1970 Metal Hit Named Among Greatest Drum Solos of All Time
The greatest rock songs of all time are led by iconic guitar riffs and solos, but bolstered by the best percussionists of their time.
Among the more underrated drummers of all time was Bill Ward, the drummer of Black Sabbath. While underrated, Ward did receive acclaim for his work on Rat Salad, a song from the band's second album Paranoid.
Far Out Magazine ranked Ward's work as one of the greatest drum solos of all time.
"His drum solo is visceral and as hard-hitting as any on the list. Funky yet metal, he makes a bold claim as rock's most underrated drummer," Far Out Magazine wrote. "The fills that make up the solo are so quick that there's a definitive jazz influence that shines through, this provides a different account of Bill Ward's drumming."
'Rat Salad' Was Born out of Black Sabbath's Early Career
Geezer Butler says that the instrumental "Rat Salad" resulted from Black Sabbath having to play epic stands in rock clubs early in their career. To fill time, the band would improvise and jam.
"Bill used to fill out a whole 45 minutes doing a drum solo just to get rid of that 45 minutes," Butler recalled. "I have no idea where the title came from, though."
While Rat Salad isn't the most well known song from Black Sabbath, Eddie Van Halen revealed it was nearly the title of their band - before later opening for Black Sabbath.
"Yeah, that's right. We played just about every Black Sabbath song. I used to sing lead on every Black Sabbath song we did-things like Into the Void, Paranoid, and Lord of This World," Van Halen revealed.
Ward, meanwhile, recently celebrated his 78th birthday.
Related: 1981 Rock Hit Named Among Greatest Drum Solos of All Time
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 3:34 AM.