Best drums solos

May 26, 2005 1:51 AM

What songs, pieces of music or audio tracks contain the best drum solos ... ever
posted by ajbattrick to Media & Arts (51 answers total)

Deep Purple: The Mule
posted by peacay at 1:53 AM on May 26, 2005

Led Zeppelin: Moby Dick
posted by peacay at 1:59 AM on May 26, 2005

Won't Get Fooled Again
posted by the cuban at 2:01 AM on May 26, 2005

Drummerworld is your site for this.

I nominate any of Lewis Nash's sets with Tommy Flanagan, such as those in the Quicktime videos right here. Really, watch at least the first one.

And here's video of Bonham's monster "Moby Dick" solo (sadly, chopped in three files, link is to part 2).
posted by nicwolff at 2:39 AM on May 26, 2005

How about ?uestlove's fill in the hair salon in the 2nd season Chapelle's Show sketch where Dave and ?uest and John Mayer are showing that people of all races will dance if the music's to their taste. That was nice.
posted by nicwolff at 2:54 AM on May 26, 2005

There is a lengthy drum solo in Midnight Oil's 'Power and the Passion'.

It contains a smashing glass at the end. Kewl.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 2:57 AM on May 26, 2005

Anything by Krupa< ?a> beats anything rock listed here.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:45 AM on May 26, 2005

Dave Brubeck/Joe Morrello/Paul Desmond/Gene Wright) - "Take Five"
posted by Marquis at 4:21 AM on May 26, 2005

Another vote The Mule. But then again, if you read my posts, you already knew that.
posted by Doohickie at 4:45 AM on May 26, 2005

Buddy Rich beats Gene Krupa (no really, scroll down)
posted by furtive at 5:48 AM on May 26, 2005

Oh, and anything by Denis Chambers.
posted by furtive at 5:49 AM on May 26, 2005

48 by Shoji Hano, the greatest drummer of the modern age. It's a solo album.
posted by nylon at 6:01 AM on May 26, 2005

Rich versus Roach, with the aforementioned Buddy Rich (also known for his obscene rants) and Max Roach.
posted by box at 6:03 AM on May 26, 2005

Check out Roach's percussion ensemble M'Boom, too.
posted by box at 6:07 AM on May 26, 2005

I think you have to include the drum solo in YYZ by Neil Peart of Rush (on the Exit... Stage Left album). Whether his style of playing is for you or not, that effort is certainly a classic.
posted by Witty at 6:19 AM on May 26, 2005

i'm sure i've read, a couple of times now, about a track on some album (jazz of some kind?) where the drummer goes off on some long break, and which ended up being sampled and used on most of the seminal sampler-based tracks back in the 80s. in some way - measured by influence on other music, for example - that would be one of the "best". however, i've no idea where i read that text, or whether or not it's true.
posted by andrew cooke at 6:23 AM on May 26, 2005

Willie "Too Big" Halls fill in the "Sweet Home Chicago" as performed by Jake and Elwood Blues is the the coolest 2 seconds of drumming I've ever heard.
posted by cosmicbandito at 6:35 AM on May 26, 2005

Ginger Baker in Cream's "Toad".
posted by beagle at 6:40 AM on May 26, 2005

Rush's YYZ, La Villa Strangiato, Where's My Thing?
posted by Kwantsar at 6:43 AM on May 26, 2005

MeTooFilter: Neil Peart of Rush
posted by Doohickie at 7:10 AM on May 26, 2005

Personally I'm partial to "The End" by the Beatles...not necessarily because the drum solo could really stand on its own versus all the other solos out there, but it was Ringo's only drum solo, and the other three squared off in solos, and it was the last (sort of) track to Abbey Road.
posted by apple scruff at 7:12 AM on May 26, 2005

Can I possibly be the 1st person in this thread to post IRON BUTTERFLY's - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida? No idea if it's actually good, as I'm not sure I ever heard it straight/sober, but it's long and (in?)famous.
posted by theora55 at 7:28 AM on May 26, 2005

I'll also advocate for "The End", precisely because it is as good a drum solo as any of the ones mentioned here - in the sense that it is exciting, tasteful, perfectly fits and indeed advances the song.

As for perfect drum soloing that is ALSO technically exciting, Steve Gadd on "Aja" by Steely Dan and, in the Jazz world, anything by Jack DeJohnette. Particularly from this record.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 7:31 AM on May 26, 2005

Well I just can't believe that no one has mentioned Clyde Stubblefield, "Funky Drummer." (Warning: realaudio link).

Not only one of the funkiest beats ever, but also possibly the most sampled piece of music ever. (This might be what andrew cooke was thinking of).
posted by googly at 8:07 AM on May 26, 2005

From the metalhead's perspective, Rhino's drum solo in Manowar's Achilles, Agony and Estasy (from the CD Triumph of Steel) is pretty tight.
posted by Ikazuchi at 8:07 AM on May 26, 2005

Damn! googly beat me to it! Here's some more info on "Funky Drummer," including a list of songs that have sampled the Funky Drummer break.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 8:16 AM on May 26, 2005

This is another vote for madman Buddy Rich. Never discount the historical!
posted by altobarb at 8:17 AM on May 26, 2005

John Bonham is generally considered to be the best drummer of all time. Just listen to pretty much any Zeppelin ballad. He is influenced by almost all of the drummers that came before him, even back to some African tribes, and he still maintains a very unique style.
posted by pwally at 8:29 AM on May 26, 2005

Too obvious, but there will be something missing from this thread until someone mentions "Wipe Out" by the Surfaris. Also, check out "Out of Love" on Drummerworld's Alex Van Halen page.
posted by teleskiving at 8:34 AM on May 26, 2005

Many great drummers and solos have already been called out above (especially those jazz octopuses Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, and Max Roach as my friends like to call them). I want to add one to the mix that's a little different since the album doesn't have any drum solos proper: hella's hold your horse is. Here's an album where all the songs are just drums and guitar that feel like two people precision soloing or dueling with each other on each track. See in particular, the song City Folk Sitting, Sitting which has the closest thing to a traditional drum solo section in it (although like I said all the songs are damn fine and solo-ish). To watch Zach Hill play the drums live is pretty inspiring.
posted by safetyfork at 8:34 AM on May 26, 2005

"The Black Page" by Frank Zappa. Skinny little Terry "Ted" Bozio is quite talented. Allegedly Frank Zappa made it harder because Bozio learned the first version in one evening.
posted by therealadam at 8:44 AM on May 26, 2005

Joe Morello's drum solo on Take Five by the David Brubeck Quartet is famous, and rightly so. One of the quintessential jazz drum solos, in my mind.
posted by gentle at 8:52 AM on May 26, 2005

There's a really killer timpani solo introducing the fugue section of William Schuman's Third Symphony.
posted by agropyron at 9:01 AM on May 26, 2005

phil collins and chester thompson drumming on Genesis Live (Seconds Out?) album.
posted by thimk at 9:05 AM on May 26, 2005

dave weckl stuff with Zappa
posted by thimk at 9:07 AM on May 26, 2005

*Dusts off Mickey Hart's At The Edge*
posted by grateful at 9:17 AM on May 26, 2005

(no really, scroll down)

Buddy Rich is awesome, but I didn't see what you were trying to point out to me.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:28 AM on May 26, 2005

John Bonham is generally considered to be the best drummer of all time.

*head explodes*
posted by timeistight at 9:39 AM on May 26, 2005

Dale Crover's assorted drum solos with the Melvins seem to require patience and a sense of humor. He credits working them out with the band, presumably that mostly means King Buzzo. Some examples: the solo on Black Stooges from Hostile Ambient Takeover, the end of Cow on Bullhead, and Spread Eagle Beagle from the album Houdini.
posted by safetyfork at 10:11 AM on May 26, 2005

Ringo Starr, "Drumming is My Madness"
posted by kirkaracha at 10:11 AM on May 26, 2005

Maybe something by Glen Velez although what he does isn't quite soloing in the rock sense of the word.
posted by juv3nal at 10:13 AM on May 26, 2005

I like "Rat Salad" by Black Sabbath, though it's more of a "like the whole song, not just the drum solo part" thing...
posted by raster at 11:21 AM on May 26, 2005

I second Take Five.

Also, Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band) is a fantastic drummer, although he doesn't often get to solo per se.
posted by danb at 12:14 PM on May 26, 2005

Art Blakey's A Night in Tunisia. Oh man I love those drums...
posted by Voivod at 1:13 PM on May 26, 2005

I still like the phil collins fill from In the Air Tonight
posted by CCK at 2:17 PM on May 26, 2005

Santana - Soul Sacrifice (Woodstock)
Ween - Vallejo (Paintin' the Town Brown)
posted by schyler523 at 3:03 PM on May 26, 2005

John Bonham is generally considered to be the best drummer of all time.

*head explodes*

At least he didn't say Ginger Baker.

Oldie but goodie: Sandy Nelson's Let There Be Drums
posted by joaquim at 3:38 PM on May 26, 2005

Yes CCK, anyone else remember that scene from the pilot of Miami Vice where Don Johnson is driving his car down the highway to In the Air Tonight and Phil Collins busts out with the eleven-note solo right before the chorus repeat? I watched five years of pastel tee shirts under white suit jackets just for more moments like that.
posted by onlyconnect at 4:17 PM on May 26, 2005

ELVIN JONES !
posted by crapulent at 9:52 PM on May 26, 2005

Buddy Rich made Animal's head asplode on the Muppet Show.

And Phil Collins is a hell of a drummer, really... you should listen to some of his playing with Brand X, a jazz fusion he was in before Genesis. For quite a while he actually sang and played drums at the same time in Genesis -- I once saw a live concert recording of him playing and singing "Abacab." It can't be easy to do something as physical as playing skins and simultaneously maintain a steady singing voice.
posted by kindall at 9:53 PM on May 26, 2005

Santana. Although I'm not sure you can call them solos because some of the drum breaks consist of more than one percussionist. Santana's Greatest Hits has a good selection.
posted by Doohickie at 9:10 AM on May 27, 2005