Earl Young
This guy was in a few bands, did a couple of Blue Note Recordings, backed some big acts, but his greatest contribution was… Inventing disco. Earl Young was the first drummer to kick on all 4 beats of a measure and improvise over it and brought it to dance halls. Once disco hit the radio, every drummer knew Earl's name. He left behind a legacy that drove an entire genre, hell, he drove an entire generation.
Mick Avory (The Kinks)
60s teen-pop bands were known for cool outfits, trendy haircuts, and soft drummers. That is until the Beatles started contending with Led Zeppelin, and The Kinks had to play catchup. Avory was replaced by a studio drummer on “You Really Got Me,” although he did get to play tambourine. Avory innovated in his own way, creating a style that was one part swing, one part soul, one part rock, and one part his own. He was courted by the Rolling Stones later on in his career and was later kicked out in 1984 presumably because he and Dave Davies fought so frequently. However, he left behind a legacy, and many musicians consider him to be the grandfather of punk drumming.
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