11 points: Carl Palmer - Palmer is an extraordinarily tasteful player, if not a speed freak. Has a somewhat undeserved rep as a less-than-elite timekeeper, but his role in ELP was to fill sonic space and not to lay back in the pocket. Palmer excelled best live, where he was free to delve into his jazz-influenced solos. Listen to:
"Fanfare for the Common Man",
"Tarkus",
"Karn Evil 9"
12 points: Ginger Baker - Baker's thundering kick-bass and sonic assault on the cymbals provided the blueprint for the hard-rock and metal drumming to follow. Baker was not as quick as many on this list, but his drumming was as up-front as Clapton's guitar and Bruce's bass in the musical signature of Cream. Also known as one of rock drumming's great live improvisers. Listen to:
"Sunshine of Your Love",
"Toad",
"Rollin' & Tumblin' "
13 points: Mike Portnoy - Portnoy is tops in the current prog-metal scene. He can bring the speed of thrash with the tastefulness and fills of prog and traditional rock. A player with few apparent technical limits. He doesn't quite take over DT's sound the way several other players on this list do for their bands. Listen to:
"Stream of Conciousness",
"Acid Rain",
"Ytse Jam"
14 points: Terry Bozzio - Bozzio's an unquestionably elite player known for playing a famously huge multi-layered kit. Fast hands, faster feet, and uncanny skill with multiple rhythms (e.g. hands and feet playing different time signatures). His time in Missing Persons may have hurt his iconography somewhat, as he basically lost some prime years "slumming it" in new wave after leaving Zappa. Listen to:
"Tragic",
A Private Conversation in Music" (with Chad Wackerman),
"The Black Page", plus this
insane live solo from his Zappa days.
15 points: Vinnie Colaiuta - Nicknamed "The Alien", and possesses a world-class combination of speed, stylistic versatility, & musicality.
Higgins' post about Colaiuta in better than what I can hope to improve upon. Colaiuta and Peart are probably about neck-&-neck in virtuousity -- Colaiuta really only suffers in the Iconography/Influence crierion. Listen to:
"Central Scrutinizer" and "Joe's Garage" (Frank Zappa),
"Truth Be Told" (with Megadeth),
"Seven Days" (with Sting),
and a smooth jazz solo. He's also got great performances of "The Black Page" that I'm unable to turn up.
...
Notables passed over at this level: Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Jeff Porcaro (Boz Scaggs, Toto), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Blue Murder), Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger), Mike Shrieve (Santana), Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band), Alex Van Halen (Van Halen), Tony Thompson (Chic, The Power Station), Steve Gadd (Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, session man)