A bassist is a musician who plays a bass guitar or double bass. This page lists famous bassists in four categories, depending on whether they are primarily known for playing bass guitar, double bass, both, or their main instrument is unknown. Certain musical genres tend to use one or the other (for example, bass guitar for rock and roll or pop music but double bass for classical music and jazz) but the rule is not hard and fast.

The lists are organised by alphabetical order of surname and brief mention may be made of their specific contribution or famous groups they have worked with.

Bass guitar

• Guy Berryman from Coldplay
• Cliff Burton from Metallica
• Mike Dirnt from Green Day
• Bernard Edwards from Chic
• John Entwistle from The Who
• Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Simon Gallup
• Roger Glover from Deep Purple
• Lincoln Goines
• Mike Gordon from Phish
• Larry Graham
• Colin Greenwood from Radiohead
• Steve Harris from Iron Maiden
• Jimmy Haslip
• M. Chvasta from Light Pupil Dilate
• Peter Hook from New Order, Monaco and Joy Division.
• Mark Hoppus from blink-182
• Glenn Hughes from Deep Purple
• Anthony Jackson
• Tom Jenkinson aka Squarepusher
• James Jamerson
• John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin
• Lemmy Kilmister from Motörhead
• Steve Lawson
• Geddy Lee from Rush
• Will Lee
• Phil Lesh from The Grateful Dead
• Ryan Martinie from Mudvayne
• Sir Paul McCartney from The Beatles
• Marcus Miller
• Me'shell Ndegeocello
• Jason Newsted from Voivod, formerly of Metallica
• Jaco Pastorius
• Francis "Rocco" Prestia from Tower Of Power
• Suzi Quatro
• Noel Redding from The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• Mike Rutherford from Genesis
• Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac from the Jacques Loussier Trio
• Steve Severin
• John Taylor from Duran Duran
• Phil Thornalley
• Ross Valory from Journey
• Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols
• Roger Waters from Pink Floyd
• Miiko Watanabe from the Screamin' Sirens and American Girls
• Jeordie White from A Perfect Circle
• Leon Wilkeson from Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Victor Wooten from Bela Fleck & the Flecktones
• D'Arcy Wretzky formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins
• Bill Wyman from The Rolling Stones
• Joey DeMaio from Manowar
• Les Claypool from Primus (band)

Double bass

• Wellman Braud
• Brian Bromberg
• Ray Brown
• Ron Carter
• Mark Dresser
• Pops Foster
• Milt Hinton
• Bill Johnson
• Edgar Meyer
• Charles Mingus
• Slam Stewart
• Danny Thompson from Pentangle

See also: Double bass

Bass guitar and double bass

• Stanley Clarke
• John Patitucci
• Brian Bromberg
• Sting from The Police

Unknown

• Kelly Grouchet from Electric Light Orchestra

See also

• List of jazz bassists