One of the Greatest Drum Solos of All Time Belongs to 1966 Hit - And It Still Hits

Max Roach was a pioneer in the jazz space and helped create the bop movement en route to being named one of the best drummers of all time.

Among his great works was For Big Sid, a song off of his 1966 album Drums Unlimited, that Far Out Magazine named one of the 10 greatest drum solos of all time.

"A true master, who's presence lives on in modern jazz, his drumming was expressive and technically gifted. With a keen understanding of all things rhythm, a true drummer, his pioneering work in the genre of bebop allowed him to work with the likes of Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk," Far Out Magazine wrote.

"Whilst there exist an innumerable amount of examples that show his genius; his best solo has to be taken as 1966's ‘For Big Sid'. Three minutes of soloing, he conveys every human emotion and uses rhythm and tempo changes to expert effect."

Max Roach Inspired a Generation

Roach helped inspire a generation of legendary musicians like Quincy Jones, who raved about the drummer's talent following his death in 2007.

"Max was one of the founders and original members of the A-Team of bebop," Jones said, via NPR. "Outside of losing a giant and an innovator, I've lost a great, great friend. Thank God he left a piece of his soul on his recordings so that we'll always have a part of him with us."

Rolling Stone's list of the greatest drummers of all time didn't include Roach due to its focus on rock, but made his innovations known.

"This meant leaving out dozens of essential jazz artists such as Max Roach and Roy Haynes, whose innovations inspired many of the players you'll read about below," Rolling Stone said of the list.

Roach was ranked No. 3 on the greatest jazz drummers of all time list from Dummerworld.

Related: One of the Greatest Drum Solos of All Time Belongs to 1981 Hit - And It Still Rocks

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 8:42 PM.