Steve Harris

Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris (born 12 March 1956) is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist and leader of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded as a teenager in 1975. During the mid-1970s he was a youth team footballer for West Ham United. He often has the crest of West Ham on his bass. Harris is often considered among the best and most influential heavy metal bassists and most known for his trademark "galloping" basslines. Before playing, Harris often chalks his fingers, to make these fast patterns easier to play.

Don't, uh, don't worry so much about the stripy tights.

Bruce Foxton

Bruce Foxton (born 1 September 1955) is an English musician who is best remembered as the bass player in punk/new wave bands The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers. Foxton contributed greatly to transform recordings of Weller's compositions from what was presented to the group in demo form with his melodic and innovative bass parts, which have influenced a great many players. His energetic basslines were matched by his equally energetic stage performance.

This clip comes with a bonus Tony Wilson, free of charge.

Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman (born William George Perks; 24 October 1936) is an English musician best known as the bassist for The Rolling Stones. Wyman's bass sound came not only from his home-made fretless bass, but the "walking bass" style he adopted, inspired by Chicago blues upright bass players. His tight work with Charlie Watts anchored the Rolling Stones, exemplifying the "heartbeat and pulse" idea behind ideal rhythm sections

Il est un rock star.

Larry Graham

Larry Graham, Jr. (born August 14, 1946) is best known as both the bass guitar player in the soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone. He is credited with the invention of the slapping technique, which radically expanded the tonal palette of the bass, although he himself refers to the technique as "Thumpin' and Pluckin'.

So blame him.

Les Claypool

Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's funky, creative playing style mixes finger-tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends (unusual on a bass guitar), and slap technique. Claypool has been close friends with Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett since childhood and auditioned for the vacant position of bassist in Metallica. Frontman James Hetfield has said Claypool didn't get the position because "he was too good".

If you really must slap a bass, at least slap it like this.

Carol Kaye

Carol Kaye (born March 24, 1935) is one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55-year career. Throughout the 1960s, she played bass on a significant percentage of records that appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, though almost wholly unknown to the general public. One of the most popular albums Carol contributed to was the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. She is credited with the bass tracks on several Simon & Garfunkel hits, film scores by Quincy Jones and Lalo Schifrin and contributed bass tracks on several of the Monkees hits. Her tracks for Quincy Jones so impressed him, that he said in his 2001 autobiography that "... women like... Fender bass player Carol Kaye... could do anything and leave men in the dust."

The world's best known, unknown bass player.

Chris Squire

Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire (born 4 March 1948), is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist for the progressive rock group Yes. Squire's bass playing is noted for being aggressive, dynamic, and melodic. Squire's main instrument is a Rickenbacker bass. He constructed basslines where the bass played a separate melody from the main theme. The fact that the Rickenbacker had a "harpsichord-like" sound suited this approach perfectly. He also plays with a pick which contributes to the sharp attack.

Get cape. Wear cape. Why?

John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones (born John Baldwin on 3 January 1946) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as the bassist for English rock band Led Zeppelin. Many notable rock bassists have been influenced by John Paul Jones, including John Deacon, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Flea, Gene Simmons and Krist Novoselic. Jones is currently part of the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with Josh Homme and Dave Grohl.

Sorry dude, no Stairway.

Geezer Butler

Geezer Butler (born Terence Michael Joseph Butler on 17 July 1949) is best known as the bassist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Butler played rhythm guitar in his pre-Sabbath days, but when Sabbath was formed, Iommi made it clear that he wouldn't want to play with another guitarist, so Butler moved to bass. Butler is noted as being one of the first bassists to use a Wah-wah pedal on his bass, as showcased at the beginning of "N.I.B." which inspired many later bassists. He was also one of the first bassists to down-tune (from the standard EADG to the lower C#F#BE).

How to bludgeon unsuspecting victims armed with nothing more than a bass riff.

Phil Lynott

Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott (20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish musician who came to prominence as a founding member and frontman of the critically acclaimed Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. As leader of the band, Lynott's vocals and bass guitar were a key element in the commercial success of thirteen albums, in addition to a string of hit songs. The "Thin Lizzy sound" comprised of two harmonized guitars providing dense melodic lines. Underneath that Lynott's limber bass lines traversed the song.

Live. And dangerous.