The drummer David Gilmour said is the best in the world

As one of the greatest guitarists of all time and a fundamental part of Pink Floyd’s sound, David Gilmour had the chance to work with numerous remarkable musicians throughout his career. He played with incredible drummers such as Nick Mason and Jeff Porcaro, for example, but interestingly, they are not the ones he considers to be the best in the world.

Over the course of his career, he has spoken about many players, including one drummer whom he calls his favorite and “the absolute best drummer in the world.”

The drummer David Gilmour said is the best in the world

The drummer that David Gilmour said is his favorite and the best one in the world is the American Steve Gadd, who was part of his “Luck & Strange” (2024). “We booked a week, five days with Steve Gadd, who’s the best, you know. The absolute best drummer in the world and I’d never worked with him before. I met him a few times but always wanted to (work with him). (So) I managed to get five days of his time and he flew over to London. I had booked Mark Knopfler’s studio and I got the other guys in there. We had some songs we wanted to try and we spent a very intense week working on putting down those songs. (I was with) Steve, Rob Gentry on keys, Guy Pratt playing the bass,” he told Broken Record Podcast in 2025 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

He curiously was a bit nervous to call Gadd at first, because he was such a big fan of his work. “I’m always a bit nervous of calling people and Polly (Samson – Wife and lyricist) says to me: ‘Who’s your favorite drummer?’ (I would answer) Steve Gadd, of course, the greatest drummer in the world.”

David Gilmour continued:

“So I gave Steve Gadd a call, nervously. I said: ‘Would you come and spend a week with us in London recording?’ He said yes, simple as that. He’s just a class act, he’s really good. He just nails it immediately. It was such a joy to finally be able to get him in and record with him,” David Gilmour said in the video of the making of “Luck and Strange”.

Talking with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt, the Pink Floyd guitarist explained that the most incredible thing about Gadd is that he plays with a really light touch. However, when you listen to the recording, it sounds as if he were hitting the drums hard. “I think I just emailed his website (to get in touch with him). Polly said to me: ‘Who you want to play with?’ I said: ‘Well, I love Steve Gadd’, but I’m frightened.'”

“She just said: ‘Oh, man up! Call him now!’ What’s extraordinary about him is that he is very light touch all the time. He’s hardly touching these things and when you hear him back in the control room they sound like someone (is smashing the drums). It sounds like someone like Ged Lynch (British drummer) is whacking the shit out of them or something. How he achieves that sound just by the feel, the touch, still baffles me,” he said.

The song that made David Gilmour become a big fan of Steve Gadd

David Gilmour has been a fan of Steve Gadd for decades already. He told Rick Beato, he first discovered Gadd listening to “Chuck E’s in Love”, by singer Rickie Lee Jones. That track was released on her self-titled debut album back in 1979.

“I think it was on ‘Chuck E’s in Love’ by Rickie Lee Jones back in 78, 79. (Also) at the absolute endless catalog of great tracks that he has helped to make more magical. I had met him once (before working with him) on a TV show. I think it was something like a Jools Holland later program when he was playing with Paul Simon (…) I’ve been around a lot of drummers and a lot of them think that the power is where is at and he (Gadd) just does the opposite,” David Gilmour said.

Steve Gadd’s career

One year older than Gilmour, Steve Gadd was born in Irondequoit, New York back in 1945. He started his career in 1968 and since then has worked with a huge number of incredible artists. For his incredible contribution, he was inducted already back in 1984 into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame. He played on famous albums like Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” (1976) and Steely Dan’s “Aja” (1977).

During his career he recorded with many legendary artists. Some of them are the Bee Gees, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney and even Ringo Starr. On Gilmour’s latest album Luck & Strange, he played drums on three tracks: “The Piper’s Call,” “Between Two Points,” and “Scattered.”

Besides working as a session musician, Gadd also released albums as a leader of bands, mainly playing jazz. Some of his biggest influences were Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams and Rick Marotta.