Lead Bassist - Television Tropes & Idioms

Yes: "Schindleria Praematurus ..."

Fans: "Come again?"

—The Fish

"Bass solo, take one. (echo)"

—Cliff Burton, before the start of "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)"

So Nobody Loves the Bassist, eh? Think again. That dude in the spotlight, the one everyone’s cheering for, the famous face everybody remembers ... is it me, or is that axe he/she’s wielding suspiciously oversized? VINDICATION! The Lead Bassist takes up an instrument that screams "anonymous role-player," and somehow rides it to fame. For one reason or another, he’s better-known than the band’s lead guitarist, or even the lead singer.

But what could cause such a perversion of the natural order? There are four fundamental factors that can give birth to a Lead Bassist:

Type A: The Virtuoso. This bassist is so famously skilled and so near the top of the field as to overshadow the band’s other musicians—who may be excellent in their own right, but not necessarily at the pinnacle.

Type B: The Singer. This musician is mainly famous for being a lead vocalist, or part of a Vocal Tag Team. The fact that he plays a bass is secondary, and may even go unnoticed by casual fans.

Type C: The Face of the Band. This bass player is well known for non-musical reasons, such as:

Being a founder or guiding creative spirit of the band
Engaging in notorious behavior, such as drunken misadventures or a newsworthy love life
Being Mr. or Ms. Fanservice
Dying tragically ... or at least memorably

Type D: The Genre Lead. Rather than rock or popular music, this bassist plays jazz, funk, African folk music, etc., genres in which the bass cuts a larger figure—sometimes even a central one.

Bassists may qualify under more than one of these tropes: Paul McCartney, for example, manages to flawlessly embody Types A, B, and C.

This is not a list of "Good Bassists" or "Bassists I Like." This page is for bass players who, for one reason or another, garner a distinctly larger share of public notice than more traditional band "frontmen" such as the singer or lead guitarist. If the bassist is less well-known than said frontmen, then however well-regarded he might be, his situation is par for the course and he doesn't belong here.

See Nobody Loves the Bassist.

Examples:

Mio Akiyama: Type B and an in-universe Type C, thanks to the Panty Shot incident.
Juan Alderete de la Peña of Vato Negro is a type D (bass-driven noise rock).
Tom Araya: Type B
During her stint with Kittie, Talena Atfield was the band's undisputed Ms. Fanservice, which qualifies her as a Type C.
Kevin Ayers (Soft Machine, solo): Types A (during his Soft Machine days), B
Jean Baudin of Nuclear Rabbit: Types A (rocks an ELEVEN-string bass!), C (he's the founder/leader), and D (the music's built around his eccentric technique).
Sam Black (Everything Else) Type B. Seeing as he also does guitar, keyboards and co-lead vocals, his exceptional bass playing is sometimes unnoticed.
Jack Bruce: Types A and B.
Cliff Burton: Normally considered a Type A, he's a Type C among some long-time fans.
John Cale (Velvet Underground, solo), Types B and C
Peter Cetera, during his years in Chicago, was types B and C (especially in The Eighties, partly the reason for the conflicts that led to his removal from the group), and sometimes A in The Seventies.
Justin Chancellor of Tool is a Type A. Although everyone in the group is enormously talented, Chancellor has a distinctive sound and plays many of the more recognizable Epic Riffs.
Stanley Clarke (Return to Forever, The Seatbelts): Types A and D
Les Claypool: Les is the epitome of Lead Bassist, being types A, B, C, and D
Bootsy Collins: A, C, and D, with an excursus into B by way of Bootsy's Rubber Band
John Cooper of Skillet combines types B and C.
Kim Deal: Type C, and B (more in The Breeders than The Pixies).
Russell DeCarle (Prairie Oyster): Type B.
Joey DeMaio: Types A and C.
Flea: Types A and C; also somewhat type D, as the band's sound is based largely on Funk.
Matt Freeman: Type A. Mostly recognized among the band's fandom, though.
Dave Fridmann is a Type C, being mainly famous as a producer (both for the Flaming Lips and his own band).
Kim Gordon: Types B and C
Larry Graham: Types A and D, and a B in Graham's Central Station.
Steve Grisaffe (of country band River Road): Type B
Steve Harris: Type A and C.
Mike Herrera: Type B
Marco Hietala: Type B.
Peter Hook: Type C-ish by virtue of his distinctive, high-pitched melodic playing.
Mark Hoppus was once a Type B, but as guitarist Tom Delonge has moved into the spotlight, Hoppus has regressed into a more common trope.
Stuart Zender (Jamiroquai, Azur) Is type C, literally being lead instrument in the band.
James Jamerson (Funk Brothers/Motown Records session musician): Type A and D
Lemmy Kilminster: Type B and C
Mark King of Level 42 is type A, B and C. Arguably, he's type D as well, since Level 42 is a very funk-inspired pop band.
Bakithi Kumalo is a Type D, as one can hear on nearly half the tracks of Paul Simon’s Graceland.
Greg Lake: Type B
Joe Lally of Fugazi is a type D: many of the band's songs (including their most famous one, "Waiting Room") feature his melodies front and center, sometimes even pushing the guitars into more of a support role. Towards the end of his tenure, he also contributed some lead vocals.
Geddy Lee is a canonical combo of A and B.
Jon Leon earns his Type C by being the founder and only permanent member of a Revolving Door Band.
Phil Lynott: Types B and C
Aimee Mann: Type B
Terry McBride (of country band McBride and the Ride): Type B and C. Due to Executive Meddling, he was briefly just the lead singer while a new bassist joined. After a break-up, reunion and re-break-up, he joined Brooks & Dunn's road band and wrote several of their songs, plus a handful for others.
Paul McCartney: A, B, and C, as above
Marcus Miller: Types A and D
Mike Mills sang several R.E.M. songs, and in public served as co-Face of the Band (in tandem with Michael Stipe).
Charles Mingus: Types C and D
Arif Mirabdolbaghi: Types A and C, for writing the band's lyrics until recently.
Colin Moulding: Type B and C
John Myung: Type A
Johnette Napolitano (of Concrete Blonde): Type B and C - Concrete Blonde is basically Napolitano and whoever she decides to play/record with.
Murdoc Niccals: Type C—he co-founded the band, and makes most of their headlines in his semi-cartoon universe by virtue of being an Axe Crazy Psychopathic Manchild.
Richard Page (Mr. Mister): Type B
Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report, solo): Types A and D. His alcoholic descent and unfortunate death add C to the list.
Dickie Peterson (Blue Cheer): Type B
Tom Petersson: Type C—he’s not more memorable than Rick Nielsen or Bun E. Carlos, but he certainly rings more of a bell than singer Robin Zander.
Doug Phelps (The Kentucky Headhunters): Type B. In the original lineup, he was bassist/backing vocalist, but became lead bassist due to membership changes.
Doug Pinnick of King's X is a Type B.
Joe Principe is definitely a Type A.
Suzi Quatro: Type B
Reita of the GazettE is Type C—in the Visual Kei world, the iconic nose band makes the bassist.
John Rich (of Big & Rich) was originally a Type B in Lonestar, where he traded lead vocals with Richie McDonald. Lonestar has not had an official bassist since Rich was fired in 1998.
Mark Sandman of Morphine was Types B, C, and D, rolled up into in one doomed Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly package.
Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer (of Destruction): Type B
Jason Sellers: Type B. He's a former solo artist who played bass on both of his own albums, and now contributes backing vocals and songwriting for other people (most notably, he co-wrote Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's "Don't You Wanna Stay").
Billy Sheehan: Type A
Gene Simmons: Types B and C
Nikki Sixx: Type C
Spinal Tap: On "Big Bottom," David, Nigel, and Derek treat the listener to a triple-bass assault! (Harry Shearer rocks a double-neck.)
Squarepusher: Types A and C—his bass playing is as well-known as his electronic work.
Chris Squire is the prototypical Type A. He's also sung on a couple of solo albums, some of which repeat his famous stunt of using only multitracked bass guitars.
Jeffrey Steele (of country band Boy Howdy): Type B and C. After Boy Howdy broke up, he became a solo singer and started writing songs for other artists.
Peter Steele: Types B and C.
Stella: Type C Ms. Fanservice.
Sting: Types B and C.
John Taylor: Type C, especially as he's Heterosexual Life Partners with the only consistent member of the band, Nick Rhodes.
Sid Vicious: Type C, with a giant, 72-point “C” (and he couldn't even play!)
Roger Waters: Types B and C
Lyn-Z Way: Type C. Her marriage to Gerard Way has overshadowed her abilities as a bassist to the point that "fans" often show up to her band's shows only to see if her husband is there.
Pete Wentz: When your marriage, indiscreet photos, and Estrogen Brigade are more common knowledge than what you do for a living ... you’re a Type C, full stop. (He's also known for being the band's main lyricist.)
John Wetton (of King Crimson, UK, and Asia): Type B
Tina Weymouth: Type C
Brian Wilson: Type B and C, though he pretty much abandoned the instrument by the time he stared work on Pet Sounds.
Nicky Wire has been the most well known member of the band since Edwards disappeared.
Victor Wooten: Type A. Arguably Type D, but that would require his conforming to a genre.
Martin Eric Ain Type C, and maybe A.
Steve Kilbey of The Church is definitely Type B, and if the band were actually well known (which they don't seem to be in the UK at least) he'd probably count as Type C as well (albeit shared with Marty Willson-Piper). In the opinion of this troper, he qualifies as Type A as well, but that's rather a subjective thing...