Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers

by John Lingan

Rising star music historian and drummer John Lingan takes you on an electrifying journey through the history of rock and roll, told through the lives of fifteen iconic drummers—from John Bonham and Charlie Watts to Ringo Starr and Questlove.

Rock and roll thrives on rhythm, but the drummers who drive that pulse often stay in the shadows. In A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers, acclaimed music historian John Lingan brings these unsung heroes into the spotlight, delivering a fascinating journey through six decades of rock history.

Lingan’s deep research and vivid storytelling explores the lives of fifteen drummers who didn’t just keep time—they shaped the sound of rock and roll. From John Bonham’s thunderous power with Led Zeppelin to Questlove’s genre-defying grooves with The Roots, these drummers redefined what was possible in music. Iconic figures like Ringo Starr, whose inventive style transformed The Beatles, and Charlie Watts, the steady backbone of The Rolling Stones, take center stage. But Lingan doesn’t stop there—he also shines a light on groundbreaking, underappreciated talents like Maureen Tucker of The Velvet Underground, whose minimalist beats rewrote the rulebook, and Sam Lay, a pivotal figure in rock’s evolution from the blues.

Packed with insider stories and exclusive interviews—from Robert Plant’s reflections on Led Zeppelin’s legendary sessions to superstar recording engineer Steve Albini’s behind-the-scenes accounts—Backbeats offers an electrifying glimpse into some of rock’s most unforgettable moments, including the seismic shift of Dylan going electric at Newport, James Brown’s explosive creation of funk in the late sixties, and the birth of LA thrash metal in the early eighties.

More than just a tribute, this book is a love letter to the art of drumming itself, revealing how these artists not only kept the beat but drove rock and roll forward. Backbeats is a must-read for any music lover, offering a fresh and thrilling perspective on the story of rock through the eyes—and sticks—of the drummers who made it all possible.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook

304 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 2025

About the author

I'm a writer and author who lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. I have written for The New York Times Magazine, The Oxford American, Washington Post, The Ringer, Pitchfork, and many other publications.

In 2022 my book "A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival" was published by Hachette Books. It's a biography of a great American rock band, from their inception as junior high students in 1958 through their enormous global fame in the late 1960s and their stunning, sudden dissolution in 1972. Based on interview with band members and compatriots, as well as unpublished and rare memoirs from their inner circle, it has been praised in the New Yorker and Wall St. Journal among other places.

My first book, "Homeplace: A Southern Town, a Country Legend, and the Last Days of a Mountaintop Honky-Tonk," was published in 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It tells the story of Joltin' Jim McCoy, a country music impresario from West Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, and the relationship between his work and his community, which included a pre-fame Patsy Cline.

Reviews

[Randal · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting and worthwhile read

[Book Club of One · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the singers or guitarists might get all the attention, John Lingan's Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers argues that the drummers are key to a band's success, as the key to shaping the sound or even more basically keeping time. Especially as Lingan, himself, was a drummer inspired by the 90s alternative rock boom and hip-hop.

Lingan moves chronologically, from pre or proto rock and roll, the Blues, through to contemporary drummers. It is clear that this list is subjective and one could create their own list. A significant portion of the feature drummers feels very safe and includes: the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Dave Grohl. The more engaging chapters focus on the work of session drummers who were involved in many familiar songs, but did not reach the level of household fame. Each chapter focuses on a single drummer, providing their biography, drumming style and training or learning, talks through the importance of their playing style and some of their notable recordings. Lignan also works in the history of popular music around the frames of the drummers. The book also begins with a helpful diagram of the standard set up for drums and a glossary of common terms.

It's a fun light read, that should appeal to most fans of popular music, but it could have been better. It only pulls from American and British performers and of the 15 only includes one woman.

Recommended to readers of musical nonfiction, technical or behind the scenes of recording or best of lists.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on Boston's Arts Fuse

Drums are the backbone for most forms of pop music — rock and roll, R&B, country, funk, fusion, metal, and hip-hop. They may have started as a timekeeping instrument, but drums have become foundational. That said, approaches to the instrument vary as wildly as rock and roll itself.

For drummers, as for any musician, style is an amalgamation, the end product of influences and mentorships, an appropriation of ideas that reflect time spent with songwriters, producers, and groups. All of these factors are carefully examined in John Lingan’s excellent book Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers. The volume contextualizes 15 drummers, each in their historical moment. The author looks at what these drummers listened to, who they admired, and the music they grew up with.​

Sam Lay’s career marks the start of a discussion on the blues and folk roots of rock and roll. Lay needed to simplify his jazz chops to meet the needs of nascent rock and roll artists. He eventually moved from roots music to Bob Dylan and the “suburban blues” of the Paul Butterfield Band, while at the same time maintaining his Southern background. He was formidable at emphasizing the second downbeat stroke, allowing the 16th-note grace note just before the downbeat to be softer, which lent the rhythm a distinctive power. One of his lifelong supporters and most dedicated fans was James Osterberg, who eventually gave up the drums to become Iggy Pop.

Hal Blaine, born in 1929, was another highly trained drummer whose command was nurtured by years of nightclub touring. He went on to become one of the most recorded drummers in history, most famously as a member of The Wrecking Crew, the collective of Los Angeles session players who powered hundreds of pop hits in the 1960s. One of his influential collaborations was with producer Phil Spector, who developed what became known as the “Phil Spector beat.” It is a variation on the rock backbeat that drops the first snare hit and places an emphasis on the fourth quarter note, most notably heard in the opening bars of the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.” (Producer Jack Nitzsche later claimed the pattern was his idea; Blaine, characteristically, said he simply missed the note.)​

Al Jackson was a master of straight-ahead, unvarnished simplicity. On the iconic instrumental “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the MGs, Lingan notes, “his groove never moves, he never plays a fill, and he keeps a rigid, almost robotic swing on his huge 20-inch cymbal … unwavering and slightly ahead of the beat.” The author describes how Jackson’s playing “was rarely busier than a resting heartbeat.” Together with his bandmates Booker T., Duck Dunn on bass, and Steve Cropper on guitar (who passed away last December), these musicians became a Stax house band that helped to define the “Memphis Sound.” Jackson backed hits by Otis Redding and anchored classics like “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and “Soul Man.” Sadly, Jackson was shot by his wife in 1975. He survived but, in a terrible irony, he was shot and killed in his home soon after that attack by assailants who were never found. He was 39.

Ringo Starr, drummer for the Beatles, supplied a quote that says much about his style: “I always felt like it was rats running around the kit if you played jazz and I just liked it solid.” Many of the early drummers in England, such as Ginger Baker, Kenney Jones (Small Faces), and Charlie Watts, were jazz aficionados. Ringo was an exception. He explains it this way: “I’m no good at technical things. I’m your basic offbeat drummer with funny fills … because I’m really a left-handed [person] playing a right-handed kit.” Dave Mattacks, the oft-recorded Brit drummer who lives in the Boston area, explains Ringo’s merit succinctly: Ringo “was never chopping wood. Everything had personality.”​

Charlie Watts, the late drummer for the Rolling Stones, drew on his love of jazz to create a loose style that ebbed and flowed with the Jagger-Richards compositions. Lingan calls it a “refined looseness,” and he makes a key point about the approach when discussing the song “Tumbling Dice”: “… he speeds up here and there, he hits fills slightly off[-]beat, but his playing is always integral and transformative.” Also integral to Watts’s playing is his relaxed approach to the music — his laid-back feel. Even when one of his simple fills may rush, he always returns to the driver’s seat in perfect time.​

Kenny Buttrey is a less familiar name, perhaps because of his status as a top Nashville session musician, where drum credits were often anonymous. The chapter begins by discussing Buddy Harman, who was the leading Nashville drummer when Buttrey came on the scene. Harman had notable credits on songs such as the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love” and the iconic quarter-note backbeat of Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman.” Buttrey, enamored of soul music, “wanted to play like Al Jackson,” and he did so wherever possible within the country genre. His significance came into special focus in his early work on Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, an album that Lingan claims helped establish “the entire genre, the entire notion, of country rock.”​

Moe Tucker, who became the drummer for the Velvet Underground, is an interesting choice for a profile because her minimalistic playing could be perceived, at least by some, as being almost naïve. She was tasked with keeping a steady rhythmic hand — to be focused and insistent. She strove to be like her idols Charlie Watts and Clifton James (drummer for Bo Diddley), each of whom “in the storm of their bands … kept things danceable and light while [the] showman improvised and spiraled off.” When the music went wild, Tucker’s playing gave the audience something to hold onto. She says her approach was simple: “This is a song. There is the beat.” She was inspirational because of her loyalty to the “jackhammer beat,” and as a model for other women who would later take up the drum chair.

Clyde Stubblefield played a very different role as a percussionist. His work with James Brown made use of his sophisticated sense of rhythm and sharp syncopation. He sounded, as Lingan puts it, “like he was playing hide-and-seek with the snare.” Brown’s music emphasized the repetition of intricate rhythmic patterns — at the time, it was a shift in how popular music was structured and performed. Stubblefield was a master of holding a single groove steady for long stretches. He also created singular, iconic beat patterns on songs like “Cold Sweat” and “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.” His beat on “Funky Drummer” became one of the most sampled grooves in the history of recorded music. Central to his style was a gift for subtly articulated ghost notes, accents that added depth and elasticity to the main groove, without ever breaking the latter’s spell.​

John Bonham was a musician whose singular style perfectly matched the needs of his band. Led Zeppelin could not have existed in the same form without him, just as The Who would have been unthinkable without Keith Moon. Both men were virtuosos whose excesses ultimately led to early deaths. From the opening cut on Zeppelin’s debut album, Bonham’s skill and individuality were unmistakable. His 32nd-note flutter kicks on the introduction to “Good Times Bad Times” were astonishing at the time. The author notes, “Hendrix was agog at the man’s right foot.” Lingan goes further, arguing that Bonham’s massive sound marked the moment “when rock and roll drumming became rock drumming.” That subtle parsing underlines an essential point; with Bonham came a thicker, heavier drumming style that managed to retain great dexterity.​

Bernard “Pretty” Purdie represents a different kind of drummer altogether. His legacy is built on precision, consistency, and feel, a sound nurtured over decades of session work. Purdie has claimed to have played on some 4,000 recordings, a figure that may be exaggerated. He has also, controversially, asserted that he replaced drum parts originally played by Ringo Starr. He possesses, by his own admission, a considerable ego. He once hung a sign in his studio that read: “You’ve Did It Again Pretty Purdie Hit Maker.” Still, bravado aside, listening to a Purdie track is a master class in the art of controlled elegance. Thousands of drummers have tried to replicate his grooves, particularly the drum break on Aretha Franklin’s 1971 hit “Rock Steady,” one of the most sampled rhythms in popular music.

Earl Hudson of the band Bad Brains is notable for breaking the expectation that punk music was a British product, as exemplified by the Clash and the Sex Pistols. He could make reggae beats swing, and also had the power, speed, and energy to match the band’s most confrontational songs. Bad Brains’ music may have had more attitude than it did aesthetic value, but that evaluation may be a matter of taste. Hudson has influenced such drummers as Dave Grohl, Will Calhoun of Living Colour, and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Influenced by Hudson, they brought virtuosity to the speed and mad energy of punk.​

Tony Thompson will be a revelation to many. His playing served as the rhythmic architecture for Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” and “Addicted to Love.” His drums sounded like the pounding engine of some colossal machine. He powered the disco hits of the band Chic, including “Le Freak” and “Everybody Dance,” as well as Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl.” One of Thompson’s wildest grooves comes at the opening of Diana Ross’s disco hit “I’m Coming Out,” where he plays an extended stuttering drum entrance before settling into a dynamic straight-ahead dance beat. To my mind, Thompson may have anticipated the advent of drum machines, given his precise, pared-down grooves. Still, his playing always feels deeply human.​

Dave Lombardo’s playing is built on speed and ferocity, far from the grounded dance precision of Tony Thompson. As drummer for Anthrax and, most famously, Slayer, Lombardo helped define thrash metal’s kinetic edge. The book highlights “Angel of Death,” Slayer’s notorious track about Josef Mengele. The tune is propelled by Lombardo’s relentless double-bass attack, which drives 16th-notes at roughly 250 beats per minute near the song’s climax, more than double the tempo of a brisk disco groove. Yet Lombardo is more than a speed merchant. Beneath the velocity lies control, phrasing, and an ability to shape complex rhythmic patterns rather than merely sustain impressive endurance.​

Dave Grohl represents a different model of percussive influence. One of the most commercially successful drummers of his generation, Grohl expanded beyond the kit to become a guitarist, frontman, producer, writer, and filmmaker. His projects include the documentary Sound City (2013), the HBO series Sonic Highways, and the bestselling memoir The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music. As a drummer, Grohl’s style is direct and muscular — hard-hitting, clean, and anchored by a deep pocket. The chapter situates Grohl’s career within the arc of alternative rock’s ascent to the mainstream.​

Questlove offers yet another template for the modern drummer. As the driving force behind The Roots, widely known as the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he has balanced performance with scholarship and production skills. He directed and produced Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a landmark documentary reclaiming the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969. His work integrates technology and tradition, layering programmed rhythm onto human grooves. His innovations are subtle but far-reaching. With Questlove, the drummer is no longer merely the engine of the band, but its historian, curator, and cultural translator.​

Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers delivers on its ambitious premise. The narrative is detailed and informative, each profile functioning as an entry point into a selective but substantial survey of roughly 75 years of rock history. Lingan situates stylistic developments within longer traditions, tracing many rhythmic choices back to their early foundations in jazz. He also maintains a deliberate balance between Black and white drummers, power players and groove specialists, traditionalists and formal innovators. The result is a book that values more than technical superiority but appreciates drummers who represent genres and/or expand pop music’s rhythmic vocabulary.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book on musical history focusing on the most maligned and joked about position in any band, the drummer, and the importance of drums, and the some of the most pivotal, and influential people how have kept the beat for so long.

I came to music late, not that I didn't listen to music, it was that I didn't really understand what I was hearing. I was a Top 40 kid like my parents were, listening to whatever was on the radio usually the AM band. I know it was the band Rush that first made music mean something to me. The mix of lyrics, the music, and the propulsive drummer. Neil Peart was my God, and I wished to know more about the pantheon in which he drummed. Drummers were my thing, from Kodo, to African, Native American, even Irish. This was my gateway into music, something which I have gotten away from, but have recently rediscovered. Thankfully because of books like this. Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers by John Lingan is a look at musical history from the rear of the stage, where the beat is laid down, with profiles and discussions on some of the most influential players, and why their contributions were so important.

The book begins with a nice section discussing the different parts of drumming, the toms, the bass drums, the reasons why they sound like they do, and why they are important. There is then a discussion about the author's love for drums. Lingan also came to music late, but where I took my satisfaction listening, Lingan took lessons learning how to drum, and to gain a better understanding of why he liked percussion so much. As a writer Lingan met some of his influences, and was able to talk and learn from them, further deepening his understanding. What follows are fifteen profiles of drummers from the early blues days, up to Questlove himself. Lingan gives biographical details from people like Charlie Watts, Hal Blaine, John Bonam and others. Lingan discusses their influences, how they started, different ways they played, and how what the did influenced others. There is a nice section on Maureen 'Mo' Tucker from the Velvet Underground, a woman who does not get the credit she deserves for her playing. Lingan also features interviews with numerous music people, other musicians, producers and even fans discussing why these people are important and their lasting legacy.

This is the second book I have read by Lingan, the first being a biography of Creedence Clearwater Revival which I really enjoyed. This one was no exception. Lingan is very good at writing the profiles, covering the important moments in the drummer's life, and sometimes sad and early death. Lingan as a drummer can describe techniques, sound, and make something that seems hard easy to understand. Lingan also can describe things we take for granted in many drummers, and make sure the reader understands how amazing it is to do this. The book is not really subjective, one can understand the choices, but I am sure that many will have a lot of suggestions for who should have been in the book and who should have been omitted. A second book would be eagerly snapped up by myself.

A book for music fans, drum fans, and people who are just starting to get into music. This is one of the those books that the love of music is clear on every page. There are lots of songs to look for, to listen and to enjoy, and after reading this book understand. I had a lot of fun with this book, and eagerly await what John Lingan has planned next.

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backbeats, by John Lingan, is a fun and informative read that will have you listening to lots of good music.

As a history of rock and roll it does an excellent job. No doubt one could choose different drummers but the ones included here connects early rock and roll to what came before, the various genres of music since then, and brings us into the present. If you make this a multimedia read you can spend some time on more of the drummers in addition to the main ones and gain an even better appreciation for what they all brought to the music.

If you always read the liner notes and looked into who some of the session musicians were on your favorite songs, you'll recognize most of the names. It brought back some great memories for me of being young and reading the notes in my dad's various swing, jazz, and blues albums, having him point out his favorites (Krupa and Rich among them). He even talked with me about his opinions on the musicianship on the albums I bought (Beatles, CCR, King Crimson). His emphasis aligns with this book, the percussion section, the drums and bass.

I don't think any kind of exhaustive list of drummers and songs mentioned in the text would be that beneficial of an addition. But I do think a curated playlist that focused on songs that highlight the progression and changes in technique and style would be fun, maybe one for each chapter since they each cover a period as much as it does a single drummer.

Highly recommended for both drummers and their fans but also those interested in music history, this will add another level to an understanding of the rock era.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Daniel Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifteen drummers are profiled and their impact on music history is explored.

The author has great passion for his subject. His interest and knowledge of drumming is extensive. Each of the write-ups were under twenty pages. There wasn't the time nor inclination to truly dive deep into each person's life. Of the fifteen musicians profiled, there were only three that I would consider myself a fan of, Dave Grohl, John Bonham and Ringo Starr. There wasn't anything overtly new or interesting in the book concerning any of the three. The other twelve biographies were mildly interesting. I think I would have a greater appreciation for the book as a whole if I was steeped in the technical aspects of drumming. Not knowing a downbeat from a ghost note or a half time rhythm from a paradiddle lessened my enjoyment and created a sense of sameness to the profiles, the deeper I read. It was also frustrating that within each drummer's chapter, there were constant diversions into other musicians or albums. Already condensed biographies ended up spending even less time with the featured drummer. There was also a glaring mistake within the chapter about Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. The author reports that that band's guitarist, Jeff Hanneman, died in 2018 due to complications of a spider bite. Neither the date nor the cause of death are accurate.

[Bruce Raterink · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a unique and adventurous concept, to tell the history of rock'n'roll from the perspective of the drummers. I was captivated from the first page to the last. I read it almost straight through, only stopping to cue up a song that was mentioned in the book so I could hear the referenced drum section. I'm not a musician, just a rock'n'roll fan and the book never got too technical for me. Highly recommended for any fan of rock'n'roll.

Being a little nitpicking, and realizing that I read an advanced reader copy so this could be corrected already, I couldn't help but. notice some misinformation in a few chapters, but never pertaining the the key figures of the chapters. In chapter three he credits the Ventures instead of the Surfaris with the surf anthem :"Wipeout" (in the next paragraph it switches to the Surfaris.) In chapter 4 he credits Mitch Murray's composition "How Do You do It" to Lennon and McCartney. In chapter 8 he credits the Ronettes with the song "Da Do Ron Ron" when it was actually performed by the Crystals. None of these issues diminished my overall enjoyment of the book, but facts matter.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced reader copy.

[Amy Sunshine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to #Scribner and #NetGalley for the DRC of #Backbeats. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

As a music fan in general and especially of the bands from my formative years, this book was a blast to read. I went down a lot of rabbit holes while reading - looking up the individual drummers, their songs/albums. And I discovered some new artists and music to boot.

This book is a love letter to music, but more specifically to drumming. While the author geeks out on some very technical stuff, you don't have to be a drummer to appreciate it. Each chapter builds on the chapter before, showing how each drummer is influenced by those that came before. Some of the names may not be familiar, but you discover you've heard their playing even if you didn't know who it was.

My only complaint - and I'm hoping it's just because I had an advance reader copy - is that each chapter should have list of all the songs, albums and artists mentioned so you can dig further if you want without having to keep a list. Better yet, a Spotify playlist for each chapter. I also would have like photos of each artist. Overall, a very enjoyable read for music fans.

[Lesley Potts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history of rock 'n' roll from the drummer's perspective. I'm old enough that I recognize practically every one of the musicians and songs mentioned. Apart from my "lost years" when the author ventures into hip hop and rap. So it's pretty comprehensive and I did learn quite a few things about various drummers. And then Dave Grohl reared his head, again. What is it that men have about Mr. Grohl? i read his memoir and found it very unimpressive. The author gushes over him and his contribution to the genre. Sigh.

I was similarly unimpressed by the narrator. In fact, I thought it was AI narration until I did a little research. What a boring monotone. Comes across as a young man who doesn't actually know the material he's reading aloud. Several very weird mispronunciations of English band and place names and strange inflections of American names and bands. Wish they'd chosen someone who had a passion for rock music and who knew the music he was describing.

[MB Valley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a non-musician, I'm not sure that I was the target audience for this book. But I love music and following the progression of rock via the drummers was really eye-opening. I cannot stop hearing the drums in every song I listen to now and I have more appreciation for the contribution of the drummers in some of my favorite bands.

I did have to read this with one eye on my Spotify account because many of the songs were completely unknown to me and, even if I was able to recall the melody, I definitely was not able to remember the drums, specifically. I would recommend that the author consider putting together a playlist for this book because that would have made this a more fluid experience.

I received this book as a giveaway on Goodreads and am happily giving my honest opinion.

[Miguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ba dum dum tsss

While not being able to keep a beat myself and thus unable to comment authoritatively on this, but I was pretty shocked that Keith Moon was shoehorned under Bonham. A lot of the drummers here were not known to me, but does Tony Thompson really merit his own chapter? I guess my main beef here was that the author tried to cover "all" the music of the past half century (or more) and hence diluted chapters otherwise dedicated to one person. And I've been left more in awe from the myriad YouTubers who cover music. But it was interesting at points and hats off to recognizing otherwise overlooked folks like Moe Tucker.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Backbeats serves as an overview and introduction to some of the best drummers in rock history. Lingan charts a course from Blues and Jazz influenced session musicians to those that followed their rock gods to the next level. The early emphasis on shining a light upon those drummers who shaped the sound fo your favorite '60s LP or the later look at the artist that gave Diana Ross a comeback are the real points of knowledge to be found in the enjoyable read. Knowing more about some of rock's greatest drummers provides a jumping off point into the well that is each of their personalities and styles. Who doesn't love reading about Charlie Watts or Tony Thompson?

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Not necessarily the "Best 15 Drummers" of all time, or even the most influential - really just a set of mini-bios about the drummers that had big impacts on popular music's development. I enjoyed the stories about my favorite drummers (Ringo, John Bonham, Al Jackson, Charlie Watts, Clyde Stubblefield) but probably learned the most about drummers I was unfamiliar with, or at least unfamiliar with their names (Hal Blaine, Sam Lay, Pretty Purdie). A must for drummers, but any music fan will find a lot to enjoy.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew the most important person in the band was the drummer! I did not know many of these drummers, for example James Brown’s drummer, who kept perfect time. A few of the drummers we grew up listening to are not mentioned! Ginger Baker? John Densmore? Of course, Ringo is right at the top!! Anyone who loves music will love this book! Put on a record and read… Highly recommended! This was a lot of fun to read!

[Niko05 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid one stop read that focuses on a number of drummers throughout rock history. The author could have been lazy and just pick the same number of drummers that appear on every other list from various publications. But he did his homework, and he told some amazing stories from unheralded but significant drummers like Moe Tucker and Clyde Stubblefeild ... along with some fun stories . This was a worthwhile read for drummers and musicians alike.

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This does a good job going over 15 drummers, some of whom were familiar to me and some I'd never heard of before. It's a little depressing that only two drummers here have even debuted in the last 40 years, but rock and roll isn't in the cultural mainstream nearly as much as it used to be, and the rise of drum machines and technology has apparently affected the role the profession once had in music.

[Carole Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers by John Lingan is a vibrant, rhythm-driven journey through rock history. By spotlighting the drummers who shaped the music behind the legends, Lingan delivers an insightful, entertaining, and must-read tribute to the unsung heroes of rock and roll.

[Erin Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast read of the history of rock music told through drummers. I created a pretty epic playlist while reading this one. It doesn't necessarily focus on the best drummers in history but those who worked with plenty of other artists who molded and shaped music over the last few decades.

[Donna Pardue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and learned so much. I knew I loved rock n roll music! However.....I knew nothing about what was ivovled in being a professional drummer. John Lingan's experience shone through in this very well written book. His research was extensive and made me appreciate how much drummers contribute to the songs we love!

[Ari Gibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book doesn’t chase quick motivation, it offers something steadier. I found that more meaningful than typical self-help approaches.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the most enjoyable non-fiction book I've ever read.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Give the drummer some…reading material.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know most of these people but it was really interesting to see the influence drummers have had on rock and roll. they are the forgotten heroes.

[Scott Cordingley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Superficial and uneven, like Tommy Lee’s drumming.

*rimshot*

[Alysa H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon.

** I received a [personal invite to a] Review Copy of this book via NetGalley **