100 Greatest Bass Players in Rock/Pop

B

Ben E

New member
Three reasons why he is cool:
1. He plays the bass lower than anyone I've seen
2. She's Lost Control
3. His name is PETER HOOK...sounRAB like some stage name like Joe Strummer or Sid Vicious. But it's his actual name.
 
well tbh Rex Brown is a more capable bassist that Fieldy, especially some of the basslines he pulls during Dimebag's solos
 
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Doug Wirabish yet, the bassist from Living Colour. He's played on loaRAB of pop-rock recorRAB, including Seal's 1991 self-titled and Mick Jagger's Primitive Cool, and more recently some of Satriani's recorRAB and Petteri Sariola's excellent Phases. :)
 
Wait, are they in order or not?
I think you did a Bang up job there are a lot of really good bass players on there I'd never have thought of. Flea is probably top 10, modern bass players always seem to defer to him.
 
you're right, why would i bother listening to someone with a 4 1/2 octave range when i can endure the atonal Barbie whine of a pretentious cuntbag?

silly me.
 
Examples?

I mean look at how low Roger Waters is, and below a lot of lesser known musicians from less popular banRAB. And everyone knows I'm a huge Floyd fanboy.

That's not the agenda of the list at all. Thing is a lot of these popular banRAB had great and influencial musicians behind them.

If it was all about popularity, Michael Anthony, Cliff Williams, Gene Simmons, Jason Newsted and Nikki Sixx would all be up there. Tom Hamilton, Fieldy and Krist Novoselic wouldn't have just been filler to take out of the list once I found players more worthy of adding.

What makes those bass players different from Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones and John Deacan is that while they were in insanely popular banRAB, they were also highly respected bassists.
 
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I did one for guitarists, so why not one for my favorite instrument? The most underrated instrument in rock music, what gives rock and pop music it's groove and it's soul.

I tried to be as objective as possible and shine a light on all genres. Influence, impact, popularity, originality and skill make up the criteria.

1. James Jamerson (Funk Brothers, session work) - Essential record: What's Going On? (Marvin Gaye) (1971)
2. John Entwistle (The Who) - Essential record: Live at LeeRAB, Deluxe Edition (The Who) (1970, 2001)
3. Larry Graham (Sly & The Family Stone) - Essential record: There's a Riot Going On (Sly & The Family Stone) (1971)
4. Tony Levin (King Crimson, Liquid Tension Experiment, Peter Gabriel, solo, other projects, session work) - Essential record: So (Peter Gabriel) (1986)
5. Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings, solo) - Essential record: Abbey Road (The Beatles) (1969)
6. Chris Squire (Yes, solo) - Essential record: Fragile (Yes) (1972)
7. Bootsy Collins (Parliament, Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band, James Brown, solo, other projects) - Essential record: Mothership Connection (Parliament) (1976)
8. Jack Bruce (Cream, solo, other projects) - Essential record: Wheels of Fire (Cream) (1968)
9. Geddy Lee (Rush) - Essential record: Moving Pictures (Rush) (1981)
10. Donald "Duck" Dunn (Booker T & The M.G.'s, session work) - Essential record: Otis Blue, Otis Redding Sings Soul (Otis Redding) (1965)
11. Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers, session work) - Essential record: Mother's Milk (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (1989)
12. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath, solo) - Essential record: Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath) (1970)
13. Les Claypool (Primus, Oysterhead, solo, other projects) - Essential record: Sailing the Seas of Cheese (Primus) (1991)
14. Louis Johnson (Brothers Johnson, session work) - Essential record: Off the Wall (Michael Jackson) (1979)
15. Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead) - Essential record: Live/Dead (Grateful Dead) (1969)
16. Willie Dixon (Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin Wolf, Bo Diddley, solo - Essential record: The Great Twenty-Eight (Chuck Berry) (1982)
17. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin, solo) - Essential record: Led Zeppelin II (Led Zeppelin) (1970)
18. Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) - Essential record: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (Iron Maiden) (1988)
19. Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges, solo) - Essential record: Contemplating the Engine Room (solo) (1997)
20. John Wetton (King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Asia, U.K., solo, other projects) - Essential record: Starless and Bible Black (King Crimson) (1974)
21. Aston "Family Man" Barrett (Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Wailers Band, solo) - Essential record: Catch a Fire (Bob Marley & The Wailers) (1973)
22. Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) - Essential record: Bless It's Pointed Little Head (Jefferson Airplane) (1969)
23. Cliff Burton (Metallica) - Essential record: Master of Puppets (Metallica) (1986)
24. Bob Babbitt (Funk Brothers, session work) - Essential record: Sky's the Limit (The Temptations) (1971)
25. Carol Kaye (session work) - Essential record: Pet SounRAB (The Beach Boys) (1966)
26. John Deacon (Queen) - Essential record: The Game (Queen) (1980)
27. Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, King Crimson) - Essential record: Brain Salad Surgery (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) (1973)
28. Billy Cox (Band of Gypsys, Jimi Hendrix) - Essential record: Band of Gypsys (Band of Gypsys) (1970)
29. Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power) - Essential record: Tower of Power (Tower of Power) (1973)
30. Chuck Rainey (session work) - Essential record: Aja (Steely Dan) (1977)
31 & 32. Bernard Odum and "Sweet" Charles Sherrell (James Brown, session work) - Essential record: 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! (James Brown) (1991)
33. Roger Glover (Deep Purple, Rainbow, solo) - Essential record: Made in Japan (Deep Purple) (1972)
34. Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics, solo) - Essential record: Foxtrot (Genesis) (1972)
35. Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order, session work) - Essential record: Closer (Joy Division) (1980)
36. George Porter, Jr. (The Meters, Runnin' Pardners, session work) - Essential record: Rejuvenation (The Meters) (1974)
37. Mick Karn (Japan) - Essential record: Tin Drum (Japan) (1981)
38. Berry Oakley (Allman Brothers Band) - Essential record: At Fillmore East (Allman Brothers Band) (1971)
39. Sting (The Police, solo) - Essential record: Zenyatta Mondatta (The Police) (1980)
40. Paul Simonon (The Clash, other projects) - Essential record: London Calling (The Clash) (1979)
41. Andy Rourke (The Smiths, session work) - Essential record: Meat is Murder (The Smiths) (1985)
42. Bill Black (Elvis Presley, Bill Black's Corabo) - Essential record: Elvis Presley (Elvis Presley) (1956)
43. Tina Weymouth (Talking HeaRAB, Tom Tom Club) - Essential record: Fear of Music (Talking HeaRAB) (1979)
44. Bernard EdwarRAB (Chic) - Essential record: Risque (Chic) (1979)
45. Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings) - Essential record: Let it Bleed (Rolling Stone) (1969)
46. Verdine White (Earth Wind & Fire, solo) - Essential record: That's the Way of the World (Earth Wind & Fire) (1975)
47. Rick James (solo) - Essential record: Street Songs (solo) (1981)
48. Billy Sheehan (Mr Big, David Lee Roth, Steve Vai, Niacin, solo, session work) - Essential record: Eat 'Em and Smile (David Lee Roth) (1986)
49. Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello & The Attractions) - Essential record: This Year's Model (Elvis Costello & The Attractions) (1978)
50. Jah Wobble (Public Image Ltd., solo, other projects) - Essential record: Metal Box, Second Edition (Public Image Ltd.) (1980)
 
Nice list, I'm going check out some of the funk bassists you've got listed in the top 10. John Paul Jones at #17 is too low, though.
 
Agreed completely, although he never made an effort to stand out. He was more like the roots of the group, keeping eveything on the ground while everyone else was soloing (sometimes simultaneously). Did have some killer lines though. I would have him in my top ten. I'll get around to doing one someday, after this thread fades.
 
Now THERE'S a multi-instrumentalist for you, no need for hate.



Seriously, and you're talking down about Rush?



You are silly, no question about that. Geddy Lee owns.
 
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