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