If you ask around here you'll find that I'm as big a Jamerson fan as anyone, but despite the terrific groundbreaking lines you've mentioned, there are SO many great basslines by SO many great players that other peoples ear may not be attuned like yours, mine, or anyone elses...from genre preference, stylistic variance, and historical perspective. Therefore...James may be the elite of the elite...but he's certainly not the ONLY elite who did disruptive things on bass.

Why does every song on this list feature an electric bass?

The best rock bass records ever made were 1950s things with an acoustic bass like these things:

Bill Black



Willie Dixon



Marshall Lytle

yeah but he doesnt get enough credit, its like the beatles not having enough songs in the top 200 or steve gadd doesnt enough credit for the number of catchy bad ass beats hes down (all of them) lol hmm ...stu you play bass, I do as well lol (hard to believe for some people but I play 3 instruments proficiently and Im gettin better at piano) I think actual bass players can appreciate jamerson,the cut time the chromatic lines not to mention hes doing that over chord changes , and he usually doesnt just follow a guitar riff ,like yyz or black dog etc... MAN he was the micheal jordan of bass.

True, Jamerson went unrecognized and largely unappreciated for years and years until his (and The Funk Brothers) story was finally told. Today...virtually all the popular bassists on the scene maintain a certain level of regard and respect for his work. He's a bassists bassist. Even a metal guy like Rex Brown who I met on a golf course along with metal guitarist Jerry Cantrell had nothing but praise for Jamerson when I mentioned his name. Same with The Eagles Tomothy B Schmit when I mentioned Jamersons name to him one time. It's just that a lot of music fans who are not Motown aficianatos may not recognize him as much or even appreciate Jamersons influence on some of their favorite players and bands...Yes, his basslines were quite unique and exquisite and there is no denying that...but there's some other really great players out there as well.

actually I reviewed the list and I think I am gonna bat for jamerson and push for him ,like hes the only bassist that matters look at this bullshit will ya .

geddy lee has 9 bass peformances on this list, john paul jones has 7 performances tony levin has 11 performances ,chris squire has 8 performances les claypool has 7 on this list and flea has 9 performances

so james jamerson the clear cut number 1 rock bassist ever should have like 12 songs right, hmm ready for the number ......3 with higher and higher as one of his BEST performances, fuck that ,if i dont push for jamerson his songs will get taken off by some bullshit prog rock lamo songs.

These kind of subjective lists don't interest me much. There's no part of the criteria that is not 100% subjective musical taste.

you have a point but if its a subjective list , might as well get yours ya know .

I actually think Sam kinda has a point here, shit I'm no Jamerson know-it-all but I even could name more than 3 AMAZING performances by him

He's also played ona hell of a lot more total records, and a hell of a lot more significant records, than any of these rock band members.

Electric bass unless indicated by a (U) for upright acoustic
My Girl - Temptations
Bernadette - 4 Tops
Aint That Peculiar - Marvin Gaye
Ooh Baby Baby - The Miracles
To Many Fish In The Sea - The Marvelettes
Uptight (Everything Is Alright) - Stevie Wonder
Heat Wave (U) - Martha & The Vandellas
This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
I Heard It Through The Grapevine (2 recordings) - Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & Pips
Where Did Our Love Go (U) - Diana/Supremes
Since I Lost My Baby - Temptations
For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
My Guy (U) - Mary Wells
Your Precious Love - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
You've Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles
Love Child - Diana/Supremes
I Guess I'll Always Love you
Dancing In The Streets - Martha & The Vandellas
Don't Mess With Bill - The Marvelettes
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Standing In The Shadows Of Love - 4 Tops
Mickey's Monkey (U) - The Miracles
Cloud Nine - Temptations
Nothing's To Good For My Baby - Temptations
My Baby Loves Me - Martha & The Vandellas
You Keep Me Hanging On - Diana/Supremes
You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells
Little Darling (I Need You) - 4 Tops
I'm Ready For Love
The Way You Do The Things You Do - Temptations
I Can't Help Myself - 4 Tops
Roadrunner - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
You're All I Need To Get By - Temptations
You Can't Hurry Love - Diana/Supremes
Shop Around - The Miracles
Ain't To Proud To Beg - Temptations
My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
It's The Same Old Song - 4 Tops
How Sweet It Is - Marvin Gaye
Take Me In Your Arms (And Rock Me A Little While) - Brenda Holloway
Ain't No Mountain High Enough (2 recordings) - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell, Diana/Supremes
My Baby Must Be A Magician - The Marvelettes
Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart - Diana/Supremes
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep - Temptations
Ask The Lonely - 4 Tops
Going To A Go-Go - The Miracles
I was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder
Hitch Hike - Marvin Gaye
I Second That Emotion - The Miracles
Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
Jimmy Mack (U) - Martha & The Vandellas
I Hear A Symphony - Diana/Supremes
Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) - 4 Tops
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Temptations
Get Ready - Temptations
The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
Stop! In The Name Of Love - Diana/Supremes
That's What Love Is Made Of
Nowhere To Run - Martha & The Vandellas
Seven Rooms Of Gloom - 4 Tops
Pride & Joy - Marvin Gaye
(I Know) I'm Losing You - Temptations
Two Lovers - Mary Wells
I'll Turn To Stone - 4 Tops
Come See About Me - Diana/Supremes
Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye
How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone
If I Were your Woman Gladys Knight & The Pips
My World Is Empty Without You - Diana/Supremes
The Tracks Of My Tears - The Miracles
I'm Wondering - Stevie Wonder
Can I Get A Witness - Marvin Gaye
The Girls Alright With Me - Temptations
Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day - Stevie Wonder
Reflections - Diana/Supremes
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Jimmy Ruffin
Baby I Need Your Loving - 4 Tops
Quicksand... - Martha & The Vandellas
Reach Out...I'll Be There - 4 Tops
You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells
The Bells - The Originals
Shotgun - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
Fingertips (pt2)- Stevie Wonder
Hey Girl - Stevie Wonder
What Are You Gonna Do When I'm Gone (U) - Kim Weston
Still Water Runs Deep - Four Tops
All in the Game - Four Tops
My Baby - Temptations
The One Who Really Loves You (U)- Mary Wells
This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left) - David Ruffin
It Takes Two (U) - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
Honey Chile - Martha & the Vandellas
To Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye
When Your Young And In Love - Marvelettes
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
Still Waters Run Deep - Four Tops
If I Were Your Woman - Gladys Knight & the Pips
I Want You Back - Jackson 5
It's Growing - The Temptations
Agent Double O Soul - Edwin Starr
I Can't Get Next To You - Temptations
I want A Love I can See - Temptations
Heart Breaking Guy - Supremes
Higher & Higher - Jackie Wilson
Cool Jerk - Capitols

Tons more which leads me to the conclusion that Jamerson should have as many songs on the basslines list than anyone else, to which I agree. I don't agree that these lists should be all Jamerson all the time. Just too many great players out there who played lots of amazing tracks.

Cool Jerk was definitely Bob Babbitt and Double 0 Soul was a Ric Tic track cut at Golden World which leads me to believe that it too may be Babbitt. I Want You Back was an L.A. track with Wilton Felder playing bass.

"Cool Jerk" was definitely Jamerson moonlighting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_Jerk

The backing track for this song was actually recorded (secretly) by the Motown house band The Funk Brothers.

The song features in the film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, performed by the Funk Brothers with lead vocals by Bootsy Collins.

Hi Bruce. Have to tell you that Bob Babbitt played bass on Cool Jerk. Bob is a friend, and I even knew Sam George, lead singer of The Capitals when I was a young bass playing kid back IN Detroit. Funk Brother Johnny Griffith played piano on that session and one or two other Funk Brothers. True that most of The Funks ran around town playing sessions on their days off...but there were plenty of other musicians around town playing sessions as well...including even myself on a few occassions...and The Funk Brothers didn't travel around town as an ensemble. It was just the various guys would get calls...perhaps one, two or three or more. Before he went to Motown, Babbitt worked around town with a lot of The Funk Brothers in clubs and on sessions. Cool Jerk was before Babbitt went to Motown with Stevie (around 67). Yes, Slutsky put Cool Jerk in the film...and if you noticed...BABBITT was playing bass.

http://www.bobbabbitt.com

I can state with confidence that Babbitt doesn't lie.

Okay, can you state with confidence that Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Bill Black will have at least one song added to this atrocious fucking list?

How is is that not one 50s record is on here?

Do these editors think that no one knew how to play the bass until nineteen sixty fucking five or something?

If you check back you'll see that I have supported Bill Blacks inclusion on The Greatest Bass Guitarist list in the past. He played on an awful lot of songs (some fairly significant) and he kept that group of musicians really loose...but didn't really set any new standards for the instrument. I do dig Bill Black though.

I swear Stu, you have the coolest musical past of any DDD poster :-)