Two drummers with very different approaches to their craft – to say nothing of stagewear – face off in round one of our March Drum Madness competition: Kiss star Peter Criss and the Police's Stewart Copeland.

We've placed 32 of the most famous drummers in classic rock history into our March Drum Madness bracket. Over the coming weeks, their ranks will be cut in half in each of five rounds until we arrive at your choice for the greatest rock drummer of all time.

An avid jazz fan raised under the wing of the legendary Gene Krupa, Criss favored simplicity and groove over technical flash during his famous '70s stint with Kiss, as heard on songs like "Rock and Roll All Nite," "Hotter Than Hell" and "Rock Bottom." During his meteoric career with the Police, Copeland explored a diverse and ever-more sophisticated blend of reggae, world music and jazz beats on songs like "Roxanne," "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Message in a Bottle."

So who gets your support? You can vote once per hour in each of our 16 opening March Drum Madness battles until the first round closes on March 23 at 11:59PM ET. The big winner will be revealed on April 7.

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