The 1982 Drum Solo That Changed Rock History Forever

In 1982, drumming legend Buddy Rich stepped back onto the stage to show all the young-uns why he was still king. His drum solo from that year's Concert for the Americas changed rock history and even drumming history. Folks certainly expected a stupendous performance from Rich in 1982, but they probably didn't expect a man in his mid-60s to once again set the bar for power, intensity, control, technique, and creativity in what's been dubbed his "impossible drum solo."

Born in 1917, Rich had already revolutionized the drums and had nothing left to prove. He's a history-making drummer that all classic rock fans ought to know, as well as modern rock fans, drummers, guitarists, producers — basically everybody. A freakish musical prodigy, he was a band leader by 11 years old, played in big band and jazz circles from the 1930's, led his own band from the '60s, and was a for-real celebrity drummer who did solos on talk shows (complete with some of his gonzo showmanship and drum kit tricks). 

No matter that he didn't play in a rock band, he influenced all drummers to come in terms of style, stage presence, and technical chops, especially in realms of rock and metal. Neil Peart, the virtuosic drummer for Rush and responsible for some of the best solos in rock history, even performed at the 1991 Buddy Rich Memorial Concert with Buddy Rich's band. Here's a closer look at Rich's final historic performance.

Some folks might want to whine about a drummer from the 1930s outshining drummers from the 1980s, but that's just how good Rich and his 1982 solo from Concert for the Americas was. Rich pulled out every trick he could for performance, as though he knew this was his career capstone prior to his death only five years later in 1987. The solo left its mark on drummers of all musical branches, especially rock, and especially taking Rich's age at the time and god-like status into account.

Rich switches grooves and techniques on a dime throughout his roughly five-minute solo. There's a bit where he pinches his hi-hat in between hits to manipulate its reverberation; a delicate set of cymbal strikes that demonstrate Rich's total muscular control and presence of mind; continuous melodic interplay between toms, kick, and snare; inhumanly smooth right-hand/left-hand paradiddle-like sections paired with polyrhythmic kick drum work that showcases insane limb independence; and on and on. The longer the solo goes, the more you'll watch in awe. And when Rich finally locks with the rest of the band and they all finish together, he steps off the stage in his tux, looking about as sweaty and exhausted as a person can get. Let's remind you he would have been turning 65 the month after the concert. 

Rich's performance is so unbelievable that it's spawned an urban legend about him having a heart attack during the performance (it's not true). Rich is gritting his teeth by the end and pushing himself as hard as possible, but he was always super intense to the point of ferociousness. That intensity is yet another way he set the standard for all drummers to come, one final time.