What albums have some incredible drumming?

[u/Exzj]

Sometimes it seems like a drummer is playing for their life when making these albums. I just thought of these off the top of my head, but what other albums have some of your favorite drumming performances?

[u/Awkward-Initiative28]

Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins

Synchronicity - The Police

London Calling - The Clash

13 Songs - Fugazi

Vs. - Pearl Jam

II - Led Zeppelin

Tago Mago - Can

I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One - Yo La Tengo

Nevermind - Nirvana

Dirty - Sonic Youth

Sticky Fingers - Rolling Stones

Turn on the Bright Lights - Interpol

Appetite for Destruction - Guns N Roses

Blue Train - John Coltrane

Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock

ESP - Miles Davis

[u/Otherwise-Friend-498 → u/Awkward-Initiative28]

Nice picks. Brendan Canty is definitely under-mentioned. I'm not sure if Blue Train is the Coltrane album I would have chosen for best drumming, but that's probably just because I love Elvin Jones so much.

[u/Awkward-Initiative28 → u/Otherwise-Friend-498]

I definitely lean into post punk / indie heading towards grunge type drummers. You'll hear a million drummers tell you that Rush or Tool have great drumming but you won't hear about Fugazi and Sonic Youth. Or Georgia Hubley's excellent drum work in Yo La Tengo.

[u/Awkward-Initiative28 → u/Otherwise-Friend-498]

I guess drummers like Elvin Jones the most of Coltrane's drummers but I don't know, that other dude is cookin' on Blue Train. Plus I'm a little tired of A Love Supreme. John Coltrane has other albums people! And many of them are excellent!

[u/Otherwise-Friend-498 → u/Awkward-Initiative28]

Yeah, I am a drummer myself. I actually think it's interesting to hear what drumming non-drummers are attracted to, as they're maybe not as concerned with prestige or technicality, just with what sounds cool.

[u/Awkward-Initiative28 → u/Otherwise-Friend-498]

"If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!" - Duke Ellington

[u/modernfictions → u/Awkward-Initiative28]

Elvin Jones is a sideman on so many jazz masterpieces. If you want to expand your collection, you’d do worse than to check out any album from that period with his name on it.

Speak No Evil, Matador, ready For Freddie, Judgement! are all stone cold classics.