Neil Peart is he the best rock drummer of all time

[upstateNYfan]

I do agree it is subjective. Perhaps a better question is "Is he the most influential?"

 

If this is the question, the answer is obvious.

 

Longevity speaks volumes. Longevity with accolades is without peer.

 

[lerxt1990]

Mickey Dolenz is the greatest drummer to ever live.

[HowItIs]

I'm not a drummer so I don't feel I can make that judgement. I know that I love him, though.

[vital signz]

QUOTE (tel @ Jul 2 2012, 12:49 PM)

QUOTE (DBJetsman @ Jun 22 2012, 07:46 PM) QUOTE (tel @ Jun 22 2012, 11:17 AM) Keith moon is vastly overated. once again the hype and the legend outweigh the the talent. Keith moon was all animation with little of any substance to back it up. sure he was one of rocks great characters but imo not a great drummer. 100% correct.   Might as well be Animal from the Muppets playing.   Jesus Christ the man was so effing drugged out at the Cow Palace performance (check youTube) that The Who called up a guy out of the audience to sit in with the band. Pretty much no one could do that with Neil, or Gavin, or Portnoy, or Palmer, or many of the other names mentioned...   I am a mediocre drummer and I could play most of The Who's catalog. Now I might not do it with the maniacal flair of Keith Moon, but hey it would sound good.   I give Keith kudos for his incredible showmanship, and influence. A lot of guys loved his performances and that attracted them to the instrument and passion for hard hitting, hard rock performance. Few guys were as fun to watch as Keith, but it wasn't for his ability, it was for his "performance"...   Sorry, if anyone disagrees, but it's the truth.

[BigBob]

Yes.

[ThinkingBig]

QUOTE (DBJetsman @ Jun 22 2012, 12:58 PM)

No, he is 2nd all time to Keith Moon.

Keith Moon selfishly robbed the world of his talent.

 

NP is everything Moon and Bonham were and more.

 

 

If greatness is determined by the positive effect you have on others, then NP has touched more drummers than both of them combined.

 

 

[Leslie145]

QUOTE (vital signz @ Jul 9 2012, 07:36 AM)

QUOTE (tel @ Jul 2 2012, 12:49 PM) QUOTE (DBJetsman @ Jun 22 2012, 07:46 PM) QUOTE (tel @ Jun 22 2012, 11:17 AM) Keith moon is vastly overated. once again the hype and the legend outweigh the the talent. Keith moon was all animation with little of any substance to back it up. sure he was one of rocks great characters but imo not a great drummer. 100% correct.   Might as well be Animal from the Muppets playing. Gotta say I agree with the above - Moon was (in my humble opinion) fair to middling in the studio (where they could do take after take until he sobered up/finally got it right), but live... all over the place.   Now Mr Peart (praise him from whom all blessings come) however...   So far as style/sound/technique are concerned, he's without doubt my favorite drummer of all time, but that's just me - I know there may be better drummers out there, but Mr P is my favorite, so yah boo shucks, up yer bum & no returns!   Joking aside though, I do think there are many drummers in the genre who've been hugely influenced by his style & even outside the genre, I think many would cite him as one of the best drummers of his generation.

[The Vigilante]

A good year to see alot of these drummers mentioned ... Iv'e got my tickets for Maiden and Rush so far for this year. so im a happy camper knowing i will see Peart and Nico for sure ...

[rushpepe]

For me NP is definitely at the top of MY favorite drummers. However I am and old time rocker from the 70's-80's and probably my favorite hands down is Phil Ehart of Kansas. I saw them in concert as many times as Rush and also have all their albums. The earliest stuff was the best. Phil was the smoothest drummer I have ever seen and made it seem so effortless. His solos ranked right up with NP. I even give him the edge as far as his snare play goes.

[Leslie145]

QUOTE (rushpepe @ Jul 10 2012, 07:25 PM)

For me NP is definitely at the top of MY favorite drummers. However I am and old time rocker from the 70's-80's and probably my favorite hands down is Phil Ehart of Kansas

Good call - PE is a cracking drummer

[lightyears]

I only saw one mention of Carl Palmer here. How is that possible? Makes my head explode 90% of the time i hear him.

[New Digital Man]

QUOTE (lightyears @ Jul 11 2012, 12:33 PM)

I only saw one mention of Carl Palmer here. How is that possible? Makes my head explode 90% of the time i hear him.

Maybe because he's a one dimensional drummer who was quite popular with a small minority of people well over thirty years ago and has lived on his reputation of playing weird complex music that most people can't relate to and since the demise of ELP has resorted to entertaining about fifty people in pubs and clubs around the UK! And yes i do like ELP!

[nappy2112]

QUOTE (ILSnwdog @ Jun 22 2012, 02:32 PM)

QUOTE (Gompers @ Jun 22 2012, 01:14 PM) There is no such thing as best drummer, same as best painter, best actor, etc...it is all subjective. He's my favorite. I don't believe in the concept of a best drummer ever...it's too damn subjective.

[lightyears]

QUOTE (New Digital Man @ Jul 11 2012, 04:13 PM)

QUOTE (lightyears @ Jul 11 2012, 12:33 PM) I only saw one mention of Carl Palmer here. How is that possible? Makes my head explode 90% of the time i hear him. Maybe because he's a one dimensional drummer who was quite popular with a small minority of people well over thirty years ago and has lived on his reputation of playing weird complex music that most people can't relate to and since the demise of ELP has resorted to entertaining about fifty people in pubs and clubs around the UK! And yes i do like ELP! Mayne people say RUSH plays weird complex music that people cant relate to.   I also don't see how you can say he was one-dimensional.