusicRadar wonders; are they not making truly great drummers any more?

Here’s the Top 50 albums countdown…

#50 The Who - Live At Leeds (1970)
Drummer: Keith Moon

#49 Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds Of Fire (1973)
Drummer: Billy Cobham

#48 James Brown – Live At The Apollo (1962)
Drummers: John ‘Jabo’ Starks and Clyde Stubblefield
Watch the funk legends here

#47 Iron Maiden – Number Of The Beast (1982)
Drummer: Clive Burr

#46 Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters (1973)
Drummer: Harvey Mason

#45 David Bowie – The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust (1972)
Drummer: Woody Woodmansey

#44 Pantera – Vulgar Display (1992)
Drummer: Vinnie Paul
Watch album highlight Becoming

#43 Van Halen – Van Halen (1978)
Drummer: Alex Van Halen

#42 Radiohead – Ok Computer (1997)
Drummer: Phil Selway

#41 Tool – Aenima (1996)
Drummer: Danny Carey

#40 Metallica - …And Justice For All (1988)
Drummer: Lars Ulrich

#39 Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold As Love (1967)
Drummer: Mitch Mitchell

#38 Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977)
Drummer: Mick Fleetwood

#37 Mastodon – Leviathan (2004)
Drummer: Brann Dailor

#36 Jeff Buckley – Grace (1994)
Drummer: Matt Johnson

#35 The Beatles – Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Drummer: Ringo Starr

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