My 20 Most Influential Bass Players On My Playing
**This is not a list of the best bass players. This is just the ones I enjoy the most ranked.** |
20 | | Dave Ellefson Megadeth
Also a part of the Big 4, his performance on "Rust in Peace" and "Peace Sells..." really impressed me. Unfortunately I really do not listen to a lot of thrash, but his songs are an enjoyable challenge every now and then. **FYI*** Cliff Burton is probably the most overrated bassist being talked about in recent years. I get it, he wrote some songs, big deal. But he is competent - not extraordinary. Sorry 'tallica fans, just my two cents. |
19 | | Frank Bello Anthrax
I remember playing "Caught in A Mosh" at school for a festival. That was my first live performance ever, and I must say I nailed nearly all of it. He is a really solid bass player who is also overlooked. |
18 | | Greg Jehanian mewithoutYou
Another underrrated bassist. His fills and parts really add a lot to their music. I just fell in love with them last year and I am just in awe of their songs in general. |
17 | | Nicholas Schendzielos Job For A Cowboy/Cephalatic Carnage
One hell of a bass player. Unfortunately I don't listen to either band enough to really appreciate his style and playing. He uses a lot of jazz, slaps, and progressive bass parts that really brought the last JFAC album alive. |
16 | | Jeremy Davis Paramore
In my opinion a really underrated bass player. Sure he isn't spectacular, but he gets the job done for sure. "Fences" has an excellent bass line as well as a myriad of other Paramore songs. |
15 | | Charles Mingus/Various Jazz Bassists Album
In my past year of being a jazz student I have been subject to many Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. All have had really solid bassists and Charles Mingus is a given for jazz. A superb composer and musician. RIP |
14 | | Alex Webster Cannibal Corpse
A bass player's list would not be complete without Alex Webster. He is one of the main reasons we have so many good extreme metal bass players. Atheist wasn't as well known as Cannibal Corpse and the bass fill on "Hammer Smashed Face" sent many people to their music stores to give the instrument a try. Also his tone is iconic as well as his contributions to Cannibal Corpse's songs. The man is a music theory genius. I was very lucky to be able to meet him one-on-one. He is a very sincere, down to earth, and overall nice guy. |
13 | | Steve Digorgio DEATH/Quo Vadis/Ect.
An excellent bass player. His fretless was probably the first one I have ever heard. I love his lyrical chorus in the Quo Vadis song "Dead Man's Diary" along with a bunch of his parts in the DEATH albums he was a part of. Unfortunately he can't solo to save his life. Sorry Steve, playing extremely fast with reverb does not impress me at all. He can write well with others, he just can't improvise for crap. |
12 | | Chris Squire YES
I just started listening to them today, but I can tell that how he writes basslines is exactly what I am looking for. He might be better than Geddy, but he also isn't singing at the same time, so I think Geddy is more talented (if that makes sense). |
11 | | Geddy Lee Rush
A phenominal bass player. Rush was my first taste into prog rock and it explains the following bass player's significance in my growth as a muscician. |
10 | | Steve Harris Iron Maiden
His playing didn't really influence me to write anything, it was more of the fact that his playing showed me that metal could have an excellent bass player. He is also the primary writer of Iron Maiden which is really cool. |
9 | | Alex Katunich Incubus
Another really simple yet very effective bass player. If the bassline in "Are You In?" doesn't convince you of this man's genius than nothing ever will. Check out my Wish You Were Here Cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCeDkNhznwk |
8 | | Jaco Pastorius
Quite simply the best electric bass guitar player to walk the earth. Nothing else has to be said except that I would have sex to/with "Contiuum." That song is pure bass gold. |
7 | | Geezer Butler Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell
The original metal bass god. He uses a lot of simple stuff like Tim Commerford, but damnit is it effective! |
6 | | Stanley Clarke
The man. The legend. It is fitting that he is right by Flea because I only learned of him this year, but he is most certainly the man that Flea took everything from. What else is there to say? The man invented slap bass. |
5 | | Flea Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Why did you pick Flea, he is overrated as hell!!!" Blah, blah, blah, blah. I don't want to hear it. Whether you like it or not Flea is a really good bass player. And I happen to enjoy slapping/popping very, very much, so there you have it. He also has some impressive non-slapping parts on californication (album), under the bridge, and freaky styley (album). |
4 | | Roger Patterson Atheist
Extremely overlooked probably because of his early and sad death, Roger Patterson was the man behind many of your favorite Atheist tunes from the first two albums as he was a primary writer. I would say him and Robert Morey are tied with influence on me only because I wasn't able to ever see Roger live. He uses harmonics, the occasional slap, and just an array of jazzy lines that I absolutely love. RIP |
3 | | Robert Morey Fallujah
I saw them at Summer Slaughter last year and he blew my mind. He is a really nice guy and I am absolutely in love with his tone and playing ability. He incorporates slaps, double stops, tapping, and just a whole crock pot of goodies. |
2 | | Tim Commerford Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave
Audioslave were my first favorite band in 6th grade and I remember getting their CD's and admiring his double neck guitar. I thought it was a guitar and not a bass, but I still wanted to be like him. I realize now more than ever that his solid yet funky basslines are the root of a lot of my favorite stuff. |
1 | | Ryan Martinie Mudvayne
I want to be him. Seriously, this guy is a genius. He effortlessly includes funk and jazz with metal while not interferring with anything the other instruments or vocals do. I dream of being as good as him one day. |
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