100 Greatest Rock Bassists
Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2026 9:46 pm
The Music Grid's 100 Greatest Rock Bassists!
Based on a blended criteria of technical ability, creativity, popularity, influence, innovation and my own bit of bias
Let the debate begin!
1. John Entwistle (The Who)
2. James Jamerson (The Funk Brothers / Motown)
3. Geddy Lee (Rush)
4. Chris Squire (Yes)
5. Jack Bruce (Cream)
6. Paul McCartney (The Beatles)
7. Les Claypool (Primus)
8. Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
9. Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report / Joni Mitchell)
10. Stanley Clarke
11. Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
12. Victor Wooten
13. John Deacon (Queen)
14. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
15. Cliff Burton (Metallica)
16. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
17. Tony Levin (King Crimson / Peter Gabriel)
18. Tim Commerford (Rage Against The Machine)
19. Justin Chancellor (Tool)
20. Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)
21. Donald "Duck" Dunn (Booker T. & the M.G.'s)
22. Carol Kaye (The Wrecking Crew)
23. Bootsy Collins (Parliament-Funkadelic)
24. Pino Palladino
25. Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead)
26. Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)
27. Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses)
28. Michael Anthony (Van Halen)
29. Robert Trujillo (Metallica / Suicidal Tendencies)
30. Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple)
31. Sting (The Police)
32. Mike Watt (Minutemen)
33. Simon Gallup (The Cure)
34. Kim Deal (Pixies)
35. Krist Novoselic (Nirvana)
36. Colin Greenwood (Radiohead)
37. Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead)
38. Berry Oakley (The Allman Brothers Band)
39. David Wm. Sims (The Jesus Lizard)
40. Peter Hook (Joy Division / New Order)
41. Jah Wobble (Public Image Ltd)
42. Trevor Bolder (David Bowie / Uriah Heep)
43. Andy Fraser (Free)
44. Mel Schacher (Grand Funk Railroad)
45. Felix Pappalardi (Mountain)
46. Overend Watts (Mott the Hoople)
47. Martin Turner (Wishbone Ash)
48. Burke Shelley (Budgie)
49. Pete Agnew (Nazareth)
50. Alan Lancaster (Status Quo)
51. Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys)
52. Karl Alvarez (Descendents)
53. Matt Freeman (Rancid)
54. Mike Dirnt (Green Day)
55. Mark Hoppus (Blink-182)
56. Fat Mike (NOFX)
57. Rob Wright (NoMeansNo)
58. Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr.)
59. Eric Avery (Jane's Addiction)
60. Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden)
61. Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam)
62. Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters)
63. Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down)
64. Chi Cheng (Deftones)
65. D'arcy Wretzky (The Smashing Pumpkins)
66. Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole / Smashing Pumpkins)
67. Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle / Pixies)
68. Jeordie White / Twiggy Ramirez (Marilyn Manson)
69. Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne)
70. Fieldy (Korn)
71. Oliver Riedel (Rammstein)
72. Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band)
73. P-Nut (311)
74. Dirk Lance (Incubus)
75. Mike Inez (Alice in Chains)
76. Rex Brown (Pantera)
77. David Ellefson (Megadeth)
78. Frank Bello (Anthrax)
79. Tom Araya (Slayer)
80. DD Verni (Overkill)
81. Jo Bench (Bolt Thrower)
82. Shane Embury (Napalm Death)
83. Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse)
84. Steve Di Giorgio (Death / Testament)
85. Troy Sanders (Mastodon)
86. Dan Briggs (Between the Buried and Me)
87. Ged Lynch
88. Paul D'Amour (Tool)
89. Nick Oliveri (Queens of the Stone Age)
90. Jesse F. Keeler (Death from Above 1979)
91. Chris Wolstenholme (Muse)
92. Nikolai Fraiture (The Strokes)
93. Carlos D (Interpol)
94. Hunter Burgan (AFI)
95. Joe Lally (Fugazi)
96. Mike Mills (R.E.M.)
97. Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads)
98. Bruce Foxton (The Jam)
99. Paul Simonon (The Clash)
100. JJ Burnel (The Stranglers)
Based on a blended criteria of technical ability, creativity, popularity, influence, innovation and my own bit of bias
Let the debate begin!1. John Entwistle (The Who)
2. James Jamerson (The Funk Brothers / Motown)
3. Geddy Lee (Rush)
4. Chris Squire (Yes)
5. Jack Bruce (Cream)
6. Paul McCartney (The Beatles)
7. Les Claypool (Primus)
8. Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
9. Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report / Joni Mitchell)
10. Stanley Clarke
11. Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
12. Victor Wooten
13. John Deacon (Queen)
14. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
15. Cliff Burton (Metallica)
16. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
17. Tony Levin (King Crimson / Peter Gabriel)
18. Tim Commerford (Rage Against The Machine)
19. Justin Chancellor (Tool)
20. Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)
21. Donald "Duck" Dunn (Booker T. & the M.G.'s)
22. Carol Kaye (The Wrecking Crew)
23. Bootsy Collins (Parliament-Funkadelic)
24. Pino Palladino
25. Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead)
26. Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)
27. Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses)
28. Michael Anthony (Van Halen)
29. Robert Trujillo (Metallica / Suicidal Tendencies)
30. Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple)
31. Sting (The Police)
32. Mike Watt (Minutemen)
33. Simon Gallup (The Cure)
34. Kim Deal (Pixies)
35. Krist Novoselic (Nirvana)
36. Colin Greenwood (Radiohead)
37. Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead)
38. Berry Oakley (The Allman Brothers Band)
39. David Wm. Sims (The Jesus Lizard)
40. Peter Hook (Joy Division / New Order)
41. Jah Wobble (Public Image Ltd)
42. Trevor Bolder (David Bowie / Uriah Heep)
43. Andy Fraser (Free)
44. Mel Schacher (Grand Funk Railroad)
45. Felix Pappalardi (Mountain)
46. Overend Watts (Mott the Hoople)
47. Martin Turner (Wishbone Ash)
48. Burke Shelley (Budgie)
49. Pete Agnew (Nazareth)
50. Alan Lancaster (Status Quo)
51. Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys)
52. Karl Alvarez (Descendents)
53. Matt Freeman (Rancid)
54. Mike Dirnt (Green Day)
55. Mark Hoppus (Blink-182)
56. Fat Mike (NOFX)
57. Rob Wright (NoMeansNo)
58. Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr.)
59. Eric Avery (Jane's Addiction)
60. Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden)
61. Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam)
62. Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters)
63. Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down)
64. Chi Cheng (Deftones)
65. D'arcy Wretzky (The Smashing Pumpkins)
66. Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole / Smashing Pumpkins)
67. Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle / Pixies)
68. Jeordie White / Twiggy Ramirez (Marilyn Manson)
69. Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne)
70. Fieldy (Korn)
71. Oliver Riedel (Rammstein)
72. Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band)
73. P-Nut (311)
74. Dirk Lance (Incubus)
75. Mike Inez (Alice in Chains)
76. Rex Brown (Pantera)
77. David Ellefson (Megadeth)
78. Frank Bello (Anthrax)
79. Tom Araya (Slayer)
80. DD Verni (Overkill)
81. Jo Bench (Bolt Thrower)
82. Shane Embury (Napalm Death)
83. Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse)
84. Steve Di Giorgio (Death / Testament)
85. Troy Sanders (Mastodon)
86. Dan Briggs (Between the Buried and Me)
87. Ged Lynch
88. Paul D'Amour (Tool)
89. Nick Oliveri (Queens of the Stone Age)
90. Jesse F. Keeler (Death from Above 1979)
91. Chris Wolstenholme (Muse)
92. Nikolai Fraiture (The Strokes)
93. Carlos D (Interpol)
94. Hunter Burgan (AFI)
95. Joe Lally (Fugazi)
96. Mike Mills (R.E.M.)
97. Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads)
98. Bruce Foxton (The Jam)
99. Paul Simonon (The Clash)
100. JJ Burnel (The Stranglers)