*We’re updating this very popular post for 2019 and including 30 more female drummers! This will round out the list to 50 of the best female drummers. We’d love your input. Leave a comment with your favorite female drummer!
Despite being the very backbone of bands, with their presence felt, literally, in every beat —drummers are often overlooked by media and fans alike (especially female drummers), who tend to ogle over singers and guitarists that are positioned forthright and in an audience’s face. We here at Grimy Goods want to remind all ye music devotees how badass the fantastically talented, yet under appreciated, ladies behind the skins are. It’s impossible to cover all the amazing women rockin’ the kit but we thought we’d shout out a few who truly brighten our musical experiences… thank you, ladies.
With a little help from our Grimy Goods readers, our editor and myself, we’ve updated our past Best Female Drummers list to reflect a broader spectrum of music and women. Check out our Top 20 Badass Female Drummers list below! If your favorite drummer is not on this list, mention her in a comment!
Words: Emily Saex
Cu: Sanda Olinger & Emily Saex
In alphabetical order because these female drummers are just too awesome to list in any other way.
1. Carla Azar – Autolux
2. Lori Barbero – Babes in Toyland
3. Cindy Blackman Santana – Santana, Lenny Kravitz, etc.
Photo Source: Cindy Blackman Santana Website Gallery
4. Elaine Bradley – Neon Trees
Photo Source: Neon Trees Official Website Photo Gallery
5. Stephanie Luke (aka Rusty Coathanger) – The Coathangers
6. Julie Edwards – Deap Vally
7. Barbara Gruska – The Belle Brigade
Photo Source: The Belle Brigade Facebook Page
8. Laura Harris – Ex Hex
9. Liv Marsico – Liphemra, Gothic Tropic, etc.
— Click To View The Next 10 Drummers —
i think NIKI SKISTIMAS of KRASHKARMA is fantastic and imho could easily make the top 10 in your list. What went wrong?????
I love Lori Barbero drum from all Drums. It is my best choice. Lori Anne Barbero is an American musician and singer who rose to notoriety as the drummer of the Minneapolis-based punk rock band Babes in Toyland,
Just check out Jonna Lofgren from Glasvegas, also touring with some of the best swedish artists.
And a list without Terri Lyne Carrington is not serious …
Fay Milton is the best.
Paulina Villarreal !!!!!!!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eSVyFfqV3o
Amy wood! Someone else mentioned her. Great feel, huge chops, did I mention feel? Great person. Plays w, has played w, so many good people. And she’s local.
Maya Tuttle?
ITS NOT THE SAME KNOWING HOW TO REALLY PLAY DRUMS THAN HAVING RYTHM!!!
Karen Carpenter is missing… not only she really played and sing PERFECTLY at The same time… even Buddy Rich said she was One of His favourite drummers.
Awful list… not based on facts or REAL drumming skills…
Great list. Great website, too. And great response to the couple of haters in the comments. People like that show so little appreciation that the builders of community work their asses off, mean well, and aren’t their fucking servants… arg!
So the only big oversites I’d note are the great Shiela Escovedo and Georgia Hubley from YLT. And I totally disagree w the couple nominations of mo tucker and meg White.
No Shenri?
No Anika Nilles
Ridiculist
For drum and vocal skill Jen Ledger of SKILLET is an all star! 😉
Dame Evelyn Glennie, veteran world famous classical percussionist from the UK, often guest of symphonies around the world, AND she is deaf! Check out her story in the documentary “Touch the Sound”:
https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=J1G8XGYQh
Also how about:
-Stefanie Mannaerts – Brutus
-Sara Lund – Unwound
-Molly Neumann – Peechees, Bratmobile
-Yoshimi P-We – Boredoms
-mi-gu (Yuko Araki) – Cornelius, Plastic Ono Band
-Kim Schifino from Matt & Kim
-Debbi Peterson – Bangles
Many more I’m sure missing from the list, thankfully many picked up in comments.
Alice de Buhr of Fanny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6ICOC7Ymug
Roxy Petrucci of Vixen.
Gina Schock
What about Dawn Richardson??
check out Beyonce — All Girl Band — she has drummers …1 – Km Thompson & Venzella Joy & Nikki Glaspie …
This list can’t be taken seriously without the inclusion of Leona Broadfoot of The Minority Rule https://www.facebook.com/TheMinorityRule/ one of the best drummers in Rock and Punk. She famously needed 2 roadies to hold down the kit. No that’s raw power.
How about adding U.S Jazz drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and Californian, Sheila E!
No Karen Carpenter? What’s this?
Lynn Perko is a huge oversight. She is 6 feet tall, as beautiful as a model, played in a all girl hardcore band from Reno from 81-83 that opened for every all male hardcore band from that era and toured with black flag, toured nationally with the dicks in the 80s, drummed in the 80s and 90s for sister double happiness who were huge on the west coast and toured internationally, and for the last 15 years with indie rock legends imperial teen.
Most of these women couldn’t even hold her sticks.
Karen Carpenter was an objectively better drummer than some of these.
Maya! The Pack A.D. is awesome in general. Check them out if you don’t know them.
It is still good for a girl because I see too many female drummers and guitarists getting too many props for techniques that men don’t get because it’s been done before. Dial it back because holy crap I’ve seen better male drummers that don’t get their due but the women get magazine space.
Three are missing. In no particular order:
Sheila E
Yael Benzaken
Roxy Petrucci
It’s me. Haha. I’m the best. What a rough life this has been. I’ll come across as the biggest ass for this, I know.
I have played so much, all styles, all conditions, carrying my gear, living the life. Contests, schooling, recording, teaching, weddings, trade shows, musicals, clubs, concerts. I had a 7 year deal with a major label by the time I was 23.
But the money sucks and the life is hard.
We don’t get the opportunities, because we’re female. The only way for that to change is to refuse to buy (or download) music from bands that aren’t at least 50/50 co-ed.
Do this, and we won’t need contests to promote the idea that female drummers are great.
Of course we’re great drummers. Rhythm is natural to females.
We are life’s intuitive timekeepers.
******
Sandy “Sledge” Kaye
LA, CA
I proposed to review the youngest potential drummer Nur Amira Syahira 12 years old from Malaysia.
I vote also for Amy Eileen Wood. While she didn’t make this list, look for her to top future lists.
She’s great.
JANET WEISS is one of the best drummers, period.
JANET WEISS????
OK, what about Alice DeBuhr of Fanny, Sandy West of The Runaways, and Sheila Escovedo of Prince’s band?? C’mon get it straight!!
🙂
I’m just going to echo what a few people have said so far: Stephanie Bailey is missing.
Keri Cavetone of The Ex-Bombers and Cavetone Records!!!!!!!! Have you seen her drum in a mini dress? It’s amazing. Her body positivity is inspiring.
Stefanie Eulinberg- Kid Rock and Twisted Brown Trucker
What about EMILY ROSE of TY SEGALL BAND?
@Sandra Burciaga Olinger.. LOL. Yeah, we were both “passionate” with our commentary 🙂
This is a great list. I love the variety from underground bands to indie to mainstream. Not sure why so many people are bringing up drummer from the past that don’t even drum anymore. It’s clear that this is a list for today and not an “best drummer of all time”.
Hey Sandy… After reading your well put reply I have to recant. You are right! I guess my comment came from the same place as your statement “because they are always singled out in this male-dominated industry”. I just get tired of the “good for a girl” crap that I hear all the time. and having men give me “pointers” or whatever. I always say being in a band of women is a lot like shooting pool in a bar. No matter how many times you kick some guys ass on the table they always feel the need to give you a little advice on your game. Thanks for your great site and forgive my 7am bleary eyed crankiness. 🙂
@Angie – Awesome. I’m glad you understand where we are coming from. Sorry if I came off a bit fierce, I rarely chime in on comments, but this one struck a chord. Cheers.
To Angie Scarpa: You make it seem
like this post is something negative. When it’s not. I’m a female drummers in a well known band and I agree with Sandra’s lomg comment. Women in music have always been a minority. We still are. But we’re growing. Articles like this raise awareness about us and open eyes to people that may have never known about us. You’re clearly missing the bigger picture.
Fuck this list. While everyone on it is great and deserves props.. They are great drummers.. Period.. It’s 2015. Can you imagine a “best male drummer” list or “best white drummer” list. Sexist crap
@Angie — You, know… I’m so sick of drama queens such as yourself that take anything positive and turn it into something negative. Especially when it comes to sexism and feminism. Lately, it seems like so many people want to make issues bigger than they truly are, just to seem like they are a part of something. Well, I’m a woman. This is my site that I created seven years ago from nothing in an industry that was run by men. Since day one I have spotlighted women in music. This is a feature I helped create. Have you ever thought maybe we just wanted to showcase female drummers alone because they are always singled out in this male-dominated industry? No, you prob didn’t think of that. Because you have nothing better to do with your life than to “cry wolf” via the Internet. It’s like Mark Kozelek said, “There is an epidemic of people being ‘offended’ by things as some kind of hobby…” And to those people I say, GET A LIFE. Ain’t nobody (female or male) have time for your bad energy.
Mona Tavakoli from Raining Jane
http://monatavakoli