Nick Mason, the drummer from Pink Floyd, one of the biggest bands of all time listed in an interview with Music Radar back in 2010 the 5 drummers that were an influence to him.
Mason is the only member of the Progressive Rock band that played in every album they ever made.
5 drummers that Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason listed as an influence
“Most of my icons are the people that were my heroes when I was kicking off. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Ginger Baker. When the curtain opened at the Regent Street Polytechnic in 1966 and there was Ginger, Eric and Jack I thought, that’s what I’d like to be, and that was it. In terms of style and rock drummers I like, it was Mitch Mitchell. Whether it’s behind the beat or not, it’s so lazy, but it worked perfectly under Jimi and that slightly jazzy thing. There’s no one else like him. Keith Moon, of course. John Bonham was almost a fraction too late for me to be quite so influential. I love all the be-bop drummers too. People like Chico Hamilton.”
Ginger Baker (Cream)
One of the best drummers of all time Ginger Baker that made history with Cream alongside Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. The musician that was also known as a difficult person the deal with also had side projects like Ginger Baker’s Airforce.
Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix)
Mitch Mitchell played with Jimi Hendrix on the albums: “Are You Experienced?” (1967), “Axis: Bold as Love” (1968) and “Electric Ladyland” (1968).
Keith Moon (The Who)
The legendary The Who drummer Keith Moon is considered one of the most influential musicians in Rock music. He played with the band on the albums: “My Generation” (1965), “A Quick One” (1966), “The Who Sell Out” (1967), “Tommy” (1969), “Who’s Next” (1971), “Quadrophenia” (1973), “The Who by Numbers” (1975) and “Who Are You” (1978).
John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
John Bonham is often listed as the best drummer of all time, he unfortunately died too soon at the age of 32 back in 1980. His bandmates Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page decided to end the band after his death saying that there was no Zeppelin without Bonham.
Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton was an American jazz drummer known for leading bands that performed Cool Jazz, Bost Bop and Jazz Fusion. He played with artists like Louis Armstrong, Paul Horn, John Lewis and more.
Nick Mason
Nick Mason was born in Birmingham back in January 27, 1944. While studying architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), he formed a band, Sigma 6, an early incarnation of Pink Floyd, with Roger Waters, Bob Klose and Richard Wright in 1964.
In 2018 Mason formed his band Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets that performs only Pink Floyd’s early psychedelic songs.
Influenced by jazz and big band music, Mason embraced acoustic drums (both single and double headed), tuned percussion, electronic drums and Rototoms, melding all of these into a melodic whole.