Travis Barker Reveals Which Band Influenced His Drumming Style

Travis Barker may be an iconic drummer in his own right, cranking out hits with friend and frequent collaborator Machine Gun Kelly as well as the newly-reunited trio of blink-182, among others. But every drummer has to start out somewhere, and that begins with finding other drummers who inspire them.

While speaking to DRUM! Magazine, the rocker revealed the seven albums that every drummer should own, from a classic Led Zeppelin record to a Prince album showcasing John Blackwell, one of Barker's favorite drummers. Another band he shouted out was The Police, and Barker shared how drummer Stewart Copeland helped inspire his own drumming style.

"I grew up loving Steve Gadd, Buddy Rich, and Elvin Jones, but when it came to rock music, I wanted to see a drummer hit his drums hard, and Stewart Copeland always beat the hell out of his drums," he said, referring readers to the band's Greatest Hits album. "I loved him for all his hi-hat work and his unexpected parts on Police songs. 'Message In A Bottle' would have been so different played by a 'normal' drummer."

Barker added why he was so influenced by Copeland's style of drumming, which he called "refreshing."

"The way he incorporated ska and reggae into rock music was just so refreshing," he said. "I was in a ska band before I was in Blink, and he was my eyes and ears for everything I was learning back then."

Barker is preparing to hit the road with blink-182, reuniting with Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge as they set out on a massive world tour in 2023 and gear up to drop a new album.