Lars Ulrich Vs. Bill Bruford: March Drum Madness

One of them has been a steady presence in Metallica, while the other has been a member of a trio of progressive rock's biggest bands. If Lars Ulrich and Bill Bruford sound like an odd couple, it's because they basically are. There's little that would seem to connect the two, short of their chosen professions ... and our March Drum Madness competition.

Does that make it easier to decide, or harder? 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.

Bruford was a founding member of Yes, continuing with the band from 1968-72, performing on such classics as "Roundabout," "And You and I" and "Starship Trooper." He then joined King Crimson for the first of three stints from 1972-74, returning in 1981-84 and in 1994-97. Bruford was also a touring member of Genesis in 1976. Ulrich, on the other hand, is one of two members -- along with James Hetfield -- to have stuck with Metallica since 1981, powering songs like "Master of Puppets" and "Enter Sandman." In 2009, he beat Bruford into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when Metallica were inducted.

Which will you choose? You can vote once per hour in each of our 16 opening March Drum Madness battles, until the first round ends on March 23 at 11:59PM ET. The ultimate winner will be revealed on April 7.

See Yes and Other Rockers in Our Top 100 Classic Rock Albums of the '70s