Les Claypool (Primus)

JOHNNY CHRIST BEING BETTER THAN LES CLAYPOOL IS THE MOST ABSURD THING I'VE EVER HEARD! IT'S UNACCEPTABLE!

You can't tell me that a man who plays a 25 freat 6 string fretless bass, and TAPS most of it WHILE SINGING at such a rate most other bassists can't compete with, isn't number one
Even Metallica, after newstead quit admitted he was better then anyone they had ever seen while he auditioned for them. He wasnt given the job because he was "too good"

Les Claypool all the way

Hands down the most talented bassist to ever pick up an instrument, Entwistle is his closest competition...

Georg Listing N.2 and Les Claypool N.8? John Entwhistle, a flat monotone bassist who never played something revolutionary N.9? I think that Cliff Burton is not able to play any of Claypool basslines without seeming a newbie. While Claypool can do anything did Cliff Burton 3 times better. Chris Wolstenholme better than John Paul Jones ah ah ah ah ah! Hey, maybe Lady Gaga is one of the 3 best bassists in the world, try to insert her and you'l see a blonde at N.1

But I understand here vote teenagers and people who find a "fantastic bassist" who played the bass in their favourite teen pop song.

This chart, by the way, makes no sense. There's nothing about the real chart of best bassists.

You can not rate a musician when they are all prolific players of there chosen instrument because lets face it, once you become as good as the players on this list, all are as good as each other.

But why I rate this man as the best is because only claypool can produce a sound that is way different to any other bass player on the planet.

I describe claypool as the pluto of bass (most out there) and this is why he is number 1 in my opinion.

Cliff burton is only number 1 on this list because he basses for Metallica. It's like saying ringo starr is the worlds greatest drummer because he drummed for the beatles.

Les Claypool is definitely one of the best bass guitarists I ever heard in my life. It's a shame that a bassist like Johnny Christ or Georg Listing are before him in this top. They're not poor bassists, but please people, go listen to Tommy the Cat (Les Claypool), My Generation (John Entwistle) and other stuff by Primus and The Who. They're awesome, like ten times better than Christ or Listing. Sorry for poor english.

Oh, and, the bass intro in The Wicked End is easy.

Johnny Christ is a great bass player and his fast picking, fluidity and punk/metal style is hard to beat. However when he's put up against Les Claypool he has no chance. Les played a 6 string bass and finger tapped and slapped crazy complex bass lines that can only be played by him pretty much because they were the fastest bass playing you've ever seen. Not to mention he did this while singing in my opinion, yes geddy sang and played bass but compared to Les everyone else is blown away. Enough said.

Claypool is the best. Cliff Burton doesn't hold a candle. The best guitarist is Yngwie Malmsteen. Jimmi was the pioneer. Les uses all styles of bass playing. Oh and where is Billy Sheehan and Doug Wimbish? There are so many others that should have made this list. I am talking about current bass players and guitarist's not the one's who pioneered. Of course I like extreme, fast, and technical fluency in all instrumentalist's and that doesn't hit most people's ears the right way. By the way, the best drummer is Tomas Haake.

This list is ridiculous. Got commenters talking about Johnny Christ hair being cool (that certainly makes someone a good bassist! Who is Johnny Christ anyway? ) Claypool is the most original bassist and very talented. Victor Wooten is omitted from the top 10 as well, which is a travesty.

Geddy Lee was a huge influence on Claypool and he belongs higher in the list. Missing Tony Levin from King Crimson too, playing his Chapman stick. Point being that this list is trash.

For a drummer, Les is the most fantastic bassist to play with. He played with the greatest drummers in the world like Tim Alexander and Steward Copeland. If Cliff Burton is in first place what is Les Claypool doing 8th? If I may quote Wikipedia on why Les didn't became the new bassist of Metallica: "James Hetfield remarked that Claypool was not awarded the job because "he was too good" and "should do his own thing. "

This is a man who can play and write unfathomable bass lines, with ridiculously awesome techniques, play them faster than the speed of light and sing at the same time. The fact that he isn't at number one is a disgrace! Anyone who doesn't vote for Claypool either hasn't heard him (and is therefore making an uninformed vote) or is a giblet (and therefore shouldn't be granted the basic motor neurons necessary to find this page and click vote. ) and there's my rant over.

Had Claypool taken up guitar, he'd be in the conversation with Hendrix, Zappa and Allman. Had he taken up drums, he'd be considered with Bonham, Moon and Dryden. Had he been born in India, he'd be touring the world with Ravi Shankar. While all the evidence one needs is evident in his bass playing, he is one of the most coherent and insightful musical conversationalists one could hope to hear.

Jaco Pastorius is the best bassist ever. Les is the Best living bassist. I believe that the only people in the same class as Les right now are Flea and Tom Commenfeld from Rage Against The Machine. Entwisle can play and may he R.I.P. however the guy from avenged Sevenfold can't play worth the damn pick he uses. Geddy Lee is very good as is Steve Harris. But Les in my opinion as a musician is the best living bassist.

Les Claypool all the way! Who else (but the best) could get albums made strictly on their bass playing alone? He might be a little odd, but that doesn't diminish his SKILL with a bass people! All these guys are great on this list, but Les could outplay any of 'em. In fact, I'd bet money most the people on this list listen to him when they're looking for something new or "original" to do with their bass playing

look...flea is amazing and probably one of the most influential bassists ever but the only reason he is most known is because the chili peppers are the most important band in the past 25 years and look at les's bass tabs compared to flea's. Les claypools bass playing is a million times more complicated than flea's so i would rank les at #1 and flea at #2 and cliff at #3

This is a man with an extraordinary capacity for his instrument. He has a brilliant knoweledge of jazz composition. He is able to play a rhythm instrument in a manner that many guitarist can not. His ability to play with out the aid of a rhythm as the guitar line is often distorted and lacks any melodic characteristics of the bass line serves as proof of his ability.

you have got to be kidding.. number 8? do any of you have ears? how is les claypool not even in the top 3? this whole website is crap. first amy lee has better vocals than maynard james keenan and now les claypool is #8 on best bassists? you all need to get a clue.

les claypool was a geneuis and if your 2 stupid to not c that you don't kno music. also mightve voted 4 geddy lee but if you compare the bands songs and every thing les comes out on top. also you can't even hear the bass line in all but like 4 songs and I'm not saying flea is bad he's good id just switch places so les is first and geddy is second and then flea. maybe

Easily the best bassist on this list. If not the best, maybe top 3. The fact that he also sings while playing should get him into the top 5 alone. Despite this, I'm not expecting him to get any higher on the list, just because his music is just too insane for the green day and My Chemical Romance loving sheep who are voting on this list.

Les Claypool really knows his way around the bass. Listen to DMV and The Awakening and tell me what you think! Flea doesn't write his own music! No one in the band does! Primus make a group effort to make that god-like bass intense mammajam! LIsten to the albums Frizzle Fry, Suck On This and the Brown Album and quickly reconsider!

Claypool can play 6 or so types of bass... While singing! This guy is probably the most freak awesome bassist there is! Burton is also awesome... But the only reasons he is on top is because he is dead (R.I. P) and that he plays metal...

What the hell is wrong with world when les claypool isn't the best ever. if he would have been in Metallica after cliff burton died the band would have been ten times better instead of having lame cds like they've had with St. Anger and Reload. plus he would have owned cliff burton in a rock off.

The fact that he is 8th behind a no-name Jap and Avenged Sevenfolds bassists is embarrassing. It just shows how low todays young bass players have fallen when Johnny Christ makes any top ten bass players list. And yes, I am an Avenged fan. A big one actually. But that is non-sense.

Are you kidding me!? Number 7!? Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE Metallica fan, but I can openly admit that Les Claypool is better than Cliff Burton! You people need to get your minds together a realize that Claypool is the best bassist out there!

His unique slapping technique, along with his technical bass skill alone should make him number one. This man revolutionized bass playing, with his use of effects and skill to out solo many guitarists.