Top 100 Bassists

[Nightfly]

Spoiler alert -- Danny Partridge didn't make cut . . .


https://consequence.net/2024/04/100-gre ... -all-time/

[Night Train]

Without looking at the list, I'm guessing John Entwistle is #1.

Edit: I wasn't even close. Flea ahead of Entwistle?

[Moses Scurry]

Hummm...can't think of many off the top of my head for some reason.

Chris Squire
Geddy Lee
Entwistle
Robert DeLeo from STP is the tits and if not high on the list, the list is invalid!
John Paul Jones
Paul McCartney

I hate RHCP with a passion so flea can suck it.

Just read it, there is no universe in which flea is better of more influential than geddy lee. And robert deleo not listed.

[Dr. Linux]

This list is mostly straight cabbage but they included Meshell and Pino so there is something.

[Jack Soo 5]

Great topic NightFly!

My first thought before opening the link, was Carol Kaye better be in the top 5 and she was. For her to be a major part of the Wrecking Crew at that time is awesome. She came up with, and played on sooooooo many iconic bass/and guitar parts. If you've never seen the documentary on the Wrecking Crew on netflix, definitely check it out.

Geddy, Jaco, Claypool and Bootsy are favorites of mine, and I didn't have much of an issue with the top 12.

Pino Palladino is fantastic, and thought he should have been way higher than 67.

The only omission for me is Nick Beggs. He's the guy from Kajagoogoo, and if you ever go down the youtube rabbit hole for him, dude can play!

[ocsid]

Great topic NightFly!

My first thought before opening the link, was Carol Kaye better be in the top 5 and she was. For her to be a major part of the Wrecking Crew at that time is awesome. She came up with, and played on sooooooo many iconic bass/and guitar parts. If you've never seen the documentary on the Wrecking Crew on netflix, definitely check it out.

Geddy, Jaco, Claypool and Bootsy are favorites of mine, and I didn't have much of an issue with the top 12.

Pino Palladino is fantastic, and thought he should have been way higher than 67.

The only omission for me is Nick Beggs. He's the guy from Kajagoogoo, and if you ever go down the youtube rabbit hole for him, dude can play!

Carol Kaye is a nasty old crank.

And she's by far my biggest inspiration/idol as a bass player. Her and Sir Paul.
I'd have replaced Flea with Entwistle in the top five, but overall, I think they got the top ten right.

I'd have put Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Solo work) and John Taylor (Duran Duran) on the list, and fairly high at that.
Will Lee (David Letterman and a lot of studio work) is another omission.

[Jack Soo 5]

Great topic NightFly!

My first thought before opening the link, was Carol Kaye better be in the top 5 and she was. For her to be a major part of the Wrecking Crew at that time is awesome. She came up with, and played on sooooooo many iconic bass/and guitar parts. If you've never seen the documentary on the Wrecking Crew on netflix, definitely check it out.

Geddy, Jaco, Claypool and Bootsy are favorites of mine, and I didn't have much of an issue with the top 12.

Pino Palladino is fantastic, and thought he should have been way higher than 67.

The only omission for me is Nick Beggs. He's the guy from Kajagoogoo, and if you ever go down the youtube rabbit hole for him, dude can play!

Carol Kaye is a nasty old crank.

And she's by far my biggest inspiration/idol as a bass player. Her and Sir Paul.
I'd have replaced Flea with Entwistle in the top five, but overall, I think they got the top ten right.

I'd have put Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Solo work) and John Taylor (Duran Duran) on the list, and fairly high at that.
Will Lee (David Letterman and a lot of studio work) is another omission.

Yep, definitely hear ya on Hamm, Taylor, and Will Lee (who hasn't he played with). I guess the takeaway here is, there are a shit ton of great bass players roaming this planet, and we're all better off for it!

[ocsid]

John McVie should have been higher as well. I never realized how good he is until I watched a live performance really closely. I can't remember which song it was - possibly "Say That You Love Me" - and I was blown away at the melodic lines he was playing.

[ocsid]

At least they didn't put Gene Simmons and/or Adam Clayton on the list.

(Gene is actually better than he gets credit for. Adam, well, not as much, but his signature bass is pretty cool.)

[mlhouse]

John McVie should have been higher as well. I never realized how good he is until I watched a live performance really closely. I can't remember which song it was - possibly "Say That You Love Me" - and I was blown away at the melodic lines he was playing.

I think Jack Bruce should rank higher too.

If you look at the John Mayall & Bluesbreaker band it was the incubator to much the top rhythm sections in rock history.

John McVie, Jack Bruce, 15 year old Andy Fraser on bass amongst others with Mick Fleetwood on drums amongst others Add in Alexis Komer's Blues Incorporated these almost incestuous groups defined a lot of what would become blues based rock and roll (Clapton, Bruce, Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker).

[ocsid]

John McVie should have been higher as well. I never realized how good he is until I watched a live performance really closely. I can't remember which song it was - possibly "Say That You Love Me" - and I was blown away at the melodic lines he was playing.

I think Jack Bruce should rank higher too.

If you look at the John Mayall & Bluesbreaker band it was the incubator to much the top rhythm sections in rock history.

John McVie, Jack Bruce, 15 year old Andy Fraser on bass amongst others with Mick Fleetwood on drums amongst others Add in Alexis Komer's Blues Incorporated these almost incestuous groups defined a lot of what would become blues based rock and roll (Clapton, Bruce, Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker).

Bruce should be higher, I agree.

[anthony]

No love for gordon sumner?

[beetlebum71]

"Good bassist" is an oxymoron.

[cmd24]

John McVie should have been higher as well. I never realized how good he is until I watched a live performance really closely. I can't remember which song it was - possibly "Say That You Love Me" - and I was blown away at the melodic lines he was playing.

If you're talking about that performance from "The Dance" you're absolutely correct. McVie is so good. Sometimes "simple" is better, and I've always thought he adds just the right amount to every song.


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[mlhouse]

John McVie should have been higher as well. I never realized how good he is until I watched a live performance really closely. I can't remember which song it was - possibly "Say That You Love Me" - and I was blown away at the melodic lines he was playing.

If you're talking about that performance from "The Dance" you're absolutely correct. McVie is so good. Sometimes "simple" is better, and I've always thought he adds just the right amount to every song.


Click here to learn how to add YouTube Videos to your phpBB forum

Christine Perfect was an underrated piece of Fleetwood Mac. WIth three lead singers they could create really different sounds and songs, and they could play different styles to make it work.

[ocsid]

John McVie should have been higher as well. I never realized how good he is until I watched a live performance really closely. I can't remember which song it was - possibly "Say That You Love Me" - and I was blown away at the melodic lines he was playing.

If you're talking about that performance from "The Dance" you're absolutely correct. McVie is so good. Sometimes "simple" is better, and I've always thought he adds just the right amount to every song.


Click here to learn how to add YouTube Videos to your phpBB forum

That's exactly the performance. Thanks for posting CMD! As dysfunctional as those five were, the talent in that band was insane.

[cmd24]

John McVie should have been higher as well. I never realized how good he is until I watched a live performance really closely. I can't remember which song it was - possibly "Say That You Love Me" - and I was blown away at the melodic lines he was playing.

If you're talking about that performance from "The Dance" you're absolutely correct. McVie is so good. Sometimes "simple" is better, and I've always thought he adds just the right amount to every song.


Click here to learn how to add YouTube Videos to your phpBB forum

Christine Perfect was an underrated piece of Fleetwood Mac. WIth three lead singers they could create really different sounds and songs, and they could play different styles to make it work.

For sure. And I think she managed to get better as she aged, too. Because of my age, I was vaguely familiar with Fleetwood Mac when I was growing up. I knew of a couple songs off the Mirage album. When I worked at the music store while I was in college, around the time “Tge Dance” came out, I was blown away (and realized I knew way more of their music than I realized). That album/concert might be one of the best live albums ever, as well as the perfect intro for anyone that doesn’t know much about the band.

[cmd24]

John McVie should have been higher as well. I never realized how good he is until I watched a live performance really closely. I can't remember which song it was - possibly "Say That You Love Me" - and I was blown away at the melodic lines he was playing.

If you're talking about that performance from "The Dance" you're absolutely correct. McVie is so good. Sometimes "simple" is better, and I've always thought he adds just the right amount to every song.


Click here to learn how to add YouTube Videos to your phpBB forum

That's exactly the performance. Thanks for posting CMD! As dysfunctional as those five were, the talent in that band was insane.

Yeah it’s pretty unreal. Buckingham might be an underrated guitar player, too. But they all do exactly what is needed for the song, and don’t overplay.

[ocsid]

Yeah it’s pretty unreal. Buckingham might be an underrated guitar player, too. But they all do exactly what is needed for the song, and don’t overplay.

Buckingham is definitely underrated.
So was Christine. Stevie is super talented, and was the sex symbol (obviously) but I've always loved Christine's songwriting and vocals. Her stuff has always been my favorite Fleetwood Mac music.

[mlhouse]

If you're talking about that performance from "The Dance" you're absolutely correct. McVie is so good. Sometimes "simple" is better, and I've always thought he adds just the right amount to every song.


Click here to learn how to add YouTube Videos to your phpBB forum

Christine Perfect was an underrated piece of Fleetwood Mac. WIth three lead singers they could create really different sounds and songs, and they could play different styles to make it work.

For sure. And I think she managed to get better as she aged, too. Because of my age, I was vaguely familiar with Fleetwood Mac when I was growing up. I knew of a couple songs off the Mirage album. When I worked at the music store while I was in college, around the time “Tge Dance” came out, I was blown away (and realized I knew way more of their music than I realized). That album/concert might be one of the best live albums ever, as well as the perfect intro for anyone that doesn’t know much about the band.

Do you have songs that you can distinctly remember hearing for the first time? One of mine is Rhiannon. I was in a Pizza Hut with my dad in 1975 and it was playing on the juke box.

Rumours was the first album I bought with my own money.

Fleetwood Mac was a great band of their era (mid-late 1970s to early 1980s). I always think of California when I hear them.

But the fact that no one in the band murdered another of their bandmates or died from a coke OD is beyond belief.

[cmd24]

Christine Perfect was an underrated piece of Fleetwood Mac. WIth three lead singers they could create really different sounds and songs, and they could play different styles to make it work.

For sure. And I think she managed to get better as she aged, too. Because of my age, I was vaguely familiar with Fleetwood Mac when I was growing up. I knew of a couple songs off the Mirage album. When I worked at the music store while I was in college, around the time “Tge Dance” came out, I was blown away (and realized I knew way more of their music than I realized). That album/concert might be one of the best live albums ever, as well as the perfect intro for anyone that doesn’t know much about the band.

Do you have songs that you can distinctly remember hearing for the first time? One of mine is Rhiannon. I was in a Pizza Hut with my dad in 1975 and it was playing on the juke box.

Rumours was the first album I bought with my own money.

Fleetwood Mac was a great band of their era (mid-late 1970s to early 1980s). I always think of California when I hear them.

But the fact that no one in the band murdered another of their bandmates or died from a coke OD is beyond belief.

No, not really. Like I said, when I saw "The Dance" I didn't realize how many of their songs I had heard on the radio at some point, but just never realized or paid enough attention to know it was them. But, if I'm basing it off of that, it's possible that I'd put "Silver Springs" up there.