100 Greatest Bass Players in Rock/Pop

He's right where he belongs. Although he does deserve honorable mention, along with about 800 other bass players. But it's a top 100, he's just not top 100 material.
 
He blows away about 85 of the guys on the list. I saw him play with a band called "Tackhead" at a NAMM show long ago...WOW!! Those guys shredded.
It was years before he replaced the guy in Living Colour.
 
51. Colin Moulding (XTC) - Essential record: Drums and Wires (XTC) (1979)
52. Holger Czukay (Can, solo, other projects) - Essential record: Ege Bamyasi (Can) (1972)
53. Bruce Foxton (The Jam, Stiff Little Fingers) - Essential record: All Mod Cons (The Jam) (1978)
54. Hugh Hopper (Soft Machine, session work) - Essential record: Third (Soft Machine) (1970)
55. George Murray (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, session work) - Essential record: Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (David Bowie) (1980)
56. Richard Sinclair (Caravan, Hatfield & The North, Camel) - Essential record: In the Land of Grey and Pink (Caravan) (1971)
57. Dave Allen (Gang of Four, Shriekback, other projects) - Essential record: Entertainment! (Gang of Four) (1979)
58. Simon Gallup (The Cure, other projects) - Essential record: Disintegration (The Cure) (1989)
59. Joe Osborn (session work) - Essential record: The Age of Aquarius (The 5th Dimension) (1969)
60. Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, solo, session work) - Essential record: Passion and Warfare (Steve Vai) (1990)
61. Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy, solo) - Essential record: Bad Reputation (Thin Lizzy) (1977)
62. Martin "Youth" Glover (Killing Joke, other projects) - Essential record: Killing Joke (Killing Joke) (1980)
63. Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant) - Essential record: In a Glass House (Gentle Giant) (1973)
64. Nick Lowe (Rockpile, Brinsley Schwarz, solo) - Essential record: Jesus of Cool (solo) (1978)
65. Billy Gould (Faith No More, other projects) - Essential record: Angel Dust (Faith No More) (1992)
66. John Myung (Dream Theater, Platypus, The Jelly Jam, other projects) - Essential record: Image and WorRAB (Dream Theater) (1992)
67. Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Testament, Sadus, Control Denied, session work) - Essential record: Human (Death) (1991)
68. Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) - Essential record: Truth and Soul (Fishbone) (1988)
69. Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys) - Essential record: Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables (Dead Kennedys) (1980)
70. Kim Deal (Pixies) - Essential record: Doolittle (Pixies) (1989)
71. BB Dickerson (War, Eric Burdon & War, Lowrider Band) - Essential record: The World is a Ghetto (War) (1972)
72. David Steel (The English Beat) - Essential record: What is Beat? (The English Beat) (1983)
73. Trevor Bolder (David Bowie, Uriah Heep, session work) - Essential record: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (David Bowie) (1972)
74. Stu Cook (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Southern Pacific, session work) - Essential record: Willy and the Poor Boys (Creedence Clearwater Revival) (1969)
75. Mike Howlett (Gong, other projects) - Essential record: You (Gong) (1973)
76. Dirk Lance (Incubus) - Essential record: S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (Incubus) (1997)
77. Marshall Lytle (Bill Haley & His Comets, The Jodimars) - Essential record: Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley & His Comets) (1955)
78. Eric Avery (Jane's Addiction, Polar Bear, other projects) - Essential record: Ritual De Lo Habitual (Jane's Addiction) (1990)
79. Mike Gordon (Phish, other projects) - Essential record: A Live One (Phish) (1995)
80. Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, other projects) - Essential record: Mr. Bungle (Mr. Bungle) (1991)
81. Martin Turner (Wishbone Ash) - Essential record: Argus (Wishbone Ash) (1972)
82. Horace Panter (The Specials, General Public) - Essential record: The Specials (The Specials) (1979)
83. Carl Radle (Derek & The Dominos, session work) - Essential record: Layla and Other Assored Love Songs (Derek & The Dominos) (1970)
84. Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead, Hawkwind, other projects) - Essential record: Space Ritual (Hawkwind) (1973)
85. Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth, Free Kitten, other projects) - Essential record: Goo (Sonic Youth) (1990)
86. David Ellefson (Megadeth, other projects) - Essential record: Rust in Peace (Megadeth) (1990)
87. P-Nut (311) - Essential record: Music (311) (1993)
88. Rick Danko (The Band, Bob Dylan, solo) - Essential record: The Band (The Band) (1969)
89. Roy Estrada (Mothers of Invention, Little Feat, other projects) - Essential record: Freak Out! (Mothers of Invention) (1966)
90. John McVie (Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) - Essential record: Rumours (Fleetwood Mac) (1977)
91. Fred Smith (Television) - Essential record: Marquee Moon (Television) (1977)
92. Justin Chancellor (Tool, Peach) - Essential record: Lateralus (Tool) (2001)
93. Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) - Essential record: Rage Against the Machine (Rage Against the Machine) (1992)
94. Joe Lally (Fugazi, Ataxia, other projects) - Essential record: 13 Songs (Fugazi) (1989)
95. Gary "Mani" Mounfield (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream) - Essential record: The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses) (1989)
96. Bruce Palmer (Buffalo Springfield) - Essential record: Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield (Buffalo Springfield) (1969)
97. Matt Freeman (Rancid, Operation Ivy) - Essential record: ...And Out Come the Wolves (Rancid) (1995)
98. Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam, Green River, Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, other projects) - Essential record: Ten (Pearl Jam) (1991)
99. Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Metallica, Infectious Grooves, other projects) - Essential record: The Plague That Makes Your Body Move... It's Infectious Grooves (Infectious Grooves) (1991)
100. Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band) - Essential record: Under the Table and Dreaming (Dave Matthews Band) (1994)

Honorable mentions

Roger Waters (Pink Floyd, solo) - Essential record: Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd) (1973)
Jerry Scheff (Elvis Presley, session work) - Essential record: LA Woman (The Doors) (1971)
Ian Hill (Judas Priest) - Essential record: Killing Machine/Hell Bent for Leather (Judas Priest) (1978)
Colin Greenwood (Radiohead) - Essential record: OK Computer (Radiohead) (1997)
Juan Alderete (The Mars Volta, Racer X) - Essential record: Frances the Mute (The Mars Volta) (2005)
Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree, other projects) - Essential record: Lightbulb Sun (Porcupine Tree) (2000)
Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, solo, other projects) - Essential record: Appetite for Destruction (Guns N' Roses) (1987)
Billy Bass Nelson (Funkadelic, Parliament, session work) - Essential record: Maggot Brain (Funkadelic) (1971)
Doug Ferguson (Camel) - Essential record: Mirage (Camel) (1974)
Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne) - Essential record: L.D. 50 (Mudvayne) (2000)
Tom Bogert (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus) - Essential record: Vanilla Fudge (Vanilla Fudge) (1967)
Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh) - Essential record: Bug (Dinosaur Jr) (1988)
Peter Quaife (The Kinks) - Essential record: The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (The Kinks) (1968)
Dave Alexander (The Stooges) - Essential record: Fun House (The Stooges) (1970)
Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd, session work) - Essential record: The Division Bell (Pink Floyd) (1994)
Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen) - Essential record: Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen) (1975)
Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith) - Essential record: Toys in the Attic (Aerosmith) (1975)
Andrew Bodnar (The Rumour) - Essential record: Squeezing out Sparks (Graham Parker & The Rumour) (1979)
Mike Starr (Alice in Chains) - Essential record: Dirt (Alice in Chains) (1992)
Chris Wolstenholme (Muse) - Essential record: Origin of Symmetry (Muse) (2001)
Peter Cetera (Chicago) - Essential record: Chicago (Chicago) (1970)
Nick Oliveri (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, other projects) - Essential record: Blues for the Red Sun (Kyuss) (1992)
Richard Hell (The VoidoiRAB, Heartbreakers, solo, other projects) - Essential record: Blank Generation (The VoidoiRAB) (1977)
Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) - Essential record: Nevermind (Nirvana) (1991)
Michael Anthony (Van Halen) - Essential record: Van Halen (Van Halen) (1978)
 
Well I consider Wooten more of a fusion bassist.

And while this list covers many diverse styles of music, fusion bassists would stick out like a sore thurab, because they're playing a genre of music where bass is really more of a lead soloing instrument.

Trying to compare bassists from genres as varied as Pop, R&B, Funk, Metal, Prog, Psychedelic, Alternative, Punk, Rockabilly, Folk Rock and Reggae is challenging enough as it is.

I'm not really into the "shred" bassists like Wooten and Manring, what they can do is certainly mind blowing, but they also seem to forget that bass at it's core is a rhythm instrument, they treat it as something strictly for making flashy and elaborate solos. Do they even know what a bassline is?

UPDATE: Rick Danko added, Dave Alexander removed, Waters now above Gordon and Lemmy.
 
I'd say it's a pretty darn good list and a great addition to the site. Be curious to know which are your personal favorite top five and least favorite that put on the list out of respect.

I am very partial to Jack Bruce myself and prefer both he and Entwhsitle to the pure playing of JP Jones. Jone's greatest contribution was more his understanding of how the different parts worked and fit together.

Was really happy to see the Vanilla Fudge original Tim Bogert too, Jeff Beck said he'd have made a legendary lead guitarist if he'd wanted to be one. Martin Turner was another important one to put on the list I think and was glad to see him included.

Obviously you have to go with the Live album with Berry Oakley but he's outstanding on the follow up "Eat a Peach" where he and the whole band raised their game after the loss of Duane Allman and would ultimately be Oakley's last too.

One omission that I hoped to so but could understand not including is Bruce Palmer the former Buffalo Springfield and occasional CSN(Y) meraber.

Thanks for putting this together.
 
Nah, of course it's not in order, how else would you explain Jamerson and Novoselic, bass players of equal greatness, being at opposite enRAB?
 
For the record, my top 10 favorite bassists.

Chris Squire
Tony Levin
Paul McCartney
John Paul Jones
Tina Weymouth
James Jamerson
Mike Watt
Bootsy Collins
Louis Johnson
Ray Shulman
 
oh yeah, same with having a bunch of beggars and hangers-on partying in the studio when they're supposed to be having a recording session. same as just going ahead and recording overdubs when he felt like it (like the middle vamp in 'if 6 was 9')

Jimi was no saint but he was one hell of a musician. take him out of the picture and no one would have a clue who Noel Redding was. i get the impression there was a lot of passive aggressive tension in the studio, hendrix seemed to want (and be capable) of doing just about all of it himself. i figure things would have been smoother within the group had Redding only been hired to fill the role on stage instead of in the studio as well.

at the same time i wasn't even close to born at that point so i'm really just speculating hehehe
 
this confuses me when i see mcartney on your list. yes, he wrote alot of great songs, but as a bassist, i don't hear anything from him, throughout his entire catalog that was all that special. when i see your synopsis on noel redding, i mostly agree, but in my mind, the general theme of it could apply to mcartney. i just don't see what it is that makes him so special as a bassist.
 
Nice list. My favorite is John Paul Jones or Stuart Hamm.

Mike Anthony is also one of my favorites. He is currently playing with Joe Satriani, Chad Smith and Sammy Hagar in the rock group called Chickenfoot. Amazing music!
 
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