Rolling Stones Top 10 Bassists

[GoneForever]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photo ... en-0230408

10) Victor Wooten
9) Cliff Burton
8 ) Jack Bruce
7) Jaco Pastorius
6) John Paul Jones
5) Les Claypool
4) Geddy Lee
3) Paul McCartney
2) Flea
1) John Entwistle

Thoughts? Geddy Lee should have been 1

[bassist_25]

Thoughts?

I love every player on the list. Although I don't get as "fanboy-ish" over Burton as a lot of people do; but if they dig him that much, that's cool.

I just love bass players who play the perfect thing for the song. Period. I dig Stanley Clarke, but I also dig Nate Mendel from the Foo Fighters too. I'm not into the whole headcutting, who's a better player thing that you see being argued in countless YouTube comments sections.

My fav player has always been Donald Duck Dunn, though.

For the record, I don't think you can truly appreciate Entwistle until you see some of his later live performances with the Who. His recorded stuff is good, but he was just a monster on stage. While a lot of players kind of find thier niche and never really stray too much from it, he was always developing into a more-rounded player and was never snobbish about implementing new approaches to the instrument that younger cats were developing.

[RobTheDrummer]

That list sucks, there are a few Amazing bassists on there, but for real, Paul McCartney? Maybe top 10 songwriters or something. Where is Billy Sheehan? Where is Stu Hamm? Wooten should be closer to #1.

[Colton]

That list sucks, there are a few Amazing bassists on there, but for real, Paul McCartney? Maybe top 10 songwriters or something. Where is Billy Sheehan? Where is Stu Hamm? Wooten should be closer to #1.

+100000

[f.sciarrillo]

Once again Rolling Stone shows that they know nothing about music.

[moxham123]

Thoughts?

My fav player has always been Donald Duck Dunn, though.

Donald Duck Dunn is the epitome of in the pocket, groove bass players.

As far as this top 10 list, it was voted on by the "readers" of Rolling Stone and not necessarily musicians. This definitely would not be my top 10 and I'm a bass player. Nothing against the playing ability of those mentioned but some of them are not the best in my personal opinion and the best selections are just people's preference.

Where is Stanley Clarke, Chris Squire, James Jamerson, Bob Babbitt, Roger Glover, Leland Sklar, Tony Levin, and many others?

By the way, anybody who doubts Paul McCartney's bass playing ability, try playing what he did with The Beatles. He was a guitar player who became a bass player and brought a new melodic lead style of bass with a groove to the Beatles songs that hardly any other players were doing at that time.

[ToonaRockGuy]

Anything voted on by RS readers = FAIL.

[bassist_25]

That list sucks, there are a few Amazing bassists on there, but for real, Paul McCartney? Maybe top 10 songwriters or something.

I have to totally disagree, Rob. McCartney is a genius. He took the soul of James Jamerson and the melody of Carol Kaye and wrote some pretty groundbreaking stuff in pop music. Deconstructing his bass lines and how they are written as part of his music should be required of every bass player, regardless if you liked The Beatles or Wings.

(Oh noes, there I go getting into those YouTube comments debates I said I liked to stay out of ).

Once again Rolling Stone shows that they know nothing about music.

These were voted on by the readers, not the editors. And let's be honest, the average RS reader probably isn't hip to Adam Nitti, Leland Sklar, Pino Pallindino, Tal Wilkenfield, Stanley Clarke, Bill Buddha Dickens, etc. It is a rock mag, so I'd expect a good heaping of rock players on there; although it is odd that the readers would leave off Sheehan.

Once again, Rock Page, we're not the majority when it comes to musical tastes and acting elitist about it won't change anything.

[Banned]

Where is Willie Dixon? He wrote and played on so many blues songs that become rock and roll classics.

[VENTGtr]

As with every list, tons of guys who should have been on there. But, a lot who are incredible, most haven't even heard of. Levin's a great example. Will Lee has played on thousands of sessions and can play anything. Carol Kaye epitomized studio bass playing. 15-20 years ago, yep, Sheehan would've been in the top 3. He was sometimes wankery at its worst, but still.

Jeff Ament is terrific...Dang. A lot of them around. Bill Wyman or Adam Claytoon weren't going to win contest, but playing for the song, they were tops. John Taylor...WOULD win contest...and STILL played for the song perfectly. Paul Simonon... Noel Redding...

Chris Squire not being on any "top" list, though, is unthinkable. John Wetton? Greg Lake?

List suck.

Bruce Gordon. The end.

[ozwalt816]

What a sham!!! I just saw them both on the same stage in State College, and Stanley Clarke blew Victor Wooten away....... John Scarfone also missed the list.....

[whitedevilone]

Percy Jones?

[Big Jimi Cee]

Let's not forget probably the funkiest white man in existence, Rocco Presita. A few other notables, Jeff Berlin, Alain Caron, John Myung to say the least.

[songsmith]

ToonaRock and Rick Wertz unknowingly conspired to get me into Rocco Prestia... I think his playing is incredible, to me, he drives the entire band. I could listen to him play alone all day long, and bass doesn't really lend itself to that.
Gene Simmons was INCREDIBLY influential. While the generation before me had the Beatles' Ed Sullivan appearance as inspiration, my generation had Kiss, to drive us. Find me a hard rock/metal bassist in his forties or later that didn't think Gene was the shizz... and then factor in that he's not the most musically-advanced bassist. Simple bass lines are like nice, heavy blocks to build a strong foundation.
My hero when I played bass was Ian Hill of Judas Priest. Again, any junior high kid could play nearly anything he ever did, BUT, he played what the song needed. Hold down the bottom, let the entire band pile on top, and don't get in the way. Brilliant idea, that. He got that he was a member of a band, and chose taste over flash.
You bassists should at least look at the bluegrass upright players. It's the simplest/hardest job in the band. It's mostly root/V playing, but with huge emphasis on timing and knowing arrangements. The bassist literally is the glue that keeps everyone from falling apart. He has to know the song implicitly, exactly where you are in the song at any time, while other musicians only need to know where they are in each section, i.e. chorus, verse, etc. His timing is also what the band follows, if he speeds up or slows down even slightly, so does the rest of the band... he takes the role of the bassist AND drummer in a rock band. Plus, upright basses are considered hip, and always have been.

[f.sciarrillo]

Once again Rolling Stone shows that they know nothing about music.

These were voted on by the readers, not the editors. And let's be honest, the average RS reader probably isn't hip to Adam Nitti, Leland Sklar, Pino Pallindino, Tal Wilkenfield, Stanley Clarke, Bill Buddha Dickens, etc. It is a rock mag, so I'd expect a good heaping of rock players on there; although it is odd that the readers would leave off Sheehan.

Once again, Rock Page, we're not the majority when it comes to musical tastes and acting elitist about it won't change anything.

Good point, Paul. Good point.

[whitedevilone]

Once again Rolling Stone shows that they know nothing about music.

These were voted on by the readers, not the editors. And let's be honest, the average RS reader probably isn't hip to Adam Nitti, Leland Sklar, Pino Pallindino, Tal Wilkenfield, Stanley Clarke, Bill Buddha Dickens, etc. It is a rock mag, so I'd expect a good heaping of rock players on there; although it is odd that the readers would leave off Sheehan.

Once again, Rock Page, we're not the majority when it comes to musical tastes and acting elitist about it won't change anything.

Good point, Paul. Good point.

I've found that most readers of Rolling Stone know very little about music.If they did,they probably wouldn't waste their time with that rag.Complete leftleaning crappy journalism.Yea the new tightjean hipster band upset about their daddy or boyfriend.It took me 3years to get them to stop sending me free issues in the mail.Damn you FYE!!!!

[f.sciarrillo]

These were voted on by the readers, not the editors. And let's be honest, the average RS reader probably isn't hip to Adam Nitti, Leland Sklar, Pino Pallindino, Tal Wilkenfield, Stanley Clarke, Bill Buddha Dickens, etc. It is a rock mag, so I'd expect a good heaping of rock players on there; although it is odd that the readers would leave off Sheehan.

Once again, Rock Page, we're not the majority when it comes to musical tastes and acting elitist about it won't change anything.

Good point, Paul. Good point.

I've found that most readers of Rolling Stone know very little about music.If they did,they probably wouldn't waste their time with that rag.Complete leftleaning crappy journalism.Yea the new tightjean hipster band upset about their daddy or boyfriend.It took me 3years to get them to stop sending me free issues in the mail.Damn you FYE!!!!

Good point, Scott. Good point

[Banned]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photo ... en-0230408

10) Victor Wooten
9) Cliff Burton
8 ) Jack Bruce
7) Jaco Pastorius
6) John Paul Jones
5) Les Claypool
4) Geddy Lee
3) Paul McCartney
2) Flea
1) John Entwistle

Thoughts? Geddy Lee should have been 1

2. Cliff Burton
1. Geddy MotherfreaKING Lee
hahaha

[f.sciarrillo]

That should be a list of the most popular bass player, not the greatest.

[sstuckey]

Seriously? Paul McCartney ranks ABOVE Burton and Claypool and Geddy frikkin Lee?! That's rediculous sounding!!! How about Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne), or Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Ozzy, Metallica)? Paul flippin McCartney? You gotta be kidding me!!

[songsmith]

You have to understand how impossibly popular the Beatles were. On February 9th, 1964, the Beatles played on Ed Sullivan's show. On Feb 10th, about a million garage bands got started. Many, many of the top rock and pop musicians from the 70's and 80's were hugely impacted by the Beatles, not necessarily musically so much, but they saw how it affected people (esp. girls), and wanted in on this rock and roll thing. Plus, McCartney helped define rock bass outside of the I-IV-V formula. Most pre-Beatles rock could easily be learned by someone with no musical training... afterwards, you actually had to know something more than a three chords.

[bassist_25]

I still find it hysterical how everyone on here gets indignant when their favorite artist doesn't make a Top 10 list or gets nominated for a Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame induction.

[Banned]

Seriously? Paul McCartney ranks ABOVE Burton and Claypool and Geddy frikkin Lee?! That's rediculous sounding!!! How about Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne), or Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Ozzy, Metallica)? Paul flippin McCartney? You gotta be kidding me!!

There are talented musicians that do not play metal.

[bassist_25]

Seriously? Paul McCartney ranks ABOVE Burton and Claypool and Geddy frikkin Lee?! That's rediculous sounding!!! How about Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne), or Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Ozzy, Metallica)? Paul flippin McCartney? You gotta be kidding me!!

There are talented musicians that do not play metal.

+1

And while all of those people are great players in the genre of metal, cats like Sean Malone, Steve Digiorgio, Roger Patterson, Alex Webster, and Tony Choy would just smoke Burton, Ellefson, and Trujillo off the fretboard (and I consider myself a pretty big Ellefson fan). Martinie would probably be the only one who could hang.

But on a list like this, I still probably wouldn't put them ahead of Burton, Ellefson, and Trujillo in terms of influence. That's why lists like these usually go beyond objective chops and why I think McCartney is such an important player.

[sstuckey]

Seriously? Paul McCartney ranks ABOVE Burton and Claypool and Geddy frikkin Lee?! That's rediculous sounding!!! How about Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne), or Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Ozzy, Metallica)? Paul flippin McCartney? You gotta be kidding me!!

There are talented musicians that do not play metal.

+1

And while all of those people are great players in the genre of metal, cats like Sean Malone, Steve Digiorgio, Roger Patterson, Alex Webster, and Tony Choy would just smoke Burton, Ellefson, and Trujillo off the fretboard (and I consider myself a pretty big Ellefson fan). Martinie would probably be the only one who could hang.

But on a list like this, I still probably wouldn't put them ahead of Burton, Ellefson, and Trujillo in terms of influence. That's why lists like these usually go beyond objective chops and why I think McCartney is such an important player.

This list wasn't about the most influencial bassists, it was top 10 bassists. And in my comparison if you asked Burton to play ANYTHING ever written by the Beatles, he woulda said "hand me a bass". Now if you asked McCartney to play 'Battery' I'm pretty sure he'd say "you want me to play what?!!!"