The Most Influential Drummers of All Time

Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac)

A drummer who never seemed to be working in his personal style, Fleetwood was praised for being able to act instinctively and to add flair that felt weird but not out of place. Plus, he was the guy who figured out the time signature for Dreams, which is arguably one of the best songs ever made.

Billy Cobham (Miles Davis)

First seen on Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, Cobham has been a consistently mentioned figure in practically all modern music since. Cobham is cited as an inspiration for King Crimson's In the Hall of the Crimson King, and even Phil Collins himself said that Billy Cobham played some of the finest drummings he had heard on a record, ever. For reference, Phil Collins is one of the greatest drummers who ever lived as well. 

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The More You Know

  • Metallica is the only band to perform on all seven continents.
  • When Prince was a kid, his father put him on stage at a James Brown concert where he danced with the singer until security took him off the stage.
  • Layne Staley asked Jerry Cantrell to play in a funk band and agreed to sing in Cantrell’s band in exchange. The funk band didn’t last but Cantrell’s band became Alice in Chains.
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd is named after a high school teacher, Leonard Skinner, who suspended students for having long hair.
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Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.