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Since then he’s been Meat Loaf’s musical director and been both black and blue – with long stints in Joan Jett’s Blackhearts, Hall & Oates, and the Blue Öyster Cult. Kasim Sulton jumped in the deep end by joining Todd Rundgren’s prog-rock band Utopia, during their most complex phase, at age 20. 41: Kasim Sulton (Todd Rundgren, The Blackhearts) After catching Keith Richards’ ear, Spampinato played on his solo record Talk Is Cheap. Usually playing fretless bass, he had no problem putting walking jazz basslines into their most straightforward pop tunes and rocking out during their jazz numbers. 42: Joey Spampinato (NRBQ)Īs the longtime bassist for the cult bar band NRBQ (New Rhythm And Blues Quartet), Joey Spampinato embodied that band’s tight-but-loose mindset. But Pegg stands out for his dexterity, his swing, and his ability to ignore any folk/rock boundaries. 43: Dave Pegg (Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull)īoth of the bands Dave Pegg played in, Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull, have a history of remarkable bassists (take a bow, Ashley Hutchings and the late Glenn Cornick). Not to mention a few years kicking butt in the reunited Stooges. 44: Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE)Īs co-founder of the Minutemen, Mike Watt and his cohorts made unabashed virtuosity fun again and through his group fIREHOSE and solo years, he’s remained one of the most adventurous musicians in the indie world. Pity that he’s largely gone off bass playing in recent years. Look no further than his solo work or with pub rock supergroups Brinsley Schwarz, Rockpile, and Little Village.

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He also played with Hendrix – albeit posthumously, on the studio-created Crash Landing.Īlbeit better known as a producer ( Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, The Damned), Nick Lowe not only knew how to play fluid, often sophisticated basslines in a hard-driving rock’n’roll context but mastered how to make them sound killer on record. Though he began recording much earlier, Bob Babbitt really shone during Motown’s psychedelic era, where he brought some Hendrix consciousness into the later Temptations records.

James Jamerson’s less-celebrated Motown successor deserves inclusion here.

Not only is he a world-class film composer and multi-instrumentalist, but he’s a trusted bass player for some of the best jazz musicians in the history of the genre. Look, if you’ve played with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, you’ve got to be dynamite. Myung ends every show by “warming down,” ending the night the same way he began it: playing bass. That comes from none other than his ferocious work ethic and insane practice schedule. John Myung, a founding member of Dream Theater, grew up playing violin before transitioning to bass in high school. – Sam Armstrong 53: John Myung (Dream Theater) He’s celebrated for his use of chording, two-handed tapping, right-hand “three-finger picking” technique, and controlled feedback, but all that would be moot if he couldn’t keep a good feel for the rhythm. – Sam Armstrong 54: Billy Sheehan (Steve Vai, David Lee Roth)īilly Sheehan is a bass player’s bass player, able to effortlessly blend impeccable technique with an innate feel for groove. He’s the group’s primary songwriter, in addition to being the core of the group’s rhythm section. He has been the band’s only constant member since their inception in 1975 and one of only two to have appeared on all of their albums, the other being guitarist Dave Murray. While you’re reading, listen to our Best Bass Guitar Riffs playlist here.

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