The 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time
Whose playing endures through the decades? Whose music do we reach for when we want new ideas? When we want to practice? Who inspires and delights us most? Following are the drummers who, regardless of genre or era, are revered…
Alex Rüdinger
The new drummer with the progressive metal band the Faceless has turned heads with a combination of old-world ethics and future-shock techniques. Alex Rudinger has built a great deal of musical momentum on the technical metal scene, all at the…
Give The Audience Some
Grounding Odd-Time Grooves With a Quarter-Note Pulse Playing songs in odd times can be challenging to you as a drummer, but one thing that doesn’t get much attention is how tough odd times can be on the audience. It’s called…
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News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
James Gadson, Legendary R&B Drummer and One of the Most Recorded in History, Dies at 87
Born on June 17, 1939, drummer, producer, singer, and songwriter James Gadson grew up in the Kansas City music scene. He was greatly influenced by his father Harold, who was a well-known drummer. James later moved to Los Angeles, where…
Guitar Center Reintroduces OCDP Drums
Modern Drummer is proud to bring exciting news to the world of drumming. Guitar Center is announcing the relaunch of Orange County Drum & Percussion, also known as OCDP. With this announcement, Guitar Center is reviving one of the most…
Chad Smith Walks In on Thirty Seconds to Mars’ Shannon Leto Playing Chili Peppers Hit on Drums: Watch
Drumeo’s “For the First Time” series has become a regular hit on YouTube, largely thanks to a viral edition featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith taking on the challenge of playing Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “The Kill (Bury Me).”…
Who Is RUSH’s New Drummer Anika Nilles?
Anika Nilles has been announced as RUSH’s drummer for their upcoming reunion tour, which will mark the band’s first shows in 11 years, and first concerts since the passing of the legendary Neil Peart in 2020. Rather than tap a…
Tour Kit Rundowns
Your favorite drummers walk you through every detail of their drum setups.
Metal Sticks
Dedicated to interviewing iconic artists, educating drummers of all styles and genres, amplifying young talent, and showcasing Nicko McBrain’s archive of iconic gear & memorabilia, Metal Sticks aims to inspire all generations of heavy metal fans.
1984 Is When I Finally Got My Drum Sound #vanhalen #alexvanhalen
Legacy of the Beast Gong #metalsticks #ironmaiden
Gear
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
Steve Ferrone Drum Collection
In the world of “first call” drummers, Steve Ferrone is the first one they call. Just ask Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, George Harrison, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Rick James, Slash, Chaka Khan, Bee Gees, Al Jarreau, Mick Jagger, or Johnny Cash. When iconic bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Average White Band, Duran Duran and Aerosmith needed…
Yamaha EAD50 – Part 1: Redefining the Starting Point
Where does drum recording begin? The fundamentals haven’t changed; however, Yamaha’s Electronic Acoustic Drum (EAD) concept has quietly reshaped how drummers approach recording. With the introduction of the EAD10, capturing a full kit sound quickly and musically, without the demands of a multi-mic setup, became a practical…
SJC Drums, ALPHA Brass Snare: Treating You Like a Rock Star!
SJC Drums was founded in 2022 in Southbridge, MA with the idea of producing world-class drums. A quick trip through their website is certainly impressive and it is easy to see that they mean business and are proud of their…
GM Designs: Sonic Visions, Continuum, Obscure, and the Multi-Belled
As a drummer or a percussionist, your look is just as important as your sound! Don’t let anyone tell you differently. It’s all about the senses. The better you project, the better you will be received. There’s no mystery there!…
TWO NEW CONGAS AND BONGOS FROM LP, NEW SNARES FROM PEARL, NEW CYMBALS FROM MEINL
Two new Congas and Bongos from LP Latin Percussion (LP®) invites percussionists to explore Latin rhythms with the upgraded series LP Discovery II Ultralight Congas and Bongos: expressive congas and bongos more lightweight than ever before. Great for early players to serious hobbyists,…
Snare Drums from the Northup Drum Museum
The snare drum originated from the medieval tabor, a rope-tensioned drum used for military signals, it became a distinct instrument with sharper, brighter, sounds through innovations like screw-tensioning gut and coiled metal snares. Throughout the Middle Ages it was used to…
Kit of the Month
Tama Starclassic, Beautiful Inside and Out
When David Lehnert purchased his first home in 2017, he sought his own studio with his dream drum set. He chose a Tama Starclassic. We’ll let him pick up the story from there.…
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Go backstage with your favorite drummers as they talk about gear, tour life, drumming, and everything in between.
Hall of Fame
A look back at the legendary drummers elected to Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame
Keith Moon Elected to Hall of Fame in 1982
Excerpted from the September 2003 issue In his last interview, published posthumously in October 1978, Keith told International Musician and Recording World, “You can’t work out things too much. We do certain build-ups and things, but you can run into…
John Bonham Elected to Hall of Fame in 1981
Excerpted from the John Bonham tribute issue, July 1984 John Bonham played, for the most part, a very simple drumkit, consisting of a 14x26 bass drum, a 12x15 small tom—at first mounted on a snare stand and later on the…
Buddy Rich Elected to Hall of Fame in 1980
Excerpted from the January 1977 issue When it comes to interviewing Buddy, one must learn to expect the unexpected. You can end up with a first rate story, or no story at all. He’s a very intense human being, with…
Gene Krupa Elected to Hall of Fame in 1979
Excerpted from the October/November 1979 issue “I’m happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a highpriced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz.” The above quote of drum master Gene Krupa…
Rian Dawson - All Time Low - Tour Kit Rundown
Modern Drummer Official 9K views March 16, 2026 11:00 AM