Greatest rhythm sections

Well, many of the standout combos have been mentioned already. Personally, I put JPJ and Bono at the top of the list, but Keith Moon and John Entwhistle, as well as Jack and Ginger, are certainly right up there. And yes, Neil and Geddy certainly set the bar up there pretty darn high. We can't forget Double Trouble and their genre-defining work with SRV. The various incarnations of the Funk Brothers are also some of the all time greats, as was Willie Dixon with any of the drummers he played with. Other bands with great rhythm sections from various genres would include: Triumph, Tool, Primus, Metallica (with Cliff Burton), Chris Duarte Group (reminiscent of SRV, and also from Austin).

Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman!

Many interesting entries. What do you think about the seminal
Basie Orchestra rhythm section? Jo Jones (Papa, not Philly) pioneered the use of the hi-hat to drive the band, using the bass drum more for accents. Noone played that way before him, and everyone played that way after. Walter Page layed down that strong 4x4 that ancored all of the solos, particularly Basie's. Most big band bassists still do it that way. And Father Time himself, Freddie Green was the quintessential big band guitarist, with rock solid rhythmicity and an elegant tone. He was an integral part of what made the Basie band swing, and that may just be the ultimate expression of the word.

Not necessarily the greatest, but an intensely musical pair are Pino Palladino and Manu Katche. They're both primarily studio musicians, but they seem to pair up frequently (Joan Armatrading, Julia Fordham, Tears For Fears, Sting, etc.).

Onhwy61, nice choice. Manu Katche is incredibly talented, and while I can't comment directly on Pino Palladino, I saw the first show he did at the Hollywood Bowl with the Who after John Entwistle (spelling?) died and Pino did an outstanding job with almost no rehearsal.