Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitar Amps
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • EVH trance state
  • Antonoff on Please Please Please
  • “Mick looked peeved. The Beatles had upstaged him”
  • 95k+ free music samples

Recommended reading

Paul McCartney
Artists “When I'm listening to Dear Prudence, you’re aware of what the bass is doing”: Gene Simmons salutes Paul McCartney
Scott Thunes and Frank Zappa
Artists “If you’re a bass player you are by definition a moron”: Frank Zappa’s bassist, Scott Thunes speaks out
Paul McCartney performs with guitarist Brian Ray on August 10, 2014 in Los Angeles
Artists “Paul’s basslines are iconic, not technically challenging”: How McCartney’s sidekick Brian Ray juggles bass and guitar
Harley Benton JB-62CC Mini Bass
Bass Guitars Harley Benton applies retro-classic colours to its beginner friendly short-scale JB-62CC Mini Bass
James Brown (1933-2006) performs live on stage with the J.B.'s, including bass guitarist Bootsy Collins on left and guitarist Catfish Collins (1943-2010) behind on right, in East Ham, London in March 1971
Bass Guitars “He was using reverse psychology on us”: Bootsy Collins on why James Brown’s fines worked for his musicians
Fender Player II Modified Active Precision Bass
Bass Guitars "A versatile jack-of-all-trades, with some excellent displays of mastery at times": Fender Player II Modified Precision Bass review
Carol Kaye
Artists “A lot of people don’t think this fits with Pet Sounds”: Carol Kaye on her 10 greatest recordings
  1. Artists
  2. Guitarists

The 17 best bass players in the world right now

News
By MusicRadar Team published 13 December 2017

The players who dominate the low end

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

17. Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion)

17. Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion)

The MusicRadar/Total Guitar Best in guitars 2017 polls have received over 136,000 votes, and we're now ready to roll out the winners. The nominees were what we considered to be the guitarists and guitar gear that have excelled in 2017. Here, we present the best bass players of 2017. First up we have Glenn Hughes of Black Country Communion...

2017 highlight: In 2016 Glenn Hughes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in recognition of his work with Deep Purple, but this year was all about the return of Black Country Communion. BCCIV, the fourth album from the blues rock supergroup, was produced by Kevin Shirley and the interplay between Hughes and Joe Bonamassa suggested the pair had patched up the differences that derailed the band in 2013.

The MusicRadar Best in guitars awards are brought to you in association with Allianz Musical Insurance - the UK's Number 1 Specialist Instrument Insurer

Page 1 of 17
Page 1 of 17
16. Mark King (Gizmodrome)

16. Mark King (Gizmodrome)

2017 highlight: While laying down the rhythms for Level 42 remains King’s day job, in 2017 he teamed up with Stewart Copeland, Adrian Belew and Vittorio Cosma for the frankly bonkers Gizmodrome. The resulting self-titled album played to each member’s strengths and was a joyous, experimental journey into prog.

Page 2 of 17
Page 2 of 17
15. Dave Swift (Jools Holland)

15. Dave Swift (Jools Holland)

2017 highlight: Dave Swift is best know as bass player for Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, and he’s a mean studio player too. In 2017 Swift spent most of his time on the road with Jools, delivering his swingin’ tunes to the masses.

Page 3 of 17
Page 3 of 17
14. John Myung (Dream Theater)

14. John Myung (Dream Theater)

2017 highlight: Earlier in 2017 Dream Theater hit the UK to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Images & Words, with Myung doing complete justice to the iconic bass parts he recorded back in the early ‘90s.

Page 4 of 17
Page 4 of 17
13. Sting

13. Sting

2017 highlight: The ever-youthful bass player took his solo show on the road throughout 2017 with a formidable band. The set included monster hits from both his solo material and trailblazing career with The Police. The Live at the Olympia Paris movie highlighted just what a mighty bass player he truly is, both on- and off-stage.

Page 5 of 17
Page 5 of 17
12. Rex Brown

12. Rex Brown

2017 highlight: Brown will always be best known for his pummeling bass work with metal icons Pantera, but he deserves credit for stepping from the shadows of that band to pick up a six string guitar and microphone to front his new solo band. His new album Smoke On This is a real, gritty and rocking affair.

Page 6 of 17
Page 6 of 17
11. Marcus Miller

11. Marcus Miller

2017 highlight: The American jazz bass supremo spent much of his year on the road, playing the most prestigious jazz music festivals on the map. In other news, Alex Han’s debut album Spirit, produced by Miller, was nominated for a Grammy award.

Page 7 of 17
Page 7 of 17
10. Michael Shuman (Queens Of The Stone Age)

10. Michael Shuman (Queens Of The Stone Age)

2017 highlight: Taking their new songs to super producer Mark Ronson was a genius move for Josh Homme and co. The resulting album, Villains, combined Ronson’s funky feel with Queens’ desert swagger. From the Trampled Under Foot-style stomp of Feet Don’t Fail Me Now to the Queens meets punk Head Like A Haunted House, Villains was brilliant from start to finish.

Page 8 of 17
Page 8 of 17
9. Thundercat

9. Thundercat

2017 highlight: Riding high on the wave of plaudits he received for his work on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, Thundercat (or Stephen Bruner to his pals) released his third solo album Drunk in 2017. In addition to appearances from music luminaries such as Pharrell, Lamar and Wiz Khalifa, the album fused electronic music with jazz fusion and, as well as highlighting Thundercat’s bass playing prowess, also cemented his reputation as a top producer.

Page 9 of 17
Page 9 of 17
8. Victor Wooten

8. Victor Wooten

2017 highlight: If you want a lesson in bass mastery look no further than Wooten’s newest solo album, Trypnotyx. Featuring everything from jazz fusion and hip-hop, to all out funk, the album is the perfect example of taste, virtuosity and control.

Page 10 of 17
Page 10 of 17
7. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)

7. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)

2017 highlight: Black Sabbath played their final shows together in 2017, the very last one fittingly performed in their hometown of Birmingham. While we hope they don’t really mean it, if that really is the end then Geezer Butler has left quite a mark on the rock and heavy metal bass playing world. Thank you, sir!

Page 11 of 17
Page 11 of 17
6. Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses)

6. Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses)

2017 highlight: This year’s Not In Our Lifetime… tour proved that the trio of Axl Rose, Slash and Duff were always the most potent element of Guns N’ Roses. With their differences aside, Duff picked up his bass once again to play those iconic, chorus-fuelled lines from Appetite For Destruction and beyond.

Page 12 of 17
Page 12 of 17
5. Bootsy Collins

5. Bootsy Collins

2017 highlight: No best bassist list should ever be without a bit of Bootsy. The funk icon proved he still works with the best on his latest album World Wide Funk. Guests included Victor Wooten, Buckethead and Stanley Clarke, but still it’s Bootsy’s distinctive style that stood out above everything else.

Page 13 of 17
Page 13 of 17
4. Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

4. Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

2017 highlight: Iconic, influential and responsible for forming one of the biggest heavy metal bands on the planet, the Iron Maiden bassist certainly deserves this high placing. This year the band once again boarded Ed Force One and flew to all corners of the globe to deliver their Book Of Souls world tour to their rabid fanbase.

Page 14 of 17
Page 14 of 17
3. Mike Kerr (Royal Blood)

3. Mike Kerr (Royal Blood)

2017 highlight: While many of the older names on this list will have certainly influenced the Royal Blood bass player/frontman, we’re almost certain Kerr is influencing a whole new generation of bass players. His thunderous sound and economical, grooving style have earned Mike and the band legions of fans since they emerged in 2014, and new album How Did We Get So Dark further proved they are still the most exciting thing happening in rock.

Page 15 of 17
Page 15 of 17
2. Billy Sheehan (Mr Big, Sons Of Apollo)

2. Billy Sheehan (Mr Big, Sons Of Apollo)

2017 highlight: Besides another new album from Mr Big, the prolific bass player started yet another project this year alongside brothers in prog Mike Portnoy, Bumblefoot, Derek Sherinian and Jeff Scott Soto. Sons Of Apollo was everything you’d expect from such a fearsome line-up and the band’s debut album Psychotic Symphony is a heavy, grooving prog fest!

Page 16 of 17
Page 16 of 17
WINNER: Robert Trujillo (Metallica)

WINNER: Robert Trujillo (Metallica)

2017 highlight: An incredibly deserving winner. Powerhouse bass player Trujillo has always been the muscular glue holding Metallica together, and his contributions to 2016’s Hardwired… To Self-Destruct would have made Cliff Burton proud. What’s more, Trujillo becomes a different beast altogether when the metal icons hit the road, and he stalked stages across the globe on 2017’s epic WorldWired tour.

Page 17 of 17
Page 17 of 17
Categories
Guitars
MusicRadar Team
MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the number 1 website for music makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, djs or producers...

  • GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high- quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.
  • TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.
  • STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music making that no other music website can.
Read more
Paul McCartney
“When I'm listening to Dear Prudence, you’re aware of what the bass is doing”: Gene Simmons salutes Paul McCartney
Scott Thunes and Frank Zappa
“If you’re a bass player you are by definition a moron”: Frank Zappa’s bassist, Scott Thunes speaks out
Paul McCartney performs with guitarist Brian Ray on August 10, 2014 in Los Angeles
“Paul’s basslines are iconic, not technically challenging”: How McCartney’s sidekick Brian Ray juggles bass and guitar
Harley Benton JB-62CC Mini Bass
Harley Benton applies retro-classic colours to its beginner friendly short-scale JB-62CC Mini Bass
James Brown (1933-2006) performs live on stage with the J.B.'s, including bass guitarist Bootsy Collins on left and guitarist Catfish Collins (1943-2010) behind on right, in East Ham, London in March 1971
“He was using reverse psychology on us”: Bootsy Collins on why James Brown’s fines worked for his musicians
Fender Player II Modified Active Precision Bass
"A versatile jack-of-all-trades, with some excellent displays of mastery at times": Fender Player II Modified Precision Bass review
Latest in Guitarists
Kirk Hammett of Metallica wears a studded denim jacket as he plays live with his Mummy ESP signature guitar
“Guitars should be played”: Kirk Hammett has been anonymously selling his guitars online
Fender Jack White Collection
Jack White on why he rerecorded half of the guitars on No Name after he got his new Fender tube amp
Mark Speer of Khruangbin sits with his natural finish Fender Strat while Laura Lee holds her new signature Jazz Bass.
Fender unveils DiMarzio-loaded Strat and Jazz Bass for Khruangbin’s Mark Speer and Laura Lee
This composite image features Charlie Starr playing a TV Yellow Les Paul Junior on the left, while Metallica's Kirk Hammett plays his Greeny Les Paul Standard, and James Hetfield plays his his ESP Snakebyte.
Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr on that time he took Duane Allman’s '57 Goldtop to a Metallica show
Brent Mason performs at Guitar Town at Copper Mountain, Colorado on 29 July, 2007
“I said, ‘Damn, I wish I'd cut that song faster!’”: How a master guitarist made a cult classic instrumental album
Eric Clapton
The Grammy-winning hit that Eric Clapton wrote to order, with a little help from Foreigner’s Mick Jones
Latest in News
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: My pick of Father's Day deals for musicians include $400 off the Polyend Play+, $200 off a Martin acoustic and so much more
pmt
"It’s been a tough few years": UK gear retailer PMT closes its doors and sells stock to Gear4Music
Gretsch Broadkaster Jr LX Center Block with Bigsby
Gretsch’s unveils new MIJ high-end semi-hollows with redesigned bodies and Pro Twin Six humbuckers
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter on her musical heroes, and why she decided to release a new album so soon... and Rush
Liam Gallagher, Sharna Liguz, Nicole Appleton and Zak Starkey attend the launch party of Liam Gallagher's new store Pretty Green on July 29, 2010
“I’ll cry... I’d have done that gig for nothing” Zak Starkey on why he'll miss the Oasis gigs
Fred Armisen as George Ross, Amy Poehler as Carolyn Kepcher, Donald Trump during "The Apprentice Band" skit on April 3, 2004
“I could’ve been a flutist”: Donald Trump is claiming he has an aptitude for music

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...