Editor's Note: Voting and Reranking have been closed.
List of famous bassists, with photos, bios, and other information when available. Who are the top bassists in the world? This includes the most prominent bassists, living and dead, both in America and abroad. This list of notable bassists is ordered by their level of prominence, and can be sorted for various bits of information, such as where these historic bassists were born and what their nationality is. The people on this list are from different countries, but what they all have in common is that they're all renowned bassists.
Use every person on this list for yours, from Eddie Van Halen to Paul McCartney.
From reputable, prominent, and well known bassists to the lesser known bassists of today, these are some of the best professionals in the bassist field. If you want to answer the questions, "Who are the most famous bassists ever?" and "What are the names of famous bassists?" then you're in the right place. {#nodes}...more
- Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and record and film producer who gained worldwide fame as bass player for the Beatles. His... more
- Gene Klein (born Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949), known professionally as Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, actor, author, and... more
- Jared Joseph Leto (; born December 26, 1971) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and director. After starting his career with television appearances in the early 1990s, Leto achieved... more
- Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and film score composer. He is the founder, lead vocalist, and principal songwriter of the... more
- Michael Peter Balzary (born 16 October 1962), known professionally as Flea, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He is best known as the bassist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and,... more
- Sid Vicious (born John Simon Ritchie, 10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979) was an English bassist and vocalist. He achieved fame as a member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, replacing Glen Matlock,... more
- Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. After signing with Capitol Records in 1962, Wilson wrote or... more
- Anthony Joseph Pereira (born September 10, 1950) better known by his stage name, Joe Perry, is an American musician, songwriter and vocalist, who is best known as the lead guitarist and founding... more
- Douglas Glenn Colvin (September 18, 1951 – June 5, 2002), known professionally as Dee Dee Ramone, was an American musician, singer and songwriter best known as founding member, songwriter, bassist... more
- Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, bass guitarist, and member of the Jackson family. He was a member of The Jackson Five, a singing group consisting... more
- Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record executive. He is best known for being the bassist, lyricist, and backing vocalist for the... more
- John Alec Entwistle (9 October 1944 – 27 June 2002) was an English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter, and film and music producer. In a music career that spanned more than 40 years, Entwistle was... more
- Tony Ashwin Kanal (born August 27, 1970) is an American musician, record producer, songwriter, and animal rights activist. Kanal is the bassist and co-writer for the American rock bands No Doubt and... more
- Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, guitarist, photographer, philanthropist and activist. He rose to fame in Canada and the United States with... more
- Petrus Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), known professionally as Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative. Before forming... more
- Arthur Harold Kane Jr. (February 3, 1949 – July 13, 2004) was a musician best known as the bass guitarist for the pioneering glam rock band the New York Dolls. Kane was a founding member of the... more
- Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American bassist, singer, record producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician... more
- Michael Christopher Starr (April 4, 1966 – March 8, 2011) was an American musician best known as the original bassist for the rock band Alice in Chains, which he played with from the band's formation... more
Ville Valo
Ville Hermanni Valo (born 22 November 1976) is a Finnish singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the gothic rock band HIM. Influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath and... more- Edward Lodewijk Van Halen (January 26, 1955 - October 6, 2020) was a Dutch-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He was the main songwriter and founder—with brother and drummer Alex Van Halen,... more
- Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr.; December 11, 1958) is an American musician, songwriter, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary... more
- Joseph Patrick "Joe" Escalante (born January 30, 1963) is an American television writer, musician, radio host, film and music video director, amateur torero, and former television executive. He is... more
- George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English songwriter, singer, bassist, and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served solely as the... more
- Geddy Lee Weinrib, (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953), known professionally as Geddy Lee, is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist... more
- Patrick Martin Stumph (born April 27, 1984), known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and film composer. He is the lead... more
