Best Punk Drummers

Here they are the best punk drummers of all the time... if your favorite is not here please put it
vote vote vote :P
The Top Ten
1 Tre Cool Frank Edwin Wright III, known professionally as Tré Cool, is a German-born American drummer, best known as the drummer for the American punk rock/pop punk band Green Day. He replaced the band's former drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990.

Tre Cool is a good solid drummer but he is far from the best drummer. He keeps good time but he will tell you himself "I tend to have the same quiver of licks I can throw into everything." Tre is a self taught drummer who is limited technically but that does not matter that much as Green Day are limited too so Tre is perfect. This is simple straight ahead 4/4 punk rock. He has power and energy but he keeps it simple. He will say himself he is not a Brooks Wackerman or a Thomas Pridgen. To whoever said Burnout is top notch. It is a good song but easy to play. Simple 4/4 beat and the solo part is simple enough if you master basic fills. The first part is just a single stroke roll with the first accent on the tom. The second rolls along the toms. The third break is similar but played between the tom and snare and finishes with 2 small snare rolls and a triplet on the toms but I agree it sounds good. I like Tre but is not a drummer's drummer. He is that chap with natural talent and sticks to what he knows.

2 Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker is an American musician and producer, and the drummer for the American rock band Blink-182. Barker has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip-hop artists, and with the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock group the Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer.

Travis Barker should be number 1. I am a fan of Tre Cool, but I feel like Travis Barker is at a different level of punk drumming. A lot of his songs are pretty technical for a pop punk band and he can do different kinds of drumming. I really think Tre Cool is extremely talented and is a great punk drummer, but having him at number 1 feels a little wrong. Just listen to the Box Car Racer album or even songs such as Anthem Part Two, First Date, Feeling This, and Down from Blink-182. He is really good at feel but also his plate is very full as a drummer, so he should be first, but Tre Cool and Travis Barker should be the top 2.

Travis Barker is good although he acts like a bit of a fool when it comes to drumming he is no fool. Listen to Feeling This those 16 note bass drum patterns are a homage to John Bonham and very nicely done. Think Good Times, Bad Times. He also knows his marching snare patterns but once again not virtuoso like Brooks Wackerman but more than just a solid drummer, one with technique in both hands and feet but just outside that top tier along with Tre Cool. Top tier are people like Brooks Wackerman as mentioned and Thomas Pridgen who has played with Suicidal Tendencies. Seriously good.

3 Marky Ramone

Marky played with The Voidoids and Ramones. Pretty Good resume'.

4 Tommy Ramone Thomas Erdelyi, better known by his stage name Tommy Ramone, was a Hungarian American record producer, musician, and songwriter.

Come on guys! If it werent for the Ramones we wouldn't be sharing opinions about Punk drummers! Now I'm just a Punk from the South, and who am I to criticize but... Y'all need to buy some ' Ramones or Sex pistols CD's or buy it off of Itunes I don't really care what ya do to buy 'em just do it and then see what REAL Punk sounds like!
... And why ain't Paul Cook on here, hmm?

He was genuine, original, energetic punk not like blink 182 or Green Day. Tre cool is a good drummer, but not punk.

5 Paul Cook

This the main dude when it comes to punk drumming, solid, loud and created some amazing beats. He was just as revolutionary as the Sex Pistols themselves, He also was a proper heavy hitter. Compared to a lot of tappers back then. Love watching him play live the real backbone and driver of the Sex Pistols. Love this dude.

Actually decent, when you consider his subtle fills and hard hitting sound.

Rotten's favorite band member.

6 Bill Stevenson

Probably the most underrated pop punk drummers in the list. Definitely in my top 5.

7 Arthur Googy
8 Josh Freese

Josh Freese along with Brooks Wackerman are simply the best drummers in punk at the current time and this comes from a drummer so apart from the speed I also appreciate the finnesse of these drummers. The work Josh Freese did with The Offspring can not never be underestimated. If you do not believe me listen to Wish by Nine Inch Nails. All good stuff and as laChoquette says who would not want him in their band. His work with The Vandals is legendary, and is how he made his name. It is the backbeat of his career

In reality, Josh Freese (Vandals), Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion), Jordan Burns (Strung Out) and Jord Samolesky (Propagandhi) and Dave Raun (Lagwagon, RKL Early mid 90s) make up the Top 5. Too bad today's generation of fans like the Pop Punk Drummers instead of real talented drummers who get over looked because they are in bands who choose to distance themselves from MTV type of programing.

9 Topper Headon

I toured with the clash, Ramones and many first wave punk bands and topper was very solid ( but didn't hit em as hard as cookie did. Tommy did create that 4 on the floor no nonsense drumming that's still his trademark.

There will always be good punk "style" drummers but most now play in actual "pop 40" bands that aren't changing the world like the real first punk bands did. Original punks scared people and it was dangerous, today its sponsored by Pepsi and is marketed to children. As my friend Joe Strummer once said to me about the new punk bands, so, whats the latest corporate sponsered revolution? Plus the " latest" band is always the one in fashion, for the moment.

One of the steadiest drummers of all time, there is a reason that they called him the human metronome!

Even Terry Chimes (Toppers replacement) said "Nick Headon is the best drummer around."

10 Earl Hudson

This guy shaped punk drumming so much that it bled into grunge and other genres. Hudson should be at the top of the list. Bad brains are legends

Come on this guy was good...very good..perfect timing...stop..start then full on...he could swap easily between thrash, hard rock and reggae etc in a mini second...deserves more recognition...

The Contenders
11 Pete Finestone
12 Pat McGrath

One of the best drummers in the world! He was a big influence on me growing up. His recording with Killing Culture is phenomenal! Much love Pat, you deserve this! - AAron Rossi (Ministry, Prong, John 5)

Pat not only plays punk, but can rip up metal, funk, soul, rock you name it. Pat is a man of all styles. Don't let the long hair fool ya!

Translating the name is an album with orgasmic drums... Pat makes the most simple beats so complex... Thank you Pat!

13 Chuck Biscuits

Chuck Biscuits should be in the top 5,along with Felix Griffin and Bill Stevenson.

14 Stev-o

First off its Stevo32 and second Steve Jocz has way sicker beats than many of these drummers on this list. Being a big Punk Rock fan and a drummer, I've played to many of these drummer's beats and by far enjoy Jocz's the most. His personality is also great and fits in with the rest of the members of the greatest band in the world.

Why is Steve so far down here he is AWESOME! He should be at least number 3 because honestly Travis Barker is better than Steve, but I think Steve definitely tops Tre' Cool.

Sum 41 is the best band and this band wouldn't be good without Steve o he is a amazing drummer he is really funny sometimes he's my favorite drummer I hope I'll be like him when I'm older. He also sings pain for pleasure he is amazing

15 Steve Hanford

Oh yeah, also for those who don't know, he drums for Poison Idea.

This dude rips. Listen to their album Feel the Darkness.

16 Lucky Lehrer
17 Ron Welty

YES! This guy is literally the most under rated drummer of all time!

Fantastic Drummer! He's the best Offspring drummer ever!

Such an underrated drummer! He's a human metronome.

18 Robo

This guy right here should be at number 1!

19 Felix Griffin
20 Brooks Wackerman

If anyone does not know Brooks Wackerman please purchase a copy of any Bad Religion album over the past 10 years. I would choose The Empire Strikes first as his fills on this album are brilliant and you will never hear a better end to a song than Popular Consensus which he seems to play at half time and throws in some lovely fills. He is the definition of speed and finesse and I was lucky enough to see him live in London recently and truly outstanding.

Along with Josh Freese two of the most technical and talented punk drummers of all time.

Best

A

He should definitely be top. Not only is he a great punk drummer who can achieve lighting fast single bass speed, but he also has some amazing fills and can play practically any genre of music. The man is a master of his craft.

Along with Freese, simply the best punk rock drummer out there. Bad Religion is not the same since he left.

21 Scott Asheton
22 D.H. Peligro

DH Peligro was one of boyhood hero drummers and spent many happy hours playing away to him. He is solid and fast and very talented. He also gives a great hug.

Peligro was a brilliant drummer.

23 Erik Smelly Sandin

I think for any anyone in the know Smelly would be in anyone's top 5. He is not virtuoso like Brooks Wackerman and I think even he would agree but having seen him recently I can vouch for his speed and timekeeping and to put the two together consistently on a single bass drum is amazing. I play along to Linoleum but after those 2 minutes I am patting myself on the back for not making a mistake whereas Smelly is straight into another song. From memory it was a slower one but then he is back up to speed with Perfect Government. At those speeds I would say he is the best and much more difficult to play to those speeds with a single bass drum but it sounds much better. To the person below he who has written double kicks. That is incorrect he plays with one bass drum with the snare played on the and of 1. People think he plays another bass drum because he is so fast but I can confirm I know every NOFX song and one bass drum is all he needs. "Double bass drums are for heavy metalers who can't play." That is a quote from Smelly by the way.

24 Dave Raun

Dave is awesome, a beast and very skilled.
I'm just trying to make this list less ridiculous. Especially Tre has to go from that number one spot. People with one or two year drums experience or maybe even less could even be better than him. Meg White can even barely be called a drummer.

This list is crap. Best punk rock drummers in no particular order are...Dave Raun (Lagwagon, Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies), Sean Sellars (Good Riddance, Authority Zero), Byron McMackin (Pennywise) Eric Sandin (NOFX), Josh Freese (Vandals, Tool, Devo), Brooks Wackerman and the king Bill Stevenson.

I personally think Dave Raun is one of the best rock drummers, any sub-genre. He's a monster powerhouse, with metronomic timing, and tons of amazing fills. He just makes music fun.

25 Scott Raynor
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