A Break in Form: The Best Bass Led Bands

Everybody wants to be the guitarist, the big man up front working the mic and getting all the face time with the crowd. The vanity of the frontman position has driven many to pick up a six-string; after all, who wants to be Phil Lesh when you could be Jerry Garcia? Every once in a while, someone comes along and challenges the status quo. What happens when we turn this industry standard on its head? It's a rare occasion, but a handful of bands have done just that, shoving their guitarist to the side—where they can wail all they want—in favor of letting someone else take the lead. Few of these acts have made a real name for themselves, but those who have have changed the way we think about the four-man lineup. Some of these groups may have even done one of your favorite songs without you ever realizing who the one directing the band is. Today we're going to look at five of the best bass-led bands of all time, whether that be a band with a bassist who is up front singing or a band where the bassist is the lead on instrumentals. By taking a look at these bass-led bands, we see what can be done when we think outside the conventional quartet. 

Starting way back in the 60s with the world's first supergroup, Cream was one of the first rock bands to take the bass-led approach. Frontman Jack Bruce was already well known as a bassist for both the Graham Bond Organisation and John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers when he formed this all-star band with guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. Bruce’s role as lead of the band only exists in the fact that he is the man up front singing. Bruce’s bass is a powerful part of any Cream song, but it isn’t as core to the sound as it is in some other bass-led bands. Just the same, Bruce was a masterful bassist fit to play alongside the likes of Clapton and Baker. Look no further than the band's hit “Sunshine of Your Love” for evidence of his simple yet invigorating riffs. Bruce doesn’t need to pull any punches to show off his prowess as a bassist; his work is easy to learn but impossible to copy. His is a level of elegance we may never hear on bass again.

Two years after Cream released their debut album, another band took a stab at letting the bassist run the show. Rush formed in Toronto in 1968 with Jeff Jones of Ocean and Red Rider as its bassist and vocalist, but he would quickly be replaced by frontman Geddy Lee. Lee’s bass playing didn’t immediately take the band to the top; in fact, they wouldn’t get a shot at producing a debut single, a cover of Buddy Holly's “Not Fade Away” that paled in comparison to the dozen other covers of the song dropping around the time, until 1973. In the end, all would work out, and the band would go on to be a multi-platinum monolith whose fast, distorted style of playing would help lay the foundation for heavy metal. Pick up any Rush album– it doesn't matter which one– and I guarantee you will find a tracklist of heavy bass lines. Even Caress of Steel, a commercial flop, has “The Necromancer”, a 12-minute rock opera with bass riffs that come back with a vicious slap every time you think they’ve gone for good. It was a long way to the top for Rush, but once they had proven themselves, they delivered time and time again for over 40 years. 

While Rush was working on their third platinum album, The Police were putting together a debut, unlike anything that had been heard before. Their blend of punk and reggae took the UK by storm, the new wave style launching their debut album all the way to number six on the billboards. The band's frontman, Sting, is hailed as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, having been the primary writer for four consecutive platinum albums. It would be understandable if you thought that Sting played guitar for The Police, since their six strings are much more pronounced than their bass riffs. His bass lines fell further to the wayside as the band took on more of their iconic reggae-pop sound. If you listen closely, it's there, like the beating heart of the band thumping away and filling the empty spaces with meaty rhythms. However, Sting did heavily neglect his bass playing in favor of focusing on his singing. Just the same, this songwriting bassist produced some of the greatest hits of the 80s and 90s and deserves no less respect than some of his more instrumental-focused contemporaries. 

The next one is a little bit of a cheat as technically the bassist isn’t the frontman; but he is the musical lead in many songs. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are pioneers in the funk-metal genre, which has given us some of the greatest bassists of all time. Flea, the Chili Peppers bassist, is one of the best in the business; his riffs are iconic and immediately recognizable to the majority of Western civilization. If Chuck Berry is the father of rock ‘n’ roll guitar, then Flea stands shoulder to shoulder with the giant as the father of funk bass. Take a look at any of the Chili Peppers' platinum hits for proof: “Snow”, “The Zephyr Song”, or “Dani California”. It doesn't matter which you choose; all signs point to the same conclusion. There is hardly a soul on this planet that can slap bass with greater zeal and prowess than the man Flea himself. That being said, there is one person who can beat this funk-fueled devil at his own game. 

It is my personal opinion, and the opinion of many others who have taken the time to observe his playing, that Les Claypool is the greatest bassist to ever live. Claypool has developed a downright inhuman style of playing with his iconic six-string fretless bass guitar. However, it wasn't a rocket ride to the top for Claypool's best-known project, Primus, rather it was an arduous crawl. Once fans had picked up on Claypool’s unique sound, there was no going back. Claypool's work isn't for everyone. Sure, he has his radio-friendly hits like “Lee Van Cleef”, but the majority of his work is much more strange. Take for example “My Name is Mud”, which features killer bass lines for sure, but also happens to be a song about a hick murdering and burying his friend. There's also Primus & the Chocolate Factory, the band's album that contains nothing but covers of the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory soundtrack. Despite his odd songwriting, Les Claypool has reached monumental heights as a musician—at one point even playing in a supergroup called Oysterhead with Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and The Police drummer Stewart Copeland. If you haven’t had the opportunity to hear him play before, do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy of Sailing the Seas of Cheese–you won’t be disappointed. 

These bands have changed the face of the music scene, proving that you don’t need a Jeff Beck at the head of things to be a successful band. The groups I’ve gone over here are just the tip of the iceberg as far as bass-led acts go. If you got a kick out of the more popular groups listed here, then I implore you to continue digging deeper into the world of bassist-led bands. From Sausage to Mastodon's early albums, bassists have led more groups to success than you may think.