Most people think a drummer is a background musician—basically just there to keep the beat for the singer and guitarist. But the drummer in a rock band is key to a band’s success. History has shown us thatthe right drummer can breathe new life into a band. Put the right one behind the kit and suddenly that band is supercharged.
The word “better” isn’t meant to diss the original drummer. It just means that their replacement elevated the rest of the band and took them further—technically, creatively, or maybe it was just a better match. Whatever the case, a new drummer can sometimes unlock the next chapter, energizing the band onstage and sometimes even behind the scenes.
Dave Grohl
The impact that Dave Grohl had on the band Nirvana cannot be understated. Pre-Grohl, Nirvana had Chad Channing on drums. Channing performed admirably on Nirvana’s debut album Bleach, which received airplay on college radio stations. But once producer Butch Vig got involved with the band, Channing was out.
In July 1990, Nirvana cut a single (“Sliver”/”Dive”) with Mudhoney’s drummer Dan Peters, then hit the road opening for Sonic Youth with Melvins’ bassist Dale Crover on drums. Soon thereafter, and just in time to record Nevermind, the band brought in a young, energetic drummer from a DC punk band called Scream.
Grohl’s effect was remarkable, and with Nevermind becoming the iconic album that it is, he quickly established himself as the most explosive drummer in alternative rock.
Phil Collins
Most people don’t realize that Phil Collins wasn’t Genesis’ original drummer. The band’s first drummer was an undistinguished bloke named Chris Stewart who left in 1970 when the members decided to bring Collins on board. Collins performed wonderfully on the drums and seemed happy just being the band’s drummer.
With Collins behind the kit, Genesis became a prog-rock sensation fronted by the theatrical Peter Gabriel. They released a series of highly acclaimed albums that included Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
Once Gabriel left to pursue solo stardom, Collins took over on lead vocals and led the band to even greater heights by landing numerous singles on the charts and earning copious amounts of radio airplay. Collins’ evolution from drummer to singer to international superstar is simply remarkable.
Ringo Starr
If The Beatles had kept mopey Pete Best as their drummer, it just wouldn’t have been the same. With Ringo Starr in the band, The Beatles became a global phenomenon. His charm, his wit, and his lovability added to the overall charisma of The Beatles. Once he joined the band, the group rose to heights never seen before in popular music.
It wasn’t just his personality that helped the band achieve success—it was his drumming. His distinctive fills suited The Beatles perfectly. He played drums for the greatest band in history and lived up to the expectations of the greatest songwriting team ever to walk the earth, so yeah—he was a pretty good choice as a replacement drummer.
Additionally, he could sing and did so on several Beatles’ hits.
Neil Peart
Rush recorded one solid album with a drummer named John Rutsey. But when Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson added Neil Peart to the band, it took them to an entirely different level.
Peart was known as the most technically proficient drummer in rock. He could play with precision in any time signature. His sprawling drum kit surrounded him, and he utilized every component to maximum effect.
He also became the primary lyricist for Rush, who were known for their excellent, fantastical, and humanistic lyrics. Without Peart, the band would never have become the revered and beloved hard rock group that they did.
Taylor Hawkins
The Foo Fighters began as Dave Grohl’s solo project following the death of Kurt Cobain. On the first album Foo Fighters, Grohl played all the instruments himself. For the subsequent tour, Grohl put together a band that included a drummer named William Goldsmith. During the recording of the 2nd album, Goldsmith left due to tensions within the band.
It couldn’t have been easy being the drummer in a band led by the guy known as the best drummer in alternative rock. However, Grohl brought Hawkins into the fold, and it worked splendidly—Hawkins fit in and satisfied Grohl’s rigid demands. Unfortunately, Hawkins died unexpectedly in 2022.
Matt Cameron has the distinction of being the superior replacement drummer in two major groups: Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.
When Soundgarden formed in 1984, their drummer was Chris Cornell, one of the most powerful vocalists of the modern rock era. When Cornell switched to rhythm guitar the following year, a guy named Scott Sundquist took over the kit. The year after that, Matt Cameron, who’d been playing with a band called Skin Yard, assumed the drum throne.
Cameron played on every Soundgarden album. About a year after the band broke up in 1997, he was invited to join fellow grunge stars Pearl Jam, for which he has now been the longest serving drummer in the band. When Soundgarden reformed in 2010, Cameron played in both bands concurrently.
Chad Smith
When the Red Hot Chili Peppers fired drummer D.H. Peligro in 1988, they were in the process of recording their fourth album. They hired Chad Smith, whose hard-hitting funk-rock style came to define the Chili Peppers’ sound.
After adding Smith, the Red Hot Chili Peppers started their rise to alternative rock stardom, releasing Mother’s Milk followed by their commercial breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
The man has recorded with some of the greats: Johnny Cash, Lady Gaga, and Eddie Vedder to name a few. He also co-wrote songs and played drums on every track for Ozzy Osbourne’s 2020 album Ordinary Man and plays in the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, and Joe Satriani.
Travis Barker
When Blink-182 started having problems with their original drummer Scott Raynor, Travis Barker was playing with ska goofballs The Aquabats. Raynor had been drinking heavily, and his Blink-182 bandmates Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge decided to let him go.
They hired the heavily tattooed Barker, who’d met Hoppus and DeLonge when both of their bands were on tour together. Incredibly, Barker learned to play Blink-182’s 20-song set in 45 minutes immediately before his first show with the band. It’s no wonder they’ve kept him around.
This one is going to be disputed by some because original KISS drummer Peter Criss was loved by fans and sang on their huge ‘70s hit “Beth.” But KISS fired Criss for a reason. By the end of the ‘70s, he was struggling with substance abuse issues, and his erratic behavior and sloppy performances damaged the band’s reputation.
Eric Carr, on the other hand, was known for his professionalism and his technical proficiency. As KISS morphed from a glam-rock band into more of a metal band in the ‘80s, Carr’s double-bass drumming style matched the band’s new direction. He essentially kept the band relevant throughout the Reagan era.
While Criss will always be remembered for “Beth,” Carr was also a capable vocalist, singing lead on a few songs and backing vocals on many others.
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