A bassist is a musician who plays a bass guitar or double bass. This page lists famous bassists in four categories, depending on whether they are primarily known for playing bass guitar, double bass, both, or their main instrument is unknown. Certain musical genres tend to use one or the other (for example, bass guitar for rock and roll or pop music but double bass for classical music and jazz) but the rule is not hard and fast.
The lists are organised by alphabetical order of first name and brief mention may be made of their specific contribution or famous groups they have worked with.
Bass guitar
- See also List of bass guitarists
- Abraham "Abe" Laboriel (important LA session player, known for his work with Koinonia)
- Adam Clayton (from U2)
- Alain Caron (from Uzeb, plays six-string and fretless)
- Alex Fenn (electric jazz bass player who plays a 1976 Fender Mustang Bass)
- Andy Rourke (from The Smiths, known for his "song within a song" basslines)
- Anthony Jackson (pioneer on the six string bass, worked with Chick Corea, Chaka Khan, O'Jays, Quincy Jones)
- Aston Barrett, aka "Familyman" (from Bob Marley & The Wailers, played with many reggae figures)
- Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac (from the Jacques Loussier Trio)
- Bernard Edwards (founding member of Chic, whose Good Times is one of the most sampled/copied bass lines ever recorded)
- Berry Oakley (from the Allman Brothers Band, compelling melodic lines underneath guitar solos)
- Bill Wyman (from The Rolling Stones)
- Billy Gould (from Faith No More)
- Billy Sheehan (rock bass virtuoso, known for wild playing style such as tapping and harmonics bending etc.)
- Bootsy Collins (pioneering funk bassist)
- Brian Bromberg (Jazz fusion bassist)
- Brian Ritchie (from Violent Femmes)
- Brian Wilson (sometime Beach Boys bassist)
- Carol Kaye (the most recorded bassist in history)
- Chris Squire (innovator of progressive rock with Yes, speed-picking melodic style on trademark Rickenbacker 4001)
- Cliff Burton (from Metallica)
- Colin Greenwood (from Radiohead)
- D'Arcy Wretzky (formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins)
- David Ellefson (from Megadeth, Metallica's rival band.)
- Dave Pegg (British folk-rock bassist who brought fluidity to the genre's bass style: also played rock with Jethro Tull)
- Dee Dee Ramone (one of the founding four members of The Ramones)
- Dee Murray (played on classic Elton John recordings, further developed style pioneered by McCartney)
- Donald "Duck" Dunn (pioneering soul bassist for the Mar-Keys, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and the Blues Brothers, heard on large numbers of Stax recordings)
- Doug Wimbish (pioneer of hip hop bass playing, worked with Sugarhill Gang, Living Colour, Mick Jagger, Joe Satriani)
- Duff McKagen (former bassist for Guns N' Roses, now plays for Velvet Revolver)
- Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), see Michael Balzary
- Gary Moundfield (aka Mani, formerly of The Stone Roses and now of Primal Scream)
- Gary Willis (one of the finest post-Jaco bassists, known for his playing with Tribal Tech as well as his solo work)
- Geddy Lee from Rush (regarded as a first-rate bassist, pioneered the use of time signatures within progressive rock and its prog-metal subgenre)
- Geezer Butler (from Black Sabbath)
- Geoff Kresge (formerly of Tiger Army and AFI)
- Glenn Cornick (founding bass player with Jethro Tull)
- Glenn Hughes (from Deep Purple)
- Guy Berryman (from Coldplay)
- Jack Bruce (vocalist in Cream, pioneered a melodic, contrapuntal approach)
- Jack Casady (free-form jazz-rock in Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna—true progenitor of "jam-bands")
- Jaco Pastorius (renowned jazz bassist, solo albums considered landmarks, popularized fretless bass, played with Pat Metheny, Weather Report, more)
- Jah Wobble (original bassist for Public Image Ltd, later UK reggae artist, known for "impossibly deep" tone)
- James Jamerson (pioneering bassist of Motown house band "Funk Brothers", played on dozens of key Motown hits)
- Jason Newsted (from Voivod, formerly of Metallica)
- Jeff Berlin (extraordinary bassist and teacher)
- Jeordie White, formerly Twiggy Ramirez (from Nine Inch Nails / A Perfect Circle, formerly from Marilyn Manson)
- Jerry Only (bassist for The Misfits)
- Jimmy Haslip (plays with strings arranged "upside down")
- Jimmy Johnson (well respected, invented 5-string bass)
- Jimmy Lea (original bassist with Slade, an excellent songwriter and bass / violin virtuoso)
- Jimmy Page (was also the bassist of the Yardbirds)
- Joe Lally (from Fugazi)
- Joey DeMaio (from Manowar)
- John Deacon (from Queen)
- John Entwistle (from The Who, one of the most influential rock bassists of all time; introduced the concept of bass guitar as a lead instrument; inspired many musicians to become bassists.)
- John Myung (of Dream Theater, noted for incredible speed and virtuosity, master of bass tapping technique)
- John Paul Jones (from Led Zeppelin)
- John Taylor (founding member of Duran Duran, brought funk-style bass to foreground of pop music tracks)
- Justin Chancellor (from Tool)
- Kim Clarke (from Defunkt, seamless switching between fingerstyle funk and slap)
- Kim Deal (from The Pixies and The Breeders)
- Kim Gordon (from Sonic Youth)
- Krist Novoselic (from Nirvana (band))
- Larry Graham (originator of 'slap bass' technique)
- Lemmy Kilmister (from Motörhead)
- Leon Wilkeson (from Lynyrd Skynyrd)
- Les Claypool (from Primus (band))
- Lincoln Goines (latin jazz sideman)
- Louis Johnson (pioneer of the slapping technique, work with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones)
- M. Chvasta (from Light Pupil Dilate)
- Marcus Miller (jazz bassist, developed slapping and fretless technique, played with Miles Davis and David Sanborn)
- Mark Hoppus (from blink-182)
- Mark King (bassist with Level 42, known for his very fast slapping techniques, also sang at the same time)
- Matt Freeman (bassist for Rancid and Operation Ivy)
- Me'shell Ndegeocello (Grammy-winning bassist and singer)
- Michael Balzary, a.k.a "Flea" (bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, incorporates fingerstyle funk, slap, and punk styles)
- Michael MacIvor (bassist for Candiria, technical five string jazz bass playing paired with metal/hardcore)
- Michael Manring (innovative work with multiple alternate tunings)
- Mick Karn (bassist and multi-instrumentalist with the band Japan)
- Miiko Watanabe (from the Screamin' Sirens and American Girls)
- Mike Dirnt (from Green Day)
- Mike Gordon (from Phish)
- Mike Rutherford (from Genesis)
- Mike Watt (unpredictable bassist for The Minutemen)
- Nick Beggs (founding member of Kajagoogoo and Iona, plays Chapman Stick, backed many other artists)
- Nick Seymour (from Australian/New Zealand pop rock band Crowded House)
- Nikki Sixx (from Mötley Crüe)
- Noel Redding (from The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
- Paul McCartney (the legendary musician behind Beatles' melodic lines)
- Paul Simonon (from The Clash)
- Peter Hook (from New Order, Monaco and Joy Division)
- Phil Lesh (from The Grateful Dead)
- Phil Lynott (from Thin Lizzy)
- Phil Thornalley (from The Cure and Johnny Hates Jazz)
- Pino Palladino (fretless playing)
- Reginald Arvizu, aka "Fieldy" (from Korn)
- Richard Hell (pioneering punk rock bassist)
- Rick Danko (one of the leaders in jazz/rock bass playing style. Bass player, guitarist and vocalist for The Band)
- Rick James (renowned funk bassist)
- Robert Trujillo (bassist for Infectious Grooves, Suicidal Tendencies, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica)
- Francis "Rocco" Prestia (from Tower Of Power)
- Roger Glover (from Deep Purple)
- Roger Waters (from Pink Floyd)
- Ross Valory (from Journey)
- Ryan Martinie (from Mudvayne)
- Simon Gallup (from The Cure
- Stanley Clarke (virtuoso jazz player, part of Return to Forever)
- Stefan Lessard (from Dave Matthews Band)
- Steve DiGiorgio (using fretless guitar, he played in Death, Testament, Iced Earth, Vintersorg)
- Steve Harris (from Iron Maiden)
- Steve Lawson (creates tracks out of multiple loops of bass sounds)
- Steve Severin (founding member of Siouxsie & The Banshees)
- Suzi Quatro (heavy metal singer/songwriter/bassist)
- Tim Foreman (from Switchfoot)
- Tom Jenkinson, aka Squarepusher (innovative electronic musician)
- Tom Petersson (from Cheap Trick, plays 12 string bass)
- Tony Levin (plays Chapman Stick and conventional bass guitar, played with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel)
- Victor Wooten (from Bela Fleck & the Flecktones)
- Will Lee (popular sideman, now in house band on Late Show With David Letterman)
Double bass
See also: Double bass
Bass guitar and double bass
Unknown
See also
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