Mike Portnoy, known as one of the most skilled drummers in rock and metal, recently reflected on how two surprising pop culture moments brought him unexpected fame during an appearance on the Everblack Podcast. The legendary drummer humorously admitted that his covers of Taylor Swift and his performance on a Hello Kitty drum kit have become some of his most widely recognized moments.
When the host shared that his wife identified Portnoy as “the guy who did the Taylor Swift cover,” Portnoy laughed and replied, “I’ve been doing this for, what, 30-40 years at this point, been on the won like 30 modern drummer awards, whatever, that doesn’t matter. The things that are my claim to fame are the Taylor Swift video and the Hello Kitty video.”
Despite the host’s efforts to highlight Portnoy’s legendary status as one of the greatest drummers ever, the association with pop culture moments overshadowed it. Portnoy took it all in stride, jokingly saying, “That’s okay. My claim to fame, yeah.”
Earlier this month, Portnoy appeared on Drumeo for its First Time series, where he transformed Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” into a metal masterpiece. Portnoy was tasked with creating drum parts for a song he had never heard before. After listening to a snippet of the track without drums, he improvised along with the song. Initially bewildered, Portnoy exclaimed, “What the hell was that?”
When told the song was by Taylor Swift, he was visibly shocked. “Oh my God, that’s Taylor Swift? Like only the biggest artist on Earth. Wow, that’s Taylor Swift. I had no idea. What’s the name of that song?” Upon learning it was “Shake It Off,” he humorously addressed Swift: “Taylor, I’m really sorry. I still would play with you in a heartbeat. I swear I wouldn’t do that [laughs].”
Portnoy’s viral moments extend beyond Taylor Swift. During a visit to Loudwire, he famously played a miniature Hello Kitty drum kit, covering songs like KISS’ “Love Gun,” Slayer’s “Raining Blood,” and Rush’s instrumental classic “YYZ.” These lighthearted performances have endeared him to audiences beyond the metal world, showcasing his humor and versatility.
Even with his impressive legacy as a drummer for Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, and other iconic projects, Portnoy continues to embrace these unexpected pop culture associations, proving he’s as good-natured as he is talented.