Not to diminish the talents and important role of bassists in any way, but how often is the bassist the most recognizable member of a band? The singer and guitarist get plenty of recognition, but the bassist is usually stuck right outside the spotlight. However, the bassists in these six bands break this trend by being the most famous member.
1. Primus
Primus is one of the rare instances where bass is actually the lead instrument, rather than an anchor or a supplement to the guitar. Les Claypool doesn't write bass lines as much as he writes an entire song on bass, chords and all, and leaves guitarist Larry LaLonde to fill in the gaps with weirdo guitar riffs. The fact that I had to look up the name of the band's guitarist is enough evidence that Claypool is the face of the band.
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Though Anthony Kiedis is the voice of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, bassist Flea is the one member of the band that pretty much anyone can identify, even if they're not fans. For one thing, "Flea" is a ridiculous and therefore incredibly easy name to remember, but his sheer talent as a bassist has earned him widespread recognition. Also, he played Donnie in The Wild Thornberrys, so everyone my age knows him from that as well.
3. Fall Out Boy
I'd like to believe that Pete Wentz has become the most famous member of Fall Out Boy because he's the band's lyricist, or because of his musicianship, but in reality, Wentz is the face of Fall Out Boy because he's by far the cutest member of the band. Anyone who's seen him host VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s knows that he's laughably uncharismatic, so it must be his face that's getting him the recognition.
4. Motörhead
Is Lemmy a great bassist? He might not be as technically talented as Geddy Lee, but he sure knows how to turn his amp up all the way and play fast, so my answer is, "Hell yes." Lemmy's bass playing is not what made the most famous (and only constant) member of Motörhead, though. He's famous simply because he's Lemmy. If you can go by just one name, you know you've made it.
5. The Sex Pistols
If original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock wrote most of the band's songs, and guitarist Steve Jones recorded most of the bass parts for Never Mind the Bollocks, then why is Sid Vicious still the most famous bassist, and most famous member overall, of the Sex Pistols? He couldn't play bass very well, even by punk standards, but he was a walking caricature of punk rock, and the one person most associated with the British punk image. His notorious relationship with Nancy Spungen and his drug-related death at age 21 definitely contributed to his infamy.
6. Pink Floyd
In terms of technical ability, Roger Waters is by far the least talented member of Pink Floyd. He's an average bassist, and can't sing nearly as well as David Gilmour or Richard Wright, and yet his talents as a songwriter eventually eclipsed the rest of the band. The band's 1979 rock opera The Wall is basically a Waters solo album, with all but four of the album's twenty-six songs being written solely by him, and his recent tours of the album under his own name have only raised his profile.
What other bassists are the most famous member of their bands? Let us know in the comments section!
