Consequence’s Drum Week continues with an exclusive “Crate Digging” list of 10 albums that influenced legendary Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. Check out our list of the 100 Best Drummers of All Time, and stay tuned for additional lists, artist-driven content, and more as we celebrate the visceral instruments that give us all the beat.
Mike Portnoy has certainly influenced countless drummers over the course of his 40-year career, as his wide-ranging skills behind the kit are nearly beyond comparison. In an exclusive feature for Consequence‘s “Drum Week,” the legendary stickman offers insight into his own inspiration by breaking down the albums and drummers who influenced him.
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As a founding member of progressive metal titans Dream Theater, Portnoy has established himself as one of the premier drummers of the past four decades. He recently returned to the band after a 13-year absence, and he and his Dream Theater bandmates are getting ready to embark on a 2024-2025 tour celebrating their 40th anniversary (pick up tickets here).
Outside of Dream Theater, Portnoy has built up a versatile résumé that includes stints in Avenged Sevenfold, The Neal Morse Band, Flying Colors, The Winery Dogs, Metal Allegiance, Adrenaline Mob, and Transatlantic, among other projects. And, of course, he also made Consequence‘s just-published list of the 100 Best Drummers of All Time.
When coming up with his picks for 10 albums that influenced his drumming, Portnoy made sure to equally divide his list between the three genres that had the greatest impact on him.
“I should probably start off by pointing out that this list is chronological, so it’s not in order of anyone having more influence than anybody else,” Portnoy told us before running through his picks. “It’s just chronological as I came through these albums in my life and my development as a drummer.
He continued, “And the other thing is if you look at it stylistically, it’s broken up into three sections: the first chunk is more of the classic rock guys; the middle chunk is more of the progressive guys; and the third chunk is the more metal guys. And really, if you look at my style, it’s made up of those three areas: classic rock, prog, and metal. So, it’s really a good cross section of what makes me who I am.”
While you won’t see a KISS album on this list, Portnoy credits Peter Criss as one of his first drum heroes, telling us, “If I could expand this list to 11 or 12, Peter Criss and KISS would have been on the list, as well, ’cause he was a huge influence on me in my early development as a drummer.”
So, who did make his list? Let’s just say it ranges from the Beatles to Pantera. Check out the albums that influenced Mike Portnoy below, and stay tuned for more artist-curated content for Consequence‘s Drum Week.