3 Famous Drummers That Were Inspired by Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham

John Bonham was on another level as a rock drummer. Decades after his untimely passing, he’s still considered one of the most influential and talented drummers of the 20th century. Countless musicians who have walked in his footsteps have hailed him as the drummer who made them want to pick the sticks up. Let’s look at a few famous drummers who were inspired by Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham!

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1. Joey Jordison

Joey Jordison is another rock drummer who was taken from us far too early. The famed Slipknot drummer was one of the best from the modern era, and he really didn’t have much in common with John Bonham. Still, Jordison was clearly influenced by a whole host of musicians who came before him. That was part of his appeal; he knew how to blend together drumming styles with impeccable speed.

“When I was listening to ‘Led Zeppelin II’ when I was real young, the drums on that record were so f***ing heavy, but I didn’t fully understand the capacity of how talented that band was until much later on,” Jordison once said of Bonham’s drumming style. “All I knew was that I was infected by the music. As I got older and my uncle would play me all of Bonham’s solos, I got totally hooked.”

2. Brad Wilk

Brad Wilk is the drummer’s drummer. He’s been a part of so many incredible bands through the years, from Rage Against The Machine to Audioslave. John Bonham inspired many drummers like him, and Wilk said explicitly that Bonham is his favorite drummer “of all time.”

“John Bonham may be my favorite drummer of all time,” said Wilk. “My favorite drum solo of his is not ‘Moby Dick’. It’s ‘Bonzo’s Montreux’ from ‘Coda’. I absolutely love that, because it’s so musical.”

3. Chad Smith

Out of all the drummers who were inspired by John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, this entry is the least surprising. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith appreciates groove as much as Bonham did, and without that influence, who knows if Smith would sound anything like he does today.

“To me, hands down, John Bonham was the best rock drummer ever,” Smith once gushed about Bonham. “The style and the sound was so identifiable to one person.”

Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

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