1. Gar Samuelson, Megadeth

Gar was the drummer for the metal band Megadeth from 1984 through 1987. His root influences on drums originate in jazz and fusion music and that's what makes Gar my top drummer of all time. His Jazz influenced drumming often involving complex and intricate musical patterns with high energy double bass drums epitomizes what a drummer should sound like.

2. Neil Peart, Rush

Neil is the drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush. Early in his career, Peart's style of playing was deeply rooted in hard rock where he drew most of his inspiration from drummers such as Keith Moon and John Bonham, later he began to absorb the influence of Jazz and Big Band musicians such as Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. In terms of music, Peart has received many awards for his recorded performances and is widely regarded for his technical proficiency and stamina. In terms of influence, he is one of the most important drummers in history, and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest rock drummers of all time.

3. Mike Portnoy, Dream Theater

Mike is the drummer in the progressive rock band Dream Theater. Known for his advanced drum skills, Portnoy has won 23 awards from Modern Drummer magazine. Mike names his biggest influence as Rush drummer Neil Peart and in my opinion is the only modern drummer to equal Neil's proficiency on the drums.

4. Dave Lombardo, Slayer

Lombardo's music career spans more than 25 years, during which he has been involved in the production of 29 commercial recordings with bands such as Grip Inc., Fantômas and Testament spanning a number of major genres. Lombardo's most notable work has been with the metal band Slayer, with which he performed on six albums, including Reign in Blood which is a masterpiece of drum proficiency.

5. Lars Urlich, Metallica

Lars is the drummer for Metallica. Ulrich's early work with Metallica led him to be dubbed as one of the metal scene's drumming greats. He became known for his pioneering fast metal drum beats and techniques and to me is the second best metal drummer after Gar.