And by the way, I'm not a drummer. I like guitars. I read about guitars, go to stores and stare at them longingly , talk to my friends about them, play them in an average kind of way -- just love them. And amplifiers... oh, baby. But I cannot deny the truth about drummers.

Let's look at some examples of drummers who lifted bands into greatness. I'm not saying that the other members of these bands are untalented in any way. I'm just saying they're fortunate that they happened to know a great drummer.

1. Topper Headon of the Clash -- I think in the early stages of this band, he really was the only person who could play. He literally held them together musically. If you listen to London Calling, you can hear the strength of his drumming. It's difficult to have a borderline out-of-control style if the drumming isn't great.

2. Clem Burke of Blondie -- My personal opinion is that without Clem Burke, no one would have heard of Blondie outside of NYC. He is responsible for the impossible feat of making a disco beat interesting in "Heart of Glass." Eat to the Beat is a clinic on how drumming style can be integral to a band's sound. He really helped make this group interesting, and held it together in the face of its stylistic wanderings.

3. Steven Adler of Guns and Roses -- Now, I'm not a fan of these guys, but they help prove my point. Steven, their original drummer, helped make "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Welcome to the Jungle" the great rock and roll songs they are. Those songs just kick along. "Sweet Child" in particular would probably be a plodding mess without Steven. Notice how no one is noticing GNR anymore? Is it just a coincidence that their original drummer is long gone? I think people can tell there is something missing now that was there before. But I think it is someone that is missing.

4. Bill Berry of REM -- Kept tons of songs like "Losing My Religion" from skidding into easy-listening territory. Arguably, Bill was the only source of rock and roll in this collection of art students. He has always been a consistently strong but interesting drummer. Just listen to Up for a glimpse of how these guys will fare post-Bill. Sounds like an art project to me.

5. Chris Mars of the Replacements -- Another band that, without good drumming, could have faded early and quickly under the weight of their all-over-the-placeness. Chris was able to strike the perfect balance between effectively driving the group, and staying in the background so that the group's spotlight could shine on reluctant/truculent frontman Paul Westerberg. Pleased to Meet Me contains wonderful examples of great drumming - from the cracking beginning of "IOU" to the end of "Can't Hardly Wait."