World’s Most Famous Singing Bass Players

Music is subjective. The same can be said for the musicians playing the music. In this article, you will read our pick for the Top 10 World’s Most Famous singing bass players. This article will give you some background information on them and why we think they are the best.  Again, please remember, this list is subjective but a big congratulations to The Daily Banner’s pick for the World’s Most Famous Singing Bass Players.

PAUL MCCARTNEY

Paul McCarthy – Sir James Paul McCartney is by far the most famous SINGING BASS PLAYER so he takes our #1 spot. Paul’s accolades are vast, first with the Beatles and then with Wings and his solo stuff. His singer-songwriting skills are remarkable.  His singing voice is known across the globe. Paul continues to write, perform and inspire others with his own perseverance to follow ones dreams.

PETER CETERA

Peter Cetera is best known for being lead vocalist and bass player for the band Chicago. His recording career garnered 17 albums with Chicago and eight solo albums.  “If You Leave Me Now,” written and sung by Cetera garnered him his first Grammy Award. This song was also Chicago’s first #1 single. As a solo artist Peter has scored six Top 40 singles including 2 that reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 – “Glory of Love” and “The Next Time I Fall.” This man’s talent is undeniable.

STING

STING born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner was the bass player for the new wave rock band THE POLICE. He launched a solo career in 1985 as STING. Together in The Police and during his solo career, Sting amassed 17 Grammy Awards. He won song of the year with the mega hit, “Every Breath You Take.” It is easy to see why Sting gets an easy slide into the #3 spot on our list. With The Police, Sting became one of the world’s best-selling music artists.

KENNY ROGERS

Kenny Rogers played bass in the early years of his music career, most notably with the First Edition where he scored his first major hit, “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In.”) Being very popular in country music, Kenny remade his career and became one of the most successful cross-over artists of all time. He charted more than 120 hit singles across various genres, topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone. He sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his lifetime, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His fame and career spanned multiple genres: jazz, folk, pop, rock, and country. Kenny Rogers will always be thought of as a SUPERSTAR.

GENE SIMMONS

World’s Most Famous Singing Bass Players

Gene Simmons – born Chaim Witz is bassist and co-lead singer of KISS. He has scored the coveted #5 spot because we weighed in all his other successful endeavors like his TV show “Family Jewels.” Through that show, America really got to know Gene not only as a performer but as a human being. He actually has his own music page on Spotify.

JACK BRUCE

Jack Bruce was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a solo career and also played with several bands. Jack Bruce is a pretty familiar name across the globe.

WAYNE NELSON

Wayne Nelson is the current lead singer of Little River Band. With 43 years in the band, Wayne has been the lead singer for the past 25 of those years as well as the bass player. Wayne’s bass playing and vocals really started to get noticed when his vocals on “The Night Owls,” elevated the song to chart at #6 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The band has seen a resurgence with Nelson as band leader and vocalist. LRB tours nationally 11 months a year with some international dates when time allows. His vocals continue to be pristine as he makes his way show after show through the entire Little River Band hit song catalog. Nelson’s combined vocals and baseline continue to impress as he proves the old adage that “like a fine wine, he keeps getting better with age.” Wayne landed the number 7 spot on this very prestigious list because he is one of the most talented and hardest working singing bass players out there who continues to thrill audiences to this day.

GEDDY LEE

Geddy Lee is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. If you are a Rush fan, you know how much he has always contributed to the band.

SUZI QUATRO

Suzi Quatro is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of hit singles that found greater success in Europe and Australia. Quatro has released fifteen studio albums, ten compilation albums, and one live album. Her other solo hits include “48 Crash“, “Daytona Demon“, “The Wild One”, and “Your Mama Won’t Like Me”. Following a recurring role as bass player Leather Tuscadero on the popular American sitcom Happy Days, her duet “Stumblin’ In” with Smokie‘s lead singer Chris Normanreached No. 4 in the US. We had to have at least one women on this list and Suzi over met the criteria.

JACO PASTORIUS III

John “Jaco” Pastorius III – Jaco was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and was a member of Weather Reportfrom 1976 to 1981. He collaborated with other artists, most notably Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell. His bass playing employed funk, lyrical solos, bass chords, and innovative harmonics. As of 2017 he was the only electric bassist of seven bassists inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame.  Jaco left this world way to soon at the age of 35. Who knows what other magic he may have presented to the audience had he lived a long life. Pastorius also happens to be the bass player that all the other bass players hold in high regard. This would not be a proper top 10 without him on it.

Singing bass players are few and far between. It takes a special kind of genius to be able to hold down the bass line and remember and sing lyrics. Singing Bass players brains are wired differently. When you meet one, know you are in the presence of a talented, very unique individual. We hope you enjoyed our list of top 10 World’s Most Famous Singing Bass Players.