On Friday, we brought you Part 1 of our top 10 drummers of all time.

As promised, here are our top 5. This really was a tough task, and we had to leave some amazing people out of the list. If you think we got it wrong, let us know why.

5. Mike Portnoy

Mike Portnoy is best known as the former drummer of American prog metal band Dream Theatre, and also formed a super group called Liquid Tension Experiment as well as being involved in numerous other side projects. When asked what are the most important tools in a prog drummer’s toolbox, Portnoy said: “The most important tool is not a physical or technical one. It’s more of a cerebral one. It’s your brain. It’s about having an interest in experimenting musically, perhaps touching on several different genres of music. No doubt, the most important tool is the mind! It’s the willingness to experiment freely.” There’s no doubting his physical and technical prowess, but it’s his attitude that sets him apart in the modern world of drumming.

4. Jimmy Chamberlin

Best known as the drummer for The Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Chamberlin’s inimitable style is firmly rooted in jazz, but is delivered with the force of a man who clearly knows how to rock. Unfortunately, as well as tearing up his drum kit on stage, he also nearly destroyed himself, becoming mired in a lengthy battle with heroin addiction in the 90s. This culminated, in 1995, in his dismissal from the band whose sound he had helped to define. In 1998, he was taken back by Corgan and co, recording 2 albums and embarking on a farewell tour, before forming new band Zwan with Corgan. There was no way we were leaving this dude out of our top 5.

3. Danny Carey

Danny Carey is the drummer with perhaps one of the best live bands of recent times, and all round musical geniuses, Tool. At times their music sounds almost as if it was all produced using a single instrument; some piece of secret alien technology that would be deadly in the wrong hands. Carey’s drumming style is notable for its incorporation of polyrhythms, sample pads, and tabla-style techniques, as well as drawing on the geometry of occult rituals and magical arts. Underestimated by some, worshipped by others, for us he is one of greatest of all time.

2. Keith Moon

We’re not going to win any prizes for originality here, but anyone who disputes Keith Moon’s place in the pantheon of drumming demigods deserves neither ears nor a temporal cortex with which to appreciate the sounds that enter them. This man needs no introduction – he provided the beats for The Who, and in his 32 years on the planet, earned a reputation for a borderline chaotic but somehow incomparable drumming style, and an entertaining but ultimately self-destructive approach to life. Rather ironically, he died after overdosing on sedatives that had been prescribed to help him quit alcohol. Moon once said “I told people I was a drummer before I even had a set, I was a mental drummer.” Mental indeed, Keith, mental indeed.

1. John Bonham

OK, another obvious choice. Call us predictable if you like, we’ll get over it. Led Zeppelin’s legendary drummer John Bonham was also just 32 when he died after a marathon vodka-fuelled drinking session. The likes of Roger Taylor, Dave Grohl, Chad Smith and Charlie Watts have all named Bonham as their biggest influence, but it’s not just drummers that are inspired by his incredible talent. Bonham’s raw instinct for musical expression has never lost its power, and, whether you play an instrument or not, you know you’re listening to something special when you hear him at work. Quite simply, he revolutionised the art of banging things with sticks, and he’ll never be replaced as the best drummer of all time.

Compiling this list was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. The skills these guys have are just too much to comprehend at times, and there are some tragic stories to take in. There were also some painful exclusions – everyone from Gene Krupa to Joey Jordison. Let us know how your top 10 compares to ours…