10 Greatest Hard Rock Basslines
1. YYZ - Rush
It's almost silly to compare which bassist is the greatest of all time. Each player brings something different to the table with their own sonic character as well as their unique way of playing off the other members of the band. Though everyone has their favorites, most of the hard rock bassists live in the shadow of what Geddy Lee has created.
Across Rush's discography, Lee has created some of the most complex bass runs of all time, all while dressed in a kimono, singing, playing the keyboards, and triggering effects with his feet. Out of all of Rush's grand instrumental feats, it doesn't get any better than the extravaganza that is "YYZ." Even though the track is an instrumental, you can practically sing along to every single element of the track, but Geddy's performance is one for the history books.
Around the midpoint, the band kicks into a steady groove, where both drummer Neil Peart and Lee take turns firing off different fills, with Lee's being acts of superhuman endurance as well as eerily precise sonic assaults complete with harmonics and chord slides. This might not be the greatest bass performance of all time, but in rock circles, it's pretty tough getting any better than this.