Drumming Up Support Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Drummers may be the men (or women) at the back of the stage, but their importance in the history of rock music cannot be overstated. Here are twelve of the most significant rock drummers of the past 50 years or so.

A founding member of Pink Floyd, Nick Mason is the only one who has remained with the band throughout their long, distinguished career, which started in 1964. In 2018 he formed Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, with whom he performs Pink Floyd's early material. Mason is also a collector of sports cars, and has competed in motorsport races.

Ginger Baker (who passed away in 2019) was one of the members of Cream, a short-lived but hugely influential power trio active between 1966 and 1968. He was also in supergroup Blind Faith with former Cream bandmate Eric Clapton, then was involved in a series of projects - such as fusion band Air Force. He also had a keen interest in world music, and spent several years in Africa.

As the band's name suggests, Mick Fleetwood was one of the founders of Fleetwood Mac, and has been with them since their beginnings in 1967. A striking figure of a man, almost 2 m (6.6 ft) tall, he famously appears on the front covers of the band's 1975 self-titled album and their 1976 album "Rumours", one of the best-selling albums of all time. Fleetwood has also been involved in various side projects.

One of Deep Purple's founding members, Ian Paice has been the only continuous member of the band since their inception in 1968. When Deep Purple disbanded in 1970, he joined Whitesnake, the band formed by former DP vocalist David Coverdale, then Irish guitarist Gary Moore's band. Deep Purple eventually reformed in 1984, and have been active since then with Paice behind the kit.

Carl Palmer had already played with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Atomic Rooster when, in 1970, he formed progressive rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer with keyboardist Keith Emerson and bassist/vocalist Greg Lake. When the flamboyant trio disbanded in 1980, Palmer co-founded supergroup Asia, then was again involved with ELP in 1992-1998. He has also recorded and performed ELP's music with his own band.

As one of the Eagles' co-lead vocalists, Don Henley is part of a distinguished club of singing drummers. His vocals can be heard on the band's iconic "Hotel California" and other well-known hit songs. He is also the only continuous member of the band, which he co-founded in 1971 with Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. Henley has also recorded a number of successful solo albums.

In the late Sixties, Roger Taylor was a member of Smile - the band that became Queen when charismatic vocalist Freddie Mercury joined in 1971. Also noted as a backing vocalist with his distinctive falsetto, Taylor has written some of Queen's best-known songs, such as "Radio Ga-Ga", as well as releasing seven solo albums and collaborating with many high-profile artists. Another (unrelated) Roger Taylor is the drummer and one of the founding members of Duran Duran.

Also known as Catman, his stage persona, Peter Criss was the original drummer of New York-based hard rock band KISS. He also sang lead vocals on some of the band's hits, such as their highest-charting single, "Beth" (1976). He left KISS in 1980, then rejoined and left the band twice more - the last time in 2004. He officially retired from music in 2017.

Often regarded as one of rock's greatest drummers, Neil Peart joined Canadian trio Rush in 1974 for their second album. He remained with the band - also serving as their primary lyricist - until his untimely death from brain cancer in January 2020. Peart was also a gifted writer who authored seven non-fiction books during his lifetime.

American-born Stewart Copeland moved to England in his early twenties, joining progressive rock band Curved Air in 1974. In 1977, he co-founded The Police, with whom he recorded five extremely successful albums before the band fell apart in 1986. After that, Copeland engaged in a number of projects and collaborations. He also took part in The Police's one-off reunion tour in 2007-2008. In recent years, Copeland has mainly focused on composing operas and orchestral music.

A co-founder of the glam metal band Mötley Crüe in the early 1980s, Tommy Lee is not only famous for his dynamic drumming and flamboyant showmanship (which includes playing a revolving drum kit), but also for his marriages and relationships with a number of celebrities. During a period of hiatus from Mötley Crüe, he also founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and released a number of solo albums.

Chad Smith joined Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1988, and has been with them ever since, appearing on best-selling albums such as "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (1991) and "Californication" (1999). He was also a member of supergroup Chickenfoot, along with former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, and guitarist Joe Satriani. Smith has often played with former Deep Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, who is a close friend of his.

The eight wrong answers are all bassists who played (or still play) in bands with some of the drummers listed. Jack Bruce was in Cream with Ginger Baker; Greg Lake was in Emerson, Lake and Palmer with Carl Palmer; John Deacon was in Queen with Roger Taylor; Geddy Lee was in Rush with Neil Peart. At the time of writing, Gene Simmons (KISS), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) and Nikki Sixx (Mötley Crüe) are still with their respective bands.