Buddy Rich, one of the most technically accomplished drummers in history, did play on a number one record, though it came early in his career. Rich performed drums on Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra's 'I'll Never Smile Again', a 1940 recording featuring a young Frank Sinatra. The song became a landmark in American popular music and helped establish both Sinatra and Rich as rising stars of the era.

The recording reached the top of Billboard's National List of Best Selling Retail Records in 1940 and remained there for 12 consecutive weeks. Rich was already an accomplished performer at the time, having played professionally since childhood and previously been billed as 'Traps, the Drum Wonder', but he had not yet achieved the legendary status and technical mastery for which he would later become renowned. His subsequent career would see him transform the drum kit into a leading instrument and earn recognition for his extraordinary speed, precision and intensity.