It’s a rarity when a single musician can claim the two greatest moments in their field’s history, but John Bonham was never an ordinary percussionist. In an industry where the opening riff usually belongs to the guitarist, Bonham managed to command the listener’s attention before a single string was even plucked.
The most recognizable drum intros are frequently debated, with legendary tracks from bands like ELO and Van Halen often making the cut. However, when it comes to the absolute pinnacle of percussion, “Bonzo” doesn’t just hold the top spot, he holds it twice.
The Led Zeppelin drummer is consistently ranked as the greatest of all time because he blended instinctive creativity with a ferocious power that changed the course of rock history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the tie for the number one ranking: the opening bars of “When The Levee Breaks” and “Rock and Roll”.
Led Zeppelin’s ‘When The Levee Breaks’
Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks” lands at the top for its booming, echoey, and thunderous drum sound. The track has become a subject of scholarly research as fans and engineers attempt to decode how Bonham achieved that specific resonance.
The song was famously recorded in the cavernous entryway of Headley Grange, a former workhouse in England. By placing the drum kit at the bottom of a three-story stone stairwell and suspending microphones multiple flights above, Jimmy Page and his team captured a natural reverberation that became legendary.
Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock and Roll’
Despite how it sounds to the casual listener, “Rock and Roll” actually begins on beat three rather than beat one, a technicality that makes it one of the most processed opening parts in rock.
The inspiration for the pattern was actually a tribute to the early days of rock music. Bonham lifted the pattern directly from the 1957 Little Richard classic ‘Keep A-Knockin’. The intro was born during a lull in the Led Zeppelin IV recording sessions as Bonham was messing around with the rhythm. Using a “filthy loose” hi-hat and tautly accented snare, Bonham manufactured a sense of combustible anticipation.
The fact that these two tracks come from the same album, Led Zeppelin IV, highlights just how dominant Bonham was during the band’s peak.
“Picking Zeppelin’s one-of-a-kind drummer was the easy part,” the ranking noted. Bonham doesn’t just hold the top two spots; he has five entries in the top 40 best drum intros. Whether it is the cavernous echo of a haunted workhouse or the high-speed shuffle of a 1950s tribute, John Bonham remains the gold standard for how to start a rock song.
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Author: Rachel Schneider
