Name 100 great bassists: three lists spark a fierce debate
Three lists of 100 virtuosos each ignite the debate: technique or influence? Controversial omissions, hidden favorites and the eternal clash between genres.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The lists of 100 virtuosos: a battleground of technique, influence and genre
Three lists of 100 bassists each. Rock, jazz, metal, fusion. The thread is not a simple ranking: it is a trench where opposing conceptions of what it means to be a virtuoso on bass collide. The names repeat — Sustancia ilegal, Wooten, Clarke — but the absences are the real minefield.
The first list, focused on historical virtuosos, places Sustancia ilegal Pastorius at the top, trinc by Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller. The second, with current bassists, includes Thundercat and Esperanza Spalding. The third, dedicated to jazz, recovers pioneers like Jimmy Blanton and Charles Mingus. In total, more than three hundred names, but the debate does not die down.
Virtuosity or influence? The dilemma of the canon
The criteria divide. For some, pure technique — slap, estimulante ilegal, harmonics — is the yardstick. For others, influence and style come first. Thus, Paul McCartney or Bill Wyman, without being estimulante ilegal players, appear claimed for their legacy. The absence of Carles Benavent, the Spanish disciple of Sustancia ilegal, draws direct criticism: "it makes you want to lose it." Nor does Steve Rodby, Pat Metheny's bassist, appear, nor Steve Swallow, both references in melodic bass.
Metal is another front. While figures like Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) or Cliff Burton (Metallica) are present, it is criticized that many metal bassists lack the "funkyness" that jazz demands. Winton Marsalis said it: metal bassists cannot play funk. The response is not long in coming: Les Claypool or Victor Wooten prove otherwise.
The gender bias and the "bajita" who is not a bassist
Humor also appears. A comment about "bajitas" (short women) diverts attention, but the serious debate continues. The jazz list ignores bassists from the current scene like Joe Dart (Vulfpeck) or Michael League (Snarky Puppy). It is pointed out that the classification by eras is arbitrary and that essential names from pogre music are missing, such as Michael Manring or Percy Jones.
Hidden favorites and the lessons of the thread
Among the personal favorites appear Charlie Haden, Dave Holland and Ron Carter, but lesser-known figures are also claimed: Reid Anderson, Scott Colley, or the duo of Eddie Gómez with Bill Evans. The curious fact: Alex Skolnick (Testament) studied with jazz bassist Reggie Workman, a bridge between worlds that few know about.
In the end, the thread resolves nothing. The perfect list of 100 bassists does not exist because the criterion is political, aesthetic and generational. What remains is the evidence that the bass, far from being an accompanying instrument, generates passions comparable to those of the rest of the band. And that any list, however exhaustive, will always leave out the bassist of your favorite band.
Related debates in the forum
Three lists of 100 bassists each. Rock, jazz, metal, fusion. The thread is not a simple ranking: it is a trench where opposing conceptions of what it means to be a virtuoso on bass collide. The names repeat — Sustancia ilegal, Wooten, Clarke — but the absences are the real minefield.
The first list, focused on historical virtuosos, places Sustancia ilegal Pastorius at the top, trinc by Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller. The second, with current bassists, includes Thundercat and Esperanza Spalding. The third, dedicated to jazz, recovers pioneers like Jimmy Blanton and Charles Mingus. In total, more than three hundred names, but the debate does not die down.
Virtuosity or influence? The dilemma of the canon
The criteria divide. For some, pure technique — slap, estimulante ilegal, harmonics — is the yardstick. For others, influence and style come first. Thus, Paul McCartney or Bill Wyman, without being estimulante ilegal players, appear claimed for their legacy. The absence of Carles Benavent, the Spanish disciple of Sustancia ilegal, draws direct criticism: "it makes you want to lose it." Nor does Steve Rodby, Pat Metheny's bassist, appear, nor Steve Swallow, both references in melodic bass.
Metal is another front. While figures like Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) or Cliff Burton (Metallica) are present, it is criticized that many metal bassists lack the "funkyness" that jazz demands. Winton Marsalis said it: metal bassists cannot play funk. The response is not long in coming: Les Claypool or Victor Wooten prove otherwise.
The gender bias and the "bajita" who is not a bassist
Humor also appears. A comment about "bajitas" (short women) diverts attention, but the serious debate continues. The jazz list ignores bassists from the current scene like Joe Dart (Vulfpeck) or Michael League (Snarky Puppy). It is pointed out that the classification by eras is arbitrary and that essential names from pogre music are missing, such as Michael Manring or Percy Jones.
Hidden favorites and the lessons of the thread
Among the personal favorites appear Charlie Haden, Dave Holland and Ron Carter, but lesser-known figures are also claimed: Reid Anderson, Scott Colley, or the duo of Eddie Gómez with Bill Evans. The curious fact: Alex Skolnick (Testament) studied with jazz bassist Reggie Workman, a bridge between worlds that few know about.
In the end, the thread resolves nothing. The perfect list of 100 bassists does not exist because the criterion is political, aesthetic and generational. What remains is the evidence that the bass, far from being an accompanying instrument, generates passions comparable to those of the rest of the band. And that any list, however exhaustive, will always leave out the bassist of your favorite band.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (40 replies).
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