Cliff Burton Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton (February 10th 1962 - September 27th 1986) was an American musician, best known as the second bass guitarist for the American thrash metal band Metallica, recording three studio albums. He died in 1986 after getting crushed by a tour bus in Umeå whilst promoting Metallica's ...read more. Clifford Lee Burton you are everything I wish to be. You are the most inspirational person to me. You are a one in a million bass player. You are the second closest thing I have to a religious title in my life. You're the reason my hair stays red, the reason I got into metal and proudly wear their shirts. the reason I wear denim on denim without a care in the world. You are my inspiration to make music. You're the reason I am not afraid to be myself. I've never had such a strong connection with such a talented musician before. Even though you passed long before I was born every time I hear stories about you or watch interviews or see photos of you. I can't help but miss you.I Miss your crazy red mop flying everywhere miss that loud Rickenbacker with its distant fuzzy tone. You have impacted my life like no one has before. if it weren't for you and Metallica, then I wouldn't be the person I am today. I wish that the tragedy of your death wouldn't have happened. You have so much ...more Cliff Burton is the reason I love and play bass, and he's my inspiration and all time favorite bass player. No, he's clearly not a god, but he's certainly one of the greatest. I don't think we will ever be able to pick the best bassist because each one brings something unique to their particular style of music and their band. But personally, Cliff Burton, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Flea, and John Deacon are my favorites. I'm not saying their the best, because I can't pick that, there's too many good bassist out there. But out of anyone I think Cliff does deserve the #1 spot. He dedicated his short life to bass. He practiced for 4 hours every single day. And he was so knowledgeable of music. Many people think because he played metal that he was a dumb pothead who just followed the guitarists with his basslines. But that's not always that way. Sometimes he WAS the guitar like in For Whom The Bell Tolls. Sorry for the rant, I just thought I'd put my opinion out there. R.I.P. Cliff ...more I'm not just voting burton simply because he's the most popular, and I'm sure nobody else has voted him simply because he's currently number 1. he was in Metallica for seek and destroy, ride the lightening and master of puppets, and wrote to live is to die, which were Metallicas best albums and nothing other than death magnetic have really come close to their 80's albums, after burtons death, Metallica went rapidly down hill, theyve never really been the same since... that just shows that with burton, Metallica were one of the best thrash metal bands of all time, without burton Metallica has become lesser known for their newer stuff... that's how much of an impact burton had on Metallica and his talent is shown in their 80's music This list has it problems, but it's the first one to have the right person on top (although my vote tied Jimi as #1 guitarist so hopefully he'll also be #1 soon). I grew up as a Headbanging, Mosh-Pit addicted, metalhead; but my musical taste has matured, immeasurably. However, there never was, nor with the downward path music is taking, will there ever be, a bassist in the league of Burton. It was said best on an independent biographical show, Burton was wearing bell-bottoms and listening to REM when it wasn't cool. All of the mature harmonies on Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppet's was all Cliff, despite the megalomanical attempts of Lars to control everything. The guy was a fan of Bach and other classical music; so musically diverse, so talented, so incredible, Cliff RIP, you were the man! Claypool rules too, and I think Cliff would be pissed to see Mike Mills (REM) isn't on here.

Geddy Lee Gary Lee Weinrib, known professionally as Geddy Lee, is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Best ever. Rush had best bassist and best drummer. Amazing that you could have this in one band. Even if you don't think they were both the best, they re each top 5 and that still makes Rush the best band ever. This guy will literally play one of the most complex basslines of all time while singing and playing synthesizer with his feet. He will stop playing bass in the middle of a Rush song, do a good piano solo, then go right back to how he was playing. When discussing "The best 'x' of all time" lists, I think people rarely TRULY assess the bassist position in a band. The lists for best guitarist or drummer (albeit the ORDER rarely exactly the same), typically have the same names in the top 10.



But with bass guitarists, people tend to know the name of the bass guitarist of their favorite band & go

with that person. THAT'S A SHAME!

"Inspirational" is one thing (& definitely should be considered), but proficiency, skill, creativeness, & style are the real indicators to examine. Not to mention the genre of music they play may or may not grant them certain "latitudes" to show off their abilities!

But when a particular musician can portray &/or excel in ALL of these... There's your winner!



EXAMPLE: Ringo Starr... Inspirational? YES! Greatest drummer? Not EVEN close! With that said... Mike Dirnt, Cliff Burton... Inspirational? NO question! Best bassist? Come on!



Now on with my list (& in no particular order ...more I'm so glad you included Les Claypool. No one gives him enough respect. Also, I agree with every point you made here. While Geddy certainly isn't my favorite bassist or someone who influenced me to the extent of John Paul Jones and Steve Harris, he IS the greatest rock bassist of all time and has been for over 30 years (even if his tone isn't my cup of tea). Most musicians stop progressing on their instruments once they achieve some level of fame, but Geddy just gets better and better as he incorporates new techniques (like his flamenco-style plucking) while maintaining the old ones. I just saw him a few months ago, and while his voice is shot, his bass-playing is better than ever (and he was pretty damned good 30 years ago)! He played "YYZ" with such efficiency and accuracy that I actually laughed out loud in amazement.



Again, he's far from my favorite. However, objectively-speaking, he's the best there is or was, combining jaw-dropping technique with outstanding note selection like the boss he is.

John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle, was an English singer, songwriter, composer, musician, film and music producer. He is mostly known as the lead bassist for the rock band The Who. Burton would not be ranked #1 if he were alive. He gets so much attention just because he died tragically. Entwistle is so much better than Burton. Entwistle was playing the bass like a lead instrument way before Burton, and way superior to Burton. If Burton had died under the same circumstances as Entwistle, nobody would dare call Burton superior. Rating anything #1 is usually a very hard thing to do, but in this case, it is quite effortless. Also being ranked the best bassist in the world by Rolling Stone Magazine and voted the Bassist of the Millennium, I fail to comprehend how another bassist is seen as better. It is simply impossible. What is truly amazing is that he can play the most amazing solos without seeming to put in any effort. No bassist can replicate him, let alone come up with the solos he came up with. When it comes to sheer contribution to the instrument, John also ranks #1. He taught himself how to play an instrument (that was relatively new at the time) better than anyone can play it today. ! How in the hell is John Entwistle 4th on any list? This is one of the greatest rock bassists of all time we are talking about here.



Geddy Lee is ranked #1 and I can get behind that. When you concider that Lee sings lead vocals, plays keyboards and is still arguably the best bassists in rock music, he clearly deserves the top spot, but Geddy Lee has always sighted John Entwistle as his main inspiration and you can certainly hear John's influence in many of Geddy's favorite riffs.



Geddy took much of what he learned from John and brought it more to the forefront by using the tools he learned from another of his inspirations, Chris Squire. Geddy began using a Rickenbacker bass and round wound strings to replicate Squire's sound.



Much of the early Who music drowns out Entwistle's awesome bass riffs because he was using flat wound strings and his quick triplets were often lost as a mumbled growl, rather than a crisp sound making those riffs pop.



Much of the ...more Why I like Entwhistle:

1) Keith Moon is playing rhythm, and so is Townshend, who is playing lead? THE BASSIST John Entwhistle was the lead player because Townshend preferred rhythm. He's called the Ox for a reason

2)That is especially obvious in the earlier work (My Generation, Happy Jack, etc.)

3)Why is Burton #1, he really isn't nearly as talented as even John Paul Jones, or is this site just a load of Metallica fans (They should not even be in the top 10 rock bands they never had a good album after the Black one) yes I just wasted a point to diss Metallica.

4) Watch the who in concert and look at John, not pete or Keith, and WATCH HIS FINGERS!

Flea Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-born American musician, best known as the bassist, a co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers with whom he was inducted in 2012 into the Rock and Roll Hall ...read more. I put Flea as #2 not only because he's that good, and like Les, he can play anything and do it while bouncing around like nobody else and not miss a note. People that don't understand the difference in standing in one spot playing a routine over and over and moving around like he does and nailing every note, don't need to be voting. Imagine Bob Ross in Flea mode and it'll make better sense. Okay, there is a conspiracy among RHCP fans, the Dani California music video was an elaborate plot for Flea to show off some of his basses. If this is true then this just shows how dedicated he is to the instrument. Hey Metallica fans. Playing with speed is something anyone can do with practice. I mean look how many metal guitarists there are who just shred. The real talent comes when a person can create a feel and atmosphere with their ability. Flea projects life, beauty, and rhythm with his incredibly talented playing. You want fast? "Nobody weird like me. " "Stone Cold Bush. " basically any song off mother's milk is quick by flea, but look at the stuff he does on Californication. That's actual talent. He's got a feel and rhythm in his playing that will never be matched or replicated. SexFunk forever. Flea will never die. I think given the fact he is an entertainer and a complete bassist in almost every major style of music proves that he may not be the greatest in terms of ability, but his complete treatment and mastery of the bass places him the greatest as such, much like Hendrix on guitar. Burton is a wonderful bassist yes, but he never showed elements of funk or jazz, genres that are important to be a complete bassist. Same goes for Wooten.. He is probably the greatest in terms of ability, but that does not warrant any kind of greatness in terms of band musicmanship and showmanship, as essentially music is a form of entertainment, and flea probably embodies more of a complete entertainer than anyone else on the list. Tetsuya Ogawa is brilliant yes but lacks the influence that western world bassists have over the next generation, how many bassists can say they were influenced by flea and/or the chili peppers.



Therefore Flea deserves the top spot for those reasons..

John Paul Jones John Baldwin, better known by his stage name John Paul Jones, is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known as the bassist for the English rock band Led Zeppelin. ...read more. Jones was a solid bassist who had a few impressive performances but that doesn't mean he should be near the top 20 bassists of all time. There are so many more skilled bassists who are better composers and players all around. All of his stuff is really simple with the exception of The Lemon Song. The comment a few below this one says that if bassists chose this, jones would be in the top 5. That is completely wrong, most real bassists wouldn't have him in their top 10 because there are so many bassists better than him. One thing about him that is extraordinary is his ability to play a multitude of instruments. Other than that, he's just a good bassist, not great I don't know why he is in number 5 bellow John Entwistle! I mean come on! John Entwistle is really good but he cannot compare to John Paul Jones' bass lines in songs like Achilles Last Stand. His style and symmetry with his other band members in Led Zeppelin is simply unmatched by any other bassists. However, there are a couple others who I believe just slightly beat him out. Here is my top 10:



10. Roger Waters



9. Chris Squire



8. Geezer Butler



7. Steve Harris



6. John Entwistle



5. Les Claypool



4. John Paul Jones



3. Flea



2. Cliff Burton



1. Geddy Lee Absolutely amazing. He's my general idol and overlooked well too much. He can play about fifteen instruments as well mind: Koto, Lap Steel, Bass, Keyboard, Banjo, Violin and Mandolin to name a few... And he doesn't just play them, he's a master of them all. Listen to The Lemon Song or Trampled Under Foot for some of his best bass / clarinet playing.

Without him, there'd be no Black Dog, No Quarter, Battle For Evermore / Going To California or Trampled Under Foot to name a few without this genius... Led Zeppelin's secret weapon & arguably the most gifted musician in a band of visionary, game changing music icons. Every major rock band in the world would have killed to have Jones in their band and yet there he remained, amidst an embarrassment of talent riches, with Zeppelin. Thank God he stayed. JPJ was just as vital to the unique Zeppelin chemistry as Jimmy Page, Robert Plant & John Bonham. His bass playing in The Lemon Song alone should cement legacy.

Les Claypool Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, author and actor best known as the bassist and lead vocalist of the band Primus. Each of the others are great in their own way, but when this man has that bass in his hand, it's like it is part of him. It's like breathing for us normal humans to him. He can play any genre. Any genre. To be able to play like he does and sing at the same time, let alone play and move around like he does is just amazing. Plus he keeps the whole band together with his playing. Not the other way around where bass is usually more of a backup instrument. You take all these guys and let them play the same thing without seeing them, most you probably wouldn't know the difference in, but Les, you know instantly. At the same time, he's so good he could fool you into thinking he was one of the others. Any list that doesn't have this man at the top as the best bassist, is just wrong. in my opinion I personally disagree with the existence of these kinds of lists, I don't think that there's a way to say who is the better human doing something of all time. It's even weirder to do that in a wide and deep area, like music. I mean, you might play with a flawless technique, or you may be a very original and unique bass player. But, what makes a playee better than the other one? I know like ordering and ranking every field of our lifes, but some people take these kind of tops very seriously. I've chosen Les as the best bast player, not because he's the best, but for me the most talented. He is a very unique bassist, and he plays weird bass lines in a 6-strings bass while singing. Okay... just no. He is THE BEST! As mentioned in probably every other comment on this thread, he play a six-string fret-less while tapping and singing, and was rejected from Metallica because he was go good. It's all those Rush fans. Even on the best drummers list, Travis Barker is nowhere near where he should be, because everyone votes on THE SAME PLAYERS! WE GET IT, THEY ARE THE BEST (probably), but please, push some people into their spots BEFORE voting on the best. Les Claypool should be in the top 3 or 4 AT LEAST. Right now he is in 6th, and any Primus fan knows that's ridiculous. Hell, anyone reading this that doesn't know Primus, go check them out. You just might like it. 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.

Steve Harris Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist, primary songwriter and founder of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He is so talented. He's not only is an amazing bassist, but he's also a phenomonal songwriter. He wrote the majority of Iron Maiden's songs. Steve Harris is a little underappreciated on this list. He's the longest continuously serving member of on of the most influential bands in metal history. His galloping bass lines have inspired bassists for decades now, and should be represented a lot more in general. He is surely the best bassist. Just listen to how his melodies blend in with the guitar in the Powerslave solo. Unlike other bassists, you can actually hear him, and he's not super fuzzy. Not to mention that he is an excellent songwriter for Britain's most beloved Heavy Metal band, and that his presence is very commanding. He can play as fast as a picked bassist and adds almost as much treble as a slap bassist. His high notes resonate beautifully and his low notes have a characteristic galloping theme. He commands the band through his musicianship. He is the most capable bassist and surely deserves to be number one. I hope you vote for Steve Harris, songwriter and bassist for Britain's most beloved heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. Steve should be number one. I myself am a guitar player but I have to say Steve has shown me how much a bass player contributes to the band. I have covered and played tons of Iron Maiden songs to date but it's a laid down fact that unless it's Steve's actual bass lines ringing out in the backing, no matter how hard I try or how well I play the song never sounds the same. It never has that maiden sound unless I use Steve's actual bass backings. In my opinion Steve is better than all other bass players in metal and hard rock and his galloping style is simply infectious. He is a complete genius when it comes to composing and his way of playing the bass sometimes makes me wish I had started learning the bass instead of the guitar. Because of him, I've played my guitar as a bass countless times. Up the Irons forever!

Geezer Butler Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. A legendary figure in the scene for over 40 years.The best. No question. No Discussion. He was and still is the teacher for all (including me). Under the umbrella of the well known and deeply respected musical style of Black Sabbath he incorporated different approaches and techniques in his arsenal. Generations of musicians were influenced by him. Several tried to copy him but no one can really beat him. I don't know about the other bassist in this list.. But no bassist made me feel true effects off a bass guitar the way geezer does.. Just listen to the bass solos of N.I.B or Sweet Leaf and you'll know what I am saying... Not to forget he's an awesome lyricist too! This Man out-rocks any base player on this planet or any other! He started as a guitar player, but when you're in a band with Tony Iommi, the greatest guitarist of all time, you will become the greatest base player of all time just trying to keep up. God This People Need Some Knowledge. Butler is the greatest bassist of all-time. This is Geezer we are talking about should be 1. This is Geezer we are talking about should be 1. This is Geezer we are talking about should be 1

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer . With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame with the rock band the Beatles, one of the most popular and influential groups in the history of pop and rock music . To me, overall musicianship would give us a top three of McCartney, John Paul Jones, and Sting. McCartney was actually going to play six string in the Beatles but agreed to switch to bass when Harrison joined. It just goes to show that McCartney has the talent to play any instrument well. My wife and I saw him in concert and he switched from bass to rhythm to lead to keyboards and played them all so well you didn’t notice the difference. All this with the added responsibility of being lead vocalist on every song. Oh, and did I mention he was doing all this at the age of 73? Appreciate Sir Paul while we have him. There won’t be another. To start with only electric basses are featured (Sting).

To be good on a bass or any guitar you first need to become a luthier.

Why? About 99% of all the guitars hanging in a guitar shop are junk until a luthier fine tunes them for nut and bridge heights, string gage, and intonation ( when you play an open string then fret the 12th fret - both must be in perfect tune). A dud will be flat open and sharp at the 12th fret or the reverse). If you try to sing with one of those your career will come to a grinding halt.

An example of this is the SJ-200 Gibson acoustic guitar I bought last month (retail $6,499.00). When I got it home and tried it, it was junk. Your fingers would be bleeding in 5 minutes and the thing was nearly impossible to play without pain. It took a week of adjusting the neck rod (neck bow), filing the nut with.010,.014..022,.032, and.047 nut files, sanding the bridge, and tweeking the intonation to get it perfect. Today it plays butter soft and in perfect tune ...more What is funny is that people are quick to call the Beatles the Greatest Band Ever, but on one will say that any of them are the best in their fields. John seems to get the most recognition, with Rolling Stone ranking him in the top 10 of all time Best Singers (Paul is 11, I know it's so wrong), and he's ranked on the Best Guitarist list too. George is only listed as the 11th Best Guitarist ever, a total rip off. What's worse is that Ringo doesn't rank on anyone's list of best drummers, and that really is a shame. The Beatles as individuals deserve recognition, because if they didn't have prodigious and top tier skill on their own, how could they be the Greatest Band ever? McCartney is one of the most influential and innovative bass players of all time. Practically all of the others listed here are directly or indirectly influenced by McCartney's clever bass lines. His sense of melody really gave the bass lines their own soul and completely changed the songs. His sense of timing created some really classic riffs. Listen to "I Want You (She's so Heavy), "Only a Northern Song", "Something", "Rain", etc... Awesome stuff. He proved that Bass lines don't have to be an afterthought and follow the base chords.



Some of these others above Macca are silly. I like Green Day, but come on. Dirnt is no McCartney. And James Jamerson at #58? That pretty much invalidates this list.

Roger Waters George Roger Waters is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He is mostly known for being the secondary lead vocalist and bassist of Pink Floyd. 10 The Real 60s Hard Rock/Psychedelic/ Blues All-Star Band=Waters is the best bass player in many ways on several dimensions! Hendrix and Clapton on lead and guitar, Page on 12-string, sitar, and other instruments. Perhaps double drummers are needed: Bonham & Baker. Organ: Arthur Brown. Cow Bell: Iggy Pop of course. Lead singer: Morrison. Back-up Chorus: Jagger & Bruce & Burdon & Plant & Winwood. Writers: Lennon & McCartney & Davies. Female Dancers: Slick & Joplin. Now for some soul …? He is like the best bassist in my rock world I mean we are talking about Money, Comfortably Numb, Another Brick In The Wall Part 2, Wish You Were Here, Hey You, Young Lust, Time, Us + Them, Breathe, Brain Damage, Eclipse, Pigs (Three Different Ones), Dogs, One Of These Days, Echoes, Run Like Hell, Waiting For The Worms, Happiest Days Of Our Lives, Have A Cigar, Welcome To The Machine, Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts I-V, Mother. I mean seriously this guy is awesome, hear the bass in the songs it's awesome and cool at the same time. As a matter of fact I seen him at the Bridgestone Arena TN for his Us + Them Tour 2017 and he sung Mother and nowhere else in North America in this tour. He is a bass hero in my book of rock and roll. You all need to listen to Pink Floyd songs, there awesome. Another awesome thing is that The Dark Side of the Moon was a commercial and critical success. It topped the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart for a week and remained in the chart for 741 weeks from ...more Roger waters made some of the most memorable bass lines ever. So in that case he is better than john paul jones, but not as good as john entwistle. He just sounds better on bass than anyone else because he digs into your soul. Just listen to Money, Time, Childhood's End, Comfortably Numb, Another Brick In the Wall, Echoes, and Let There Be More Light. He is SO unique. Actually, David Gilmour should be on this list. He played excellent base in a lot of Pink Floyd songs like Hey You and Pigs (Three Different Ones), my favorite bassline of all time.



Roger Waters is overlooked as a bassist. Does anyone remember Money?

The Newcomers

Ray Randolph Super epic bassist

The Contenders

John Deacon John Richard Deacon (born 19th of August 1951) is a retired English musician, who is best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. 11 Someone wake up the world and knock Paul McCartney off of the 8th place label. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Paul or The Beatles, it's just John deserves more than 13th place. He deserves 8th, if nothing. Most people forget that he was the mastermind behind the most iconic bass lines from "Another One Bites The Dust," and "Under Pressure." Vanilla Ice definitely agrees with my feelings about the fantastic bass line from "Under Pressure." To shorten my entire "essay" of the point that John deserves much more recognition and credit into a couple of sentences, his bass lines are very simple yet beautiful, that's the best kind of beautiful; and not only were those two songs mentioned earlier had amazing bass lines but all of Queen's songs do too. I rest my case, John Deacon truly is one of the best bassists the world will ever be able to be lucky enough to have hear; and douse into a whole 'nother world while listening to John's simple yet beautiful bass lines. Underrated as anything! If anyone is asking just play 'Another One Bites The Dust' or 'Under Pressure' in a group of people and I'll bet most people with recognising the rhythm and start bopping their heads along immediately. Plus he wrote many of Queen's best songs such as 'I Want To Break Free', 'You're My Best Friend' and of course 'Another One Bites The Dust'. He deserves to be much higher on the list! John Deacon is the best bassist who does the job of a bassist. He provides the base well, and listening to his basslines feel like someone is singing backing vocals. Yet he doesn't consume any limelight (pardon for Another One Bites The Dust and Under Pressure - Ice Ice Baby stolen from the latter). He was the one who made me love the bass. Another One Bites The Dust is of course legendary, but listening to the bass playing from other songs of Queen - mind blown. He's invisible yet omnipresent. My inspiration of course is this guy. He doesn't sticks out, since he's the glue. And he's horribly underrated for his job, which is an underrated job anyway. Lest we forget, he also wrote several of Queen's big hits, including "Another One Bites the Dust", inspired by his early love of Soul. He also co-wrote songs with Freddie Mercury as well as collaborations with the band. Included in the hits he alone wrote are: "You're My Best Friend" & "Spread Your Wings". He was also a multi instrumentalist & played rhythm guitar on several studio cuts, and with his background & formal education as an electrical engineer, he built the so-called Deacy Amp which both he & Brian May used. It was the amp used to create the guitar orchestras present on many of Queen's recordings.The guy's brilliant. He may be retired from music but he should still be ranked among the best.

Chris Squire Christopher Russell Edward Squire was an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was best known as the bassist and founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. 12 Listen to Heart Of The Sunrise. Shows how a bassist should be part of a band, not an exhibitionist! (Although he has his moments - watch out for his triple neck on the video of Awaken). There are parts where the bass is the lead instrument and parts where it adds to the melody and harmony. And what a sound from that Rickenbacker! Chris's musicianship is illustrated by his syncopation, ability to cut through or blend in, as neccessary, the notes he chooses and the way he plays them. Also check out the bass lines in Siberian Khatru. So much to explore and learn from. Chris is easily the best pick style player out there. His technique is extremely difficult to recreate, (I cannot do it, my friend cannot do it, his grandfather who has been playing bass semi-professionally for 47 years can only come woefully close) and he did a great deal to bring the bass into the foreground of music. The sound he creates on Roundabout is absolutely brutal, and his level of musicianship was, I dare say, the equivalent of Hendrix. The fact that Chris is this low is utter. I love Floyd, but Roger is not even close to this man:s level. Same with McCartney. There are so few who rocked like Chris did. Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise, all of Drama, every Yes song has that unmistakable Squire stamp on it. Should be in the top 5 easily, one of the greatest there ever was There is no way Chris Squire should be second to no one. He is the Jimi Hendrix for Bass Players. Even Geddy Lee was highly influenced by Chris Squire before Rush existed. His influence to other great bass players is unbelievable. Truly the BEST EVER to play. John Entwistle is a close second however.

John Myung John Ro Myung is a Korean-American bassist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is one of the two longest-serving members of Dream Theater along with John Petrucci. 13 His fingers are literally deformed from shredding on this guitar. In concerts he sounds like the god of thunder. Listen to A Nightmare to Remember, The Dance of Eternity, Metropolis Pt. 1, This Dying Soul, and S2N to name a few songs with murderous bass riffs. John Myung is probably one of the biggest inspirations to me when it comes to playing bass. He plays with such technical proficiency at such high tempos and yet still manages to maintain clarity from each note. His basslines are incredible and his solos are such amazing feats of bass playing that it really surprises me he is not at the top of this list. Not many come close to his skill. That is insane that Myung is not number 1! Not too many people can compete with his technical skills! I would say his closest competition would be from Les Claypool, Geddy Lee, Ryan Martinie (another one that surprised was so low on the list). I mean, most of the people voting for this, don't even understand what goes into playing bass. I have been a bassist for over 25 years, and NOBODY can compare to Myung. I try it this way...I guess JM can play everything, 'cause he has the background in theory and a lifetime of practice (still to this day he practice a couple of hours a day! )...and, of course, the technical skills to do it...besides that...it's not the point, that he has to prove it, 'cause he surely can it, but he could do it, if he want's to...and I think that others just can't...an that's it...He has so much more to offer to the bassplaying...it's not his flawless technique itself...the note's he doesn't play, are as important as the notes he play...and that makes the difference! I hope you know what I mean, 'cause my english is not the best:)...enjoy music!

Billy Sheehan William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, Niacin, and The Winery Dogs. 14 I think bassists (just like anybody) should be rated based on a no. of factors, I.e., individual ability, contributing to band chemistry, innovation, etc. I haven't done justice to the greats (Squire, Entwistle, Waters...) by analytically listening to enough tracks but Sheehan is surely above Cliff Burton, Flea, and co. Big Metallica fan but never felt that their bassists were exceptional... did like their sound during Newstead's tenure that showed his contribution to the chemistry.



While maybe not at the very top, some other good ones are Pat Badger of Extreme, Nick Beggs of Kajagoogoo, and Brian O Connell of Junoon. This list is crazy. He should at least be in the top 5. Looks like bands that are popular even though have good but not virtuoso bass players (guns roses, Kiss, Cheap trick, Journey, etc. ) seemed to be listed high based off of people just liking those bands. Billy along with John Ro Myung, Mark King and stanley clarke deserve to all be pushed up to the top ten. Also I didn't see him on the list bu Stu Hamm also should be on the top of

This list. Don't believe me? Do some youtube searches of some of these guys in action and you will no doubt change you mind. I honestly cannot believe he isn't #1, Talas, David lee Roth, Mr. Big, Steve Vai, he has proven his worth. He was wanted by DLR as the original drummer for van Halen, but Alex thought he "overplayed" laugh out loud Alex was scared at the thought of trying to keep up with him. Ok it's a fair fight with him and Les Claypool, but it is a fight of popularity not one of skill. They are both totally awesome, I was following his career when he was put with Steve Vai to back David Lee Roth and made some of the besr RnR songs I've ever heard. (Seriously people, listen to "Eat em and Smile) The concert was not to be believed and his solos both studio and live are so clean and at that speed is not easy. #1 and #2 Billy Sheehan and Les Claypool, they switchout but one is always in one position or the other, same with Steve Harris and Geddy Lee at #3 and #4, I'll give props to Jaco but I just wasnt into that music but the man was great, but face it, if the bassist isn't doing his job as bassist ...more Fantastic! Have you been to a concert of the Mr. Big? When a bassist takes the luxury of having his solo, the guy has to convince. See and hear Billy Sheehan is to have a bass lesson like no other because he abuses his unique technique. But I do not need to be here saying this. Someone who understands to know the guy is a monster.

Lemmy Ian Fraser Kilmister, known as Lemmy, was an English musician, singer and songwriter who founded and fronted the rock band Motörhead. He was a bassist and a singer known for his raspy voice. He died in 2015 from cancer and other health problems. 15 He is actually much better bass player than people give him credit. There is so much more to his playing than simple: "He plays bass like a guitar." Listen to Stay Clean, I'll Be Your Sister and Ace of Spades Not only is Lemmy a ' God! He is the most genuine Rocker there is. His style is Rythme Bass with a Punch in the face. He is completely part of all of the songs that Motorhead make and to top it off he has influenced everyone in the metal scene. This still living legend needs to be way up there I mean come on! Johnny Christ From "Avenged Sevenfold" is Number 7! I'm sorry but he does not even belong... it should be Cliff Burton, Geddy Lee, Flea, Steve Harris, John Entwistle, Les Claypool, and Lemmy KILL-MASTER! Speed, Sex, Whiskey and Rock N' Roll! Other people might have been better at playing, but Lemmy rocked harder than many other bassists dared to dream. Face of true speed metal and a complete badass. Ian may have passed on, but Lemmy is forever making the world of music a better place. This is not cool. Lemmy should be in the top 5. Easily one of the greatest Bassist of all time and has inspired so many other bassists. Lemmy is God. No mortal being can touch him.

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce was a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter known primarily for his contributions to the British supergroup Cream, which also included guitarist-singer Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. 16 Jack is the master. His incredible playing and ground-breaking sounds have influenced many of the other bass players listed here. His constant growth and change and adaptation to new ideas is apparent in everything he plays. His song writing and collaborations are always unique, powerful, and intriguing. And he's still playing in many different venues and bands. Spectrum Road, his tribute band to Tony Williams, has won best jazz album of 2012 from many publications. The 'old soul' of the bass. Why is Jack Bruce not in the top 10? He is an incredible bassist, he was the one who wrote "Sunshine of Your Love" which is arguably Creams most famous song. His string bends are incredible and he slurs his notes the way that all blues rock players should. Being with Clapton and still managing to shine is a very inpressive feat. The Greatest! Should be #1. He was innovative, particularly when paired with Clapton their 3 piece banded sounded like 4 or 5 pieces. He was one of the few rock bassists playing "lead bass" at the time, borrowing from jazz greats. He should be closely followed by McCartney and Squire! Jack Bruce #16?! Who is the deaf, dumb and blind kid who put together this list, anyway? You can argue between Entwistle and Bruce for #1, but that's where the debate stops. Christ--half the people above him on this list probably learned the instrument from listening to Jack Bruce note by note...

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III was an American jazz bassist who was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He worked with Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, and recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader. 17 I can clearly see that nobody here are bassists. James Jameron and Jaco are two very gods of bassist. I love cliff, I love him so much and I think he is one of the greatest bassists ever, but Jaco is the most inspirational and influential bassist in history, his early work at Weather Report and his solo albums inspired many bassists, and created a new paradigm of bass. Jaco should be 1 or 2 at least. You all peoples need to study about music more Jaco is hands-down the number one most influential, he brought the electric bass out of the box and put it in the forefront. Teen Town and Portrait of Tracy are prime examples of how bass can take over and be the leader if need be. He did for bass what Bach did for all of music: he figured the darn thing out and brought it further than anyone else has. He had incredible amounts of talent, and used 100% of it, all the time. Victor Wooten is without doubt the most innovative bass player, and most likely the best living bassist. Victor started playing bass when he was 3 or 4 years old, so he has that skill literally built into his brain. I would say Steven Bailey is up there too, along with Sheehan, Clarke, and Geddy. Also, someone needs to keep an eye on Jaco's son Felix, he might be a force to be reckoned with in the future... He's not my favorite bassist (that would be geezer butler) but jaco is the Hendrix of the bass. No one can hold a candle to him. He invented the fretless bass, internalized all styles of playing had perfect form could play insanely fast and clean. Pretty much no one on this list can hold a candle to him. Geddy lee himself basically said that jaco was something else and no one could replicate hum, people could tap into it but no one could replicate it (I don't remember exactly just search it in Google.) In 1993 Darren Dalton, catcher of Philadelphia Phillies, responded to the question "Who is the greatest player in baseball today? " He said without hesitation "It's Barry Bonds and it's not even close." So too with Jaco, he is the greatest electric bass player of all time and it's not even close. I'm a lifetime bass player, played professionally, etc. Anyone of the players ranked above him would say this. Disturbing so many people are musically illiterate.

David Ellefson David Warren "Dave" Ellefson is an American bassist and co-founding member of the American thrash metal band Megadeth from 1983-2002 and again from 2010-present. 18 I think he deserves my vote. He is my favorite bass player. My favorite being one I listen to. I'm sure the majority can agree that one particular person is good. However, I can not agree to that if I don't actually listen to the music. I listen to David, and that is why he deserves my vote. I respect his work My favorite bassist ever and very underrated! Steve Harris, Lemmy, Wooten, Squire, McCartney and everyone are all amazing as well but Ellefson is just as creative and talented as any of them! How on earth is he down here? After awesome riffs like the ones in tornado of souls, holy wars and symphony of destruction, David Ellefson deserves to be among the top 10 bassists ever David Ellefson is one of the best. His bass lines gave the perfect structure to most Megadeth songs and he also knows how to make great solos. He should be in a much higher place.

Victor Wooten Victor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, producer, and recipient of five Grammy Awards. 19 Victor Wooten is a perfect culmination of speed, notation, and technique. His bass solo work is truly mind blowing when you start looking at how many sounds he produces all at the same time. This man deserves a significantly higher rank, but sadly there are too many metal heads only voting for bass players because they play for their favorite metal bands even when you can’t even hear them half the time or if you can they just play the root notes. I've been at Geddy Lee fan since I was a kid. But when I got older I started listening to more and more jazz, funk, fusion and other styles. I have seen Victor play live many years ago with Bela Fleck. Since that time I am convinced there is nobody who comes close to the talent of this man on bass. Victor Wooten should be number 1. No question about it. On slap bass this guy puts Flea to shame. In just about every category of music this guy is an absolute monster. The simple fact that he is not number one shows the immatureness of people in society when it comes to music. Don't believe me, listen to this man play Amazing Grace. Enough said. Let's just be honest. Although the bass players on this list are good, even great, techniquly speaking no one can do what Wooten can. I love all of these bass player and to each of them they lend there minds and personalities to what they create. Wooten my never think to create something that sounds like what claypool or flea would create but anything any of these bass players can think to play Wooten could probably do it better. But there is not a single bass player on this list with the technical skills to play some of wooten's creations. A Show of Hands. Every bass player alive when that album came out has tried to recreate or cover every track and 99.9% of them put there bass down and just say "there is no way"! Victor Laumant Wooten is technically the greatest bass player to this date! Victor Wooten is not only the most talented bassist today, he is undoubtedly the greatest ever. He may be the greatest single musician I've ever had the pleasure of seeing live on any instrument. The speed, the slaps, the harmonics, unmatched. Watch "sinister minister" on YouTube and be floored. The behind the back swinging the bass around without missing a beat. " Are you fking kidding me! " Live it's mind numbing. He and Jaco are one and two, both way too low on this list. But that's what happens when just any idiot can vote. That's why Taylor Swift and Katy Perry end up as the number one "musicians".

Duff McKagan Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician, singer, songwriter and author. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bass guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the band in 2016, following ...read more. 20 Maybe the perfect bass tune.. Not the best technical level but definitely he has an awesome sense of bass playing and generally melody.. One of the main factors of the guns n' roses commercial and not even succes... If he's not the best bass player he's for sure one of the best bass line composer.. A bass line can't be noticed often from a not musician, duff is one of the bassists that have achieved the attention of all kind listeners with his special tone and his melodies.. You can recognise him.. In first place he's a musician and then a player I have learned so much from watching him play. His lines are a great learning tool for anyone who wants to be set for success and have their band on top. He really knows how to create excellent motifs. Duff is the best bass player ever. Not because he takes so many solos and stuff but just listen to his playing! The way he plays. I bet you can't copy that. He is much better than Cliff. Best bassist ever and a complete artist as he's shown since guns n roses. I think he deserves to be part of the top five, no doubt. Besides he is cool and caring for the fans

Nikki Sixx Nikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Mötley Crüe. 21 Nikki is the best bass guitarist ever, hands down! And I don't know of anyone who can out-play Nikki on the bass guitar. He's very dedicated, and anyone who can survive what he has, and be in two bands that kick ass, plus do everything else he does, deserves to be in the #1 spot! This man has been giving everything he's got for over 30 years! Come on people! Nikki deserves much more than to be 39th on this list! Let's help put him in the #1 spot! On top of his work as an amazing bassist, he's also the main songwriter for Motley Crue. He is the twisted mind of the Crue and should be respected accordingly. For those that turn up their noses at "80's hair bands" please remember this. The most played song of 2008 was "Life is Beautiful" by Sixx:A. M. Now, where do you think they got part of the band's name? That would be from their hair band veteran bassist. He's my hair band hero! Nikki is not only the bassist for my favorite band, Motley crue, but I also listen to him on "The sixx sense" at 7 every night. The only thing better than his bass playing is the lyrics he writes, listen to the lyrics he writes, you may be shocked how deep they are. thank god he didn't dies from heroin overdose... That'd be one of the biggest disasters in rock'n'roll history. Nikki is a Mastermind of the Bass and anyone that can sucessfully run and tour in 2 VERY popular bands, run a radio program, be a songwriter, photographer, husband, father and still stay clean-shows the level of dedication this man throws at everything he does, Keep on moving up the ranks!

Robert Trujillo Roberto Agustin Trujillo, better known as Robert Trujillo, is an American musician known for his role as the current bassist of heavy metal band Metallica. 22 Robert is WAY better than most of the people on this list. In my opinion only Cliff can beat him. He is the most skilled of all of metallica's members these days, but no one seems to realize that (come on, Lars isn't that good at all, he just gets the job done, but everyone seems to love him). come on, this guy can fingerpick fight fire with fire at LIVE speed! That is something most of the guys in this list can't say. And, come on, Tokio Hotel? Seriously, that's the biggest crap out there, by far. Be smart people, and if you don't understand anything of music, get out! Whatever ass hole said Lars just "gets the job done" go to HELL MF Trujillo is talented but cliff is better. Newstead and Trujillo are about the same. But Metallica is by far the best metal band of all time and one of the BEST BANDS EVER. Kirk hemmet is incredible and James hetfield is an insane guitarist not to mention a great and truly talented singer. R.I.P cliff. Metallica is the BEST! Kill me guys... Robert truijillo of Metallica is that much low in this list... Only name of Metallica is enough... In every list Metallica or members of Metallica are at top but I think he is added late In this list that's why he is so low...

Metallica fans forever Whats is wrong with the world!

Number 30 seriously!

He is way better than most of the people before him on the list.

He is the only one who doesn't struggle in playing with Metallica.

He just seems to be perfect in playing any song.

Krist Novoselic Nirvana's bassist for the entirety of their lifespan before the group was disbanded in 1994. Nowadays, Krist is a humanitarian and a human rights activist. 23 Krist should be higher on the list than he is. I'm not saying number 1, but he deserves more credit than he gets. He had some awesome basslines that sounded great with Kurt's guitar playing. Krist keep great rhythm and threw in some nice fills in between lines. He is very talented and is often overlooked in my opinion. If you don't know much about Nirvana and Krist's bass playing, then listen to Lounge Act, Love Buzz, Stay Away, Lithium, and The Man Who Sold the World. What can I say? His bass lines were very clearly and great. Especially in Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom or Lithium. Very good bassist, it is a big pleasure to listen his doings. What else I could say? Just listen some Nirvana's songs. People who knows Nirvana, will know what I'm talking about. Sorry if my English wasn't clearly enough. Krist Novaselic does not ever get the credit that is due to him - he is a GREAT bassist and absolutely deserves to be in the top 10 (if not top 5) as he said his role was "to serve the song" and boy did he! Just listen to the intro for Lounge Act - not too many bands open up a song with a short bass guitar solo, but Krist and Nirvana were unlike any other... God Bless KN! He doesn't get the credit he deserves, he kept nirvana together all of those years before Kurt Cobains death. It's a shame when his name is brought up people don't know who he is, or is called the "bass player for Nirvana" Maybe he isn't the most talented bassist but, he does know how to keep you interested with his basslines!

Jason Newsted Jason Curtis Newsted is an American metal musician, known for being the third bass guitarist with the band Metallica from November 1986 until his departure in January 2001, he was also a part of Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. 24 His Bass style fit so well into Metallica. They lost something when they lost him. Yes, Rob is technically the best, not just bassist, but the best musician metallic have ever had, including Cliff and Mustaine. However, Jason was such a great fit, he felt like a member of the band, not just an (admittedly, otherworldly talented) hired gun like Rob. Also Blackened is my favourite Metallica song - the main riff of which, was written by Newstead. Jason has such great stage presence, the few solos he has performed while in Metallica, are absolutely masterful and send shivers down your spine. Top ten for sure. I was reading this list, just scrolling down, wondering at what position Jason Newsted would be. And..35, really? Allright, Flea, Cliff Burton, John Enwhistle, these are all great players, and muisicians of immense talent. But, Jason Newsted should not be this far down. I feel like this mani s overlooked, for all his acclomplishments, nit just in Metallica, but in Flotsam and Jetsam, in Voivod, and with his new solo band, who just last year released an amazingly great album. Jason is a great player, just listen to the bass in the Black album, or even Load. There are a bunch of versions of And Justice For Al with enhanced bass. Just listen, and see his great tone and vibe he gets on the bass. And he is a great live performer as well. Personally I think Jason is one the best bass players ever, he just didn't get chance to show that in Metallica or Flotsam etc. Also in my opinion he is better than Cliff Burton as a "Metallica" bass player. Not take anything away from cliff his solos are amazing but his actual bass lines sounded a little sloppy for example listen to the isolated bass track for ride the lightning and compare that to say the isolated track for Wherever I may roam and you'll see what I mean. GOD BLESS JASON!