NickDrum solos are cool, right? But what about drum solos in songs. Today, I’ll be going through 14 of my favorite drum solos, fills, sections, in popular music.
1) Moby Dick – Led Zeppelin (John Bonham)
Who can deny John Henry Bonham? His drum solo in ‘Moby Dick’ is out of this world.
While the album version of the solo is just around two full minutes, in concert, Zeppelin would extend this solo, giving John upwards of twenty minutes sometimes.
The climax of the solo features a pattern known as “Bonham Triplets.” This group of three notes became a hot lick many rock and jazz drummers utilize to this day.
Moby Dick is an instrumental off of Led Zeppelin II released October 22, 1969. Personel and composers of the song include John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and Jimmy Page.
2) Tom Sawyer – Rush (Neil Peart)
A compositional drummer by nature, Neil Peart is not shy in feature sections. His drumming is technical, busy, and purposeful.
The breakdown in ‘Tom Sawyer’ features a 7/8 section followed by a lavish drum solo that follows the chord changes of the intro.
Similar to Bonham’s triplets I just mentioned, this song utilizes an almost identical rudiment known as quads. The hands and feet perform a syncopation of thirty-second notes across the toms and kick drums.
Tom Sawyer’s drum feature is emulated to this day by thousands of drummers worldwide; popular rock-pop act Imagine Dragons once covered the song on an arena tour.
The song was included on the studio album “Moving Pictures;” released in 1981. Songwriters on the track include Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, Alex Lifeson, and Pye Dubois.
3) Ram Jam – Black Betty (Peter Charles)
For those unaware, the song ‘Black Betty’ was not written by the 70s band Ram Jam.
The song is a 20th-century African-American work song credited often to Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, though early recordings are not him.
Ram Jam’s iteration became a smash hit. The instrumentation on the song is a bit spastic, yet organized strangely.
Drummer Peter Charles rips near the end of the song as the band cuts out. This tune is definitely worthy of the list.
4) In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins (Phil Collins)
I can hear the sound of gated drums as I type this roundup. While “In The Air Tonight“ may not have a full-fledged mad drum solo, it does feature one of the most iconic drum fills
5) YYZ – Rush (Neil Peart)
Neil’s back at it again with the solo section. This time it’s YYZ, an instrumental based off the rhythmic morse code of Toronto’s airport location identifier.
YYZ features Neil’s “signature ride pattern” as well as a rippin’ solo trade between Neil and Geddy followed by a guitar solo from Lifeson.
6) Hot For Teacher – Van Halen (Alex Van Halen)
It’s a common misconception that the beginning of Hot For Teacher features a motorcycle idling.
Alex Van Halen layered two double bass drum parts together. The reason the first bass drums sound different is that they are EQ’d differently.
No matter your opinion on Van Halen, you have to respect the groove and playing of Alex Van Halen on Hot For Teacher (and in general).
7) Aja – Steely Dan (Steve Gadd)
There’s no way I would forget the wonderful playing from Steve Gadd on the song ‘Aja’ by Steely Dan.
Throughout most of the song, Gadd’s playing is somewhat reserved. Around the three minute mark, things kick up a notch.
The solo begins at 4:41 alongside a sax who plays a melody while Steve plays intricate patterns between the band’s offbeat chord changes.
Near the end, the same theme returns with the offbeat chord changes. The ride groove the Steve plays as the song fades is out of this world.
8) 6:00 – Dream Theater (Mike Portnoy)
6:00 from Dream Theater is hugely technical. Mike Portnoy puts on an incredible performance. The initial drum fill and groove stand out as a notable entry to the list.
Mike played an incredible part in DT. While he may not be in the band anymore, his performances will always be cherished by drummers of tomorrow.
9) Wipe Out – The Surfaris (Ron Wilson)
If you’re a drummer and you didn’t learn to play Wipe Out, I feel bad for you.
While I can’t say I enjoy surf music from this era, I can tell you I annoyed everyone in middle school with this lick.
Wipe Out features one of the most iconic grooves to this day; the song still is used all over popular culture.
10) Tribute To Johnny – The Smashing Pumpkins (Jimmy Chamberlin)
I was browsing a forum when I heard about Tribute To Johnny. I do like The Smashing Pumpkins, but I wouldn’t consider myself a big fan.
The post suggested listening to the end of the bridge section around 1:53.
Jimmy takes an impressive four-bar solo that is very reminiscent of Hocus Pocus by Focus (another song we have on this list).
11) Fred – Tony Williams (Tony Williams)
Just take a minute and listen to Fred by Tony Williams. Tell me you’re not blown away immediately. I absolutely love the playing and creativity on this album.
12) Brother to Brother – Gino Vannelli (Mark Craney)
I owe it to my father, else I would have no clue about Gino Vannelli. Brother to Brother is an epic song featuring great melodies and impressive solo sections.
Mark Craney’s playing is spectacular throughout the song. The drums and bass begin trading off at 4:35 (similar to YYZ by Rush, seems Vannelli could have been an influence on them).
13) Eleven – Primus (Tim Alexander)
No, this isn’t the South Park theme song. It’s ‘Eleven’ by Primus. As the name suggests, the track is in 11/8.
Tim Alexander has some incredible grooves and fills throughout. His playing is so tight, and I can hear the Neil Peart influence.
14) Take Five – Dave Brubeck (Joe Morello)
Take Five by Dave Brubeck is a masterclass in elementary jazz drumming. This tune provided a significant foundation for my playing as I learned.
Conclusion
As we can see, there aren’t too many songs out there with full-on drum solos in it, but it’s nice that we have these.
Many of the drummers I included today are also listed in my best drummers of all time roundup, so give that a read if you’re interested.
What are some of your favorite songs with drum solos? I’d love to add your suggestions to the list. Please leave a comment down below and share the article on social media if you enjoyed reading it.
Thanks for stopping by.
Nick
