Drum solos... I've heard a few... and walked offstage to allow some...
A drum solo works because everyone appreciates the physical effort,
something everyone can see, but I'm thinking a last resort for a band that isn't hitting it.
Then again, I've never been left alone onstage to perform a solo guitar solo.
Now, if we're talking rhythm breaks, everyone getting into it with various percussion,
yes, now we're talking. Chicago got a lot of bands doing percussion breaks after their first album.
The world of jazz is different.
There is a more scientific approach to your instrument and playing, very demanding.
But even then, listeners think if you don't play a solo, you must be missing something.
And I'm not commenting as if I'm in a dance band with a dance floor in front of me.
While it's up to the individual to decide if the drum solo, or break, is relevant to the song,
playing within the beat or rhythm of the band is best for me.
A Buddy Rich joke, as told on Johnny Carson.
A session drummer in L.A. decided he needed to connect with his roots,
after he saw more progressive players connecting with theirs,
so he took a plane to Africa.
As he was walking out of the plane, he heard drums in the distance,
saying I hear some drums, and the stewardess said "It's bad when the drums stop".
As he was being driven into town, he told the cab driver he could hear some drums,
and the cab driver said "It's worse when the drums stop".
As he was checking in to the hotel, he could still hear drums,
and the counter man said "Yes, it's not good when the drums stop".
Finally, walking down the street, he approached a passerby,
and he said "Don't these drums ever stop?", and the passerby said yes,
but then we get a bass solo.