Steve PMHIt is very difficult to choose your favorite bass players and decide between them.
But for the sake of this article, we have concluded the top 17 best bass players of all time that stand out from all the others.
Unlike funk or jazz, rock has sometimes forgotten to highlight in its rich history some great names of bassists.
It is therefore with a number of references close to the nothingness that the newcomer buys his first 4-string bass guitar with the certainty that it is impossible to shine until you master the slap at full speed.
But the real bassists know that the bass is not only about that.
In fact, the approach of greatness might be as simple as playing the right note at the right time, and the talent of the bassist is measured by the ability to make this note.
We chose the following bassists according to their technical mastery, musicality, their overall charisma, and on top of all, how they changed the perception of approaching bass guitars.
1. Tony Levin
It is, therefore, he who arrives at the top of our ranking.
He is not the most demonstrative, nor even the strongest technically but he has an unparalleled musicality, an iconic efficiency, and incredible originality.
He’s always been at the service of music, he has an intelligent and precise technique and a unique sound and style of his own.
2. Marcus Miller
Another very complete musician (bass, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, vocals …).
One of the kings of the slap, a technique he loves a lot… and a technique that he is definitely good at.
Great talent (18-year-old Miles Davis bass, collaborations from all sides, a live album and studio package), great class and an absolutely monstrous sound!
When playing live, the sound that comes out is of extreme power and precision.
Besides he is one of those artists who are much more interesting to see live than in the studio!
On many of his albums, the machines are too present and it lacks a little life… but his live performance is the slap!
3. Stanley Clarke
So this is kind of a living legend, an essential bassist who revolutionized the bass!
Unmistakable sound, monstrous playing techniques on both the electric bass and the double bass, a breathtaking career (full of jazz and/or funk albums, film scores, Return to Forever, collaborations with the shovel…).
His 70’s and early 80’s period is excellent, with legendary albums like School Days or I Wanna Play For You.
He has influenced many bass players and is one of the absolute references of bass and music in general.
4. Alain Caron
This Canadian bassist has long been well known for his hard technique, monstrous stuff, slap all the way and superfast solos!
Alain Caron does it all when it comes to bass guitar.
He trained in the years 80-90 trio UZEB, with Michel Cusson and Paul Brochu to deliver music of a very, very high technical level.
5. Chris Squire
Chris Squire was Yes’s bassist, one of the biggest progressive rock bands in history.
Each musician is a virtuoso of his instrument (Steve Howe on guitar, Rick Wakeman on keyboards…).
He is one of those inimitable bassists, with his very distinctive, melodic and aggressive sound and exceptional musicality.
He’s a bass player that I really enjoy, already because I’m a fan of progressive rock and because I think that what he did with Yes is very inspiring.
Yes, they are amazing on records and even more amazing when performing live. I have seen them in concerts many times it has always been masterful.
You have to listen to the albums Fragile, Relayer, Going For The One and the live Yessongs in priority!
6. Flea
It is highly Difficult to talk about “big bassists” and do not mention Flea. Michael Balzary (his real name) is probably the best-known bassist in the world.
He created absolutely prodigious bass lines where each note is very well thought out, in its place, and instantly recognized.
He has incredible energy, an inventive game, and super fun to just watch him live.
To sum up Flea’s performance, he’s an idealist when it comes to playing the bass.
He took the instrument to another level, combining intelligence jazz with the nervous urgency and the groove of punk and funk.
Worth to mention that he also plays the trumpet.
Flea is not only the foundation of “Red Hot Chilli Peppers” but he has become one of the most iconic bass players all around the world.
7. Roger Waters
A “normal” bass player and music genius.
Why normal bassist? Because his bass lines are often very (very) simple for any bass player, even the beginners. And that’s what makes it interesting!
He is one of those 60-70’s musicians who played the bass because the band needed a bassist (hence the simple performance level).
But still, we cannot talk about Waters as just an ordinary bass player.
He is a musical genius who has written and composed many of the hits of Pink Floyd, one of the most important bands ever happened.
8. Victor Wooten
If you are looking for the most technically advanced bass player, you may have found him!
Even if it is difficult to say who is better at this top-level, Victor Wooten is always an option!
He pushed the instrument even further than it had ever been done, especially in slap and tapping techniques.
He never gives the impression that he’s forcing it, his technique is always fluid, precise, fast and phenomenal! In short, an impressive bassist!
9. Jaco Pastorius
Sometimes called the “Half-God” of bass, Jaco Pastorius was probably the most important bassist in history.
The guitarists had Jimi Hendrix, the bassists had Jaco.
He was the first to really explore and exploit the instrument, whereas until then bassists were often guitarists who took the instrument to play the bass note that assembles the pieces.
Pastorius has given nobility to this wonderful instrument and will undoubtedly remain one of the greatest of all times.
10. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
Not easy to be mentioned when the other members of your group are Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Bonham.
Yet John Paul Jones brought a certain iconic depth that the biggest heavy metal band would never have had without him.
Listen to his sense of economics on Dazed And Confused or his virtuosity on The Song Remains The Same… But that’s not all, he’s also the organist of the band Since the song “I’ve Been Loving You”, the mandolinist of “Going to California”, and the author of the riff of Black Dog and we finally find him on bass in the band “Them Crooked Vultures” alongside Dave Grohl and Josh Homme.
So, John is not only an iconic bassist, but he’s also a multi-instrumentalist with very deep creative aspects.
11. Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce already had a good reputation as a bass master when he joined Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker in Cream, the 60s trio in which he imposed his singular voice.
As well as his complex and inventive technique.
He will then be at the origin of the West, Bruce and Laing trio and will collaborate with many musicians including Robin Trower while continuing to develop his game.
12. Geezer Butler
Since 1969, the man with the mustache and the precision is the pillar of the sound of Black Sabbath.
The English band would not have sounded so thick, so creepy and mesmerizing without its particular grain.
His lines are those that do not immediately agree but knit severely to increase the power of guitar riffs.
Among the rare moments in which he has been in the limelight, NIB’s opening solo is a moment of an anthology that will be remembered by many other bassists who are very much influenced by Geezer, starting with Cliff Burton.
13. Geddy Lee
Canada’s progressive rock band Rush maybe a trio, but Geddy Lee’s triple counting is that the genie with the glasses is singing, the keyboards are on foot, and the bass lines are twisty.
Elastic and fascinating. Just listen to YYZ to immediately be convinced that few other musicians can hold him high.
Technically, he is unbeatable, and the big sound well-boosted medium he has been exploring since the band’s debut has scored all the bass players of the genre.
14. Les Claypool (Primus)
Another bass singer, but this one does nothing like the others … He sings like a duck, and plays in a slap or tapping on fretless bass.
The mix seems improbable on paper, but the fact of the matter is that it works perfectly, listen to Jerry Was A Race Car Driver and his incredible riff to have the proof.
Primus has imposed a sound apart in the metal galaxy, and much of the building is based on the power of Claypool.
He is also able to perform on a double bass, like Mr. Krinkle, and has also developed exciting side projects such as Oysterhead or Frog Brigade.
15. Cliff Burton
Metallica is at the moment a group so gigantic that it is not easy to imagine it at its beginning, while they tend to impose their speed metal on the face of the whole world.
Cliff Burton on bass was not the obvious choice, this hippie was a fan of jazz, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Thin Lizzy.
But those unusual tastes are exactly what allowed him to bring an extra touch of sophistication to the band’s music, and his solo Pulling Teeth on the debut album is unlike anything else in the genre.
If he had not died in a tour bus accident at the age of 24, the continuation of Metallica’s musical career would probably have had a very different turn.
16. Steve Harris
To this day, very few bassists can claim to arrive at the velocity of the right hand of the great Steve Harris.
The galloping rhythm of tracks like Run To The Hills is already extremely hard to pick up, but when you know that Harris plays exclusively on the fingers, there is enough to wonder if his hands are really human hands.
But he also knows how to follow the milder moments of the heavy metal monster-band Iron Maiden, as well as the beautiful arpeggios of Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.
A true original, powerful and complete.
17. John Entwistle
Last but not least, John Entwistle is considered to be one of the most prolific bassists of all time.
In fact, you cannot come up with a list of the world’s greatest bass guitar players and don’t mention the Who’s legendary John Entwistle.
How many music lovers have realized the existence of bass while listening to My Generation’s solo on the Who’s first album?
His nickname Thunderfingers “the fingers of thunder” is more than deservedly deserved, and the sight of his huge paws on bass now belongs to the great moments of the history of rock.
As a singer and composer, he is largely illustrated on the concept album Quadrophenia which is largely his work, and the band does not sound the same since he’s gone.
Conclusion
All musicians that are mentioned in this article are listed for one simple reason, which is their unique artistic approach.
Those artists have not only changed the whole game of playing the bass but also influenced many other musicians and younger bass enthusiasts.
It is known that the bass player is the quiet one in the band, playing essential simple lines that the listeners don’t really notice.
But this is not the case with our picks for the list above. Those musicians have carved out a new route to stand out and shine within their bands or groups.
Whether they are playing funk, jazz, or rock music, their technicality and playability are for sure unique and outstanding.
No matter how simple or how complicated the note you are playing as a bass guitarist, your technique and mentality on how to approach those notes is the one thing that will determine whether you got what it takes to stand out like the iconic bassists we mentioned, or not.
