Modern Drummer's 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2014)
by 
AAL2014 
Here's a fun chart idea I came up with.. Modern Drummer Magazine, the same mag I've been subscribed to and thumbing through for almost 5 years, published a list of the 50 Greatest Drummers of all time voted by the readers back in 2014. I love lists and this was a very poignant list at the time for me. Of course with any list, there will be omissions. Everyone on this list is a very special and influential player so it's tough to say who should be on instead.
This chart is ordered the exact way the drummers were voted. The albums chosen are ones I think of as being the best (or one of the best) works by the artist, and the comments on each are my own. Drums have been an enormous part of my life for almost 10 years. I wouldn't be apart of this website without the drums choosing me to be apart of a spectacular rhythmic journey.
Here is my tribute to the drums, the greatest drummers, and the greatest drum magazine on the planet.
- Chart updated: 06/28/2017 21:15
- (Created: 08/23/2016 21:27).
- Chart size: 50 albums.
There are 3 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Modern Drummer's 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2014) has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 2 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from The New Tony Williams Lifetime. (Remove this filter)
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TONY WILLIAMS
The Legend: I've been playing drums since late November of 2008. Tony Williams has been a mainstay in my listening studies for about six months. In that short amount of time, much of my playing, soloing, and technique has changed (or I'm at least actively changing day by day). Tony's traditional grip, his meter, his vocabulary, his musicality, and his control and discipline in songs and solos just blow my mind. I could write a paragraph on his kit and it's tone alone. Tony's playing with Miles continues to open my mind to different realms of jazz and jazz drumming, and his solo work should be heard by every drummer on Earth. In my mind, Tony Williams is the most brilliant drummer ever.
The Album: So far, of all the work I've heard from Williams, this is the most well rounded and interesting on all accounts drumming to my ears. Songs like Fred, Proto-Cosmos, and Letsby show Tony's dexterity as a fusion player. The mini solos he plays around Holdsworth and co's riffs and mind-bending and tasteful. One minute you notice his chemistry with the bass player, the next with guitar, the next with the whole unit as they fire into some of the most brilliant jazz rock I've ever heard.
Best Performances: Proto-Cosmos, Black Comedy, Fred [First added to this chart: 08/24/2016]
The Legend: I've been playing drums since late November of 2008. Tony Williams has been a mainstay in my listening studies for about six months. In that short amount of time, much of my playing, soloing, and technique has changed (or I'm at least actively changing day by day). Tony's traditional grip, his meter, his vocabulary, his musicality, and his control and discipline in songs and solos just blow my mind. I could write a paragraph on his kit and it's tone alone. Tony's playing with Miles continues to open my mind to different realms of jazz and jazz drumming, and his solo work should be heard by every drummer on Earth. In my mind, Tony Williams is the most brilliant drummer ever.
The Album: So far, of all the work I've heard from Williams, this is the most well rounded and interesting on all accounts drumming to my ears. Songs like Fred, Proto-Cosmos, and Letsby show Tony's dexterity as a fusion player. The mini solos he plays around Holdsworth and co's riffs and mind-bending and tasteful. One minute you notice his chemistry with the bass player, the next with guitar, the next with the whole unit as they fire into some of the most brilliant jazz rock I've ever heard.
Best Performances: Proto-Cosmos, Black Comedy, Fred [First added to this chart: 08/24/2016]
Total albums: 1. Page 1 of 1
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Modern Drummer's 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2014) composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 4 | 8% | |
| 1960s | 8 | 16% | |
| 1970s | 14 | 28% | |
| 1980s | 12 | 24% | |
| 1990s | 3 | 6% | |
| 2000s | 8 | 16% | |
| 2010s | 1 | 2% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Frank Zappa | 2 | 4% | |
| Dream Theater | 2 | 4% | |
| Vital Information | 1 | 2% | |
| John Coltrane | 1 | 2% | |
| James Brown | 1 | 2% | |
| The Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Pete Brown, Jo Jones All-Stars | 1 | 2% | |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Modern Drummer's 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2014) chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Modern Drummer's 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2014) similar charts
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| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 06/15/2017 01:45 |  bobbyb5 | 725 | 90/100 |
| ! | 10/01/2016 12:41 | mostlymor | 45 | 89/100 |
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From AAL2014 06/15/2017 06:54 | #192622
AAL2014 06/15/2017 06:54 | #192622
Thank you Bobby. I appreciate that, I still have some work to go on this chart with comments and I still have a couple of these drummers to listen to so I can provide an honest comment on why they were voted onto this list. So hopefully you'll revisit later haha.
Karen Carpenter was indeed a great drummer. Unique player who had a lot of personality and made it come through in her playing. I haven't listened to a ton of the Carpenters' music however I've seen a number of awesome solo videos from her on YouTube. Pretty great snare chops.
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From bobbyb5 06/15/2017 01:49 | #192616
bobbyb5 06/15/2017 01:49 | #192616
That was very informative to someone like me who really doent shit about music. Heh heh. I like it. Ive heard people i know who play drums say that Karen Carpenter was actually a good drummer. Is that true? I thought they were joking but they weren't. Lol
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From mostlymor 10/01/2016 12:42 | #176130
Excellent chart, enjoyed your comments particularly.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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