We count down the 50 greatest bassists of all time, from string-popping virtuosos to steady session heroes.
A great bass line, whether it’s Paul McCartney’s hypnotic “Come Together” riff, Bootsy Collins’ sly vamp from James Brown’s “Sex Machine,” or Tina Weymouth’s minimal throb on Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” is like a mantra: It sounds like it could go on forever, and it only feels more profound the more you hear it.
And yet the instrument has its own proud tradition in popular music, stretching from the mighty upright work of Jimmy Blanton in Duke Ellington’s orchestra and bebop pioneers like Oscar Pettiford to fellow jazz geniuses like Charles Mingus and Ron Carter; studio champs like Kaye and James Jamerson; rock warriors like Cream’s Jack Bruce and the Who’s John Entwistle; funk masters like Bootsy and Sly and the Family Stone’s Larry Graham; prog prodigies like Yes’ Chris Squire and Rush’s Geddy Lee;...
Stop portraying darkskinned Black women as human shields
__Leahy
If this list read Most Interesting instead of Best, I could agree. Once you say Best Bass Player, Motown’s great session hitmaker James Jameson should top that list!
You should be ashamed about the part you have played in denigrating Black Women's image and harming us
If this list doesn’t have EddieSpaghetti4 from SupersuckersRnR on it then the list is shit
No Victor Wooten? Come on! “A Show of Hands” is iconic (and also a Top 50 clever album title).
No Justin Wallace?
Who the fuck makes these lists?
Is a JOKE? They´re worst
John Paul Jones outside the top 10? 🤔
Y’all always get these lists wrong I swear
hmmmm. sometimes RS’s list is not the best
How can you not have Joe Osborn in the top 50 when you have Carol Kaye at 5? He played on as many if not more Wrecking Crew sessions than she did, with just as many or more 1s, 2s, etc. Insane.
Such an honor to be on this list, thank you
No Jack Cassidy?
Geddy Lee at 24....boo.
Your web page is too glitchy. I gave up
Dumbest poll ever! JPJ? Stupid
Bootsy_Collins get in here manne
Where are the black men? Where are they? I would like to see it! Gimme....☝🏾
No Timothy B Schmidt?
John Taylor is one of the most underrated bassists of all time and your glaring omission confirms this.
Justin Chancellor? Seriously?
Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones, and Les Claypool are way to low
Did the late GREAT Cliff Burton make your list!?
Jaco
No Gail_Ann_Dorsey
Come on, no John Taylor? That’s just wrong.
roonlabs Gee I don’t dare look,with their track record
with the guy in the background, what is in his hands though? a guitar or an AR15?
I was expecting idanielsenbass to make this list.
Nice to see Burton made the list ,guess RS never heard of Tal Wilkenfeld ?
And Simon Gallup?
Watt 43 No respect for this list.
No John Deacon? Criminal
John Entwistle should be 1.
Kim Gordon? - who had never even played the bass guitar when she formed Sonic Youth at 39? Is that just an inside personal choice?
In 2011 they had Victor Wooten in the top 10, now not even a whiff in the top 50
John Entwistle should be number 1 not 3
No John Taylor of duranduran ?!
Familyman!
We’re sick of the tired narratives you keep pushing on us
only randoms
17. philipdurrett
Stop using harmful images to promote black women
Honestly laughable that Mike Gordon isn’t even in the top 50 let alone the top 15.
No Justin Chancellor from Tool is blasphemous.
Never silenced
If McCartney isn’t number 1, hard pass
It’s actually a decent list. Could add a few more P-Funk bassists. They were all great.
... doesn't include Victor Wooten or Jack Casady. Or MIke Gordon.
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