Couldn't have put it better myself. I'm into a lot of metal, which is a genre where drummers tend to get a lot of recognition - mainly because any metal band worth listening to will have a drummer who's fast and technical as hell. If i had to mention 3 drummers i really like, they'd be: Igor Cavalera - Sepultura Vinnie Paul - Ex Pantera, Damageplan Danny Carey - Tool As far as bassists go, i think it's a lot harder to stand out. Bass just tends to be a little bit in the shadow of the guitar in most bands, but here are a couple of bassists that stand out for me Flea - Red Hot Chilli Peppers Ryan Martinie - Mudvayne Tim Commerford - Ex Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave As far as keyboards go, i don't think i actually own too much music that involves keyboard/piano playing. I can only really think of Matt Bellamy (Muse) as someone who stands out on that instrument. I would say Chris Martin (Coldplay) but, at the risk of being lynched by Meesy, i think the piano parts he plays are fairly simple.... i might be wrong because it's an instrument i have no knowledge about, but that's just the impression i get.