10 Most Underrated Drummers In Rock

Why do drummers always end up getting the short end of the stick in rock bands? Despite being the main backbeat behind every song, every other drummer ends up getting the sour reputation as 'the dumb one' who just sits in the back and bangs on things for a living. Though there have been many significant drummers in rock's pantheon, millions more monsters behind the kit have been sorely neglected.

Then again, it's pretty easy to see why the member with the least star power is the one who is literally stuck behind a kit for the majority of their performance. Whereas many people like to focus on the guitar players or singers in these bands, none of them would have been where they are today if it wasn't for these rhythmic monsters providing the foundation for them.

While some drummers are content with just hanging back and being badass in the background of rock and roll, other rhythmic monsters are relegated to the bottom slot of their respective acts by being either overshadowed by the more interesting members or for the more ill-advised moments in their career. The world has had their fair share of guitar heroes...now it's time to take a look at the experts behind the kit who deserve much more love than they probably get.

Rock fans really need to drop the idea that the Sex Pistols had no talent. Even though their look and sound were a hell of a lot different than their counterparts at the time, there was a lot more at work than just a bunch of punks wanting to bang away on their instruments. With Johnny Rotten already belting out some of the foulest lyrics imaginable, Paul Cook was the one who really sent the band into overdrive.

From a pure musical perspective, Cook is pretty much the same kind of drummer you would come to expect, with a style that almost seems reminiscent of someone like Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones. On the other hand, the real innovative part was how he approached the actual drumkit. Rather than using the actual stick part of the drum stick, "Cooky" used the thicker edge of the stick, which resulted in a much fatter sound when they tore through songs like Holidays in the Sun or Anarchy in the UK.

Once that kind of forcefulness locked in with the guitar playing of Steve Jones, what was originally just your average rock song got its spine ripped out. Even with the notorious flameout of the Sex Pistols, Paul Cook is the one survivor of the punk scene who seemed the most in tune with the musical side of the drums.