Since the Kennedy Administration and for going on seven decades since, Mick, Keith, Charlie, Bill, and later Ronnie have been defining what rock and roll music is at its kernel root.
He was the envy of every other rock band—a drummer that didn’t perpetually harbor envy for more attention, and seize every opportunity to receive it. He made an art form out of not complimenting a song, but completing it. He was the consummate back line musician.
It’s the job of a drummer to be heard and not seen. Naming the “greatest” of anything is always a subjective exercise. But this isn’t just a skills competition. Influence, importance to culture, and intangibles beyond drumming all factored into the selection of the below names, and why they should be regarded as the greatest.