Drummers Trivia

1. The original line-up of Pink Floyd was Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. Who was the drummer?

From Quiz Spot the Drummer Drumming

Answer: Nick Mason

This was the original line-up of Pink Floyd before Syd Barrett left the band and was replaced by David Gilmour in late 1967. Syd Barrett was on guitar and lead vocals, Roger Water on bass and vocals and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals. The first three albums of the band were "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", "A Saucerful of Secrets" and "More". Nick Mason was born in Edgabaston, Birmingham in 1947. He studied architecture in Regent Street Polytechnic.

From Quiz (At Least) Twelve Drummers Drumming

Answer: John Bonham

John Bonham was born in 1948 in England and was an apprentice carpenter playing in bands such as A Way of Life and Crawling King Snakes. After the demise of The Yardbirds, guitarist Jimmy Page formed the New Yardbirds and recruited Robert Plant, who in turn nominated Mr Bonham. Together with John Paul Jones, the quartet formed Led Zeppelin, a nod to their self-assessment of the chances of them succeeding. They thought they would "go down like a lead balloon". The strength of Led Zeppelin as a band was each musician was a master of his own instrument. In 2011 and 2016 "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked John Bonham number one in their list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time." Certainly he was one of the most influential drummers in his day. Dave Grohl, in a 2010 "Rolling Stone" interview stated, "John Bonham played the drums like someone who didn't know what was going to happen next - like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff. No one has come close to that since, and I don't think anybody ever will. I think he will forever be the greatest drummer of all time. You have no idea how much he influenced me". Anyone who doubts these credentials need look no further than "Good Times Bad Times" (1969) with its two beat opening. John Bonham pioneered the use of bass drum triplets. Witness the spaces he left between the beats in "Kashmir" (1975) or the funk-like groove in "The Ocean" (1973). John Bonham died on 25 September 1980 of an acute alcohol related cause. On 4th December the band issued a statement " "We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were."

From Quiz The Man at the Back

Answer: Mick Tucker

The classic Sweet line-up from the early-mid 1970s was the Glaswegian lead vocalist Brian Connolly, a Welshman from Wrexham, Andy Scott, on lead guitar, and a pair of Londoners, bassist Steve Priest and drummer Mick Tucker. This was the period when Sweet produced six singles that reached the top two in the UK chart, although only "Blockbuster", in 1973, made it to the top spot.

From Quiz Twelve Drummers Drumming

Answer: Rick Allen

Despite the loss of his arm, Allen continued as the band's percussionist with their full support, compensating for the loss of his arm with the use of his legs. Engineers custom-built an electronic drum set so he could use his legs to manipulate sounds normally produced by his missing arm. His performance at the "Monsters of Rock" festival in 1986 was his first since his accident. It was a success.

From Quiz Best Seat In The House : Drummers

Answer: Ringo / The Beatles

Poor old Ringo! The quote was of course by cheeky-chappy John Lennon. Ringo got lots of stick for his rather loose style of drumming, and even compliments seemed to have an underlying feel of unwarranted mockery. However, it is true that Paul McCartney had to do a bit of drumming in the studio as Ringo just couldn't get it right. He's my favourite Beatle, partly because of his "friendly" drumming stlye, and also because he seems the least clichéd, and the most likely to be a laugh down the pub.

From Quiz (Hard) Rock Drummers

Answer: Animal

Animal was rumoured to be inspired by Keith Moon, mainly due to the bushy eyebrows and his wild behavior, on and off stage. Animal: [roars] Muppet: Oh, yeah, that's Animal. Show 'em what you do, Animal. Animal: Eat drums! [chews on a cymbal] Muppet: No, no, no, beat drums, beat drums! Animal: Beat drums! Beat drums! [beats the drums with his head] Muppet: Down, Animal! Animal: Down! Muppet: Sit! Animal: Sit! [He sits quietly for a moment, panting, then snickers to the camera] From: "The Muppet Movie" (1979)

From Quiz Rock/Metal Drummer Quiz

Answer: Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is considered to be the first heavy metal band and has influenced a number of bands including Metallica. Their self-titled debut album was released on Friday February 13, 1970. Bill Ward endorses Tama drums and Sabian cymbals.

From Quiz Wow! You Sing AND Play Drums?

Answer: Karen Carpenter

Karen Carpenter was part of the band "The Carpenters," whose other member was her brother, Richard. The two had a string of hits throughout the 1970s, including "We've Only Just Begun" and, of course, "Close To You." Though she served as the lead vocalist for the band, she also often played the drums for their songs on their recordings and in live performances. However, as the Carpenters gained popularity, demand to see Karen (her position behind the drums obscured her from the audience during live performances) led her to stand and sing many of her songs, and by 1976, she no longer played the drums for the band at all. Her brother, though, has noted that she always considered herself a "drummer who sang."

From Quiz Yes, I Was In That Group

Answer: The Animals

Singer Eric Burdon had a moderately successful solo career following the break up of The Animals, as did keyboard player Alan Price. Bassist Chas Chandler had success of another kind as manager of Jimi Hendrix.

From Quiz The Gig is Up (But the Beat Goes On) - Drummers

Answer: Buddy Rich

Born on September 30, 1917, Buddy was already gigging as a solo performer with his vaudeville act "Traps the Drum Wonder" by 1921, and was a regular performer on the Broadway circuit at four years old, becoming the second highest paid child entertainer in the world. Amazing is the fact that he never received any formal lessons, and never played unless he was performing. By 1939, he was backing Tommy Dorsey, and then later playing with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Ventura, and of course, Gene Krupa. In later years, Buddy toured with his own bands, performed at his two nightclubs to SRO crowds, and was a regular on many T.V. talk shows. His honors, awards, and special performances are too numerous to list, and his influence over drummers of all genres continues to this day. Buddy is buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA.

From Quiz Who Whacked the Tubs? #2

Answer: Paul Cook

This song was a somewhat scathing tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.

From Quiz Who Whacked The Tubs? #1

Answer: Hal Blaine

Paul Cook was the drummer with the Sex Pistols, Milt Turner played with Ray Charles and Gregg Errico was with Sly and the Family Stone.

From Quiz Drummers and Drum Kits

Answer: 805

You can get different colours for these: green, blue, purple and you can also get fluorescents.

From Quiz Who Is the Drummer

Answer: Alex Van Halen

Alex is the drummer of Van Halen and the older brother of guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Believe it or not, but when the two brothers started to play instruments, Alex was on guitar and Eddie was on drums.

From Quiz Drummers!

Answer: Rick Allen

Rick Allen is one amazingly talented person. He didn't let losing his arm stop him from performing....

From Quiz Ten Drummers Drumming

Answer: Keith Moon

The Who were previously known as The Detours, then The High Numbers. They played the first Woodstock festival, in 1969, but Jon Entwhistle later said it was "probably the worst-ever festival experience we ever had." Moon was known for his drugs excesses and died on September 7, 1978 after taking a combination of sleeping pills and alcohol. That death occurred in the same London apartment where Mama Cass Elliott had died four years before. Looking back, Keith Moon is considered as someone who changed music. His biographer Tony Fletcher said Moon: "did nothing short of revolutionizing the drums." "...Keith was the first to treat the drums as though they were a lead instrument...He really made the drums an instrument that spoke very much in the same way that a lead guitar does." In a feature "The 100 Best Drummers Ever" in 2016, Rolling Stone magazine placed Keith Moon at number two.

From Quiz Spot the Drummer Drumming

Answer: Fabrizzio Moretti

The band, The Strokes was formed in New York in 1998. Their first three albums were "Is This It" in 2001, "Room on Fire", in 2003 and "First Impressions of Earth". Albert Hammond Jr. was on keyboards and rhythm guitar, Julian Casablancas was the lead singer and main songwriter, Nick Valensi was on lead guitar and Nikolai Fraiture on bass. Fabrizzio Moretti was born in 1980 in Rio de Janeiro from a Brazilian mother and Italian father. The family moved to New York when he was three years old. Fabrizzio studied at the State University of New York before embarking on his musical career.

From Quiz The Man at the Back

Answer: Don Powell

Founded in Birmingham in 1969, lead vocalist Noddy Holder MBE (real first name Neville) is the face that most people remember from this classic glam rock band. Holder and bass player Jimmy Lea, who wrote most of the band's hit songs, both departed in 1992. The two remaining original members, both still playing and touring with the band, are Devon-born guitarist Dave Hill and drummer Don Powell. Of the alternatives, the late Dave Mount was the drummer for glam rock band Mud; Canadian Warren Cann was the drummer and electronic percussionist with new wave band Ultravox; and Dale "Buffin" Griffin (real first name Terence) was the drummer for the 70s rock band Mott the Hoople. By the way, do you know what you call someone who hangs out with musicians? No, it's not a groupie ... it's a drummer. :)

From Quiz Twelve Drummers Drumming

Answer: Ringo Starr

Born Richard Starkey in Liverpool, England, Ringo enjoyed worldwide fame when The Beatles became a household name in 1964. He contributed much to the band's sound, although he sometimes felt that he was not contributing enough to the band's songwriting efforts. He wrote "Octopus's Garden" and co-wrote other songs. Ringo later branched out into acting, appearing in films such as "Caveman" and the children's TV programs "Thomas the Tank & Friends" and "Shining Time Station."

From Quiz Best Seat In The House : Drummers

Answer: Mike Joyce

Joyce was in The Smiths right through their recording career, and while most focus has always been on Marr's innovative guitar playing and Morrissey's twisted wit, there's no doubt that the rhythm section was an integral part of the sound. When The Smiths broke up in 1987 Joyce went on to work with various artists, some of whom are quite high-profile, and even on some of Morrissey's solo work. Then, in the mid-90s hostilities broke out between Joyce and Marr/Morrissey over disputed royalties which ended up with him winning a reported £1 million. Alan "Reni" Wren and Karl Burns are fellow Mancunians and played drums in The Stone Roses and The Fall respectively. Colombian-born Billy Murcia was the original drummer in The New York Dolls. However, he died before they recorded their debut album.

From Quiz Drummers Keep The Beat

Answer: Jefferson Airplane

Alexander "Skip" Spence, born in Ontario, Canada, played on Jefferson Airplane's debut album "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off",before he took off to co-form Moby Grape. While only playing on the one release with Jefferson Airplane, he managed two co-writing credits with "Blues From An Airplane" and "Don't Slip Away".

From Quiz (Hard) Rock Drummers

Answer: Keith Moon

The Who gained a reputation for destroying their instruments and speakers at the end of every gig. Moon did not hold back and once even blew up his drum kit by setting off fire works after playing "My Generation". He also drove his car into a swimming pool. His nickname Moon The Loon was easily coined, I suspect. In 1978, aged 32, Keith Moon died - ironically - of an overdose of a sedative used in treating alcohol addiction. Roger Daltrey (vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar) and John Entwistle (bass) were the other original members of The Who.

From Quiz Rock/Metal Drummer Quiz

Answer: Neil Peart

Neil Peart is considered the best drummer of all time by many fans, fellow musicians, and magazines. Peart joined Rush in 1974. Peart endorses Drum Workshop drums and Sabian cymbals.

From Quiz Wow! You Sing AND Play Drums?

Answer: Phil Collins

Collins was part of the group "Genesis," whose highest charting US hit was the Billboard Hot 100 #1 song "Invisible Touch," on which Collins sang lead. Interestingly, Collins was not Genesis's first choice to replace lead singer Peter Gabriel when he left the band. In fact, Genesis conducted a very lengthy search for a new lead vocalist, only settling on Collins after having auditioned over 400 potential replacements.

From Quiz Little Drummer Boy: Drummers Starting Off

Answer: writing lyrics

Neil's lyrics propelled the band to new levels, and eventually Neil took over writing most lyrics for the band. Playing keyboards was left up to bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee. Producing albums was done by various people, and as for background vocals, well Rush did not seem to have much of a need.

From Quiz Yes, I Was In That Group

Answer: The Kinks

Brothers Ray and Dave Davies are more instantly recognised as the leading lights of this wonderful group. Ray Davies' songwriting talents bear comparison with the greats of the business. Mick Avory actually came in as a replacement drummer just prior to the beginning of the success story. One of their best loved hits was "Waterloo Sunset"-the "view from a bridge."

From Quiz The Gig is Up (But the Beat Goes On) - Drummers

Answer: Eric Carr

Eric Carr joined KISS on July 1, 1980, after being one of the last drummers interviewed to replace Peter on the levitating throne. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley cite Eric's "unknown" quality, along with his double-bass technique and "heavier metal" style (compared to Peter's "groovin' jazz" approach) as several of the reasons for the choice. Born Paul Caravello on July 15, 1950, in Brooklyn, NY, Eric found his beat during the British Invasion of the early 60s, with Ringo as his first major influence. After forming a top-40 band in the mid-60s, then gigging with a number of disco-style bands throughout the 70s, Eric hit the big time when a friend suggested he try out for KISS after Peter's departure was announced, and the rest is history. Assuming his new stage name and (after some experimentation) his new persona as "the fox", Eric debuted with KISS on July 25th at the Palladium in New York. He was diagnosed with cancer soon after the "Hot in the Shade" tour in 1990, and passed away in 1991 despite aggressive treatments. Eric is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in New York.

From Quiz Who Whacked the Tubs? #2

Answer: Tommy Lee.

Tommy Lee is also known as the ex-husband of Pamela Anderson.

From Quiz Who Whacked The Tubs? #1

Answer: Ian Paice

Ian Paice also played in Whitesnake for a time with fellow Purple band member, David Coverdale.

From Quiz Who Is the Drummer

Answer: Lars Ulrich

Lars Ulrich started Metallica in 1979 with lead singer James Hetfield. The two met through a local newspaper in San Francisco called, "The Recycler".

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Last Updated Jul 05 2025 5:45 AM

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