10 Greatest Bass Players In Rock Music History

In the grand history of rock and roll, there isn't a chance of making a list like this and not bringing up the Beatles. If you were to break it down though, Paul McCartney might not be the most technically skilled bass player when put him up against the virtuosos of the world. It might be simple...but it's not that easy to replicate what he did as the '60s revolution got underway.

As far back as the Ed Sullivan Show, Macca was never satisfied just playing the root note of the chord, flying all over the neck on songs like All My Loving and even working in full scales on songs like Hello Goodbye later down the line. What really cements him as a legendary bassist is how he thought of it as an extension of what you do on a guitar, sprinkling in breaks that would become their own musical hooks, like the descending line of Dear Prudence or the swampy groove behind Come Together.

Above all else, McCartney was the king of knowing how to play just the right part to suit the song's mood. Even though he could have put as many notes as possible into a break, his instinct of when to go for it and when to lean back is unparalleled.

Because when you're in a rock band, it takes the true professionals to know when to lean into the groove and let the song breathe.