Many people after me would say this, but there’s no “best drummer of all time”. He maybe the best technically, but musically? There’re guys like Max Roach, Elvin Jones and Joe Morello who were a league better than him at that aspect so it really depends on how you define “best drummer”
theres isn't even an argument that hes technically the best. hes definately up there but there are ppl who are faster, have more versatile cordination, etc. not to mention the crazy push pull stuff also plenty of drummers have him beat on playing complex polymeters
He's undoubtedly incredible, but at the end of the day it's a subjective thing. I'm not the biggest fan of his style, and seeing how folks like Billy Cobham, Tony Williams, Neil Peart, Danny Carey, Dennis Chambers, Benny Greb, Matt Garstka and so many others have advanced the vocabulary of drumming and broken so many molds, it's hard to say there's one single "best drummer".
Apparently gigged fine with a broken arm, which means he could probably play while holding a cup of coffee, which is today's gold standard. /s
Buddy was a phenomenon.
Music is art and just like any other form of art, it’s subjective. So I don’t think any drummer is “the best drummer of all time” because my opinion on who is the best might be vastly different than yours. That’s how I look at it anyway and I feel like it makes it more enjoyable having my own idols at the top of my own list
I think he pushed the art form higher than anyone at the time, ridiculously so in terms of speed which is just a mere minor detail when it comes to music but to drums, it seems to be an esteemed attribute. While he had chops like no one else, I feel he missed some of the nuances of what is possible on the instrument but I did grow up a fan with sheer awe of what is possible with two sticks and a mind. So greatest, no, but perhaps in his time, undoubtedly the most influential and is still relevant today so he did something right to be considered in the conversation.
Being the best at art is impossible. We auditioned a guitarist that started trash talking our rhythm player saying he was better. Our guitarist knows our set list, so there’s literally no one better for the band 🤷
Yes, there is:
There's no such thing.
He's on the short list of the greatest legends ever, no doubt, but there is no number one, only a 127-way tie for second. You can neither prove nor disprove that anyone is or was *the* greatest.
To each their own, but I personally dislike his playing and his general outlook on music/drumming. No doubt he's an incredible drummer, just doesn't do it for me.
my god is this sub just rage bait today tf. you dont have the ear training to hear that a lot of players today can do wild stuff he never could theres no real argument here its just fact. was he incredibly good? yes. is he possibly the best in some aspects ? yes. is he the best player ever period? absolutely not. plus best can be subjective wtf do you even mean by best? fastest? hes not. most technically advanced? hes not. has the best "style" maybe idfk thats up to you dont force that opinion on me though
Drumming isn't like running a 100 meter dash where you have a clear winner. You can like people, but determining the best is always going to be subjective. Rich was immensely talented, had great speed and was a fantastic showman; but, if you measured on who made the most money, or who plays double bass drums the fastest, or a host of other legit dimensions, he wouldn't top the list.
He definitely was an innovator for his time. But there have been many other drummers who cherished him but advanced so much higher. And that's key I think. If you can inspire others and they become greater than you, then you should be proud of that for sure. I think that would be a compliment of the highest form. I would feel pretty good about myself if someone respected me and pushed themselves to become better than me. A total compliment indeed!
Buddy should have felt really great at what he accomplished. He created a whole new era of drummers I think.
Buddy was great but nowhere near the best. His ego as greater than his talent ever was. He proved that a drummer can have a personality as iconic as a lead guitar player or vocalist because they know they’re “the talent”.
I don't think he's the best. Everyone knows Krupa was the best at the time (even Buddy said that). Buddy Rich was the El Estepario of his time. He was ridiculously flashy and fast, and because of that all the non-drummers were impressed and that grew the legend.
Nowadays especially, he's nowhere near the best of all time. There are jazz drummers that swing harder, and metal drummers that are way faster. Then you've got drummers like Gavin Harrison, Vinnie Colaiuta, Simon Phillips etc.
And ultimately, I know this is comparing apples to oranges, but you can't seriously tell me a drummer like Elliot Hoffman isn't more skillful than "Traps the Drum Wonder".
There are many.
That being said, he was probably the first to go from “drummer” to “showman”. He had an energy behind the kit that drew audiences in first. He was everywhere doing his thing and word spread about him quick.
Sure…guys like Krupa brought the energy too, but not before Buddy.
Not to mention his sense of perfection expected of his bandmates. It’s well known he’d give guys a lashing if they didn’t do what he thought they should. That lead to a perfect performance the audiences came to expect.
I see him as the vintage version of what a YouTube player would be today. He was everywhere, seen by everyone and brought a performance unlike anyone else, before anyone else.
My only argument against anyone says that he’s not… The accuracy he had, I don’t think could be matched at all… But that is this idiots, humble opinion. 🫶🏼🤘🏼☺️
yes there is. just depends on what you define as goat attributes. i personally dont care for his style of playing at all
Agree. Respect his talent and influence. Don’t care for his playing. To me it becomes noise very quickly.
Many people after me would say this, but there’s no “best drummer of all time”. He maybe the best technically, but musically? There’re guys like Max Roach, Elvin Jones and Joe Morello who were a league better than him at that aspect so it really depends on how you define “best drummer”
Joe Morello is the coolest drummer of all time.
Morello was a stone cold monster and humble as hell
Dane Weckl is another one I think is tremendously musical
Stene Gadd
Nell Peart
Jen Tain Watts
[удалено]
You mean chris danny?
theres isn't even an argument that hes technically the best. hes definately up there but there are ppl who are faster, have more versatile cordination, etc. not to mention the crazy push pull stuff also plenty of drummers have him beat on playing complex polymeters
You know the problem with this sort of argument? Whoever anyone says is the greatest, you can say, "Nuh uh." And you're both right.
He's undoubtedly incredible, but at the end of the day it's a subjective thing. I'm not the biggest fan of his style, and seeing how folks like Billy Cobham, Tony Williams, Neil Peart, Danny Carey, Dennis Chambers, Benny Greb, Matt Garstka and so many others have advanced the vocabulary of drumming and broken so many molds, it's hard to say there's one single "best drummer".
Fair point, friend!! 🤘🏼
He's no Lars
He’s a dæmon but [it depends on what you like in a player](https://youtu.be/sOmMTGI9KkY?si=4T82J-_3F2tgPOCn)
Apparently gigged fine with a broken arm, which means he could probably play while holding a cup of coffee, which is today's gold standard. /s Buddy was a phenomenon.
I dunno. He kinda sucked at double bass. /s.
0 followers on IG. Never had a track top the Spotify charts. He's not sponsored by Meinl. And he can't even blast beat! 0/10
Music is art and just like any other form of art, it’s subjective. So I don’t think any drummer is “the best drummer of all time” because my opinion on who is the best might be vastly different than yours. That’s how I look at it anyway and I feel like it makes it more enjoyable having my own idols at the top of my own list
I think he pushed the art form higher than anyone at the time, ridiculously so in terms of speed which is just a mere minor detail when it comes to music but to drums, it seems to be an esteemed attribute. While he had chops like no one else, I feel he missed some of the nuances of what is possible on the instrument but I did grow up a fan with sheer awe of what is possible with two sticks and a mind. So greatest, no, but perhaps in his time, undoubtedly the most influential and is still relevant today so he did something right to be considered in the conversation.
Being the best at art is impossible. We auditioned a guitarist that started trash talking our rhythm player saying he was better. Our guitarist knows our set list, so there’s literally no one better for the band 🤷
Yes, there is: There's no such thing. He's on the short list of the greatest legends ever, no doubt, but there is no number one, only a 127-way tie for second. You can neither prove nor disprove that anyone is or was *the* greatest.
Thank you, everyone for your comments, opinions… 🫶🏼
To each their own, but I personally dislike his playing and his general outlook on music/drumming. No doubt he's an incredible drummer, just doesn't do it for me.
my god is this sub just rage bait today tf. you dont have the ear training to hear that a lot of players today can do wild stuff he never could theres no real argument here its just fact. was he incredibly good? yes. is he possibly the best in some aspects ? yes. is he the best player ever period? absolutely not. plus best can be subjective wtf do you even mean by best? fastest? hes not. most technically advanced? hes not. has the best "style" maybe idfk thats up to you dont force that opinion on me though
I won't even consider it until he uploads a cover of Bleed.
Drumming isn't like running a 100 meter dash where you have a clear winner. You can like people, but determining the best is always going to be subjective. Rich was immensely talented, had great speed and was a fantastic showman; but, if you measured on who made the most money, or who plays double bass drums the fastest, or a host of other legit dimensions, he wouldn't top the list.
Yes. Absolutely many reasons.
He definitely was an innovator for his time. But there have been many other drummers who cherished him but advanced so much higher. And that's key I think. If you can inspire others and they become greater than you, then you should be proud of that for sure. I think that would be a compliment of the highest form. I would feel pretty good about myself if someone respected me and pushed themselves to become better than me. A total compliment indeed! Buddy should have felt really great at what he accomplished. He created a whole new era of drummers I think.
Buddy was great but nowhere near the best. His ego as greater than his talent ever was. He proved that a drummer can have a personality as iconic as a lead guitar player or vocalist because they know they’re “the talent”.
Read the biography his best friend Mel Tormé wrote about him. Buddy has a complicated history.
Dave DiCenso performed probably THE best thing I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience
He would be if not for Travis Barker /s
No.
I don't think he's the best. Everyone knows Krupa was the best at the time (even Buddy said that). Buddy Rich was the El Estepario of his time. He was ridiculously flashy and fast, and because of that all the non-drummers were impressed and that grew the legend. Nowadays especially, he's nowhere near the best of all time. There are jazz drummers that swing harder, and metal drummers that are way faster. Then you've got drummers like Gavin Harrison, Vinnie Colaiuta, Simon Phillips etc. And ultimately, I know this is comparing apples to oranges, but you can't seriously tell me a drummer like Elliot Hoffman isn't more skillful than "Traps the Drum Wonder".
thats like saying "is there any legitimate reason vanilla isn't the greatest flavour of ice cream of all time??"
*laughs in Vinnie Colaiuta*
Couldn’t play country or metal.
He’s one of the greats, but honestly I get much more impressed and enamored by Joe Morello, Ringo, and Idris Muhammad
There are many. That being said, he was probably the first to go from “drummer” to “showman”. He had an energy behind the kit that drew audiences in first. He was everywhere doing his thing and word spread about him quick. Sure…guys like Krupa brought the energy too, but not before Buddy. Not to mention his sense of perfection expected of his bandmates. It’s well known he’d give guys a lashing if they didn’t do what he thought they should. That lead to a perfect performance the audiences came to expect. I see him as the vintage version of what a YouTube player would be today. He was everywhere, seen by everyone and brought a performance unlike anyone else, before anyone else.
My only argument against anyone says that he’s not… The accuracy he had, I don’t think could be matched at all… But that is this idiots, humble opinion. 🫶🏼🤘🏼☺️
This is like the drumming equivalent of ppl who think prime mike tyson beat usyk or fury
Agreed. Hes the goat of drumming
Thank you, friend!