Top 5 Drummers

A few weeks ago Stylus Magazine put together a list of the best drummers ever. I liked much of what they did in spite of the "Oh, Duh"-ness of Kieth Moon/John Bonham topping the list. So as I love jumping on various bandwagons and I also love making lists I've opted to make on of my own. (In this list I must note I've taken Dave Grohl and Kieth Moon off the table.)

5. Igor Cavalera (Sepultura, SoulFly) Say what you will about heavy metal and world music fusion, you better have one of the top 7 best drummers ever if you're going to give it a shot. Unlike a lot of metal bands Sepultura leave gaping holes in their riffs, those wholes are filled with unholy rhythmic torrents anchored by Igor's unconventional kit work.

4. ?uestlove (The Roots) Technically Ahmir Thompson might be the best guy working today. As a result he's hired as a place holder on stage by the biggest names in hip-hop and r&b. In all these gigs people some times lose sight of just how impressive his depth of groove and nuance is. This guy should be playing incredibly complex jazz but is selfless enough to share his gifts through the magic of hip-hop.

3. Chris Frantz (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club) One of the most underrated figures in punk/new wave, Chris Frantz is the guy who gave David Byrne his swing. The value of Talking Heads albums was the way the awkwardness of the songs elements rubbed against the truly funky rhythmic bed rock of the band, this would hardly have been possible if Tina Weymouth's thumpety groove was not colored in by Frantz's more spacious strut.

2. Georgia Hubley (Yo La Tengo) Few bands allow there drummers the space to be both jazzy technical drummers and simplistic punky rock drummers in the same breath. Georgia is lucky to work in such a band and she excels at it. She's also the rare drummer who can sing and play without looking like a douche bag.

1. Roland 808 This guy has appeared on more albums than any musician ever and is the ideal drummer, they never interupt a band chat with a spontaneous symbol crash or a scattered fill. Also rarely gets drunk.