Best Bassists Ever

List of the Top 10 Bassists. Add your bassist here.... Don't agree with the list? Place your vote or if you are a logged in, add a new item for others to vote on.

1) Cliff Burton (Metallica)

“YES
”

bruceleeftw3

“pulling teeth and orion are unbeatable”

yoyoma

“BEST BASSIST TO EVER LIVE! No one will ever be better than him! I loved him then, still love him now!”

metallicaholic95

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2) Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

“absolutely amazing, no offense to cliff, but flea’s 10X better”

sharty

“AWESOME CRAZY MOFO”

patostar

“RHCP album Stadium Arcadium... listen 2 tracks lyk readymade the bass just makes your brains leak out of ya head. /..
”

Milan

read more comments on Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

3) Tetsuya Ogawa (L’arc en ciel)

“No doubt about it.”

Soovey

“just watch his fingers dancing on the bass. and you’ll know he truly is the best.”

salatinada

“The best bassist, best leader and founder of a notorious band in Japan called L’Arc~en~Ciel. He maintained the band after serious incidents like sakura’s (ex-drummer) heroin possession and relationship with him. tetsu is well known on having the most complicated bass riffs in japan. The song finale that he created is one of their masterpiece. Their 15th L’Anniversary in Tokyo Dome is one of their most wonderful shows that I’d every seen.”

ronluna

read more comments on Tetsuya Ogawa (L’arc en ciel)

4) Les Claypool (Primus)

“Les Claypool is the best”

dew

“heck yes”

speedymcfadden

“he’s my fav bassist cause he created his own difficult style of playing the bass, lisin 2 tommy the cat”

bleaghh

read more comments on Les Claypool (Primus)

5) Geddy Lee (Rush)

“Geddy Lee is my inspiration as a bassist. He plays so well with Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson. He should be number one along with Paul McCartney and Sting. Geddy is great!”

jprg12

“listen 2 yz owesome song he keeps right with the lead guitar freakin awesome
”

C-BEAR

“Geddy Lee is an amazing bass player! the way that he plays scales behind those powerful rush licks is phenominal! His ability to mix jazz and slap bass into modern rock is probably the best thing about Rush. Geddy Lee is amazing and if I had this list my way he’d be right up at the top probably with with Mark King and Chris Squire from Yes. Chris Squire’s lick in Roundabout is almost as great as a Geddy Lee line.
Geddy Lee is probably the best bass player of all time despite what an unpublished internet website may tell you.”

jimwasdoors

read more comments on Geddy Lee (Rush)

6) Toshiya (Dir en grey)

“Toshiya is indeed one of the best bassists ever. Just listen to Cage... Or Yokan... Then you’ll know it’s true.”

“Amazing bassist, with much emotion poured into each song performed. Fantastic!”

“Toshiya-sama... My idol!
Inspired me to pick up the bass and rock it like him.

Best bassist!”

visit Toshiya (Dir en grey) website
read more comments on Toshiya (Dir en grey)

7) John Entwistle (The Who)

“Argueably the greatest bassist of all time. Without Entwistle the very notion of a lead bassist wouldn’t exist. Sure Jaco may have more chops and Les may be more innovative, but they wouldn’t exist without Entwistle.

Entwistle number one damnit!”

“I’m not even a huge fan of the WHo, but give Entwhistle his due. No one made the bass a prominent rock-n-roll instrument until Entwhistle.”

howie115

“PEOPLE! vote for a good bassist not for your favourite band dammit!

john is the one who invented bass solos, he is the most influenced bassist in all time.

He is also an amazing bassist”

read more comments on John Entwistle (The Who)

8) Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

“one of the only players where you can actually here the bass guitar and its awesomeness”

IronMaiden

“best bass ever. have you heard the bass in run to the hills. you will get arthritis trying to do that.”

aaron1234

“he is great in run to the hills. He made bass seem way cooler than guitar sometimes”

Batman5335

read more comments on Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

9) P-nut (311)

“Top 5 AT LEAST”

landocommando88

“p-nut is underated... he’s got that slap down and dirty!”

rjhusmc

“wow he is so underrated. He can lay down some slap bass, a hard rock riff, a relaxing reggae bass line, and he brings the FUNK! P-Nut can lay down any style, just like 311 can lay down any style of music. Pick up any 311 song and you’ll see why”

read more comments on P-nut (311)

10) Ross Valory

“ROSS IS SIMPLY THE BEST!
”

iMAGIO

“One of the best! I love Ross!”

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Choices Not In The Top Ten

11) John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)

“Brilliant and extremely influential bassist. Ask Flea who his hero is and he always mentions John Paul Jones. All around superb musician and arranger, and most importantly one quarter of rocks greatest band.”

bobby

“the lemon song is also an amazing bass performance
”

rockman

“awesome bassist i love the little solo things in good times bad times”

rockman

» more comments on John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)

12) Johnny Christ (Avenged Sevenfold)

“he deserves to be in the top 10 at least.”

a7xlover4ever

“please greatest bassist ever and a member of the best band ever”

Micho75

“His playing is amazing for a bass guitarist. He is another amazing musician in A7X”

Synester

» more comments on Johnny Christ (Avenged Sevenfold)

13) Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck)

“How can Victor Wooten be this low on the list? It must be simply from the fact that people just vote for the bassist from their favorite band, without really hearing them play. Victor outdoes them all.”

chinchilla41191

“He should be nearer the top. His playing is amazing espeacially his slap bass.”

giguise

“Dude, this list is pretty lame, the guy from avenged sevenfold should be at like 70th (he only has 3 good songs), Pete Wentz shouldn’t be anywhere near this list, yet he’s above Bootsy Collins, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Lemmy, and Geezer Butler. Pete Wentz’s bass lines consist of three notes being picked, he sucks. I’m voting Wooten so we can get the Avenged Sevenfold guy off the list”

Stangbass16

» more comments on Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck)

14) Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance)

“Number "1" among bassists.”

stereomike

“His play is amazing. He is really Best Bassist Ever. He must be at the top of this list!”

stereomike

“Awesome dude! He makes my heart burn!”

flame_loony

» more comments on Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance)

15) Chris Wolstenholme (Muse)

“An unsung hero of the bass guitar.
he is a pioneer of bass special effects and help make one of the greatest bands ever to play.”

GlonnAtronnAdonnAdict

“He’s very talented and self- taught”

llamalove

“I rEaLLy LikE chris if him pLaying baSS

i think him bEst Of the bEst baSSisT... ,”

» more comments on Chris Wolstenholme (Muse)

16) Paul McCartney (The Beatles)

“Paul can easily outplay all of these other bassists except for Geddy. Go McCartney!”

jprg12

“Incredible!”

beatle608

“before McCartney, the so called "bassist" was just another person in a band. and it’s interesting to know that he wasn’t the bassist in the beginning...”

pauler94

» more comments on Paul McCartney (The Beatles)

17) Heath (X Japan)

“Heath is the best!”

konatsu

18) Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)

“This is Geezer we are talking about should be 1”

krispykrememcdonalds

“Man this guy’s good”

ajtcat

“open your ears people TOP THREE. listen”

» more comments on Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)

19) Timothy Kelleher

“Tim is AWESOME! Hope he’l stay at 30 Seconds To Mars!”

haris

20) Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick)

“Not only can he play, but he can also sing too. He’s a better player and is always in command of his instrument.”

FearlessFreep

“Nobody can play a 12-string like he can.”

FearlessFreep

“Great player.”

» more comments on Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick)

21) Jaco Pastorius

“jaco the best”

“Jaco opened up the world of fretless. He flippin made his bass into a fretless. His basslines are incredible. He is Easily the best bassist of all time.”

“jaco pastorius was one of the (if not the most influential bassists in history). must say this whole list is depressing, and it just shows how ignorant people are of real bass playing. Flea and Cliff burton most certainly are not the best bassist to ever live. Jaco was not only a god in his time for his playing but also continues to influence bassists from ever genre of music and he did it playing a fretless bass, which is much harder to master than fretted. Jaco should be number 1 without question.”

» more comments on Jaco Pastorius

22) John Ro Myung (Dream Theather)

“This band is the best, and he just makes it better.”

LadyLioness

“John Myung = Perfection in Bass”

DM2414

“he is using a 6 string bass.. jaco is using a 4 string fretless bass.. so who do you think is better..”

jikyboytz

» more comments on John Ro Myung (Dream Theather)

23) John Deacon (Queen)

“listhin to the bass solo on another one bites the dust and liar he’s the best!”

Queenmaniac

“he’s the most underrated man in music and that is no exaggeration
best bassist no doubt!”

“How is Deacon 32nd? inventor of the Deacy amp, player of great baselines such as in Another One Bites the Dust, and Under Pressure. Great song writer too with songs such as "You’re My Best Friend, I Want to Break Free"”

» more comments on John Deacon (Queen)

24) Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses)

“Legend as his former band. I don’t if he’s the best but is my favourite.”

i-love-rock-n-roll

“Duff is my GOD !!!!!!!!!!!! he’s no.1 !!!”

god

“great bassist from a legendary band”

quill

» more comments on Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses)

25) Mike Dirnt (Green Day)

“Flea’s style doesn’t cut it for me. He plays that awful funky style of Mark King of Level 42. Mike plays the kind of sounds I want to hear! and with flair!”

“hm, green day, ok band, only 2 albums deserve the title "excellent" dookie and nimrods. mike dirnt’s bass solos on dookie, especially longview and welcome to paradise, are excellent”

pauler94

“mike is one of the best he should be number 2 after "flea"”

» more comments on Mike Dirnt (Green Day)

26) Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu (Korn)

“I started playing bass because I love the sound of Fieldy`s bass... he`s great!”

`Co

“when I hear fieldy playing the bass its like I hear a "drums voise" too... he is amazing...”

robokost

“he is amazing.”

xrrrockstar

» more comments on Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu (Korn)

27) Robert Trujillo (Metallica)

“He deserves to be number two. As good as he is nobody can replace Cliff Burton.”

aman28

“rob brought us classics he is in my mind one of the greatest bassists ever”

justicerieth

“Trujillo is a genius
suicidal tendancies, ozzy osbourne, metallica, infectious grooves !!!!”

odin666

» more comments on Robert Trujillo (Metallica)

28) Justin Chancellor (Tool)

“Justin is simply the today’s visionary bass genius :
- Convoluted Rhythm (in 5/4, 5/16)
- Atypical Tune
- Enormous Sound

A Monster!”

“this man knows the way of the bass guitar, but u guys dont know what your talking about. schism isn’t a very difficult bass line(what really matters is composition) and its not something to get you on a top 20 list. chancellor definitely deserves it tho”

“Though this list isn’t nearly as accurate, I gotta say it’s really good. But Justin should definitely be in the top 10, because not only he is very skilled at playing it... he’s a visual artist, which isn’t exactly a skill you work for, it’s got to be in you, just like every band member of TOOL.”

» more comments on Justin Chancellor (Tool)

29) Mark Hoppus (Blink-182)

“my idol”

manuelll182

“he’s now with plus44 and I now blink182 will get back together but this guy has a good voice and awesome bass playing”

gibsonsg

“He just should be much higher up.”

» more comments on Mark Hoppus (Blink-182)

30) Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy)

“Good bassist and HOT!”

vanishing_truth

“not the huge bassline solo kinda guy but he is a good bassist and an even better lyricistt”

“totally awsome”

31) Shavo Odajian (System of a down)

“Pete wentz is better than shavo!? shavo is amazing!”

Flying_spidermonkey

“he is the all time greatest bass player of all time! why not top 10?”

“he is my idol and will always be”

» more comments on Shavo Odajian (System of a down)

32) Matt Freeman (Rancid)

“of course one of the best bassist. people just don’t realize it because he plays a genre that people don’t generally listen to at large. if you ever see maxwell murder live you’ll know by listening to him play and the peolpes reactions. seriously, the PUNK mosh pits stopped and everyone got on each others shoulders to watch. great bassist if I ever saw one”

rottoncheesedude

“Matt is the best bassist ever and he should be in the top ten and you should listen to Maxwell Murders where he does the best bass solo ever”

“He is an amazing bassist and he does a sweet job in the song Maxwell Murders.”

» more comments on Matt Freeman (Rancid)

33) Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave)

“He is THE best bass on the planet. Why he isn’t #1 I don’t know”

Battlegun

“Time should definitly be in top ten because he’s in on of the few bands that you can actually hear the bass on, and it a seriously kickin’ bass line”

Shadowdood

“Like what has already been said he is an amazing bassist that you can actually hear, if you don’t think so listen to anything by them like bulls on parade, one of the most powerful bass lines I have ever heard”

» more comments on Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave)

34) Krist Novoselic (Nirvana)

“BEST EVER!”

gberisha

“he rocks!”

straightedge1992

“38 my ass, he is the best bassist ever, he should be number 1”

» more comments on Krist Novoselic (Nirvana)

35) Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne)

“dude u just cant beat ryan martinie, awsum bassist, great riffs, not to mention hes incredibly fast, listen to this guy live, probably one of the best there is, the only 2 guys i will say are a little better are les claypool and victor wooten, other than that im done”

Vayne90

“he owns all other bassists. No questions asked...”

pert

“Definitely the best”

» more comments on Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne)

36) Reita (the Gazette)

“My most favorite, nice bass ^0^”

A-Euphoria

“woooooo this man is awesome i love him... he is the best bassist!!!”

michiru

“Reita is the best bassist known to this world

”

37) Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)

“him, john entwistle and john paul jones should be on the top 5 with cliff burton!”

abbytoledo1293

“Money, another brick in the wall, comfortably numb. yeah, roger waters is one of the best, under cliff burton and steve harris”

pauler94

“Listen to Another Brick in a wall, oh yeah, that’s what I am talking about.”

Baltimore1993

» more comments on Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)

38) Steve Fossen (Heart)

“Listen to "Crazy on You"... great bass line!”

wildchild

“Great bass Man.”

39) Chris Squire (Yes)

“Chris may not be no. 1, but he should at least be above geddy lee
Chris elevated the role of a bassist to higher dimensions of showmanship.
also, he wears a cape, and plays a rickenbacker.
”

jamalam17z7

“I have to admit i don’t know half of the basists in the top ten. Squire is way under rated because Yes’s music is so way out there.”

blksabfan1

“So underrated!
His solos are great (the fish, silent wings) but don’t just listen to those - his basslines and incredible use of scales in songs like heart of the sunrise and roundabout are amazing!”

mowglisegus614

» more comments on Chris Squire (Yes)

40) Sting

“Sting rules!!! IMHO - he`s number one!!! Love him and his unique play technic.”

ColdNordicGirl

“He is the best.The best and the most talented bassist of all time”

October

“yeah, sting is great..he knows his job very well..isn’t he just amazing?!”

» more comments on Sting

41) Nikki Sixx

“Nikki Sixx is not only one kickass bassist but one hell of a lyricist.
”

“Nikki Sixx inspires me in so many ways.”

“Dude, he has to be higher than this. This guy is my greatest inspiration, and I find out he’s like 58 on the list. Give the man respect.”

» more comments on Nikki Sixx

42) Jack Bruce (Cream)

“How is Jack Bruce not in the top 10? He is, after all, Cream of the crop!”

“This is a shame. He’s a musical genius! He has a great voice and can play like a good! Just listen to "Badge", "I Feel Free" or "Crossroads". And he made the Gibson EB-3 (now named the Gibson SG Bass) famous. Thank you, Jack Bruce! I can not think about a better bassist! You’re nr. 1!”

“he has been playing longer than all the bassists here so I think he should”

» more comments on Jack Bruce (Cream)

43) Mike Inez

“Mike Inez has incredible style. He makes it look so simple. I love him!”

solitude

“Unbelievably talented bassist!”

“LOVE HIM!”

» more comments on Mike Inez

44) Gene Simmons (Kiss)

“maybe he wasn’t the best, but I would like to see another bassist put on a show like he and KISS did back in the day.”

“totally under rated he is an ******* but one hell of a bass player

ROCK N ROLL ALL NIGHT AND PARTY EVERY DAY”

“he is the best bassist in the world and here it says hes in the 40s that is crazy”

» more comments on Gene Simmons (Kiss)

45) Taiji Sawada

“He’s very talented, yet still un-credited.”

46) Marcus Miller

“Wow, I cannot believe Marcus was not in the top 10. He is simply amazing... what is more amazing I have yet to see Stanley Clark listed. There are many great bassist listed... that are part of a band... listed here, but as far as being a creative musician. One who can live without another guitarist well there are many bassists not mentioned. And Stanley Clark, Jaco and Marcus are all top 10 material.”

“Cliff Burton No 2 and Marcus Miller and Mark King 53 & 49 come on guys WAKE UP and listen more music its a non-sense
”

“simply the greatest bassist in these moment playing, with a lot of groove to give to the others bassist!
A mester!”

» more comments on Marcus Miller

47) Billy Sheehan

“HE IS THE WORLDS BEST BASSIST”

b456stfjoemr

“yah if any one know of billy sheehans work they’d all know he is the best, ( but if cliff burton lived longer he would beet sheehan in a bass-off aha)”

“guitar festival 2004. youtube with steve vai. billy’s #1”

» more comments on Billy Sheehan

48) Oteil Burbridge (Allman Bros, Aquarium Rescue Unit)

“Obviously people know too little about Oteil and the Brothers. He is so good on so many levels. Definitely a top 25 guy.”

mdp1970

49) Marwan Harajli (Thoughtless Rock)

“Marwan is a great bassist and deserves to be in the top 10”

“this guy can BASS”

“I was at his gig at Fatrikle’s 2 weekends ago, and he actually signed my breasts! This Harajli is an amazing bassist, magical!”

» more comments on Marwan Harajli (Thoughtless Rock)

50) Adam Clayton (U2)

“i dont know why people insult him, hes the second biggest part of U2, next to bono of course.”

Moezzilla

“He By far is the best bassist ever”

“WHAT. Listen to this man play. He’s the Best.”

» more comments on Adam Clayton (U2)

51) Lemmy (Motorhead)

“Why the hell is Lemmy not #1, he’s an amazing bassist. Listen to the Ace of Spades and say he doesn’t belong in the top ten”

52) Bootsy Collins

“Boosty definitely needs to be higher up, the guy pretty much influenced every funk bassist after him.”

“we need the funk!”

“the man practically invented funk, he should be in the top ten”

53) Cliff Williams (AC/DC)

“I can understand that he’s not in the 10 but 58?! Come on!”

ACDCRocks

“Would somebody at least put him in the top 10 ge is awesome at Thunderstruck!”

ACDCRocks

“not necessarily a GOOD bassist, which cliff williams is, but he’s incredible fast at bass, just listen to let there be rock”

pauler94

» more comments on Cliff Williams (AC/DC)

54) Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse)

“in this list he´s really underrated”

“HOW Is tom araya, the stupid of limp bizkit, and many more of this stupid list better than webster try to play any song of the tomb of the mutilated album”

“I myself is an bassist... and he reigns.. very difficult to play his chord lift”

» more comments on Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse)

55) Eric Wilson (Sublime)

“one of the smoothest bass players I’ve ever heard.”

“Yes I would most deffinitely have to agree. He is the first bassist I was ever inspired by, he has the coolest style and most originality... I think He should be right up there at the top”

“deff one of the best. actually listen to the riffs in date rape. hard to even match! he should be up there”

» more comments on Eric Wilson (Sublime)

56) Stanley Clarke

“WTF number 43, it seems this list is going by the band, not the bassist themselves. This is like putting Jordan this low for a listing of the best basketball players, it’s crazy.”

HolyCal

57) James Jamerson (Funk Brothers)

“disgrace to see him this low, probably the best imo.”

“Greatest bassline ever the Four Tops Sugar Pie Honey Bunch. Not to mention everything else.”

58) Phoenix Farrell

“best”

mcarzwashere

“Best bass player in the world, from Linkin Park.”

Fuzkeren

“phoenix is the best... lp rules...”

59) Jason Newsted (Metallica)

“how come he isnt in top 10???”

“and he also knows how to make one heck of a show”

“This guy could not only play metal, but he could play serious grooves too.”

» more comments on Jason Newsted (Metallica)

60) Tony Levin

“Innovative, funky, plays fretless, fretted, and stick...”

“This list is pretty lame when Tony Levin is ranked way back here (behind hacks like Gene Simmons) and Jeff Berlin isn’t even on it. Good grief.”

“Da best!”

» more comments on Tony Levin

61) Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band)

“have you not heard this guy? he is amazing! a whole lot better than 40...”

“Guys listen to DMB,Stefan is the greatest bassist ever,he was a prodigy.Dave Matthews waited until Stefan turned 16 before he started DMB so Stefan could be the bassist.”

“if you listen to this guy he should be at least #5 he is amazing way better than mike drint or mikey way they can’t even compare”

62) Mark King

“MK is Absolutely amazing - he should be number 1 - Flea before Mark King - Victor before MK too! Bloody insane! Mk = NO 1!!!
”

“u guys know nothing!!! Mark king owns the Slap, Flea would say the same ! top ten is ridiculous!!”

“CHECK OUT LEVEL 42.."LIVE AT WEMBLEY" TREMENDOUS CONCERT DVD!”

» more comments on Mark King

63) Mark Stoermer (The Killers)

“Amazing Bassist Espescailly on hot fuss with Jenny was a friend of mine and Glamorous Indie Rock ’n’ Roll.”

64) Seela (D'erlanger)

“one of the best bassists in japan”

ronluna

65) Tom Araya (Slayer)

“He could be higher if his bass were more audible, I can’t even talk and play my bass, tom sings (yells) and plays very fast lines. Tom might not be stanley clarke, but I doubt stanley can do what tom does.”

“how isn’t this guy in the top ten in raining blood this guy plays the same solo as the guitar do you know how hard that is as a bassist”

“The only reason why Tom isn’t in the top 10 is because of his genre. There are too many people that consider themselves metal heads because they listetn to metallica, and don’t recognize a true (original) thrash metal band, and the best bassist in metal”

» more comments on Tom Araya (Slayer)

66) John Taylor (Duran Duran)

“Just think he is underrated and wanted to give him some props. Listen to early Duran Duran to appreciate him.”

“In terms of technique, melody, individuality and tone JT is The Man. Listen to any DD album - then try to play what you just heard.”

67) Peter Hook (New Order)

“one of the most recognizable sounds in rock”

“Created an unique melodic style.”

68) Phil Lynott

“One of the best.”

“best ever he rules so amazing yngwie on bass”

69) NIck Oliveri

“Nick’s heavy sound added a lot to Queens music. Queens arent the same without his sound and his infulence. Still an awesome band nonetheless.”

“Screechy Queens of the Stone age ex-bassist”

70) Larry Graham (Sly & The Family Stone + Graham Central Station)

“the man invented slap bass he has to be i the top 10 if it wasnt for this guy flea would not be up there”

“this guy is classic, a legend, should be at least top 10.”

“The Man. Watch his live version of Pow! Seeing is believing.”

71) Stuart Hamm

“I really don’t know y stu hamm is this much down on the list.
Guys, Plz Listen to his solo albums & his instructional vdos & u’ll recognise that he is the best bassist alive on the world today.
Not 1ly a great bassman but also a greater teacher.”

bassistadnan

“stu hamm man hes quality him n satch”

“awsome, he uses really cool techniques and he is one of the best I have heard”

» more comments on Stuart Hamm

72) Dee Dee Ramone

“Seriously, Dee Dee might not beat these other guys in technique, but would crush them with simple conditioning. I doubt Geddy Lee has the testostrone it takes to play a Ramones show.”

unclejoe1917

“Fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-funky!

All kidding aside, this guy truly represented what bass could be in the up and coming new wave and alternative movement.”

“I’m just a Ramones fan.
He was cool (except the "Dee Dee King" stuff).
GABBA GABBA HEY!”

73) Steve "Fuzz" Kmak

“I miss Fuzz, John Moyer is ok but He won’t remplace him.”

klausmeine

“YEAH! Fuzz played better bass intros than John, ANY DAY! Except if it’s raining, then he kinda gets down. The man puts a spell on him, messes with his head. Musical block man, it sucks. John Moyer doesn’t even play the little opening part to Down With The Sickness like Fuzz does. He has that STUPID pick in his hands all the time!”

Geddyrush

“This guy is pretty awesome. Listen to Fear, Barracooda, Welcome to the Jungle, Aqualung, Cross-eyed Mary, Dani California, Around The World, The End is Here, Better Man, Even Flow, Oops, I did it Again, Tommy The Cat, Jerry Was A Racecar Driver, Highway Star, The National Anthem; of Russia, Holy Diver, My Curse, Stricken, If a Potato Had a Heart, Wasted, Wasted Wasted, Heart Shaped Box, Enter Sandman, One, King Nothing, King of The Jews, Louie Louie, Crazy Train, Iron Man, and Hold On. Okay, he only played the first song, but you don’t know he didn’t play those other songs at his house, or in a park.”

Geddyrush

» more comments on Steve "Fuzz" Kmak

74) Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead)

“If you did not already, go get the music and listen. Then come back and vote again...”

“This is the dumbest site ever for not having him in the top ten. Wake up!”

“The most versatile improvisational bassist since Mingus!”

» more comments on Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead)

75) Dirk Lance (Incubus)

“he is amazing because incubus is the best ever. should be on the top”

EnterSandman_1990

76) Abraham Laboriel

“he bacame a very good bassist.. because he uses his GOD given talent not for fame but just for GOD’s Glory! GOD IS GREAT!”

“abe...i like how he play bass...
it’s incredible...and the geatest factor is he is one of the servants of GOD....”

77) Matt Rubano (Taking Back Sunday)

“He is fantastic, possibly the most underrated bassist on this list, whether you like the band or not, he rocks.”

“Best bassist in the world.”

78) David Ellefson (Megadeth)

“Not the best bassist ever, but the best bassist ever to use a pick.”

“peace sells, skin o my teeth, trust? has any even heard these songs? metal forever!!! fallout boy sucks”

79) Cone McCaslin (Sum 41)

80) Chris Barker (Anti-Flag)

“AMAZING! no one comes up with lines like him punk bassists kick ass and he’s a straight example!”

“by far one of the most creative bassist ive ever heard, every song has a catchy creative structure
# 1 in my book”

“An amazing bassist, he does a lot more than just hammering out eighth notes like a lot lof modern bassists do. He is what makes Anti-Flag a great band.”

81) Andy Rourke (The Smiths)

“Most Underrated Bassist ever, listen to Queen is dead single, Barbarism begins at home, Still ill, and Headmaster ritual”

“One of the most underrated bassists of the 80s/ever”

82) Michael Burkett aka Fat Mike

“Whoa whoa whoa....Fat Mike aint atleast in teh top 20?

Have you kids not listened to "The Idiots are Taking Over"?
”

“One of the biggest faces in the punk scene, the moment I listened to "Lower", I knew he was something special. Their cover of "All of Me" showcases what he’s made for.”

83) Bernard Edwards (Chic)

“Bernard Edwards is easily the funkiest, rhythmic base player of all time, listen to any Chic track (Le Freak, I Want Your Love, Good Times). He also helped Nile Rodgers compose many of their tracks.”

84) Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam)

“Listen to the bass lines on Jeremy and Present Tense.”

“this guy is the reason i play bass if youve ever seen ’Animal’ or ’spin the black circle’ live you’ll understand.”

85) D'arcy Wretzky (The Smashing Pumpkins)

“One of the best girl bassists out there. Just listen to Gish and Mellon Collie...you’ll see.”

“Ahhh! I looove her, I was so gonna add her if she wasn’t! yaaaay!”

86) Jeordie White A.K.A Twiggy Ramirez (Marilyn Manson, NIN, A Perfect Circle, and Goon Moon)

“Amazing. Obviously under-rated on this list. Guess it’s just a popularity contest.”

“Cant beleive hes so low he was a great bassist who was in many great bands”

“He is a great bassist with alot of musicl talent, he has played in many great bands and he was part of the musical genius behind Marilyn Manson and other awesome bands”

87) Nathan Hughes

“Nathan is a pure and unique talent the likes most have never seen before. Not only does he play like no other but he’s also a songwriter and vocalist. Check him out!”

“Nathan Hughes is the Best unknown Bassist and once known the Best their is”

“Nathan is a one man performance, just is’nt ready to go National. Find him on youtube, or at myspace”

» more comments on Nathan Hughes

88) Carlos D (Interpol)

“Carlos D is one of the bassists that isn’t very technical but has a great sound. I prefer listening to him than Flea / Cliff Burton any day. I get chills everytime I listen to the end of Not Even Jail.”

“i love interpol carlos d should definetly be waaaaayyy above fall out boy interpol’s base lines are excellent”

“get all their albums, wrap yourself in them, and after a while you will want to see them live. by that time you will most definitely agree he should at least be on this list somewhere.”

89) Roger Manganelli (Less Than Jake)

“Manganelli may not be in a famous band but he is the best bassist around. For any doubters go listen to "History of a Boring Town". Prepare to be impressed.”

“He had the best ska bass sound ever, and knew best out of anyone how to switch between slow and laid back and fast, agressive, hard lines. If anyone deserves to be in the top three, it’s this guy, Jaco, and Claypool.”

“this guy is awesome and has a playing style and sound like no other.”

90) Rex Brown

“c’mon just lisen to the bass behind all the great dime solos”

“rex brown at #70? c’mon give me a break.the guy deserves to be on the top ten or not 20. dimebag and rex are the innovators of groove metal.”

91) Richard Bona

“Beautiful tone, innovative melodies. He sings and plays at the same time, and both sound amazing by themselves. An absolute artist and his facility on the bass is near inhuman”

“A complete artist and probably the most skillful around these days.”

92) Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones)

“im ashamed of all you Rolling Stones fans..Bill diserves more credit then this”

landonlee

93) Adam Yauch aka MCA (Beastie Boys)

“Not only a great MC, but a great Upright fretless bass player too!”

94) Leon Wilkeson (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

“Amazing bassist. although Free Bird wasn’t actually recorded by him, it was recorded by Ed King.

Cant believe this guy is behind Fall Out Boy and MCR. Leon is dead and mikey way and pete wentz will still never come close in their lifetime!”

“When you actually pay attention to what this guy does or see a few video clips of him playing it is amazing. very smooth and innovative. FreeBird is a good example”

“um yea...has anyone seen him perform in Free Bird? its absolutely ridiculous. Totally Underrated!”

95) Tony Kanal

96) Sam Rivers (Limp Bizkit)

“he’s never ever going to get recognized just because he plays bass for limp bizkit. he’s probably the most under-rated bass player. really fast finger work.”

“I know him personally, he still lives in Jacksonville and owns a recording studio behind my uncles pizzaria. very cool guy”

“The fastest finger work without a pick no doubt. Listen to the song "The Truth".”

» more comments on Sam Rivers (Limp Bizkit)

97) Hunter Burgan (AFI)

“Your Name Here, The Boy Who Destroyed the World, or anything else before "Sing the Sorrow" and before MTV; Hunter is all that remains of the AFI we once loved.”

98) Sean Malone

“Just to say, if this list is the 50 greatest bassists of all time then I seriously think that people have not taken into account the huge range of musical genres, from what I have seen mainly rock and jazz bassists are predominant. If anyone has ever heard of the musical genre Technical Metal, technical music not being confined to metal but also present in classical music and even rock. A bassist in particular who should have been included in this list and frankly should have been first, is Sean Malone. He has played in various Technical metal/rock/jazz bands like Aghora, Gordian Knot and Cynic. Not only playing a fretlass bass, he also plays various other instruments like the chapman stick and keyboards. He is flexible also playing in bands ranging from Brazilian jazz to English pop, therefore having a wide knowledge of many genres of music, and incorporating many of these studied genres into his own band Gordian Knot. His bass style is unique, reflecting techniques from rock, metal but primarily jazz. He therefore deserves at least a mention in this list if not the the top position as greatest bassist ever.”

99) Michael Manring

“manring is the only man alive who can retune his instrument midsong. as far as i’m concerned, he’s #1.”

“i’ve seen him live, and he should be easily in the top 10. he’s absolutely AMAZING. he even toured with jaco. this guy brings bass to a new level.”

“If you don not know who he is look him up. Michael Manring puts most of these bassists to shame. He doesn’t play metal, rock, or any other popular music. He just plays music. If you have doubts please look here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ3XksTJeA8 . He plays 4 basses at once. Or look here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js93qxDlIzg . Or looke here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTyByM25AGY. The last one is long ride; he’s just playing around and having fun.”

100) Rick Danko

“Almost never dominates a song, but just adds the perfect drive every time. Does better than anybody what the bass guitar was actually invented for. If, however, a tune is in need of some flashy play, listen to the notes pop out.”

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