Tommy Lee
Drummer and co-founder of Mötley Crüe, solo musician and producer
Tommy Lee (Drummer and co-founder of Mötley Crüe, solo musician and producer) has appeared as a guest on 1 episode in TMT. Topics they speak about most include Mötley Crüe, Drum solo stage rigs, Music streaming oversaturation.
In their words
Positions and remarks grouped by topic, each with the exact quote and where it was said.
Mötley Crüe
Lee says the band took its first extended break since 2016 after a two-and-a-half-year stadium tour with Def Leppard.
“We did this big stadium tour with Def Leppard, went all around the world. That tour was, fuck, two and a half years long”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 2:18:53
Lee says Mötley Crüe barred label representatives from the studio after one tried to make edits.
“when we were on Electro Records, they were never allowed in the studio. No one from the label”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 21:57
Other remarks
Lee prioritizes rhythm and movement over lyrics when writing songs.
“No one's going to even get to these fucking words if you can't get them to stay listening”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:44:23
Lee says a pedometer showed he covered 13.3 miles of movement during a two-hour show, explaining his unchanged weight.
“I fucking took it off after the show, and I looked down, and it said 13.3 miles”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:35:18
Drum solo stage rigs
Lee explains that playing upside down is about three times harder and required springs on pedals and hi-hat.
“Instead of gravity pulling your hand down, right? Right. Now you've got to push. Oh, yeah. You're upside down. So it becomes three times harder physically”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:29:23
Lee says he began building elaborate drum rigs after seeing audiences leave during Tommy Aldridge's drum solo.
“I need to figure out... A, how to give the audience a better view of what you're actually doing there because people can't see”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:31:57
Music streaming oversaturation
Lee says creators now must grab attention within seconds because audiences skip quickly.
“if it's not fucking ripping your face off and grabbing your attention within three or four seconds, you're next”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 18:26
Lee argues that the flood of new releases on streaming services makes it impossible to keep up and much of it sounds the same.
“there's too much music. Like, Spotify releases, like, 300 fucking thousand songs a day. Really? Who the fuck is listening to all this music, dude?”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 13:54
Los Angeles
Lee questions whether reports of an exodus from Los Angeles are exaggerated, since he notices no difference in traffic.
“you tell me this many people left, I don't see it. And I wonder if that's not maybe a, I don't know, a hyped statistic”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:13:08
Japanese Zen gardens
Lee explains that Zen garden paths are deliberately curved to slow visitors down.
“They specifically and strategically curve the path to slow you down”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 43:42
Bonsai
Lee describes bonsai as the best thing he has ever gotten into and says he spends hours on it daily.
“hands down the coolest fucking thing I've ever gotten into, man. Like I'll be out there for hours every day”
The Joe Rogan Experience: #2520 - Tommy Lee (Jun 30, 2026) · Listen from 37:54
Appearances
#2520 - Tommy LeeThe Joe Rogan Experience · Jun 30, 2026 · 2 h 29 min
Joe Rogan and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee discuss aging rock stars, music industry excess, bonsai, drumming stunts, muscle cars, and Ferrari's electric car.
Often appears with
- Joe Rogan · 1 shared episode