Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
The Knack
Artists “It was like getting hit in the head with a baseball bat. I fell in love with her instantly. And it sparked something”
push
Tech Ableton and Arturia reign supreme as Reverb reveals best-selling synths, samplers and drum machines of 2025
Bill Ward of Black Sabbath, inductee, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica
Artists "I just love Metallica. I love Lars' drumming": naysayers, listen up - Bill Ward explains why Lars Ulrich is a brilliant drummer
Josh Freese
Artists “It was all done on GarageBand – it’s live drums, but over this goofy funk drum loop I’d done on my laptop out on tour”
Josh Freese
Artists “People said, ‘Hey, I saw you’re on that Avril Lavigne record.’ I went, ‘Nah!'”: The drummer who’s played on 400 albums
Man playing Roland TD716 electronic drum set in a studio
Electronic Drums Best electronic drum sets 2025: Top picks for every playing level and budget, tested by drummers – plus video and audio demos
roland
Tech "It's the most influential drum machine ever created – and has likely featured on more records than any other": A history of Roland drum machines, from the TR-77 to the TR-1000
Roland TD-02K and TD-02KV V-Drums electronic drum sets
Drum Kits Best electronic drum set for kids 2025: child-friendly electronic drum kits
A Fractal Audio VP4 Virtual Pedalboard multi-effects pedal on a concrete floor
Guitar Pedals Best multi-effects pedals 2025: Our pick of the best all-in-one guitar FX modellers
Man in green jumper received a gift from a man in a red jumper
Guitars Best Christmas gifts for musicians 2025: 21 affordable festive present ideas for music-makers (which they'll genuinely love)
Sennheiser in ear monitors on a lit up dj controller
Studio Monitors Best budget in-ear monitors 2025: My pick of cheap in-ears for every type of musician
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Drum kit with a red overlay and blue text saying 'best Christmas gifts for drummers'
Drums Best Christmas gifts for drummers 2025: my pick of affordable festive gifts they'll actually use
The Power Station
Artists “The most expensive bit of drumming in history”: When stars of Duran Duran and Chic formed a decadent ’80s supergroup
Vanilla Fudge
Artists “We could have been as big as Led Zeppelin”: The heavy rock innovators whose drummer was a star before John Bonham
More
  • "The most expensive bit of drumming in history”
  • JoBo x Fuchs
  • Radiohead Daydreaming
  • Vanilla Fudge
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Artists
  2. Drummers

The 20 richest drummers in the world

News
By Joe Bosso published 27 August 2012

Keep practicing. Those double stroke rolls can really pay off one day!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The 20 richest drummers in the world

The 20 richest drummers in the world

Let's face it: drummers are the Rodney Dangerfields of rock. They get no respect. Shoved in the back, many of them faceless to the general public, and hey, let's not forget all those drummer jokes. (Example: What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless.)

Except for these guys. According to Celebrity Networth, what follows are the 20 richest drummers in the world. Their calculations are based on public information (from sites such as Forbes and The Sunday Times) including salaries, real estate holdings and divorces. The final totals come from a formula that takes out taxes, managers' fees, agents' fees and lifestyle.

All of which means one thing: The next time your parents, friends or neighbors complain about that unbearable racket you're making, you can show them this list and let them know that the phrase "give the drummer some" can be taken quite literally.

Page 1 of 21
Page 1 of 21
Tre Cool (Green Day)

Tre Cool (Green Day)

Page 2 of 21
Page 2 of 21
Rick Allen (Def Leppard)

Rick Allen (Def Leppard)

Page 3 of 21
Page 3 of 21
Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band)

Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band)

Page 4 of 21
Page 4 of 21
Jon Fishman (Phish)

Jon Fishman (Phish)

Page 5 of 21
Page 5 of 21
Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)

Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)

Page 6 of 21
Page 6 of 21
Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)

Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)

Page 7 of 21
Page 7 of 21
Nick Mason (Pink Floyd)

Nick Mason (Pink Floyd)

Page 8 of 21
Page 8 of 21
Alex Van Halen

Alex Van Halen

Page 9 of 21
Page 9 of 21
Stewart Copeland (The Police)

Stewart Copeland (The Police)

Page 10 of 21
Page 10 of 21
Travis Barker (Blink-182)

Travis Barker (Blink-182)

Page 11 of 21
Page 11 of 21
Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Page 12 of 21
Page 12 of 21
Joey Kramer (Aerosmith)

Joey Kramer (Aerosmith)

Page 13 of 21
Page 13 of 21
Roger Taylor (Queen)

Roger Taylor (Queen)

Page 14 of 21
Page 14 of 21
Larry Mullen Jr (U2)

Larry Mullen Jr (U2)

Page 15 of 21
Page 15 of 21
Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones)

Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones)

Page 16 of 21
Page 16 of 21
Lars Ulrich (Metallica)

Lars Ulrich (Metallica)

Page 17 of 21
Page 17 of 21
Don Henley (The Eagles)

Don Henley (The Eagles)

Page 18 of 21
Page 18 of 21
Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)

Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)

Page 19 of 21
Page 19 of 21
Phil Collins (Solo, Genesis)

Phil Collins (Solo, Genesis)

Page 20 of 21
Page 20 of 21
Ringo Starr (The Beatles)

Ringo Starr (The Beatles)

Page 21 of 21
Page 21 of 21
CATEGORIES
Drums
Joe Bosso
Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.

Read more
Drum kit with a red overlay and blue text saying 'best Christmas gifts for drummers'
Best Christmas gifts for drummers 2025: my pick of affordable festive gifts they'll actually use
 
 
Simon Phillips
“I got a hacksaw, chopped down the stand and put the hi-hats down there”: How Simon Phillips learned to play left-handed
 
 
Man in green jumper received a gift from a man in a red jumper
Best Christmas gifts for musicians 2025: 21 affordable festive present ideas for music-makers (which they'll genuinely love)
 
 
Josh Freese
“It was all done on GarageBand – it’s live drums, but over this goofy funk drum loop I’d done on my laptop out on tour”
 
 
Walrus Audio DFX-1 Percussion Processing Unit next to a cymbal
“For percussionists who want to take matters into their own hands”: Walrus launch the DFX-1, an effects unit built for drummers
 
 
Josh Freese
“People said, ‘Hey, I saw you’re on that Avril Lavigne record.’ I went, ‘Nah!'”: The drummer who’s played on 400 albums
 
 
Latest in Drummers
Josh Freese
“It was all done on GarageBand – it’s live drums, but over this goofy funk drum loop I’d done on my laptop out on tour”
 
 
Josh Freese
“People said, ‘Hey, I saw you’re on that Avril Lavigne record.’ I went, ‘Nah!'”: The drummer who’s played on 400 albums
 
 
Beck, Bogart & Appice
“Tim wasn’t feeling good, and then Jeff said something derogatory, and Tim just punched him in the face!”
 
 
Simon Phillips
“I got a hacksaw, chopped down the stand and put the hi-hats down there”: How Simon Phillips learned to play left-handed
 
 
Johnny Marr, English singer Morrissey, English drummer Mike Joyce and English bassist Andy Rourke of The Smiths pose for a portrait before their first show in Detroit during the 1985
“You’d go round the house and Johnny would play some riff in his jimmy-jams”: Mike Joyce remembers the early days of The Smiths
 
 
Floyd in 1987
“I said, ‘Oh, man, we’re gonna kick some ass on a Pink Floyd record!’": The drummer who substituted for Nick Mason
 
 
Latest in News
Howie Weinberg
Mastering engineers reflect on the loudness wars, and ponder whether they really are over
 
 
A laptop in a music studio with Universal Audio plugins running on it
UAD's free plugin offer is the biggest no-brainer I've seen this year – but time is running out to get your hands on a world-class studio weapon for nothing
 
 
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score big savings on music gear ahead of Christmas from the likes of UAD, Casio, Waves, PRS and more
 
 
GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 28: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Danielle Haim of Haim performs on the Park stage during day four of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 28, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. Established by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into the UK's largest music festival, drawing over 200,000 fans to enjoy performances across more than 100 stages. In 2026, the festival will take a fallow year, a planned pause to allow the Worthy Farm site time to rest and recover. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Redferns)
Danielle Haim names her biggest guitar influences, including the player she calls “the most underrated”
 
 
ABBA VOYAGE
Money Money Money: Abba Voyage has contributed over £2 billion to the British economy
 
 
Ed Sheeran in front of guitars
Council gives go-ahead for Ed Sheeran to convert pig farm into private recording studio
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...