(Credits: Far Out / Raph Pour-Hashemi / Stefan Brending)
Sat 13 December 2025 17:00, UK
Drummers are an integral part of any band. They help to create a foundation that the rest of the outfit can build upon. For instance, without John Bonham, Led Zeppelin’s sound would have come out very differently.
Jimmy Page was being very ambitious when he originally put Led Zeppelin together. After working as a session musician for a number of years, Page was a master of multiple genres, and he wanted to start a band where all of them were merged together seamlessly. It’s a good idea, but finding band members who are good enough to execute it is incredibly hard. Enter: John Bonham.
Bonham was the last member of Led Zeppelin to join and Jimmy Page couldn’t believe his luck when he heard him play. Bonham wasn’t just a drummer, he had read the rule book on drumming from cover to cover, proceeded to set that rule book on fire, and rewrite it in his image. He stuck to the basic principles of rhythm, but the way he got there was unlike what other drummers were doing. For the complicated sound that Page was trying to establish, there was nobody better equipped for it than Page.
Look around rock music and it won’t be long until you stumble upon praise for John Bonham. Dave Grohl was a huge fan and said that there are very few drummers who have ever come close to him. “I’d had this crazy dream since I was a kid that I would play drums for Led Zeppelin, I really thought I could do it,” said Grohl, “I know every song back to front, inside out. Then I put on Houses Of The Holy and just sat there, thinking there was no way on earth that I could possibly do it. It would be ridiculous to even try. No one has come close to Bonham in the last 25 years.”
Jack Black was equally a huge fan of Led Zeppelin and recognised how much of a genius John Bonham was. Black went as far to say that Zeppelin are unquestionably the greatest rock band on this humble rock we call Earth.
“Led Zeppelin…the greatest rock and roll band of all time,” he said, “Better than the Beatles, better than The Stones. And if you don’t agree with me, that’s because you haven’t done the Zeppelin marathon. It’s when you sit your ass down and listen to all nine Zeppelin albums in a row. The jams of Led Zeppelin are second to none.”
That being said, while both Grohl and Black were huge fans of Bonham, there was another drummer who they felt might be slightly better. The truth is, it’s difficult to compare drumming styles from iconic percussionists because they do very different things for the sound that they exist within; however, both Grohl and Black were willing to consider that maybe Keith Moon was slightly better than Bonham. The man behind The Who’s rhythm did employ an incredibly energetic drumming style that was unlike anything else on the planet.
When Jack Black was asked about the best drummer int he world, he toyed with choosing Bonham but instead opted for Moon. “I’m gonna be controversial. Everyone’s gonna say John Bonham but I’m gonna say Keith Moon,” said Black, “Why? Because he’s out of control. He’s right on the edge of barely being sane. I like that. I like the crazies in all arts.”
While Dave Grohl might have never specifically chosen a favourite, he was forthcoming with his admiration for Keith Moon. “Keith Moon played like he was on fire,” he said, “He was a wild drummer. He was sloppy and he was fuckin’ frenetic and manic, but that’s The Who.”
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