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Led Zeppelin dominate new drum poll

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The MusicRadar Team, Fri 22 Feb 2008, 1:15 pm UTC

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

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User comments (14)

  • SimonJohnOwen

    Avatar for SimonJohnOwen

    34 weeks ago.

    Where is Phil Collins on this list , one of the greatest drummers ever ?

    Mark as inappropriate

  • MS

    Avatar for MS

    36 weeks ago.

    No Matt Sorum ??

    Mark as inappropriate

  • peacock1987

    Avatar for peacock1987

    36 weeks ago.

    travis barker on blink 182's self titled album has sum excellent drum sounds and beats as well as speed. all round gr8!!

    Mark as inappropriate

  • murphyia

    Avatar for murphyia

    40 weeks ago.

    No Lateralus by Tool (and on that note, how the hell is Aenima so low in the list?!?) Danny Carey is spectacular...

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  • FatBob

    Avatar for FatBob

    40 weeks ago.

    Where's Taylor Hawkins? And Chad Smith? Blood Sugar is a fantastic drumming album. Agree about Neil Peart too. And Tony Thompson.
    I'm glad Keith Moon's only 50 - he's overrated, in my view. People who can't play the drums usually go on about how good he is - just because they notice him on his records.

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  • acedrums

    Avatar for acedrums

    40 weeks ago.

    right, any self respecting list would have Neil Peart in the top 5. and Ringo Starr?!?!
    Reporter: "Is Ringo Starr the best drummer in the world?"
    John Lennon: "He's not even the best drummer in The Beatles"
    That says it all.
    The Rev from Avenged Sevenfold is up there with the best too. He is totally inventive and technically stunning.
    The new Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen is worth checking out too. Mind blowing. watch the new track played on David Letterman to see him rip.

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  • Elvis2

    Avatar for Elvis2

    40 weeks ago.

    Wheres Bill Bruford? There was some truly amazing drumming on the King Crimson albums..

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  • highway_star

    Avatar for highway_star

    40 weeks ago.

    Zep 4 the ultimate drum album??!!! must be more 16 year olds on this forum than I thought.

    Mark as inappropriate

  • Gojirosan

    Avatar for Gojirosan

    40 weeks ago.

    Jaki Leibezeit? Tony Thompson? COME ON!

    Mark as inappropriate

  • brendonmasters

    Avatar for brendonmasters

    40 weeks ago.

    where is carter, or deloused in the comatorium? or france the mute? or don caballero?

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