The Best Blues Rock Bassist Of All Time Ranked

Blues rock can be characterized by bluesy improvisation, extended boogie jams typically focused on electric guitar solos, and often a heavier, riff-oriented sound and feel to the songs than found in typical Chicago-style blues. Blues rock bands “borrow[ed] the idea of an instrumental combo and loud amplification from rock & roll”. It is also often played at a fast tempo, again distinguishing it from the blues. Blues rock songs often follow typical blues structures, such as twelve-bar blues, sixteen-bar blues, etc. They also use the I-IV-V progression, though there are exceptions, some pieces having a “B” section, while others remain on the I. The Allman Brothers Band’s version of “Stormy Monday”, which uses chord substitutions based on Bobby “Blue” Bland’s 1961 rendition, adds a solo section where “the rhythm shifts effortlessly into an uptempo 6/8-time jazz feel”. The key is usually major, but can also be minor, such as in “Black Magic Woman”. One notable difference is the frequent use of a straight eighth-note or rock rhythm instead of triplets usually found in blues. An example is Cream’s “Crossroads”. Although it was adapted from Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues”, the bass “combines with drums to create and continually emphasize continuity in the regular metric drive”. Here are all of the Best Blues Rock Bassist of all time ranked.

See more: The Best Glam Metal Guitarists Of All Time Ranked

See more: The Best Glam Metal Bassists Of All Time Ranked

20. Marcus Miller

“Simply the best there is! Not only is he a great player but he is a great composer. He has written for the best, most notably David Sanborn. His technique, the sound he tickles out of his bass, the way he is shifting through genre nuances, the encore improvisations he unleashes, I could keep rambling about this for a while.”

19. Willie Weeks

“Beautiful tone, tasteful chops and great feel. Willie has played on hundreds of great albums and with so many influential artists that he must be one of the most influential unsung musicians in history! Highlights include Donny Hathaway Live and George Harrison’s Thirty Three and a Third”

18. Duff McKagan

“Not the best technical level but definitely he has an awesome sense of bass playing and generally melody.. One of the main factors of the guns n’ roses commercial and not even succes… If he’s not the best bass player he’s for sure one of the best bass line composer.. A bass line can’t be noticed often from a not musician, duff is one of the bassists that have achieved the attention of all kind listeners with his special tone and his melodies.”

17. Geezer Butler

“One of the must influencer bass player in the history, you can hear covers of Sabbath but you will never hear the powerful sound and blasting rhythm of this God who touch the earth with a bass in his hands… ust listen to the bass solos of N.I.B or Sweet Leaf and you’ll know what I am saying… Not to forget he’s an awesome lyricist too!”

16. Jack Bruce

“His incredible playing and ground-breaking sounds have influenced many of the other bass players listed here. His constant growth and change and adaptation to new ideas is apparent in everything he plays. His song writing and collaborations are always unique, powerful, and intriguing.”

15. Victor Wooten

“He may be the greatest single musician I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing live on any instrument. The speed, the slaps, the harmonics, unmatched. Watch “sinister minister” on YouTube and be floored. The behind the back swinging the bass around without missing a beat.”

14. Roger Waters

“Roger waters made some of the most memorable bass lines ever. So in that case he is better than john paul jones, but not as good as john entwistle. He just sounds better on bass than anyone else because he digs into your soul. Just listen to Money, Time, Childhood’s End, Comfortably Numb, Another Brick In the Wall, Echoes, and Let There Be More Light. He is SO unique.”

13. Suzi Quatro

“Susan Kay “Suzi” Quatro is an American hard rock singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. She was the first female bass player to become a major rock star, breaking a barrier to women’s participation in rock music.”

12. Mike Kerr

“His sound is so good that they don’t need a guitarist. Royal blood is one of the best bands of the 2010s. They’re awesome musicians sound is amazing but the new album cover is gross and awful.

11. Tom Hamilton

“Thomas William Hamilton is an American musician who serves as the bassist for the hard rock band Aerosmith. He has regularly co-written songs for Aerosmith, including two of the band’s biggest successes: “Sweet Emotion” and “Janie’s Got a Gun”

10. Phil Lynott

“The quintessential frontman bassist,singer, songwriter, lyricist.
He played so melodically it was like an extra guitar and his audience interaction must have inspired folk like Freddy Mercury.”

9. Billy Cox

“Hendrix’s favorite bass player. Listen to the Cry of Love He is one of the funkiest bass players I have ever heard. William Cox is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix. This guy blends an incredibly technical style and makes the most passionate, beautiful melodies I have ever heard.”

8. Carol Kaye

“Carol Kaye puts male bass players to shame. Just listen to those songs she did on Pet Sounds and of course “River Deep – Mountain High” Carol and the Wrecking crew are some of the most influential musicians of the rock and roll era.”

7. Jaco Pastorius

“Pro bassist ever knows jaco has the most unique sound and basically paved the way for modern bass playing. He wrote a whole song exclusively with harmonics, he was the first bassist ever to be a bass virtuoso and not just the bassist in a band. He was the first to have a solo album as a bassist and ontop of all that he has the best groove and rhythmic feel ever.”

6. Glenn Cornick

“Glenn Cornick is (in my opinion) the best bassist Jethro Tull has ever had. He Was there from the beginning, and got fired for no reason in 1971. If you listen to Jethro Tull’s cover of Bach’s Bourée, you will see what I mean from his stellar bass solo which has a regular rhythm and actual bass strumming with his hands and back to the regular rhythm again. He is awesome.”

5. Andy Fraser

“Andrew McIan Fraser was a British musician and songwriter, best known as the bassist and co-composer for the rock band Free, which he helped found in 1968 when he was 15. He also founded the rock band Sharks after Free disbanded 1972”

4. Rex Brown

“Rex Robert Brown is an American musician. He is best known as the longtime bassist for heavy metal band Pantera, from 1982 to their disbandment in 2003, and as of their reunion in 2022, he is the band’s only constant member.”

3. Steve Vai

“Steven Siro Vai is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for Frank Zappa, and played in Zappa’s band from 1980 to 1983.”

2. John Paul Jones

“First of all, his licks were tastefully done to compliment the song he was playing on. Virtuosity among other things was a major bonus with John Paul Jones how many other bass could achieve his virtuosity. Not to mention being well versed on the keyboards, Mandolin, acoustic guitar, basically in a band where every song they ever made was great or creative. Every player must be great.”

1. Willie Dixon

“Definitely Willie Dixon, he played bass on a lot of the popular blues songs at the time but he also wrote a lot of them which is pretty cool. Willie Dixon is so renowned as a songwriter that his importance as one of the best bassists of all time often gets overlooked.”