I found about 12 lists of the best drummers of all time on the Internet and compiled them into one meta-list. The results are below: every drummer on three or more of the original source lists, organized by rank (that is, with the drummers on the most lists at the top). Drummers on the same number of lists are organized chronologically by date of birth.
Please note that these are not my personal opinions.
To see a version of this meta-list organized chronologically by date of birth, go here.
On 12 lists
Buddy Rich (US, 1917-1987)
Styles: Jazz
Associated with: Tommy Dorsey, Harry James
On 11 lists
John Bonham (UK, 1948-1980)
Styles: Rock
Associated with: Led Zeppelin
On 10 lists
Dave Grohl (US, 1969- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures
On 9 lists
Keith Moon (UK, 1946-1978)
Style: Rock
Associated with: The Who
Neil Peart (Canada/US, 1952- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Rush
On 8 lists
Gene Krupa (US, 1909-1973)
Style: Jazz
Associated with: Benny Goodman
Stewart Copeland (US, 1952- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: The Police
Danny Carey (US, 1961- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Tool
(Photo by Toby Canham/Getty Images)
On 7 lists
Max Roach (US, 1924-2007)
Style: Jazz
Associated with: Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown
(Photo by William P. Gottlieb)
Elvin Jones (US, 1927-2004)
Style: Jazz
Associated with: John Coltrane, the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine
Ginger Baker (UK, 1939- )
Style: Rock, blues, jazz, Afrobeat
Associated with: Cream, Blind Faith, Fela Kuti
(Photo by David Redfern/Getty Images)
Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) (UK, 1940- )
Styles: Rock, pop, country
Associated with: The Beatles
Clyde Stubblefield (US, 1943-2017)
Styles: Funk, R&B, soul
Associated with: James Brown, Funkmasters
Billy Cobham (Panama/US, 1944- )
Styles: Jazz, jazz fusion, rock
Associated with: Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra
Dave Lombardo (Cuba/US, 1965- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Slayer
On 6 lists
Charlie Watts (UK, 1941- )
Styles: Rock, jazz, blues
Associated with: The Rolling Stones
Tony Williams (US, 1945-1997)
Styles: Jazz, jazz fusion
Associated with: Miles Davis, The Tony Williams Lifetime
Steve Gadd (US, 1945- )
Styles: Rock, pop, R&B, blues, jazz, jazz fusion
Mitch Mitchell (John Graham Mitchell) (UK, 1946-2008)
Style: Rock, jazz fusion
Associated with: the Jimi Hendrix Experience
(Photo by Jim Marshall)
Terry Bozzio (US, 1950- )
Styles: Rock, jazz fusion
Associated with: Frank Zappa, Missing Persons
Phil Collins (UK, 1951- )
Styles: Rock, pop
Associated with: Genesis
Chad Smith (US, 1961- )
Styles: Rock, jazz-funk
Associated with: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chicken Foot, Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats
On 5 lists
Art Blakey (US, 1919-1990)
Style: Jazz
Associated with: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Carl Palmer (UK, 1950- )
Style: Rock
Associated with Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Asia
Alex Van Halen (Netherlands/US, 1953- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Van Halen
Vinnie Colaiuta (US, 1956- )
Styles: Rock, pop, funk, jazz, country
Associated with: Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Tom Scott
Dave Weckl (US, 1960- )
Style: Jazz, jazz fusion
Associated with: Chick Corea Elektric Band
Lars Ulrich (Denmark/US, 1963- )
Style: Rock
Associated with Metallica
Mike Portnoy (US, 1967- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Dream Theater
Tomas Haake (Sweden, 1971- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Meshuggah
Josh Freese (US, 1972- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: The Vandals, Devo, Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nais, Weezer, Sublime with Rome
Travis Barker (US, 1975- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Blink-182
On 4 lists
Tony Allen (Nigeria, 1940- )
Style: Afrobeat
Associated with: Fela Kuti
Ian Paice (UK, 1948- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Deep Purple
Bill Ward (UK, 1948- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Black Sabbath
Jeff Porcaro (US, 1954-1992)
Style: Rock, jazz fusion
Associated with: Toto
Steve Smith (US, 1954- )
Style: Rock, jazz, jazz fusion
Associated with: Journey
Tommy Lee (Greece/US, 1962- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Mötley Crüe, Methods of Mayhem
Matt Cameron (US, 1962- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Soundgarden, Pearl Jam
?uestlove (Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson) (US, 1971- )
Style: Hip hop, neo-soul
Associated with: The Roots
The Rev (James Owen Sullivan) (US, 1981-2009)
Style: Rock
Associated with: Avenged Sevenfold
On 3 lists
Bernard Purdie (US, 1939- )
Styles: Rock, R&B, soul, funk, jazz
Associated with: James Brown, Aretha Franklin
Moe Tucker (Maureen Tucker) (US, 1944- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: The Velvet Underground
Carmine Appice (US, 1946- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Beck, Bogert & Appice, KGB, DBA, SLAMM
Bill Bruford (UK, 1949- )
Styles: Rock, jazz, jazz fusion
Associated with: Yes, King Crimson, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Earthworks
Nicko McBrain (UK, 1952- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Iron Maiden
Sheila E. (Sheila Escovedo) (US, 1957- )
Styles: R&B, soul, funk, pop, Latin
Associated with: Prince, C.O.E.D., Ringo Starr
Carter Beauford (US, 1957- )
Styles: Rock, jazz, R&B, jazz fusion, world
Associated with: Dave Matthews Band, Secrets
Dennis Chambers (US, 1959- )
Styles: Funk, jazz, jazz fusion
Associated with: Parliament, Funkadelic, John Scofield
Mike Mangini (US, 1963- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Annihilator, Extreme, Steve Vai, Dream Theater
Gavin Harrison (UK, 1963- )
Styles: Rock, jazz fusion, experimental
Associated with: Porcupine Tree, King Crimson
Jimmy Chamberlin (US, 1964- )
Syles: Rock, jazz fusion
Associated with: The Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan, Skysaw, the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex
Janet Weiss (US, 1965- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Sleater-Kinney, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Wild Flag, Quasi
Chris Adler (US, 1972- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Lamb of God, Megadeth
Brann Dailor (US, 1975- )
Style: Rock
Associated with: Evisceration, Lethargy, Gaylord, Mastodon, Arcadea