Top 10 Most Overrated Bassists
Michael Ryan Pritchard, known professionally as Mike Dirnt, is an American musician best known for being the co-founder, bassist, backing and occasional lead vocalist of the American punk rock band Green Day. Agreed. He's good but he's overrated. Most of his bass solos are just riffs. A lot think he's a very good bassist is because you could hear his bass riffs. But believe me or not but if you play your bass guitar without any other instruments playing, you'll make the same bass riffs.
He is a good bassist but too overrated.
He's overrated, but why is he first?
Mike is not Overrated
John Beverly, born John Simon Ritchie, later named Sid Vicious, was an English musician, most famous as the bass guitarist of the influential punk rock band the Sex Pistols, and notorious for his arrest for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. This man can't be overrated. He had angst and rebellion, which sucked people in. If we're talking about bass playing, let's be real, the dude sucked. But his icon is so unignorable.
How can he be overrated when most people agree that he was a terrible bassist? The people that do revere him look at him as a punk icon, not as an awesome bassist.
He great attitude and stage presence but he wasn't a very good bassist
Does he even count as a bassist?
Chaim Witz, known professionally by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, actor and television personality. He's probably the most deserving member of this list. He's not an inept bassist (otherwise he would've hired someone else to do it), but he puts way more emphasis on his showmanship and running the band than his actual bass playing.
Is he even a bassists because I'm pretty sure he's playing rythym guitar
My boy Cliff shouldn't be on here
Jonathan Lewis Seward, known as Johnny Christ, is the bassist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. Seward is the fourth bassist to join Avenged Sevenfold in 2003, replacing former member Dameon Ash. He should be number 1. Why is John Entwistle number 1?
Mark Allan Hoppus is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist for the pop punk band Blink-182. Born in Ridgecrest, California, Hoppus spent his childhood moving back and forth between his mother and father's ...read more. Unfortunately he is too overrated. But I think he is a great bassist, a great singer, a great musician and a great person. I love Mark, he's my favourite of the band. Are few to appreciate him. He would deserve much more.
Mark is a beast! His bass lines are original and he's a creative bassist. Unfortunately he is not so famous and appreciate. Probably the most underrated bassist, more than another.
You mean, Mark is Underrated
Mark's not overrated...
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Mötley Crüe. He is a less than average bass player, but had great vision & creativity.
One of the sloppiest bassists of all time. Deserves to be higher.
Not the greatest bassist but a great songwriter
Yup Sixx definitely sucks
John Alec Entwistle, was an English singer, songwriter, composer, musician, film and music producer. He is mostly known as the lead bassist for the rock band The Who. Just your average bassist. Way too overrated and overhyped. People act like he's the Jesus of bass. The bass solo in My Generation is overrated. The Who sucks, period.
Entwistle was great, but he wasn't THAT great. People act like he's the Jaco Pastorius of rock n roll bass.
Why is he on here?
Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-born American musician, best known as the bassist, a co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers with whom he was inducted in 2012 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Flea's not a bad bassist, but he's an extremely overrated one
He is a pretty good bassist but definitely not the best
Pretty Overrated
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame with the rock band the Beatles, one of the most popular and influential groups in the history of pop and rock music.One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, he is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, his versatile and wide tenor vocal range and his musical eclecticism, exploring styles ranging from pre-rock 'n' roll pop to classical and electronica. His songwriting partnership with John Lennon remains the most successful in history Come on man, "Something", "Paperback Writer", "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite", and "Taxman" are some of the best bass tracks ever.
The guy was good at writing hooks. On the piano. His technique on bass hurts the eyes and the ears, never mind the deplorable tone of a Hohner bass.
With a few cool basslines and nothing else, he's better when it comes to songwriting.
George Roger Waters is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He is mostly known for being the secondary lead vocalist and bassist of Pink Floyd. The whole of Pink Floyd are very overrated. Especially Waters and Gilmour. I don't even like their songs and for them it's all about the "feeling". REALLY?! Shred is much better than this feeling. Roger Waters is easily the most overrated Bassist, while Gilmour is by far the most overrated guitarist, along with Hendrix.
Roberto Agustin Trujillo, better known as Robert Trujillo, is an American musician known for his role as the current bassist of heavy metal band Metallica. Wait Entwistle is the most overrated bassist? The guy who invented the bass solo, invented the modern bass tone, the guy who invented the modern bass string? Entwistle was the most technically proficient bass player to ever live. The other guys on this list, eh not so much (like Trujillo). Yeah he gets a lot of praise, but find anyone who did what he did or can even play what he could play. Seriously putting Entwistle #1 is like putting Hadrien Feraud #1, makes no damn sense. Cliff Burton probably deserves to be #1
His crab walk looks stupid
What is Rob doing here?
Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton (February 10th 1962 - September 27th 1986) was an American musician, best known as the second bass guitarist for the American thrash metal band Metallica, recording three studio albums... read more Cliff Burton is a horrible overrated bassist who uses way to much distortion and hits so many out of key notes. People say he practices for six hours a day but I don’t hear any of it. He does not play lead bass yet his lovesick fans say he does. His fans are so sick in the head they say that Kirk Hammett should have been the one who died. Nobody deserves to die. Really all he did was copy John Enwhistle’s style of playing bass as a lead. I honestly quite hate this guy and also hate his stupid fans. F.Y.I in the Whom The Bell Tolls concert he looks like Wild Mike from back at the barnyard.
John Baldwin, better known by his stage name John Paul Jones, is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known as the bassist for the English rock band Led Zeppelin.
Years after Led Zeppelin split, Jones joined supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, featuring Dave Grohl and Josh Homme. He is also part of the folk band Dave Rawlings Machine. What's wrong with JPJ? I like the fact that he doesn't use too much treble, it means that he stays out of the way and holds down the low end. Plus, he knows how to write clever bass parts that still fit the song. That's what happens when you're a session musician.
He is not a bad bassists he is one of the best like other ones on the list like Victor Wooten or flea
Competent but no flair or distinctive tone.
Boring...He knows his way around the fretboard but no "umph". Just evaporates...
John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III was an American jazz bassist who was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He worked with Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, and recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader. His historical importance is beyond question. But in terms of sheer musical content, I.e. just analyzing the notes played, is in he in the same category as a Ron Carter or Paul Chambers.
Over the top and unlistenable.
Nirvana's bassist for the entirety of their lifespan before the group was disbanded in 1994. Nowadays, Krist is a humanitarian and a human rights activist. Most nirvana songs are based on his bassline, like smells like teen spirit and dumb. he's not overrated, he's actually great
He's underrated. Which idiot adds him?
Victor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, producer, and recipient of five Grammy Awards. Isn't he more like kinda underrated?
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, author and actor best known as the bassist and lead vocalist of the band Primus. I disagree totally with the commenter below and his Claypool rant. He has technical talent and ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO USE IT. None of his songs sound the same, as Primus engages in experimental music. Listen to, I don't know, Jerry was a racecar driver, American Life, Hamburger train, and Southbound Pachyderm, or any other Primus song and you'll see his basslines are all different. He's better than the vast, vast majority of band bassists. Also, need I mention he plays double bass on some other tracks (Mr. Krinkle for example). So what's up with "guutarist who picked up a bass". That's more like Lemmy. Claypool use bass techniques, like the slap and the double thumb, and fingerplays, so I don't know where you got that impression. Plus, he also, as I said, plays double bass, so it's not stupid generic playing at all. I don't get you.
He's just a half-assed guitarist who picked up bass. He just does the same slap, pop, and tap over and over ad nauseum. All his songs sound the same, he has no sense of melody or harmony. He's Yngwie Malmsteen for bassists, not much in the way of songwriting but is semi-technical and serves as that role of wank-idol for the people who never picked up a guitar because they didn't have the coordination. Linus Klausenitzer is tenfold what this hack will ever be.
This guy is not overrated, he is actually good. He slaps away and taps that bass like there is no tomorrow, and he has a unique sense of humor, which drives Primus off the list. He is underrated!
Amazing player... but very overrated
Justin Gunnar Walter Chancellor is an English musician formerly in the band Peach but best known as the bass player for rock band Tool. Chancellor is of English and Norwegian descent.
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician, singer, songwriter and author. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bass guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the band in 2016, following ...read more.
Michael Anthony Sobolewski, known professionally as Michael Anthony, is an American musician who is currently the bass player in the rock supergroup Chickenfoot. Anthony is best known as the former bass player for the hard rock band Van Halen.
Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath.
Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist, primary songwriter and founder of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.
Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979)is an American musician. He is best known for being the bassist, lyricist, and backing vocalist for the American rock band Fall Out Boy. Before Fall Out Boy's inception in 2001, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was notably the lead ...read more.
Gary Lee Weinrib, known professionally as Geddy Lee, is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Just cause he can play DOES NOT mean he's the best bassist of all time!
He can't be overrated. His talent is not even from this universe.
"Just cause he can play DOES NOT mean he's the best bassist of all time! "
Just because he is the best bassist DOES MEAN he is the best
