How about THIS for a curve-ball...JANICE M JOHNSON from A Taste of Honey?? That bass-riff (as she was lead-singing) on "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is a supreme funk classic (notice I said 'FUNK', not 'disco' - not that there's anything wrong with disco; there really isn't)! I really ought to explore them. At least listen to that debut LP of theirs. They WERE a REAL band! It's a shame they faded from the scene as 'disco' did.
Anyways, as for best bassist who just so happened to be a regular lead-singer...Sir Paul HAS to be Numero Uno with me! As for my personal 'Mt Rushmore' of bassists-period...he or Entwistle are either just in (at 4a) or just out (4b); take your pick! Actually, I'll make mine. Being that I like the Beatles noticably more than I do the Who (although Who are real great), I'll pick Paul by default if that very word needs to even be applied. Maybe he's better anyway. Yes, there is 'Fish Out of Water'. That makes Chris Squire technically a singer/bassist, but realistically, he was only ever a backup-singer (albeit a very IMPORTANT Beach Boys-like one; Howe too) for Yes so I guess you can't really nominate him in my opinion.
Sting and Cetera...very much to bass what Phil Collins is to percussion. Hall of Famers EACH of them (Phil on 'Mt Rushmore' of drumming if not 'Holy Trinity')! Don't let the respective solo pop-careers fool you! Especially Pete's mid-'70s-thru-'84 (despite Terry Kath still being around for some of it)/"Just You 'N' Me"-thru-"If You Leave Me Now"-thru-"You're the Inspiration" alleged 'schmaltz' while he was still with his initial band. Still one of the first bassists you should mention! Especially his work on Chicago I & II! And Sting's work with the Police...yeah!!
Geddy...if anyone places him #1, I won't argue. If anyone says that Lifeson and Peart are the best guitarist and drummer respectively, I won't argue either. They ARE phenomenal musicians. My sister's ex-boyfriend/drummer who she's still friends with (in '04 we were all at a Yes concert together - 'Topographic'/'Going for the One'/'Tormato'-lineup, mind you) would ask me, "How can you be such a big Yes-fan but not like Rush as much??" He and his best-friend, by the way, would do a yearly ritual/retreat where they would spend the whole day getting wasted and listening to every Rush album from their debut through their latest work.
I don't know, I so respect them, but I personally lean heavily toward their out-the-gate/pre-'2112' stuff. The only album of theirs I currently own, and only owned for quite some time, is their live 'All the World's a Stage'. I love "Fly By Night', "Working Man", "Lakeside Park", etc. I liked when they simply were more on the Zeppelin/Budgie side of things. But don't get it wrong, I won't turn the station if "Tom Sawyer" is on; nor "The Spirit of Radio" which is real fun, catchy - it rocks - but does in a good-hearted way crack me up a bit. And that very feeling is also well-meaningly applied in the film, 'I Love You Man' when Rashida Jones' character finally finds out that her husband (Paul Rudd) is a Rush-fan and he tries to suddenly get her into them, lol (trust me, it's funny).
SO MANY more to mention! I am very glad PHIL LYNOTT is nominated as well as mentioned numerous times!