10. Billy Cobham

Born - 05/1944 | Nationality - Panamainian | Genre - Rock/Fusion

Billy Cobham became known in the drum world in the late 60's and early 70's playing with Miles Davis and with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, a jazz-rock fusion group. He is widely seen as the best fusion drummer in the world, and one of the best drummers in any genre of music.

Some of the things that make Billy one of the best drummers include his technique which is superb, he also plays open handed which isn't all that common. This combines with his explosive power to produce a style that's precise and and full of energy. The amount of passion that he puts into his playing is clear to see and it comes across in his music.

Creativley, he puts a lot of other drummers to shame with his driving tom and snare rolls, and his cymbal work. But, at the other end of the spectrum, he's just as good at coming up with delicate little phrases and ride cymbal patterns too.

The top things that make Billy one of the best drummers around are his style and influence. His diverse style is unique to him and he has influenced the playing of drummers in jazz, rock, funk, and fusion. He's the best fusion drummer ever, and he helped to develop drum set playing and take it a new directions.