I have opened this blog for five simple posts. Greatest lists of all time in rock and metal based on my opinion. These lists will include: Top 15 Keyboardists/Pianists, Top 25 Bassists, Top 25 Drummers, Top 50 Vocalists/Frontmen, Top 100 Guitarists. These lists will probably be controversial. Some people (in fact, almost everyone) will disagree. Some will be disheartened or pissed off that their favorite didn’t make the list. You can always craft your own list.

The bassist seems to be the easiest to shit on in rock and metal music when, in fact, the music simply cannot be without it. I’ve always believed the notions of the bassist being the loser of the band and the outcast absolutely ridiculous. The stigma against the bassist derides them and diminishes what impact they really do make. Listen to a good bass player. Hell, listen to any bass player. Imagine the music without it. The rumble and thump is gone. Many times, the melody leaves as well. Let’s stop the war on bassists.

If I had it to do over, I would have started on drums or bass instead of guitar. Bassists are ridiculously underrated in the realms of rock and metal music, and I’m about to give them their due with this list. This is the top 25 bassists of all time.

25. Steele.

His bass tone just consisted of a Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal and “a cheap crappy chorus pedal”, but that was all Peter Steele needed to deliver a wide-spanning bass tone that filled up a lot of space in a band that only had one guitar player. The titan of Type O Negative (general consensus is that Pete was 6’8) also had a titanic bass tone to match. Steele played his bass in the manner of a rhythm guitarist, utilizing thick chords and playing with a pick. From Carnivore to Type O, Steele’s playing was technically good, great in composition, and everlasting in impact.

Selected Tracks: “Anesthesia”, “Cinnamon Girl”, “Black No. 1”

24. Anthony.

Michael Anthony may not be one of the most technical bass players we’ve ever seen, but he was truly the rhythm to Eddie Van Halen’s madness. We are too easily impressed by mind-blowing dexterity of the fingers to realize greatness when we see it, in the case of Anthony. See, in a band where you have one of the great guitar innovators and a bona-fide superstar such as Van Halen, the underrated quality of a musician to keep an incredible rhythm to allow for such antics always gets overlooked as it has with Anthony. Anthony’s thump and time is second to none.

Selected Tracks: “Runnin’ With The Devil”, “Jump”, “Beautiful Girls”

23. Ament.

One of the greatest writers of harmonic bass lines in all of rock and metal music, Jeff Ament is one of the key cogs that keeps Pearl Jam rolling. You’re in a band with two awesome, punk-influenced guitarists in Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, yet your bass continues to stand out above all of the noise and the incredible vocals of one Eddie Vedder. Jeff Ament is one of the greatest bassists walking the planet. Oh yeah, and before Pearl Jam he was in some band called Mother Love Bone, and before that some band called Green River. The guy practically invented the Seattle sound. Had Stone Gossard stuck beside the “Fuck Jeff Ament” thing before the foundation of Pearl Jam, would they have been nearly as good? I would bet not.

Selected Tracks: “Alive”, “Jeremy”, “Corduroy”

22. McKagan.

Duff McKagan is one of the best overall musicians around, and the dude is a great guy at the same time that you can see through his documentary. However, this list is about musicality, songwriting, emotion, and technicality, and this dude has it. He, like Anthony, may not be an absolute finger wizard, but he has built some of the best rock and roll basslines in history. All three of his selected tracks are coming from Appetite for Destruction, not because of the lack of great basslines elsewhere but simply because Appetite has some of the tastiest basslines you will ever hear.

Selected Tracks: “It’s So Easy”, “Welcome To The Jungle”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

21. Inez.

Mike Inez is the first entrant from my favorite band of all time, Alice in Chains. Replacing Mike Starr in 1993, Inez quickly showed how incredible he could really be on the 4 string. Inez’s bass tone is perhaps one of the best of all time, and, like Alice guitarist Jerry Cantrell, he can get very technical but is also a master of making simple riffs sound incredible. Inez’s talents were shown off a lot on the 1994 EP Jar of Flies, where his presence is astounding. His basslines on the EP were the strong backbone that led it to becoming the first EP to hit #1 on Billboard. As Cantrell said, though: “Who gives a shit?”

Selected Tracks: “Rotten Apple”, “Nutshell”, “A Little Bitter”

20. Ellefson.

David Ellefson is the first, and definitely not the last, entrant from Megadeth, the technical masters of thrash metal. Ellefson I feel goes a little behind the scenes due to playing in a band with Dave Mustaine, so I am here to bring him to the forefront. Megadeth’s master of thud is underrated in terms of technical ability. To play basslines that keep up with the frantic pace of Mustaine and whichever superstar guitarist he has brought in at the time is amazing. There’s probably a reason Ellefson plays with a pick (perhaps to keep up with that blazing speed). In any case though, Ellefson deserves more credit for being able to keep pace and make it sound amazing all at the same time.

Selected Tracks: “Holy Wars…the Punishment Due”, “Peace Sells”, “Symphony of Destruction”

19. Lemmy.

I believe this is the first one that I haven’t simply referred to with their last name. That’s because I shouldn’t fucking have to. You know who this man is. Lemmy is the ultimate rockstar. Not Gene Simmons. Not Mick Jagger. Not Steven Tyler. Lemmy. Beyond the aura surrounding this legend is an unmistakable bass tone that thunders with sleaze and booze. His frenetic pace on Motorhead’s 1980 release Ace of Spades set a standard in not only bass playing or speed, but rock and metal as a whole. Not many can captivate an audience quite like Lemmy Kilmister. This guy knew how to rock and did it better than almost anyone.

Selected Tracks: “Ace of Spades”, “Speedfreak”, “Overkill”

18. Trujillo.

There’s a reason why Robert Trujillo was one of the most sought after session musicians in rock and metal before he officially joined Metallica. The man is just a freak on the bass guitar. He learned flamenco guitar which helped him become one of the best bassists of all time. He is in Metallica, but don’t let that detract you from the incredible session work he’s done, such as on Jerry Cantrell’s solo album Degradation Trip. Trujillo has been one of the best since the turn of the century, and he will not give up that spot anytime soon.

Selected Tracks: “Pig Charmer”, “Feel the Void”, “All Nightmare Long”

17. Waters.

I told you that you’d see more members of Pink Floyd. This is a given, although not as much of a given as some of the other members. Roger Waters is not a wizard of the bass guitar by any means, but the lines he has provided to Floyd’s discography speak for themselves. Waters is such an accomplished musician overall that he is definitely deserving of praise being heaped upon him. The man’s brain literally conceived the eventual 1979 release The Wall, which is perhaps the greatest concept album of all time. One of the best songwriters in all of music also happens to be one of the top bassists of all time in rock and metal. Go figure.

Selected Tracks: “Money”, “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2”, “Hey You”

16. McCartney

Shocked to see Paul McCartney on two separate lists? Don’t be. As I said in the top keyboardists/pianists, the man is simply one of the greatest musicians on the planet, and I’m not even a Beatles fan. As with his write-up in the first list, the man is just an incredible hit writer. He also has crafted some of the best and most memorable basslines in all of music. Just think of Beatles tunes without the incredible basslines of McCartney. Maybe they still would have been the biggest band in the world throughout the 60’s. Or maybe not…

Selected Tracks: “Come Together”, “Taxman”, “Hello, Goodbye”

15. Gregoletto.

One of the best bassists of all time and he hasn’t even reached 35 years of age. Metal producer Colin Richardson calls Paolo Gregoletto “the best bassist he has ever worked with.” The Trivium bassist has absolutely dominated the 5 string bass since 2004 when he joined forces with Matt Heafy’s outfit. They would release the stellar album Ascendancy just one year later, which also marked the debut of Corey Beaulieu on guitar opposite Heafy. Gregoletto has been churning out impressively melodic basslines throughout his tenure with Trivium, and it seems as if it will continue for a very long time.

Selected Tracks: “Becoming the Dragon”, “Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis”, “Incineration: The Broken World”

14. Burton.

Three metal masterwork albums. All before the age of 25. And unfortunately, he would not see the age of 25. Cliff Burton was one of the fiercest bass pluckers the world has ever seen, and this was before Metallica became one of the greatest bands of all time. Watching Cliff Burton play live, headbanging with intense fury as he nearly sets his bass ablaze, is a spectacle one feeds off of. It’s not often that a bassist puts the thrash in thrash metal, but when one does, it is Cliff Burton. There’s a reason why he is regarded as one of the best of all time, and people, it ain’t because he died young.

Selected Tracks: “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)”, “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, “Orion”

13. Deacon.

John Deacon is probably overshadowed by two of his incredible bandmates, some guys named Freddie Mercury and Brian May. But absorb this little morsel of information: if it wasn’t for Deacon’s legendary bass line, we would never have heard the lyrics “Another one bites the dust-ahh”. John Deacon was the thump and thud in Queen. He was the rhythm tying together the incredible voice of Mercury with the bombastic riffage and solos of May. He may be one of the most underrated key cogs in rock history, and it’s all because his bandmates are absolutely unforgettable.

Selected Tracks: “Another One Bites The Dust”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “We Are The Champions”

12. Flea.

Frenetic, energetic, and prodigal. Michael “Flea” Balzary is definitely one of the most memorable bassists in the history of the instrument. If not for his friend Hillel Slovak convincing him to pick it up rather than continue on guitar, we would never have heard some of the most incredible funk rock basslines in the history of the world. While Anthony Kiedis is jumping around probably singing about Califawnyuh, Flea is giving him the rhythm with which to hop to. It’s difficult not to be thoroughly impressed by Flea’s pluck and slap style that defines the Red Hot Chili Peppers sound.

Selected Tracks: “Aeroplane”, “Californication”, “Give It Away”

11. Harris.

With a gallop only matched by a Thoroughbred on Churchill Downs, Steve Harris gallops his way just outside the top 10 bassists of all time. His gallop led the charge of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and Iron Maiden’s music was made even more spectacular by his presence. Some of the best musicians in metal music, oddly enough, are from that same band. (Ya don’t say?) Steve Harris is known for his incredible gallop on the 4 string, but what lies beyond is an incredibly dexterous bass player that can run right alongside those incredible Maiden guitarists and provide the boom behind Bruce Dickinson’s high tenor belting.

Selected Tracks: “Run to the Hills”, “The Trooper”, “Fear of the Dark”

10. Butler.

A first entrant on these lists from the absolute godfathers of heavy metal music. Geezer Butler picked up the bass at Tony Iommi’s heavy urging, and thus carved out a path leading him to metal god status. Butler’s thick bass sound and tendency to play alongside Iommi on the heavy Black Sabbath tracks birthed that heavy metal sound that is still so prevalent today. However, he didn’t just play behind Iommi on every track. Butler had a great knack for writing melodic basslines and filling space behind quieter Sabbath parts whenever Iommi’s Laney wasn’t cranked to the max.

Selected Tracks: “Bassically/N.I.B.”, “Planet Caravan”, “Solitude”

9. Lee.

Geddy fucking Lee. Don’t be surprised by seeing him here, and don’t be surprised if he shows up somewhere else. The man is one of the greatest musical talents we have ever witnessed, not just restricted to rock music. How do you make a great progressive power trio like Rush succeed? Well you can start by having the bassist come up with basslines that make you shiver with excitement and blow your mind all while a great guitarist like Alex Lifeson shreds an incredible solo. Geddy Lee could easily stake a claim to be even higher. I feel terrible that he is only 9th on this list.

Selected Tracks: “The Spirit of Radio”, “Fly By Night”, “YYZ”

8. Squire.

Yes. Yes indeed. Chris Squire is just outside the top 5 but could easily stake a claim for one of those coveted spots. The co-founder of Yes may very well be the first major progressive rock bassist, even before Roger Waters. And the first is not up here by that virtue alone. Squire is one of the most incredible talents to ever touch 4 strings. His bombastic bass riffs allowed Steve Howe the room to be more melodic and not as focused on the main riff at times. Squire’s rhythm is second to none, and his mastery of the thud and thump catapults him into that conversation for greatest bassist of all time.

Selected Tracks: “Roundabout”, “Starship Trooper”, “Gates of Delirium”

7. Levin.

One very memorable 80’s bassline is credited to the great Tony Levin. Peter Gabriel probably should be thanking Tony Levin every day for the genius bassline of “Sledgehammer”. Not only can Levin build one of the best pop rock basslines you’ll ever hear, he is also an absolute freak of nature in the prog scene. Who do you think Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci called upon to do the Liquid Tension Experiment bass parts? You guessed it, Levin. Tony Levin’s bass playing is almost as great as the mustache he has in the picture above. And that’s pretty fucking great.

Selected Tracks: “Sledgehammer”, “Paradigm Shift”, “Elephant Talk”

6. Jones.

He just missed out on making the top 15 keyboardists/pianists of all time with incredible skills on songs such as “No Quarter” and “All My Love”. But here he is. Just outside of the top 5 is John Paul Jones, one-fourth of Led Zeppelin. What I have to say about JPJ is a broken record. One of the most talented musicians in history. Vastly underrated compared to his Zeppelin compatriots. JPJ helped craft hard rock in the late 60’s/early 70’s with some of the downright tastiest and grooviest basslines in rock history. When you fire up Zeppelin I again, try not to have a massive smile come across your face when listening to “Dazed and Confused”.

Selected Tracks: “Dazed and Confused”, “What Is And What Should Never Be”, “Ramble On”

5. Entwistle.

Top 5 territory begins with one of the most fluid and dexterous right hands in bass plucking history. John Entwistle was every bit as key to the sound of The Who as Pete Townshend and Keith Moon. It is absolutely mind-blowing to hear some of the basslines this man came up with over his lifetime. When watching some CSI shows, you hear the loud bombast of The Who. But dig a little deeper and listen to the magic that is John Entwistle’s bass bursting from speed and precision. Entwistle crafted one of the most melodic and beautiful bass tones while also being able to keep up with Townshend’s loudness and Moon’s utter craziness.

Selected Tracks: “Who Are You”, “My Wife”, “Trick of the Light”

4. Chancellor.

Justin Chancellor is one of the biggest diamonds in the rough of the 90’s. Not that Peach is not an excellent band, but the marriage he would have in 1995 with the progressive metal band Tool would end up gracing us mere mortals with the incredible presence of, dare I say, a lead guitar bass player? At times during the last three Tool releases, you hear Adam Jones take a backseat to his stellar bass player in Tool’s incredibly bass-heavy sound. Chancellor can make a claim for the greatest bass player of all time and not many would bat an eyelash at it. That’s because Chancellor has proven time and again that he is simply one of the most incredible bass players roaming the earth. An incredible riff writer and technical master, Chancellor is one of the premier bass players of rock and metal music.

Selected Tracks: “Forty-Six and Two”, “Reflection”, “10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)”

3. Sheehan.

Billy Sheehan’s resume is so impressive that he could get an engineering job over an actual engineering graduate. Maybe I’m kidding. But regardless of my pathetic attempts at humor, Sheehan’s track record and resume as a bassist is out of this world. Oh, and did I mention how incredible of a player the man is? The guy plays circles around most and should be ascended to godlike status on the 4 string. His marriage to Richie Kotzen and Mike Portnoy birthed The Winery Dogs, who’s self-titled debut release delivered unto us some of the greatest rock songs so far in the 21st century. Did I mention he also featured on David Lee Roth’s solo records, one of Tony MacAlpine’s solo records, and some band called Mr. Big with some guitar guy named Paul Gilbert? The man is one of the best to ever do it.

Selected Tracks: “Elevate”, “Yankee Rose”, “Time Machine”

2. Myung.

A guy that could have an easy claim to the top spot, John Myung is one of the most incredible instrumentalists I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. A tireless practice regimen and work ethic has kept Myung fresh, dexterous, and frenetic throughout his career with Dream Theater. Nobody can outwork John Myung. Incredibly enough, John Petrucci’s otherworldly guitar talents are seemingly matched by Myung’s fluttering fingers. Whether it be a 4 string, 5 string, 6 string bass, Chapman stick, hell, Myung owns every last bit of it. It is so difficult to pick just 3 select songs showcasing the utter mastery of the bass guitar that John Myung displays.

Selected Tracks: “Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper”, “Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity”, “Lifting Shadows Off A Dream”

1. Claypool.

Les Claypool is the greatest bassist of all time. Bar fucking none. I love Myung. I love Sheehan. I love Chancellor. I love all the others. But holy shit, have you listened to this man play a bass guitar WHILE SINGING??? The driving force and founder of the band Primus, Claypool is almost the lead guitar player in the band, and the actual guitarist, Larry LaLonde, is incredible in his own right! Whether he slaps the bass, plucks the bass, plays the upright bass, or otherwise, Claypool dominates in every facet of bass playing. For the politically incorrect Primus, the music may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But good lord, it is so hard not to be flabbergasted by the extraordinarily amazing talents Les Claypool possesses. He is number 1 in my book for extraordinary musicianship as well as technical mastery of the bass guitar.

Selected Tracks: “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver”, “Mr. Krinkle”, “Too Many Puppies”

There you have it. Another top list down. Next list will be the top 25 drummers in rock and metal music. See you next time.