After looking at the main list, I decided that a list like this would make a lot of sense. Most of the best bass players of the last decade or two have been heavily involved in fusion and have lots of influence and impact across multiple genres. This includes players like Victor Wooten, Tal Wilkenfeld, and Michael Manring. It also excludes upright players or any influence a musician has had on upright bass playing, since playing upright tends to differ heavily from playing electric.

Anyway I figured this list might be a good idea since similar styles of bass playing tend to cross many genres, and because there's been a massive bridge between instrumental rock and fusion.

Here's my idea for a Top 10. In no specific order:

Jaco Pastorius
James Jamerson
John Entwistle
Stanley Clarke
Larry Graham
Tony Levin
Chris Squire
Louis Johnson
Victor Wooten
Jack Bruce

Who else would you guys recommend?

Those are pretty good ones. You've also got to consider players like John Pattitucci, Marcus Miller, Abe Laboriel, Anthony Jackson, Joe Osborn, Will Lee, and several others.

What about Jim Colegrove?

Entwistle, Jamerson, Squire and Bruce are all musts. So is Jaco. Levin is at worst a near-must (lol...). Clarke may well be top 10 but I don't think it's certain. Wooten is NOT top 10. Johnson may or may not be top 10; my gut tells me he doesn't make it.

So yeah, all quibbling aside, fantastic top 10 for the most part. But given how massive an undertaking this is, I can't help but feel we should finish revising the rock list first (please do chime in there, by the way!...go back a couple pages to before Bruce's intrusion to see where the conversation proper kinda left off).

To answer the question proper you asked, beaver, I think there's basically maybe 10 really top grade fusion dudes in terms of significance in the history of the instrument's development, and a smattering of other really good fusion players who don't quite have that pedigree. Mix 'em in to the current rock list at appropriate intervals and you've got a good outline for an all genre list, methinks.

As far as who the top flight fusion guys are, well they're pretty much been mentioned in this thread already but I'd say it's:
- Stanley
- Marcus
- Victor
- JACO
- Willis
- Patitucci
- Manring (if he counts as 'fusion', lol)

...and to a lesser extent still-great people like Berlin. Cheers!

When I first saw this, I thought it was for bass players who played every genre.
But anyways, sorry that most of the bassists I've listed here are rock.
John Myung
Geddy Lee
Paul Gray
Cliff Burton
Les Claypool
Jaco (Clearly will be on the list)
Flea (not the biggest fan of his crap, but might get a spot depending on what criteria is on this list)
Victor Wooten
Paul Mccartney (not too high up )
John Paul Jones

Ah, good ideas and I appreciate your interest in bass, but you're severely overrating Claypool's significance in the history of the instrument. I also really, really hope Paul Gray is a joke (no offense)...that said most of your picks are absolutely first rate rock dudes, cheers!

I think he might be above the top 50? Those were in no specific order, by the way. Paul Gray wasn't a joke, I was just throwing names out there for people to take into consideration, the list isn't very far at all, so i figured a compilation of people to consider would be beneficial.

Dude. He invented bass related instruments.

Not to mention the bassjo I completely understand what you mean. He hasn't provided too much, hasn't influenced too much. He pretty much went off on his own string, and besides Claypool followers, hasn't really influenced anything that I can think of.

European Son, you posted some good names, but none are really Top 10 material. And the list is for electric bass players, so Mingus has no place on it.

And I figured this list ay be easier to build than the rock list since not every suggestion would be followed by "OMG HE'S FUSION NOT ROCK", "NO HE ISN'T!"

As for a Top 10, I wasn't sure about Marcus. I doubt Manring is Top 10 either, although he'd probably end up being Top 50. Out of the fusion guys, Jaco, Stanley, and Victor are probably the best though. Laboriel is awesome. He should probably have rather high placement because he's versatile as hell and has done tone of stuff in both rock and fusion.

Paul Gray? Wtf. How about Dave Holland?

Is this really going to be anything besides the rock bass list except with fusion players included?

Probably not, as of right now. But people on this board have, historically, been quite opposed to allowing fusion players on the main list, so I figured allowing the two to coexist would be a good idea. The main difference is that versatility and cross-genre influence become important on this list, so someone who has been highly influential and regarded across both rock and fusion playing would be higher than someone limited to just rock or just fusion.

And I considered Holland for Top 10, but I'm not sure if he's good enough.

Oh shii- I wasn't pushing Holland for top ten. I mean, maybe; I'm not too knowledgable about who's influential on fusion bass.

I was wondering the same thing. Electric wise, there are a lot more acclaimed bassists from rock.

Not as much in the past decade or two. Fusion guys have been getting way more attention. Even in the 80s some of the best bassists were fusion guys like Marcus Miller, John Patitucci, and Jeff Berlin.

But seriously. What great rock (as in not fusion) bassists were there last decade? The only two true bass sensations to get a ton of attention were Victor Wooten and Tal Wilkenfeld (as far as I know).

I'm not aware of any great bass players who recently surfaced.