Drum Machines

... but one only has to feed a drum machine batteries -- drummers, OTOH ...

There are always counter examples: The "Echo" of Echo and the Bunnymen is (or once was) a drum machine.

alot (maybe too much) of that 80's music was machine driven.

I dont know what's worse, the bad tenors or fake drums.

Let's not forget synth arpeggiators -- far worse than the lowly drum 'droid.