Who was responsible for more drum sales. Krupa, Rich, or Ringo?

[Talktotommy]

I’m guessing a lot of people will automatically say Ringo but I wonder if that’s really true or how close the numbers might have actually been. Krupa appeared on every Slingerland Catalog for over two decades I believe.
Rich stumped for more companies than anyone. Did that give him a wider reach over his career in terms of sales?
Ringo caused one of the biggest drum sales booms in history but how long did it last?
What do you think?

 

[notINtheband]

Ringo. No contest.

 

[Bri6366]

Ringo by far.

 

[drumsforme]

Ringo.....Ludwig factory running 24 hour work shifts during the mid 60's

 

[notINtheband]

Not to mention the exponential sales from all those future influencers that came from that initial Ed Sullivan appearance. Like a family tree. My inspirations all trace back to Ringo through a generation between myself and the Beatles.

 

[Browny]

Who's won more superbowls?

The Patriots, Browns or Lions?...


edit: ...and I basically have the classic Krupa kit... 26/13/16 WMP RK.

 

[DanRH]

My vote is Ringo. I think an even better question would be of those three, who influenced us? Again, Ringo.

 

[DD]

I’d say Ringo by wide margin. I even wonder if Buddy and Krupa combined equal the impact and reach Ringo had…

 

[Talktotommy]

I’d say Ringo by wide margin. I even wonder if Buddy and Krupa combined equal the impact and reach Ringo had…

That’s what I thought but it’s funny that the least technically skilled would have done better.

 

[JimmySticks]

I'd love to say Buddy Rich, but the baby boomers and rock & roll were far bigger than the Greatest Generation and jazz. The music world isn't likely to ever see something as big as rock & roll again.

So yeah, Ringo by a mile.

 

[BennyK]

How many of us wouldn't be sitting in front of our screens right now answering this question if it wasn't for Ringo ?

 

[komodobob]

Definitely Ringo. Not sure if this is true, but I heard that the Ludwig plant had to go to 24 hour production after the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. Maybe someone else can confirm this.

 

[richardh253]

the problem with Buddy is if you wanted a kit like his, you had to keep buying a new one as he switched around.

Slingerland might have sold a lot of Krupa kits from the 30s thru 70s total, but hard to imagine any one moment like 1964-66-68 when Ringo was surely responsible for the most 'direct' sales...and he never had an official endorsement!

 

[swarfrat]

If we can include the ones bought by people who bought theirs because of Krupa, I'd say he takes the lead.

 

[EssKayKay]

Absolutely Ringo – I can vouch as I was one of them. . .

 

[frankmott]

No contest. Ringo. I'm one of 'em. Virtually every drummer know is as well. The World had never seen a phenomenon like Beatlemainia, and probably won't again. Millions of people watched their every move for six years, and there was that Ludwig logo every damn time.

 

[bpaluzzi]

Ringo, and it's not even close. I'd venture Ringo sold more kits than Krupa, Rich, Morello, Williams, Jones, and Bellson combined.

Why?

Two reasons:
1 - look at the general musical trends over the past 60 years. The majority of the lifespan of the modern drumset has seen rock / pop music as the dominant musical force. Jazz has been a niche art form for a long, long time.
2 - the majority of volume of instrument sales is kids / teenagers. they weren't buying drums because of Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall or the West Side Story Suite.

 

[1988fxlr]

It depends whether Ringo would have got a kit without Krupa making the drummer a household name. If Ringo wasn’t influenced by Krupa or Rich, Ringo for sure

 

[JohnnyVibesAZ]

Ringo should have owned a piece of Ludwig for all he did for them. What did he get? A gold-plated snare drum.

 

[healthie1]

to be actually fair, it should be Ringo vs. Travis Barker, John Bonham, Tommy Lee, Krupa, Rich, Joey Jordison, Lars.