10 Best Hard Rock Drummers Of The '90s

Rock had certainly come a long way from its bluesy roots once it reached the '90s. With every other band having a weird bent to their sound, the Red Hot Chili Peppers emerged like funk gods who just so happened to have kickass rock songs under their belt. Though they went through their fair share of drummers in the early days, nothing congealed quite right until Chad Smith found his way behind the kit.

Instead of the art rock stylings of someone like Cliff Martinez or Jack Irons, Smith was the shot in the arm that these funk rockers needed, complete with a natural groove that was both syncopated while also having that hard rock muscle to drive the point home. While funk rock is where Smith really thrives, he also has a surprising amount of diversity in his material.

A lot of people forget that a song like Under the Bridge has no other percussion than a hi hat and a cross stick for a good 60% of the song. That kind of playing is the what you get from drummers who know how to sit in the song and play for whatever the track may need. Any Chilis' songs could have been a showcase for Smith's technique, and yet he's just as comfortable hanging in the back and just pumping out the best groove he knows how.