10 Best Hard Rock Drummers Of The '90s

Prog wasn't necessarily a new genre once the '90s turned a corner. Ever since rock music took shape outside of the '70s, groups like Yes, Genesis, and Rush were already competing to see how many complicated solo runs could fit into the span of a single song. While most prog acts have a certain instrumental benchmark, Mike Portnoy is the one drummer who deserves to be in a class by himself.

Coming from the school of the old prog titans, Portnoy has become one of the most eclectic drummers of the modern age. Even though Portnoy has set many bars for himself across Dream Theater's discography, that comfortable backbeat he provides can fit with nearly any genre. Whether you put him in a funk jam, a 9 minute metallic opus, or just a Led Zeppelin like groove, none of the songs ever suffer because Portnoy is just that good.

Portnoy has also built up quite the rapport with major acts in the hard rock scene, having filled in on drums for bands as diverse as Twisted Sister and Avenged Sevenfold. He may have moved on to new horizons past his work with Dream Theater, but one can only imagine how many different sonic avenues could be explored if he entered the fold once again.