One of the Greatest Drum Solos of All Time Belongs to 1969 Classic - And It Still Rocks
Santana emerged to superstardom almost overnight thanks to the band's iconic performance at Woodstock in 1969.
The band didn't even have an album out, but that quickly changed following the success of their live show at one of the most iconic concerts in music history. Just two weeks after the show, Santana's debut album reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard charts.
Santana Members Recall Woodstock Performance
Drummer Michael Shrieve, who was just 20 years old during the Woodstock performance, described the surreal experience.
"The experience was something that was irreplaceable," Shrieve admitted in a 2016 interview. "It was a milestone. When we got there-aside from hearing that the highway was closed, aside from flying in in that helicopter and seeing that amount of people-the experience of doing it was actually somewhat surreal because nobody knew us at all. We didn't even have a record out."
Carlos Santana recalled being on psychedelics for the majority of the performance before thier eventual hit Soul Sacrifice, which closed the perofrmance.
"For the band as a whole, it was great. But I was struggling to keep myself grounded because I had taken some strong psychedelics right before I went onstage," he wrote in Rolling Stone.
"When we first got there, around 11 in the morning, they told us that we weren't going on until 8 o'clock. So I said, ‘Hey, I think I'll take some psychedelics, and by the time I'm coming down, it'll be time to go on stage and I'll feel fine.' But when I was peaking around 2 o'clock, somebody said, ‘If you don't go on right now, you're not gonna go on.'"
'Soul Sacrifice' Named Among Best Drum Solos
While Santana launched into overnight superstardom from Woodstock, Business Insider argues the band's performance of Soul Sacrifice at Tanglewood a year later is actually the better performance from Shrieve.
"What's so fun about this solo is how it starts on the congas, not the drum set. Shrieve lays low and lets the percussion section set the tempo and groove. Then, in an instant, it all comes burning down as Shrieve crashes and starts rolling on the snare," BI wrote. "Shrieve's energy and dexterity are admirable during this solo, and he absolutely goes to town rolling between the snare drum and his two toms."
Shrieve eventually left Santana in 1974.
Related: One of the Greatest Drum Solos of All Time Belongs to 1966 Hit - And It Still Hits
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 6:19 AM.