The Best Female Bassists Of All Time Ranked
The following is a list of notable electric bass guitar players. The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. Since the 1950s, the electric bass guitar has largely replaced the double bass in popular music. Bass guitarists provide the low-pitched basslines and bass runs in many different styles of music ranging from rock and metal to blues and jazz. Bassists also use the bass guitar as a soloing instrument in jazz, fusion, Latin, funk, and in some rock styles. Musicians known mainly as guitarists are listed separately in the list of guitarists. Here are all of the best Female Bassists of all time ranked.
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20. Divinity Roxx
“Also known as MC Divinity and D. Walker, Divinity Roxx is a bass guitarist, composer, and rapper. She is known for her wide range of music, from R&B, rock, soul, to funk.”
19. Tracy Wormworth
“American bass guitarist Tracy Wormworth is a world-class musician, best known as the bassist for new wave band B-52s. She comes from a musical family, the daughter of Jimmy Wormworth who is a jazz drummer, the brother of James Wormworth who is also a drummer like his dad, and the sister of Mary Wormworth who is a vocalist.”
18. Rhonda Smith
“Canadian bass guitarist Rhonda Smith is best known for her tours and collaborations with the iconic Prince, setting the bar high on many levels of bass playing excellence. She has a very discerning taste for great basslines, which goes beyond her clear raw talent.”
17. Mohini Dey
“Bengali Indian musician Mohini Dey is one of the world’s — and India’s — most promising electric bass players. And no doubt, as she is the daughter of another bass guitarist, Sujoy Dey. Her soulful talent and incredible connection with her instrument are an addition to her performance. Many well-known musicians have referred to Mohini as a prodigy.”
16. Meshell Ndegeocello
“Michelle Lynn Johnson, more known by her stage name Meshell Ndegeocello, is a multi-talented singer-songwriter, rapper, and one of the best female bass players of all time. She is even considered an influential figure in the neo-soul genre. Her unique style is a beautiful mix of soul, jazz, reggae, funk, hip hop, and rock.”
15. D’arcy Wretzky
“D’arcy Elizabeth Wretzky-Brown, sometimes known mononymously as D’arcy, was the Smashing Pumpkins’s original bass player. She knew from a young age that her dream was to be a musician. She has set her sights on this dream since she was 10 years old. However, a few years into her stint with Smashing Pumpkins, she left the group to pursue an acting career.”
14. Kristen Pfaff
“Nineties rock icon Kristen Pfaff was most known for her work with the alternative rock band Hole as their bassist. As a child, she studied the piano and cello, and she learned to play the bass guitar on her own. In her short career, she was most notably a skilled bassist and a gifted songwriter.”
13. Paz Lenchantin
“Argentine-American musician Paz Lenchantin is one of the most skilled bass players in modern history. Besides playing bass, she is also an accomplished violinist, pianist, and vocalist. She is best known as part of the alternative-rock band Pixies after founding member and original bassist Kim Deal left the group. She has also worked with other rock bands such as Silver Jews and Zwan, just to name a few, either playing strings or bass.”
12. Kathy Valentine
“Born Kathryn Valentine, Kathi Valentine is a singer-songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the bassist of pop-punk band The Go-Go. The unique thing about The Go-Go is that it’s the first and only all-female band to have a #1 album in the US, and Valentine’s superb bass-guitar skills are one of the many reasons for their popularity.”
11. Melissa Auf Der Maur
“Canadian singer, songwriter, photographer, and actress Melissa Auf Der Maur is best known for forming Tinker, an indie rock band in the early 1990s. Her bass playing has influenced mainly alternative-rock music. She was a master at customizing the sound and attitude of the song, with a dose of originality and creativity that could carry the whole song forward.’
10. Gail Ann Dorsey
“Best known as a member of David Bowie’s band, Gail Ann Dorsey is not just a bass guitarist but also a vocalist, songwriter, and screenplay writer. She was gifted a bass guitar on her 14th birthday but didn’t really take to heart that she would become a bass guitarist until six years later. Her main background, however, wasn’t in music but in film, becoming a writer for screenplays during her earlier days.”
9. Sean Yseult
“Born Shauna Reynolds, Sean Yseult is a multi-talented woman who is a photographer, a novelist, and a heavy metal bassist. Sean is best known for her stint as the bassist for the heavy metal band White Zombie. She later formed another band, Famous Monsters, after White Zombie ceased to play music in 1998.”
8. Suzi Quatro
“Quatro was the first female bassist to break into the mainstream of rock music. One of Suzi’s distinctive techniques is her lengthy bass guitar solos during her performances, as well as her impressive singing talent and distinctive stylish leather jumpsuits.”
7. Aimee Mann
“The bassist and lead singer for a Boston-based new wave band Til Tuesday, Aimee Mann is a two-time Grammy-awarded musician. NPR Music even included her in the Top 10 Greatest Living Songwriters list in 2006. In fact, she was the songwriter behind Til Tuesday’s hit single “Voices Carry.” Her bass playing, like her songwriting, has a minimalist refinement to it. With simple yet well-thought-out phrases, she has an extraordinary skill for creating enigmatic songs.”
6. Kim Deal
“Best known as the Pixies bassist and occasional lead singer, Kim Deal is a multi-instrumentalist musician who also played a key role in the growth of grunge. Deal’s breathy vocals, powerful bass lines, and memorable hooks raised the Pixies to a new level. Pixies’ signature sound may best be defined as a blend of punk, rock, and pop, thanks to her unique strategy of using old bass strings.”
5. Tal Wilkenfeld
“Australian bass guitarist Tal Wilkenfeld is more than just an instrument player. She is also a singer and songwriter who has her own mark in the music industry as a solo artist. Wilkenfeld’s music covers a variety of genres, including rock, folk, funk, and jazz. On alternative/indie tunes, her creative bass playing techniques are clear; she uses flat-wound strings to generate warm and harmonious sounds.”
4. Carol Kaye
“One of the most prolific bassists in all history, Carol Kaye is known to have played around 10,000 recordings in her long career beginning in the late 1950s. The interesting thing about Kaye was that she didn’t intend to be a bass guitarist when she began her career. While doing session work at Gold Star Studios, the bassist didn’t show up, prompting Kaye to fill in their place.”
3. Kim Gordon
“The bassist and a founding member of the prominent punk-rock band Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon was an artist first before eventually becoming a musician. Gordon has made an indelible mark on the alternative-rock genre with her rock-solid low end and rhythmic bass lines. Her meaty and punk bass lines, which were quite influential in the rising grunge era of the 1980s, are one of her most striking styles.”
2. Tina Weymouth
“Martina Michèle Weymouth, better known as Tina Weymouth, is the bass player for the rock band Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. She uses articulation, space, and a keen sense of note length to assist the rhythm of her music. Her style has a distinct edgy vibe and is marked by syncopated notes, which add boldness.”
1. Esperanza Spalding
“Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding was the first and only jazz artist to win a Grammy award as Best New Artist. Her signature bass playing is notable for its harmonious tone, which gives her songs a bright and joyful feel. With complex harmonies, melodic bass, and rich vocals, she has made one gem after another.”
