My List...

1. Les Claypool - Need I say more

2. Flea - RHCP

3. Cliff Burton - The late and great!

4. Scott Ian - Anthrax

5. John Paul Jones - Zeppelin

6. Roger Waters - Floyd

7. Geezer Butler - Sabbath

8. Steve Harris - Iron Maiden ('Run To The Hills' come on people!)

9. Bootsy Collins - Parliament

10. Mike Watt - Minutemen

Just a few of my favorites.

Dave - your list is outstanding. I would add the following:

Jack Bruce, Cream
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, Korn
Geddy Lee, Rush
Justin Chancellor, Tool

and your most glaring omission ...

John Entwistle, The Who

Marvin Sherwood

Oh Ya, Entwhistle is No. 1 by a mile!

Don't forget those other stalwarts of British Rock and Roll, Bill Wyman and Paul McCartney. Both are outstanding. Listen to Sir Paul's bass playing on "A Day in the Life" together with Ringo's drumming....brilliant.

Jonas Reingold
Paul McCartney
Billy Sheehan
Tony Levin
Jonas Hellborg
Jaco Pastorius

Matt Freeman from Rancid.

Here is an extended bass solo from a live show. (caution, some language NSFW)
http://www.youtube.com/wa...08skBDQ3C4


But what I think makes him great is how he can play crazy bass lines within the structure of songs.
http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related

http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related

Victor Wooten is one of my favorites,
http://www.youtube.com/wa...w8ytGHTbNc

Stu Hamm is a recent discovery for me,
http://www.youtube.com/wa...QeEiEg1zWk

and Billy Sheehan is an amazing shredder.
http://www.youtube.com/wa...eLGBk1mE5U

My three top picks, in order: Geddy Lee, John Ro Myung, Billy Sheehan.

Lee is from Rush, and I credit him with some of the most creative and surprising bass performances in rock. Speaking as a bass player myself, I have many times run into anything from a momentary decoration to an entire bass line in a Rush tune that presented huge technical difficulty that only became evident when I tried to perform them. Lee literally makes it all look easy, because he's just that good. It's *not* easy.

Myung is from Dream Theater, and he is probably the best technical bass player I have ever had the pleasure to watch (on hidef video only, sadly.) The only thing more fun than watching him set fire to a bass line is to watch him play ultra complex (and lovely melodic) synchronized lines in tandem or in harmony with John Petrucci, the band's amazing, stunning, unbelievable guitarist (and who is also in my top three list of guitarists.)

Sheehan is... well, that man shows up just about everywhere. And I think he might have extra fingers hidden about his person. He's like the Leo Kottke of bass. If you've ever heard Leo Kottke just flat-out dominate an acoustic guitar, then you know just what I mean.

[This message has been edited by Major Pain (edited 1/14/2009).]

What!? No Gene Simmons!?

Cliff Burton- bar none

I'd have to add Sting from The Police. He used the bass as a lead instrument for many of the tunes they put out.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...tlKHh_f0-0

I almost forgot John Jowitt. He's in so many great bands that I love like Frost, Arena, Kino.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jowitt

John Wins
John Jowitt continues his winning streak by winning Best Bass Player at the 2008 CRS awards. This is the 12th time John has won the award. Congratulations JJ!

Here are some players not mentioned but are deserving IMO:
Felix Pappalardi - Mountain
Jack Casady - Jefferson Airplane
Will Lee - A whole bunch of acts (Currently with CBS Orchestra)
Rocco Prestia - Tower of Power
Timothy B. Schmit - The Eagles

That guy in Hal's post about the sushi-mobile knows how to play a mean bass.

Lemmy

Eddie Spaghetti

Don't forget Miles City's own - Sue Vetch - formerly with Cridland & Co. Sue's infamous 'walking bass' can not be topped!

Eric Swanson.....Mere Image

Chris Squire, from YES

Mike Gordon-phenominal Bass Player in all of his Projects.

Les Claypool-Most Innovative.

I also am partial to Slash from Guns N Roses and Phil Lesh, who has remained a favorite throughout the years. Cliff Burton from Metallica is up there as well.

definately FLEA. slap bass is awesome. I hate to correct people but Slash wasn't on bass. flashback to sweet child o mine guitar solo.

I don't have time to look up his name right now, but the dude that played bass for the Doobie Brothers has some serious skills. Give him a listen next time you hear a Doobie Bros tune on the radio. And whoever the guy is that plays bass on the Billy Squier tune "Lonely is the Night". Listen to the whole song. That bass riff that runs the last 30 seconds or so is absolutely righteous.