25 Favorite Bassists Countdown (##1 & 2 Revealed!)

[Dave_Manchester]

My list (those that didn't make it in bold):

1. John Illsley (Dire Straits)
2. Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)
3. Mike Rutherford
4. John Myung
5. John McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
6. Steve Harris
7. John Paul Jones
8. John Entwistle
9. Justin Chancellor
10. Paul McCartney
11. Dan Briggs
12. Henkka Seppala (Children of Bodom)
13. Duff McKagan (Guns n Roses)
14. Tony Levin
15. Cliff Burton
16. Adam Clayton (U2)
17. Jason Newsted
18. Chris Squire
19. Mike Mills (REM)
20. John Deacon
21. Kyle Brock (Eric Johnson)
22. Roscoe Beck (Eric Johnson)
23. Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith)
24. Ian Salmon (Arena)
25. Nick Seymour (Crowded House)


Not really surprised neither of my top 2 made the list, but as I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, it's amazing to me that not one member of Fleetwood Mac has made any of this forum's countdowns yet. Not Stevie Nicks for singers, not Lindsey Buckingham for guitarists (the biggest surprise of any countdown for me so far), not Mick Fleetwood for drums and not John McVie for bass. At their peak (1975 to 1979, i.e self-titled through Tusk) I don't know of a more flawless band in terms of how each individual member fits the whole. Ah well, if we ever get a keyboard countdown (or top 50 backing singers!) maybe Christine will right this terrible wrong.   

Thanks for running this, Paul.

[skydivingninja]

Not at all surprised by the top two. If Myung had been more notable post-Octavarium he probably would make my top 25 but I just don't have the same admiration for him I might've had in 10-15 years ago.

My full 25:

1. Geddy Lee
2. Brian Cook - Russian Circles, Sumac, These Arms Are Snakes, Botch
3. Mike Watt - Minutemen, fIREHOSE, mssv
4. Simon Gallup - The Cure
5. Paul McCartney
6. Juan Alderete - The Mars Volta, Big Sir, Halo Orbit
7. Tony Levin
8. Justin Chancellor
9. Tina Weymouth - Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club
10. Les Claypool
11. Thundercat
12. Colin Greenwood
13. Jaco Pastorius
14. John Paul Jones
15. Chris Squire
16. Chris Wolstenholme
17. Dan Briggs
18. Tim LeFebvre - Bowie's Blackstar, Donny McCaslin, New Age Doom
19. Steve DiGiorgio
20. Bakithi Kumalo - Paul Simon
21. Al Cisneros - OM, Sleep
22. Cliff Burton
23. John Deacon
24. Bootsy
25. KT Chang -Elephant Gym

I'll shout out Elephant Gym, Minutemen, Paul Simon's Graceland, New Age Doom on KEXP (YouTube), These Arms Are Snakes, Talking Heads' Remain in Light, OM's Advaitic Songs, and Thundercat's It Is What It Is since those folks from my list got no votes and some forumers may dig them.

[ReaperKK]

Thanks for running this Paul. It was a lot of fun to follow along!

[Dream Team]

So yeah, originally I had Harris #1 but he mailed in a few too many gallops on later albums. Geddy never mailed anything in.

Also this: John Myung would be #1 if JP and MP let him play like Geddy.

25 John Taylor
24 Dave Larue
23 Rudy Sarzo
22 Phil Lynott
21 Jack Bruce
20 John Deacon
19 Sting
18 Robert Trujillo
17 Louis Johnson
16 Victor Wooten
15 John Paul Jones
14 Jason Newsted
13 Duff McKagan
12 Tony Levin
11 Paul McCartney
10 Dave Ellefson
9 Cliff Burton
8 Chris Squire
7 Mike Lepond
6 Billy Sheehan
5 Geezer Butler
4 Steve DiGiorgio
3 John Myung
2 Steve Harris
1 Geddy Lee

[Indiscipline]

There's nothing enlightening I could possibly say about JM and Geddy, except that they are respectively my #5 and #20.

Thank you very much PG for the beautiful work, and here's my list:

1. Chris Squire
2. Jaco Pastorius
3. Steve Harris
4. Paul McCartney
5. John Myung
6. Stanley Clarke
7. Marcus Miller
8. John Entwistle
9. John Patitucci     
10. Bootsy Collins
11. Mark King
12. John Paul Jones
13. John Wetton
14. Tony Levin
15. Pino Palladino
16. Jeff Berlin
17. Rocco Prestia
18. John Deacon
19. Flea
20. Geddy Lee
21. Bill Gould
22. Billy Sheehan
23. Les Claypool
24. Jack Bruce
25. Cliff Burton

[porcacultor]

There's nothing enlightening I could possibly say about JM and Geddy, except that they are respectively my #5 and #20.

Thank you very much PG for the beautiful work, and here's my list:

1. Chris Squire
2. Jaco Pastorius
3. Steve Harris
4. Paul McCartney
5. John Myung
6. Stanley Clarke
7. Marcus Miller
8. John Entwistle
9. John Patitucci     
10. Bootsy Collins
11. Mark King
12. John Paul Jones
13. John Wetton
14. Tony Levin
15. Pino Palladino
16. Jeff Berlin
17. Rocco Prestia
18. John Deacon
19. Flea
20. Geddy Lee
21. Bill Gould
22. Billy Sheehan
23. Les Claypool
24. Jack Bruce
25. Cliff Burton

Not sure if they're your bag, but Pino's work on the Nine Inch Nails' track "All Time Low" is something to behold. What a groove!

[Glasser]

Derek Smalls? Anyone playing Stonehenge?

[Dave_Manchester]

Big Bottom is a bass line for the ages.

[Indiscipline]

Not sure if they're your bag, but Pino's work on the Nine Inch Nails' track "All Time Low" is something to behold. What a groove!

NIN is not my cup, but I do believe you because Pino never disappoints.

[The Realm]

Geddy was my number 2 and Myung my number 17.

Thanks pg for running this, as always it was fun.

My final list (bolded didn't make it)

1   Steve Harris
2   Geddy Lee
3   Justin Chancellor
4   Cliff Burton
5   Geezer Butler
6   Dan Briggs
7   Jason Newsted
8   Phil Lynott
9   Lemmy
10   Flea
11   Gene Simmons
12   Paul McCartney
13   Dave Ellefson
14   Markus Grosskopt
15   Billy Sheehan
16   Duff McKagan
17   John Myung
18   Sting
19   Bob Daisley
20   John Paul Jones
21   Eddie Jackson
22   Jaco Pastorius
23   John Deacon
24   Martin Mendez
25   Michael Anthony

[pg1067]

Hey all...thanks for the thanks, and thanks to everyone who submitted lists and followed along and commented.  It was fun!

[twosuitsluke]

Hey all...thanks for the thanks, and thanks to everyone who submitted lists and followed along and commented.  It was fun!

Thank you for running it dude. I always have a lot of respect for anyone who runs these and keeps to a good schedule with it. Cheers.

[Adami]

Thanks! Twas very fun. Much appreciated!

[Stadler]

My list (those that didn't make it in bold):

1. John Illsley (Dire Straits)
2. Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)
3. Mike Rutherford
4. John Myung
5. John McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
6. Steve Harris
7. John Paul Jones
8. John Entwistle
9. Justin Chancellor
10. Paul McCartney
11. Dan Briggs
12. Henkka Seppala (Children of Bodom)
13. Duff McKagan (Guns n Roses)
14. Tony Levin
15. Cliff Burton
16. Adam Clayton (U2)
17. Jason Newsted
18. Chris Squire
19. Mike Mills (REM)
20. John Deacon
21. Kyle Brock (Eric Johnson)
22. Roscoe Beck (Eric Johnson)
23. Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith)
24. Ian Salmon (Arena)
25. Nick Seymour (Crowded House)


Not really surprised neither of my top 2 made the list, but as I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, it's amazing to me that not one member of Fleetwood Mac has made any of this forum's countdowns yet. Not Stevie Nicks for singers, not Lindsey Buckingham for guitarists (the biggest surprise of any countdown for me so far), not Mick Fleetwood for drums and not John McVie for bass. At their peak (1975 to 1979, i.e self-titled through Tusk) I don't know of a more flawless band in terms of how each individual member fits the whole. Ah well, if we ever get a keyboard countdown (or top 50 backing singers!) maybe Christine will right this terrible wrong.   

Thanks for running this, Paul.

Lindsey Buckingham was the best chance for this, for better or worse.

Roger Waters; you know, I have the Pink Floyd "Early Years" set and I've finally started to dig into it.  Had I listened to it before the list, Roger Waters would have made my list.   I think there's a legacy of his being the weak link (along with Mason) and that Wright and Gilmour were the "musos" in the band.  Some of that early work (meaning the Syd years into the first part of the Gilmour era) there's some pretty inventive playing there.  Is it Billy Sheehan level? Nah, but that work was vital, and I think there was a really important role played by Waters in those early years of discovery that LED to the Waters we know now as a poor acoustic guitarist croaking out his angry hits from the 70s...

[Dream Team]

Starting a 2000 piece jigsaw yesterday with my better half and we put on Duran Duran's first 2 albums (she was a HUGE fan as a teenager in the 80s) and man I should have had John Taylor higher. Love his playing.

[TAC]

Starting a 2000 piece jigsaw yesterday with my better half and we put on Duran Duran's first 2 albums (she was a HUGE fan as a teenager in the 80s) and man I should have had John Taylor higher. Love his playing.

Duran Duran's music has actually aged pretty well.

[EPICVIEW]

Derek Smalls? Anyone playing Stonehenge?

"its not your job to be as confused as Nigel"  : )

[Glasser]

Derek Smalls? Anyone playing Stonehenge?

"its not your job to be as confused as Nigel"  : )

  I was going to do a cover of Nigel's little number called "Lick My Love Pump" 

[coz]

Nice, I thought be the only one with Matt Freeman. Most of my bassists are punk rock bassists to be fair.

For those who have never heard Freeman, check out his iconic bass solo on Maxwell Murder...

https://youtu.be/XcccqG6-dDg?feature=shared

Finally got around to listening to this rec.  That was insane!

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Finally got around to listening to this rec.  That was insane!

Here's an extended live version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFwt97z_S0U

Huh, looks like the hyperlink code isn't working at the moment.