10 Greatest Drummers In Rock Music History
2. John Bonham - Led Zeppelin
Being behind the drum kit doesn't really give you that many options to write songs. Even though you have the job of providing the back beat to every single track, there's only so much that you can do when you just have a rhythm as your job. Drumming has always been a primal talent though, and John Bonham showed just what was possible when you released the animal inside.
Complete with the roughish exterior of a bull, Bonzo's drumming style is one of the most chaotic you will ever find in the world of rock and roll. Like a lot of the funk drummers of the time, Bonham always worked best when playing slightly behind the beat, giving the rest of the band a smooth foundation for the riffs to follow. When it was his time to shine though, Bonham didn't take any prisoners.
From the sound of the ending of Moby Dick, it almost feels like you're witnessing Bonham commit drum-icide, playing with relentless force and eventually giving up on sticks entirely and playing the drums entirely with his limbs. Towards the end, you'd swear that the guy has four hands to get that much sound out of a single drum kit.
Though his friends knew him for his more excessive lifestyle, the real mark that Bonzo left on rock is just how much power you need to have as a drummer.