Alex Van Halen Riff Given Top Honors in ‘Best Drum Intro’ Poll

Which Van Halen song did Rhythm Magazine readers overwhelmingly turn to when asked to name the greatest drum intro in rock history? You have three guesses, and the first two don't count.

If you named 'Hot for Teacher,' congratulations -- and if you picked anything else, please join Waldo at the back of the bus. Deeming it "arguably one of the most iconic intros in rock," Rhythm described the winner of its Best Drum Intro poll by writing, "Playing it is a holy grail for a lot of drummers. Alex Van Halen steps out of his guitarist brother Eddie’s shadow to shine with a blistering solo before kicking into a furious double-bass shuffle in a flurry of notes."

You'll get no argument from us at Ultimate Classic Rock; after all, we put 'Hot for Teacher' at No. 1 on our list of the Top 10 Alex Van Halen Songs. But it's well worth pointing out that Van Halen had some stiff competition on his way to the top: The final list, which you can check out below, includes classic cuts by Rush, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden and more -- and includes a pair of spots for skins-bashing madman Dave Grohl. Take a look at the results of Rhythm's poll below, and see how it squares with your own personal Top 10.

Rhythm Magazine 10 Greatest Ever Drum Intros Poll Results
Van Halen, 'Hot for Teacher'
Rush, 'The Spirit of Radio'
Guns N’ Roses, 'You Could Be Mine'
Led Zeppelin, 'Rock and Roll'
Queens of the Stone Age, 'A Song for the Dead'
Led Zeppelin, 'When the Levee Breaks'
Judas Priest, 'Painkiller'
Nirvana, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
Foo Fighters, 'My Hero'
Iron Maiden, 'Where Eagles Dare'

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