Taylor Hawkins may well have been a drummer beloved by plenty of rock fans, and an incredibly accomplished one at that, but it’s very rare that he ever broke into the conversation when discussing the greatest drummers of all time. It’s somewhat of an injustice that this is the case, as there’s no denying that what he offered to the Foo Fighters was irreplaceable, as proven by the fact that his replacement, Josh Freese, only took on the role for two years following Hawkins’ passing.
The same goes for plenty of other drummers throughout history, who, while excellent, have never gained enough recognition to be regarded quite as high as the names who often top the greatest of all time ranking lists. While Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham may have been without many flaws, there ought to be people who can compete with The Who’s Keith Moon, who, despite his brilliance, famously couldn’t play what he was told to play and would only go by his own feel, which, admittedly, he was very good at.
Roger Taylor of Queen is a prime example of this, and perhaps a large amount of this is down to how both Freddie Mercury and Brian May’s respective brilliance on vocals and guitar overshadowed him and John Deacon in the rhythm section. This begs the question: do you have to be the most outstanding member in the band to even be recognised as great in your own right, or can you still have recognition without that for your impeccable efforts?
Thankfully, Hawkins realised just how important Taylor is to the band, and idolised the Queen drummer, regularly hailing the British sticksman as being a major influence on his playing style. Both players have a style that is full of bombast, but both are also incredibly versatile and adept when it comes down to laying down a solid rhythm, which is ultimately all you can ask for when looking for an incredible rock drummer.
However, when it comes down to Hawkins’ favourite drum part ever laid down by the progressive pop legend, and what was it that made him so special, there will have been plenty of spectacular moments for him to choose from. However, one that many people overlook as being a straightforward fill stands out to Hawkins as a slice of genius.
Speaking about ‘We Are The Champions’, the anthemic track taken from the band’s sixth studio album, News Of The World, Hawkins could find enough ways to praise what Taylor brings to the piece. “This is one of my favourite drum tracks of Roger’s,” he told Rhythm Magazine in 2002. “The fill that he does before the chorus is so interesting. Never in a million years would I have thought of doing some of the stuff he did! It’s his feel in this too – he is so good at that 6/8 swing and making things feel good.”
The song honestly wouldn’t be the same without the presence of this fill, and it wouldn’t have the same degree of power leading into the eruption in the chorus. While most drummers would have settled for a couple of crashes, Taylor ushers in the climactic moment with a couple of swung drum rolls that feel titanic in their delivery, and it’s only something that a drummer like Taylor could bring to a song of that magnitude.