Check out where our guy Vinnie Paul comes in on Loudwire’s Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Drummers of All Time!

While frontmen and guitarists get a lot of the glory in rock bands, drummers are very much a driving force behind the music, especially when it comes to hard rock and heavy metal. In the gallery above, we salute the men behind the kit with our picks for the Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Drummers of All Time.

Some of these drummers were chosen based on their world-topping chops; some based on their historical influence; others based on knowing when to not show off their virtuosity; and ofttimes they were chosen based on some combination of all the above, among other talents.

But the end goal was to celebrate 50 drummers who have helped define the music we love, and now dominate our record collections. So take a seat and take the ride, and check out our list of Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Drummers of All Time by clicking here.