Wow - did you open up a discussion!! Great question, but so many directions this could and has taken. I’m 74 and started playing the drums in the third grade. I had a brush with fame having played in a high school rock band with Billy Squire. I’ve heard and tried to copy numerous drummers. For me it’s not about the flash which is why I don’t favor the likes of Keith Moon, Neil Peart, and Anika Nilles. I listen more for drummers that feel the song and subtilly fulfill a song. But as some have already stated, picking a favorite is impossible because of the different genres. So I don’t have a favorite, but I have drummers I feel fit my listening and feel the music include: Big Band - Gene Kruppa, Buddy Rich; Jazz - Joe Morello, Bobby Columby; Rock - Tris Imboden, Danny Serapine, Vinnie Colaiuta (Jeff Beck), Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews); Southern Rock - Bruce Crump; Studio - Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro. I had to laugh at Animal making the list. It was from drumming that I developed the interest in bass and how both complement each other.
Very cool!
I get it that Moon was perhaps more energy and “flash”…
..but was not Peart more of a serious drummer (not flash) especially when still learning techniques even late in his career studying under Freddie Gruber and Peter Erskine?
I am not discounting your opinion of Peart, it just caught me a little off guard in that I never really envisioned him as a “flash” type of drummer..
When I bought my Mustang from the showroom at Heritage Ford, the finance guy was the former drummer for a famous 80’s band that had a lot of airplay on WBCN. I may be mistaken about his band but he mentioned a song and pulled out some pics. I have the band name and tunes on the tip of my tongue and it is driving me crazy. They did a free concert on Mt. Wachusett and flew in on a chopper. Traffic was backed up for miles in every direction.
A friend on a local gun forum was Joey Kramer’s tech and traveled the globe a few times until the covid scare put an end to that job.
Chad Sexton from 311 is my favorite drummer.
If I had to choose just one I’d go with Mike Portnoy.
Gergo Borlai
Phil Collins. Especially in Brand X and Gabriel/Hackett-era Genesis. By a mile. (Something that should surprise no one who recognizes my username and profile picture.)
Other drummers may be more technically proficient or have more “feel” than Phil, but very few command both those traits at the level he does. “Dance on a Volcano,” “I Don’t Care Anymore,” and the last 8 minutes of “Supper’s Ready” were an absolute CLINIC on how to math out like Neil Peart and go apes*** like Keith Moon at the same time. And Tool and Van Halen would be very different bands if it weren’t for “Lilywhite Lilith” and “Squonk.”
I’ve always found it paradoxical that Phil could be so ubiquitous in the 1980s/90s, as a frontman AND a drummer (besides giving us the most iconic drum fill of all time, he pioneered the gated-reverb sound that all but defined the 80s), yet so underrated that I’m the first person to mention him in this thread. And having spent most of my life defending my Genesis fandom to people whose knowledge doesn’t go beyond Phil’s solo work and “Invisible Touch,” I get that there’s very little overlap in the Venn diagram between his best known and greatest material. But as someone who can thoroughly loathe a band and still respect the contributions of its members, it kills me to see people like Dave Grohl and Tommy Lee regularly outrank him on “best drummers of all time” lists on the grounds of having more scene cred or twirling their drumsticks more dramatically.
Bill Ward of Black Sabbath doesn’t always get mentioned in lists of great drummers.
Keith the loon moon
I guess most people don’t immediately consider Phil Collins as a drummer, but only know him for his singing.
It’s likely the same people who don’t realize Peter Gabriel actually was in Genesis and their main singer. Or, that Brand X exists… 
Thanks for bringing Brand X to our attention.
It’s so funny for me because at the time I always liked his stuff and yet absolutely hated Genesis (and Phil Collins), and when I found out that Gabriel was Genesis’ front-man I actually questioned my own judgement in liking his stuff
Yeah, it certainly doesn’t help that there aren’t a lot of full-career Genesis fans out there. Most of “Team Peter” look at anything the band has done since he left with disdain, and most of “Team Phil” – especially the people who came aboard after his solo career took off – never took a deep dive into their earlier stuff. (I’m on “Team Steve” myself. Hackett’s departure had a far greater impact on the band’s sound and direction than Gabriel’s did.)
I wouldn’t say I am “Team Peter” - I liked his work but it wasn’t heavy rotation for me - but yeah I liked it way, way more than ‘80s Genesis.
NGL, I couldn’t STAND “Invisible Touch” when it came out, and while I did get over my dislike of the poppier songs enough to realize “Domino” and “The Brazilian” are great, it’s still my least favorite Genesis album. My introduction to Gabriel-era stuff came in the form of hearing a song I liked on a HS classmate’s car stereo and being incredulous when he told me it was Genesis. But that knowledge stayed locked away in the part of my brain that only got used at quiz bowl competitions until college, when I dated a Genesis fan who had all of their back catalog. Then I was hooked. Thankfully got to see them on the “We Can’t Dance” tour right about that time, when Phil was in his prime. Seeing him now hurts like hell.
If you haven’t had a chance to see Steve Hackett live, do it. He does retrospective Genesis tours pretty frequently, and his backing band are amazing. But a lot of the crowd takes “Team Peter” to Comic Book Guy-like levels.
Man. I didn’t know he was so far gone, poor guy. I was never a fan but I definitely appreciated his impact. Sounds like lots of unrelated health problems just added up for him - hard to believe he’s barely 75 there.
Spoiler… he doesn’t play, the first short vid is recent but is a clip from the longer take from about a year ago… it say he plays, but not really.
These are probably more interest for PC fans or drummers, but it does show how frail he is.
Picked up ‘Car’ from a flea market in 1988 for 50p. That pointed me to the other solo stuff which naturally led me to early Genesis.
They’re all in a box at my mum’s place. I might just throw the records away and get her to mail just the record sleeves as artwork 
I’m doing a finger style guitar course online in part because (long term goal) I want to learn Horizons, as it’s just the most beautiful piece by Steve Hackett
Phil Collins - Finally…The First Farewell Tour Paris 2004 is probably my favourite live concert recording of any artist.
However, maybe it’s weird but I only started developing an affinity for specific musicians since I started learning bass. I always thought I just had a weird taste in music till I saw the first 50 songs list and said “hold up a minute! So that’s why I like this stuff”
So at the moment I’m still using Drumeo videos to learn about drums and drummers.
Jojo Mayer
JD Beck
Louis Cole
Larnell Lewis