Don't see how any whacko who spends thousands of hours and $'s on an audio addiction can in good conscience only pick 3 favorite drummers (sorry about violating the 3 rule). Here a few amazing skin beaters I haven't seen listed so far:
Ed Blackwell (Dolphy, Ornette, Haden... great listener and thinker)
Han Bennink (Max Roach/Elvin Jones on acid, but still totally aware and in control).
Scott Amendola
Furio Chirico (Arti + Mestieri, unbelievable rpm count, even the most jaded progheads turn to jelly).
Tim Alexander (Got even more diabolical after Primus, check out Attention Deficit for proof).
Joey Baron (May have let up a little during the last couple of years, but his Crackshot disc guarantees him a spot on the list).
Jim Black (Takes up where Joey Baron left off, Alasnoaxis is a good one to start with).
Dave Kerman (Percussive genius. This guy was in Blast, Present, Thinking Plague and 5uu's. Way too much to expect from a one headed two armed bi-ped).
Les DeMerle (Put out a record called Spectrum way before Cobham, it's kind of like Buddy Rich on steroids doing some good Mingus charts.
Hasse Bruniusson ( The Flying Food Circus is crammed w/ insane european carnival music virtuosity).
Alex Cline (Several of his releases show how stagnant Crimson has become).
Jerry Granelli (Great at choosing contrasting resonances and patterns, it's pretty easy to identify his playing. Start w/ Another Place, and you'll want more)
Andrew Cyrille (If I really had to only pick 3... Plays drums like he's having a conversation).
Steve Clarke (Groon, Network, not at all a weak sister when compared to Hiseman, Cobham, Husband or Wackerman).
Charles Hayward (Makes convoluted interlocking spastic patterns beautiful and easy to enjoy. Start w/ Massacre (Fred Frith/Bill Laswell) or This Heat).
Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru, Psychedlia never made it this far in the 60's, try Kanguru or their s/t disc).
Daniel Denis (Univers Zero)
Danny Frankel (Kamikaze Ground Crew)
Bobby Previte (Huge output, alot w/Zorn, In the Grass, and the Joan Miro discs are great)
Kevin Norton (Excellent avant or inside player, Knots is a good starter)
Gerry Hemingway (Another brilliant musician that smears any line between 20th/21st century cassical and jazz forms)
Guigou Chenevier (Great tactile quality and humor in his playing. Octavo is a good one).
Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins is an avalanche of brainfry math collisions, Symphonica or Burning Stone might provide a good entry).
Pierre Favre ( If you thought a solo percussion record had to be boring, try Portraits. Superb recording quality).
Robert Wyatt (Early soft Machine through Matching Mole)
Ed Thigpen (Longtime Oscar Peterson drummer, I like the stuff he's done under his own name during the 90's as much as anything he's done).
Zach Hill (Hella, Zach soaked up lots of Beefheart and Ruins and nearly kills himself playing the way he has to).
Dave Witte (Also a mathematical blast furnace. May not make Zaik dance or shuffle ... I guess he suuucks. At least he's not Steve Gadd
Ed Blackwell (Dolphy, Ornette, Haden... great listener and thinker)
Han Bennink (Max Roach/Elvin Jones on acid, but still totally aware and in control).
Scott Amendola
Furio Chirico (Arti + Mestieri, unbelievable rpm count, even the most jaded progheads turn to jelly).
Tim Alexander (Got even more diabolical after Primus, check out Attention Deficit for proof).
Joey Baron (May have let up a little during the last couple of years, but his Crackshot disc guarantees him a spot on the list).
Jim Black (Takes up where Joey Baron left off, Alasnoaxis is a good one to start with).
Dave Kerman (Percussive genius. This guy was in Blast, Present, Thinking Plague and 5uu's. Way too much to expect from a one headed two armed bi-ped).
Les DeMerle (Put out a record called Spectrum way before Cobham, it's kind of like Buddy Rich on steroids doing some good Mingus charts.
Hasse Bruniusson ( The Flying Food Circus is crammed w/ insane european carnival music virtuosity).
Alex Cline (Several of his releases show how stagnant Crimson has become).
Jerry Granelli (Great at choosing contrasting resonances and patterns, it's pretty easy to identify his playing. Start w/ Another Place, and you'll want more)
Andrew Cyrille (If I really had to only pick 3... Plays drums like he's having a conversation).
Steve Clarke (Groon, Network, not at all a weak sister when compared to Hiseman, Cobham, Husband or Wackerman).
Charles Hayward (Makes convoluted interlocking spastic patterns beautiful and easy to enjoy. Start w/ Massacre (Fred Frith/Bill Laswell) or This Heat).
Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru, Psychedlia never made it this far in the 60's, try Kanguru or their s/t disc).
Daniel Denis (Univers Zero)
Danny Frankel (Kamikaze Ground Crew)
Bobby Previte (Huge output, alot w/Zorn, In the Grass, and the Joan Miro discs are great)
Kevin Norton (Excellent avant or inside player, Knots is a good starter)
Gerry Hemingway (Another brilliant musician that smears any line between 20th/21st century cassical and jazz forms)
Guigou Chenevier (Great tactile quality and humor in his playing. Octavo is a good one).
Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins is an avalanche of brainfry math collisions, Symphonica or Burning Stone might provide a good entry).
Pierre Favre ( If you thought a solo percussion record had to be boring, try Portraits. Superb recording quality).
Robert Wyatt (Early soft Machine through Matching Mole)
Ed Thigpen (Longtime Oscar Peterson drummer, I like the stuff he's done under his own name during the 90's as much as anything he's done).
Zach Hill (Hella, Zach soaked up lots of Beefheart and Ruins and nearly kills himself playing the way he has to).
Dave Witte (Also a mathematical blast furnace. May not make Zaik dance or shuffle ... I guess he suuucks. At least he's not Steve Gadd