100 great bass players

[Al Krow]

From bassplayer magazine. Thought this looked really interesting, particularly with the included clip from each - I'm going to be enjoying working through the list during lock down.

Here's the link in case of interest to anyone else:

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-100-best-bass-players-of-all-time

Have they missed anyone off the list that you would include?

Edited April 23, 2020 by Al Krow

[BigRedX]

Good to see the Hooky is deemed to be so important he's on there twice!

No JJ Burnel though.

[ambient]

James Jamerson at number one?

[40hz]

I don't think I've ever disagreed more with a list in my life (Aside from the #1, they got that right) 

[oldslapper]

I couldn’t help but notice that I’m not on there. 

[stewblack]

38 minutes ago, oldslapper said:

I couldn’t help but notice that I’m not on there. 

WHAT????

[stewblack]

Not bothered by the order, hardly worth getting my hair off about someone had a page to fill and as every journo knows a list is your go to when you're stuck for ideas.

Many I've never heard of so that's great, I shall enjoy discovering them.

My personal list would include JJ Burnel, Phil Lynott, Bruce Foxton, Norman Watt-Roy and my all time favourite Bruce Thomas. Simply because they inspired me and still do.

[ezbass]

First published  in 2017, why write something new when you can rehash stuff from 3 years ago?

[Jonesy]

That's a weird pic of Geddy in at number 13......

[paul_5]

6 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

That's a weird pic of Geddy in at number 13......

Yeah, it’s in the wrong place for a start!

[jacko]

No sign of Roger Glover or John Myung but plenty of dross. 

 

[ezbass]

Finally got the entire thing to load without crashing.

Usual suspects of course and with 100 you'd expect them to pick up most folks' favourites. The order of course is a question of preference, but I'd have thought messrs Levin, Sklar and Babbitt would be higher up the pecking order.

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

First published  in 2017, why write something new when you can rehash stuff from 3 years ago?

Tbf I didn't spot this first time around! 

[oldslapper]

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

WHAT????

I  SAID I  CANT HELP BUT NOTICE...  THAT I’VE NOT GOT THE JIST. 
 

 

[stewblack]

11 minutes ago, oldslapper said:

I  SAID I  CANT HELP BUT NOTICE...  THAT I’VE NOT GOT THE JIST. 
 

 

🙉

[oldslapper]

Was the list compiled by primarily guitarists? They often have a very different idea of what’s “best” compared to the people who identify as bassists. 

I couldn’t read the list on my phone as the page kept refreshing. I’m sure I’m not missing out though. 

[Al Krow]

Well it's been put together by the bassplayer magazine team. I'm guessing they will have a fair few bassists rather than geetariats on their payroll. And, frankly, I would be very impressed if most of the guitarists I know would be able to come up with a quarter of the bass players on that list!

[oldslapper]

9 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Well it's been put together by the bassplayer magazine team. I'm guessing they will have a fair few bassists rather than geetariats on their payroll. And, frankly, I would be very impressed if most of the guitarists I know would be able to come up with a quarter of the bass players on that list!

Ah thanks, makes sense. I thought it was a guitar magazine thingy.  I’ll try viewing on the iPad later. 

[StickyDBRmf]

Interesting list. Glad to see Percy Jones & Mick Karn squeeze in. Alphonso Johnson SHOULD be on the 101 List these three cats may not have virtuoso chops but boy do they put down the lines...

[thebrig]

Well it does say "The world's best bass player of all time" so I guess thats means "technically the best", but when it comes to inspiration and the pure joy of watching and hearing bass players, then for me, it got to be Norman Watt-Roy, followed closely be The "Ox" John Entwistle 

[Reggaebass]

I don’t know a lot of them, but I was rather pleased to see Aston Barrett and Robbie Shakespeare in there , they normally get forgotten in these type of lists.

Edited April 23, 2020 by Reggaebass

[FinnDave]

I've no idea who 90% of them are. The one I do know about, Phil Lesh, had a very unrepresentative track as his example. Ripple is a great song (we played it a week or so after the writer died and there was hardly a dry eye in in the house, and certainly not on stage) but as an example of Lesh's bass playing, it is a very good choice.

[Barking Spiders]

Most of these play within genres I have zero interest in but at least Larry Graham gets a much higher placing than in lots of other lists. Louis Johnson, Bernard Edwards and Mark King are way way too low down. No disrespect to the jazzers and fusion virtuosos, but while they may have had the chops the music they played was and still remains niche. I mean Jaco is well known within the bass/jazz-fusion world but outside of this I doubt many would ever have heard of him. 

[3below]

Seems that Andy Fraser was not a great bass player then.  At least I now know that for all these years I have misunderstood what being a great player is....

Edited April 27, 2020 by 3below
SPAG

[Barking Spiders]

What people generally care about are tunes/songs. Only some (wannabe) musicians seem to care about playing prowess. I don't know of any non-player who's remotely interested in musical virtuosity and I've heard or read about many fine players who said they see themselves as songwriters  who happen to play bass etc. In another life I'd much rather be known as a great composer/songwriter than musician.