9. Mitch Mitchell
Mitch Mitchell was well renowned for his jazz approach and for introducing a heavy improvisational character to the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which was a good counterpoint to Hendrix’s guitar playing. Mitch Mitchell passed away on January 25, 2018. Stewart Copeland has stated that Mitchell had a significant impact on all of his greatest achievements during his career. In light of this, it may come as a surprise that Mitchell was only selected for the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1966 after winning a coin toss over Aynsley Dunbar, who was the other candidate.
9. Mitch Mitchell
8. Bill Ward
Bill Ward (second from left) was a founding member of the heavy-metal pioneering band Black Sabbath, and he introduced an adaptable technique that almost seemed to emulate R&B rather than hard rock to the band’s performances. As Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk put it, “Bill Ward could be sampled for days on end on hip-hop tracks.” Ward was actually schooled by listening to jazz greats such as Gene Krupa and Joe Morello, which would explain why his approach hasn’t been reproduced by the Sabbath drummers who have taken over for him over the years.
8. Bill Ward