John Douglas (Touring Drummer for Aerosmith): 11 Albums That Changed My Life

Feature Photo courtesy of John Douglas

When Aerosmith’s founding member and drummer Joey Kramer was forced off the road to rest his ailing bones in 2020, the rumor was that John Douglas, a renowned rock ‘n’ roll painter and hard-hitting drummer himself, had six hours to learn around 17 songs. Douglas passed the audition, and four years later, as Aerosmith prepared to re-embark on its Peace Out Farewell Tour, Douglas is still thrashing the skins for the Bad Boys of Boston. Of course, the gig wasn’t entirely foreign, as Douglas had spent years working as a drum tech for Aerosmith.

But it wasn’t the first time he needed to step in when a mega-band was in need, as back in 2002, Douglas assumed ZZ Top’s drum chair when Frank Beard underwent an appendectomy. Since 2020, Douglas has played the Grammy’s with Aerosmith and held it down during their acclaimed Las Vegas residency.

When he’s not lending a hand to iconic cuts like “Walk This Way,” Sweet Emotion,” and “Cryin’,” Douglas exercises his other passion: painting. Of note, Douglas came up with the stunning and very spacey finish for Tommy Thayer of Kiss’s gorgeous electric blue signature Epiphone/Gibson Les Paul some years back, and he’s known to craft some stunning rock-related portraits.

Like the rest of us, Douglas is awaiting Aerosmith’s live return to complete their Peace Out Farewell Tour after Steven Tyler’s nasty vocal injury. In the meantime, he beamed in to dig into the eleven albums that changed his life for ClassicRockHistory.com. Are any of these albums your favorite, too?

John Douglas: 11 Albums That Changed My Life

Photo courtesy of John Douglas

Alive! – Kiss (1975)

This album ignited the artist and the drummer in me in my early teenage years. As an artist, the imagery, the makeup, and the costumes made me want to draw these real-life comic book heroes. As a young drummer, the music connected with me as a young, impressionable rocker-to-be. Peter Criss was my Ringo Starr.

Kings of the Wild Frontier – Adam and the Ants (1980)

This album just hit me. It’s tribal. The best use of two drummers in any band, ever. Well-constructed, distinctive parts that each were playing off each other. Very much an ensemble. All this within interesting, left-of-center pop songs combining unique arrangements and chord structures. It still resonates with me today.

Van Halen – Van Halen (1978)

The needle-drop heard ’round the world. This was a rock ‘n’ roll wake-up call and a game-changer in every way. The minimal production captured the energy and Eddie Van Halen’s guitar pyrotechnics. Well-crafted, hooky pop songs written and performed by mega-talented musicians who were light years ahead of their contemporaries. The songs, the end-of-the-world vocals, the harmonies, the thunder of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony, and, of course, the guitar hero of the 20th century.

All The World’s a Stage – Rush (1976)

I was a freshman drummer in high school listening to Kiss while all the cool senior drummers were talking about Rush. So, naturally, I had to check it out. I love the energy and the idea of live albums. Oh, and I love the cover art and gatefold.

This was what I wanted to do, so I put on headphones and studied the album sleeves and liner notes. The next four years were spent digesting every Neil Peart lick and trying to squeeze his fills into everything I played to varying degrees of success… mostly not!

Queen II – Queen (1974)

This album—and band—were eye-opening. Stylistically, it’s all over the map, yet somehow still one band. Unique melodies performed by one of the best, if not the best, singer and frontman in all of rock ‘n’ roll, Freddie Mercury.

Lush harmonies lay over Brian May’s guitar orchestrations and Roger Taylor’s drumming, delicate one minute, bombastic the next, yet always tasty and perfect. It’s just four creative geniuses unleashed in a multi-track studio playground run by Roy Thomas Baker.

Computer World – Kraftwerk (1981)

Talk about revolutionary and ahead of its time. Wow! Released in 1981, this album was pivotal in opening my mind to other types of music and instrumentation. It was a totally different sound than anything I had heard, and then I learned they had been doing this since 1970! Music pioneers, to be sure. Ultimately, it’s the songs, the rhythms, and the melodies, along with the unique instrumentation, that do it for me.

Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin (1975)

A double album tour de force. This was their creative apex, with “Kashmir” being the quintessential song combining all the key elements. Again, they touched on the many facets of Led Zeppelin: soft acoustic songs, folksy tunes, and out-and-out barn burners—a full-frontal assault via power, grandeur, light, and shade.

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirty Cowboy – Elton John (1975)

Captain Fantastic & Brown Dirt Cowboy [CD]

Elton ruled the airwaves in the early ’70s. I heard “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” on the radio and marveled at Nigel Olsson’s drumming. The power and finesse. His flams on the toms were the template for every rock power ballad that came after. And, of course, the songs. Elton and Bernie Taupin are hitting their creative stride yet again.

The Cars – The Cars (1978)

This album was ahead of its time when it came out in 1978, the same year as Van Halen, yet these two bands could not be further apart in sound and style. The production—Roy Thomas Baker again—is perfect, capturing quirky, short, catchy songs, lush harmonies, and tight arrangements.

Every note was accounted for and perfectly placed. Sonically unique in every way. Tasteful guitars by Elliot Easton, the oddball keyboard textures of Greg Hawkes, and the tight and creative drumming of David Robinson. Plus, I heard electronic drums (Synndrums) for the first time before disco got a hold of those sounds and ran them into the ground.

Bellybutton – Jellyfish (1990)

Pure pop perfection. Slightly retro yet cutting-edge and lovingly produced. It is a love letter to every great pop song and band that came before it, though before “pop” was a dirty word. Shades of Badfinger, The Beatles, and even Queen are all wrapped in an original package of great songs and performances. Every detail on this record matters.