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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

#34 Buddy Rich Big Band – Big Swing Face (1967)
Drummer: Buddy Rich

#33 Pantera – Far Beyond Driven (1994)
Drummer: Vinnie Paul

#32 Chick Corea – Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968)
Drummer: Roy Haynes

#31 The Police - Ghost In The Machine (1981)
Drummer: Stewart Copeland

#30 Sting – Ten Summoner’s Tales (1993)
Drummer: Vinnie Colaiuta
Watch the album’s drumming high point, Seven Days

#29 Sly And The Family Stone – Fresh (1973)
Drummer: Andy Newmark

#28 Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy (1973)
Drummer: John Bonham

#27 Metallica – Master Of Puppets (1986)
Drummer: Lars Ulrich

#26 Mahavishnu Orchestra – The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)
Drummer: Billy Cobham

#25 Frank Zappa – Joe’s Garage: Act 1 (1979)
Drummer: Vinnie Colaiuta

#24 Buddy Rich – Swingin’ New Big Band (1966)
Drummer: Buddy Rich

#23 Billy Cobham – Spectrum (1973)
Drummer: Billy Cobham
Here’s Cobham in 2006

#22 The Police – Outlandos D’Amour (1978)
Drummer: Stewart Copeland

#21 Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)
Drummers: Stevie Wonder, Greg Brown and Raymond Lee Pounds

#20 Slayer – Reign In Blood (1986)
Drummer: Dave Lombardo

#19 Soundgarden – Superunknown (1994)
Drummer: Matt Cameron

#18 Miles Davis – Four And More (1964)
Drummer: Tony Williams

#17 Deep Purple – Made In Japan (1972)
Drummer: Ian Paice

#16 Stevie Wonder – Innervisions (1973)
Drummer: Stevie Wonder
Check out this Stevie Wonder drum duet

#15 AC/DC – Back In Black (1980)
Drummer: Phil Rudd

#14 Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1969)
Drummer: John Bonham

#13 Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)
Drummer: Neil Peart

#12 The Beatles – Revolver (1966)
Drummer: Ringo Starr

#11 The Police – Regatta De Blanc (1979)
Drummer: Stewart Copeland

#10 Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced (1967)
Drummer: Mitch Mitchell

#9 John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (1964)
Drummer: Elvin Jones

#8 Queens Of The Stone Age – Songs For The Deaf (2002)
Drummer: Dave Grohl
Here’s QOTSA at Glastonbury 2002 with DG on drums

#7 Steely Dan – Aja (1977)
Drummers: Purdie, Gadd, Greene, Humphrey, Keltner and Marotta

#6 Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Drummer: John Bonham

#5 Miles Davis – Nefertiti (1967)
Drummer: Tony Williams

#4 Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)
Drummer: Dave Grohl

#3 Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975)
Drummer: John Bonham

#2 The Beatles – Abbey Road (1969)
Drummer: Ringo Starr

#1 Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
Drummer: John Bonham
See Stairway To Heaven