The 30 greatest bassists of all time - ranked

Music Radar ^ | 6/9/21 | Musicradar Team

[DallasBiff]

GOAT hunt: The results are in! As voted for by you, the best of the bass revealed.

[dfwgator]

I love Robert Fripp and Toyah’s videos as well. They cover all kinds of songs, you’d never expect Robert to do.

[dfwgator]

Bernard Edwards is another huge omission.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

How would you ever know? Most bass lines are completely invisible in the background.

[struggle]

Yeah, I saw les claypool play a few years ago and it was awesome.

[Mr. Mojo]

Dee Murray.

[CodeToad]

The one thing that makes Geddy the GOAT is that he takes a bass and carries an entire song. Take ‘Driven’ for example. That’s a bass tune. In YYZ, he carries the bass as a lead. There are many technical players out there that are fantastic, but Geddy took the bass to be a lead instrument...and he is an amazing player.

[stevio]

No. 7.

[dfwgator]

Ox was the first though to make the bass a lead instrument.

[Olog-hai]

Particularly evident on “Stay Clean”.

[real saxophonist]

For that matter, no Paul Chambers, no Charlie Haden.

[real saxophonist]

+1

[real saxophonist]

I love his 'Robert at Home' videos. He's 76, and can still play just fine.

Sometimes he messes up and goes, 'Oh, bollocks.' But that's what's cool. He knows he's not the 'Disclipline machine' he was 40 years ago.

[real saxophonist]

You need to do some active listening.

[FamiliarFace]

Howie Epstein, Ron Blair, or _stove. Ok, I am very biased.

[Albion Wilde]

Baasists are the forgotten ones when it comes to great tunes.

Most of the songs from the multiple-Grammy album Graceland back in the 80s, have a most memorable bass lines. It was the first thing I thought of when reading "greatest bassists", although this artist, Bakithi Kumalo, a South African session musician, was not in a position to have achieved the notoriety of the ones in the OP's interesting list. But you do get to see him a couple of times in the first video below, especially near the end:

Paul Simon - Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes

This cut from the album is also outstanding. Short solo bass riff at 3:29:

You Can Call Me Al

The leader of Simon's backup group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, died in 2020 — Joseph Shabalala, who was a South African Zulu, and who converted the troupe to Christianity. The group has continued on under his son, includes gospel songs along with Zulu-language songs, and is still touring.

[Oystir]

Ha! I watch every Sunday!

[BradyLS]

Drama is a great album, I agree. Refreshing sound and really one of a kind.

[dfwgator]

I’ve said it on another thread, Elton John arguably had the best backing band going in the 70s.

[HonorInPa]

Entwistle #1, Tony Levin in the top 5. Not only Peter Gabriel, but Paul Simon, King Crimson, Judy Collins, John Lennon, Bowie, Lou Reed, etc.

[FamiliarFace]

Giving my props to you. Way cool what you do.