Top 10 Bass Players

These are bass players who play in rock 'n' roll bands.

They are oftentimes the unsung heroes, working in tandem with the drummer to establish the foundation and consistency necessary to produce a dynamic recording or live performance.

Here are the 10 best in the business:

1. John Entwistle
Just listen to "Quadrophenia." And then listen again. The Ox was the Who's glue, a superior musician who kept it all together while Keith Moon, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were off in their own happy place.

2. Mel Schacher
Grand Funk Railroad was built on bass. No one has a heavier approach than Schacher. His grooves are demonically dense, gnarly and penetrate bone. Listen to "Closer to Home."

3. Roger Glover
Deep Purple's bass player extraordinaire. Lightning fast and has to be to keep up with Ian Paice and Ritchie Blackmore. One of the masters.

4. Chris Squire
Arguably creates the signature sound of Yes. What makes Squire so unique is the style of music he plays — tricky prog rock with perpetual changes in timing and acute, precise dynamics.

5. Dusty Hill
It's incredible that ZZ Top's sound comes from a three-piece band. Hill's bass playing is a wall of sound, a perfect complement to Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard.

6. Flea
You may never have heard of the Red Hot Chili Peppers were it not for the usually shirt-less Flea. A bundle of kinetic energy, Flea is the fuse of the funk.

7. John Paul Jones
The most underappreciated member of Led Zeppelin, but a key cog in the legendary lineup. He somehow stays right with the innovative John Bonham and handles the often tricky arrangements with precision.

8. Geddy Lee
Has a very different style than Hill, but is a key reason why Rush delivers the power of an orchestra as a three-piece band. Clean, crisp and quick, Lee ranks with the best of them.

9. Billy Wig
Rhythm machine for Boston-based Hell Toupee, a funk-meister from the same genre as Flea. Powerful, trippy and unpredictable, Billy Wig often sounds like he's playing lead.

10. Jason Newsted
Brilliant musician who should get a lot of credit for Metallica's cult and mainstream status. Anchors one of Generation X's best bands. Newsted, with drummer Lars Ulrich, produces tremors.

Comments

[Cyn]

Nice writing about bass players, who as you point out are in a kind of non-glorified position in the band tho' some of these guys are hard to ignore (Flea).

[Scott]

Fun list! Some others to bring into the conversation:
Berry Oakley -- Listen to "One Way Out" on Eat a Peach. That might be the coolest sounding bass part ever recorded on a live rock album.
Muzz Skillings -- Living Colour... Flea might not have happened without Skillings paving the way. Listen to "Cult of Personality" on Vivid.

[Gecko Rock]

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, arguably the greatest bass player to come out of the grunge era and far more talented than Dusty Hill or Jason Newsted.

[Dan]

It's hard to keep this to 10 names. Good call on both Oakley and DeLeo, although Dusty Hill is pretty damn good. You need to be into ZZ Top to appreciate his skills.

[Scott]

That's the fun of making a Top 10 list like this -- it's impossible! The arguments about who is on/off are entertaining. And the whole process reminds us to go back and re-listen to some great music with fresh ears.

[rh4]

no jaco pastorious?
dude's a legend!

[Greg]

Are you kidding me, no Jack Bruce

[Nick]

He's Called Les Claypool. What else needs to be said. Best ever

[Nick]

He's Called Les Claypool. What else needs to be said. Best ever

[James]

where in the hell is victor wooten?? he is by far the best ever!! or at least the top 10!

[James]

oh and les claypool is more top 10 worthy than some you mentioned

[Adam]

GEDDY IS A BASS GOD

[NoVaSpY]

If you don't mention Steve Harris from Iron Maiden, your list is tainted...

[Paul de Fleuriot]

Very surprised that true bassists dont give Gary Thain ex Uriah Heep a listen.Gary Thain is up there with the worlds best. Further more some of those on your bassist list are surely just bass players from peoples favourite band and not really great bassists.