Top Ten Personal Favs

[Doctor Intrepid]

Hello All!

I'm a new member, and because of this, and following the recommendation to create content, I thought I'd create a thread on personal favorite bass players. This has likely has been done already, but I haven't seen any threads like this and, as I said, I'm new. This is not a list of the 10 best bassists of all time (which is very difficult to determine). Rather, it is just a thread dedicated to those bassists that have had the greatest influence on me/you. This could mean some very personal, non-famous players, or not (I will stick only to famous players, although others have also influenced me). I was inspired to create this list after I watched a somewhat famous on-line bassist list his top ten which looked nothing like mine. I have only recently returned to playing, after a 25 year absence, so this list will look a bit dated, but the list, in descending order of importance is:

10. Les Claypool
9. Flea
8. Cliff Williams
7. Steve Harris
6. Sting
5. Paul McCartney
4. John Paul Jones
3. Michael Anthony
2. Geezer Butler
1. Geddy Lee

 

[2112]

10. Mike Dirnt
9. Peter Cetera
8. Roger Waters
7. John Paul Jones
6. Chris Wolstenholme
5. Colin Edwin
4. John Entwistle
3. Justin Chancellor
2. Chris Squire
1. Geddy Lee

As I get more into slap/pop, I've been listening to and picking up influence from Les Claypool, Mark King, Flea & John Taylor.

 

[Billyzoom]

I love these threads. I'm not sure I'd say they influenced me, because I'm a rather poor player who does it just for fun on occasion.

So this is who comes to mind who I love, and who makes me want to play.

Descending order is wreaking havoc on my coffee-starved mind, so I'm going regular order.


#1 Rocco Prestia
Verdine White
James Jamerson
Roger Taylor
B.B. Dickerson
Chuck Rainey
Gary Peacock
Ron Carter
Aston Barrett
Roger Waters

 

[masterbasser73]

Ok - this is a tough one to narrow to ten, but at this moment...these guys come to mind:
Leon Wilkeson
Entwistle
Flea
Jaco
John Taylor
JPJ
Geezer
McCartney
Claypool
Justin Chancellor

 

[MichaelPatrick]

Adam MCA Yauch
Justin Chancellor
Geezer Butler
Cliff Burton
Jason Newsted
Duff McKagan
Rachel Bolan
Nikki Sixx
George Porter Jr
Mike Inez

My list in an approximate order. I suppose each could bounce around a spot or two given the day and my mood, but these were the bassists responsible for most of my interest in music, which was really galvanized in the late 80s and early 90s. MCA was the first guy that made me think, ok, I should pick up a bass and do this. His bass work on Check Your Head and Ill Communication was definitive in how I think a bass should fit a song. The rest set a bar I stress vet for, whether it's live or in the craft of their songs. Nikki Sixx was huge for me when I realized how much of the Crue material he was writing and that you really could expand your role beyond being a support structure. Same with Geezer.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Louis Johnson
Nate Watts
Pino Palladino
James Jamerson
Carol Kaye
Allen McGrier
Tina Weymouth
Esperanza Spalding
Joe Dart
Michael League
Jamareo Artis
Stuart Zender
Paul S Denman
Bernard Edwards
Debra Killings
Bobby Watson
Bootsy Collins
Joseph Lucky Scott
Marcus Miller
Meshelle Ndegeocello
Janice Marie Johnson
Prince
Larry Graham
Ready Freddy Washington

I could never limit myself to 10. Too many great influences .

 

[two fingers]

Gotta get some work done so I'll put up a list later. Just swinging by to say Welcome to TalkBass!!!!!

 

[jw23mind]

No particular order, and damn it's over 10:

Karl Alvarez
Mike Watt
Geddy Lee
Geezer Butler
Cliff Burton
Flea
Muzz Skillings
Mike Dean
Steve Harris
Blacky
Ben Shepherd
Andrew Weiss
Paul D'Amour
Billy Gould
Greg Edwards
Klaus Flouride

 

[GM60466]

Paul McCartney
Jack Casady
Jack Bruce
Peter Cetera
James Jamerson
John Entwhistle
Joe Osborn
Bob Mosley
Geddy Lee
Tina Weymouth

 

[tfer]

In order of discovery, asterisk noting most important.

Bill Black
Nikki Sixx
Steve Harris
Jimmy Bain
Billy Sheehan *
Stuart Hamm
Dave Pomeroy
Alain Caron *
Paul Chambers *
Charles Mingus

 

[PJMustangFreak]

Glenn Cornick
Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond
John Glasscock
Dave Pegg
Jon Noyce
David Goodier
Paul McCartney
Geddy Lee
John Lodge
John Deacon

Easiest list ever

 

[socialleper]

There are bass players that I like, and then there are bass players that have had a substantial impact on me.

For influences that actually impacted my playing, there are only three:
Steve Harris
Geezer Butler
Victor Wooten

Steve inspired me to pick up the bass. Geezer showed me that I can play more than roots and still groove. I can't play for nothing like Victor but he always inspires me to be a better bass player.

 

[PJMustangFreak]

Oh, PJMustangFreak is on the top of my list. Forgot to add that one!

 

[Digger Dan]

Ones who inspired me to pick up the bass, or are the best sounding, playing, influential or just have style.
Forgive me if i run over 10

Jaco
Flea
Dee Dee Ramone
John Paul Jones
Steve Harris
Cliff Burton
Geezer (not just hes is in Sabbath, he really drives their whole sound)
Geddy Lee
Esperanza Spaulding
Nikki Sixx
Michael Anthony
Prince
Louiche Mayorga
.....im sure ill remember more once i post this..thanks!

 

[jshinal]

Jim Fielder
Roger Glover
Duck Dunn
James Jamerson
Dee Murray
Bob Babbitt
Tiran Porter
Craig MacGregor
Mars Cowling
Percy Jones

I was a kid when Fielder, Dunn, Jamerson and Babbitt influenced me the most, and they are in my head forever now. The rest I was a young rocker bassist and deliberately studied their playing. Percy Jones took my ears in another direction with Brand X.

 

[TuneSalad666]

I can give you a top 4, in no particular order:

Justin Chancellor (Tool)

Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle)

Bill Laswell (various projects primarily within jazz and experimental/avantgarde music)

Chris Wood (Medeski Martin & Wood)

Oh, and Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane) and Cliff Burton (Metalica) are pretty cool too, so I'll give them an honorable mention.

 

[Pilgrim]

Hmmmm.....let's see......

1 - The Duck
2 - Jamerson
3 - Tommy Shannon
4 - Dusty Hill
5 - McCartney
6 - The Ox
7 - Jerry Scheff (Elvis & The Doors)
8 - Chas Chandler (Animals & Hendrix)
9 - John Lodge (Moody Blues)
10 - Bill Blough (George Thorogood)

Now there's a line-up of classics for you!! I grew up listening to these guys.

 

[rtav]

1 - Dave LaRue
2 - Billy Sheehan
3 - Geddy
4 - Chris Squire
5 - Greg Lake
6 - John Myung
7 - Dan Briggs (BtBAM)
8 - Andy West
9 - Tony Levin
10 - Arthur Barrow

 

[skydivingninja]

For me, I'd go with the following, from most to least influential on playing and songwriting:

1. Geddy Lee
2. Brian Cook
3. Mike Watt
4. Simon Gallup
5. Justin Chancellor
6. Paul McCartney
7. Geezer Butler
8. Mic Todd (before he went nuts)
9. Billy Gould
10. Martin Mendez