Drums and percussion are the foundation of any rock band. Just look at the following three songs from some of the biggest names in classic rock. The whole of these songs are spectacular, but those drum intros are by far the most memorable parts. Let’s look at a few drum solos from classic rock history that are instantly recognizable!
Videos by American Songwriter
“Rock And Roll” by Led Zeppelin (1972)
That insane count-in fill from John Bonham should be studied by every kid who gets a drum kit for Christmas. It’s an immediate vibe-establisher, one that forms one of the most explosive and memorable drum intros of all time. “Rock And Roll” was a modest hit for Led Zeppelin in 1972, peaking at No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins (1981)
Alright, this technically isn’t an “intro” in the sense that the drums kick in at the start of the song. However, that legendary drum solo kicks off the main part of “In The Air Tonight”, and there’s probably not a person alive today who wouldn’t recognize it. Some would say this is the most iconic and famous drum moment in classic rock history, or at the very least, the 1980s. I definitely agree with the latter. Nobody was doing gated reverb quite like Collins back in the early 1980s.
“In The Air Tonight” would end up being one of Phil Collins’ biggest hits, peaking at No. 2 in the UK and No. 19 in the US.
“Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf (1968)
Even without that iconic guitar melody at the start, those explosive, crashing drums are pretty recognizable to any fan of classic rock. It’s one of the best drum intros ever. And, realistically, this song (including Jerry Edmonton’s incredible percussion track) is one of the earliest examples of metal music. You can hear it in the way Edmonton plays, and it’s clear that more than a few metal bands that followed in their footsteps took note of Edmonton’s high-energy playing style.
“Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf was a decent hit for the band, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 30 on the UK Singles chart.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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