Black Sabbath legend Geezer Butler has revealed his all-time favorite bass players in a feature published by Revolver Magazine.
When asked about his favorite bass player — heavy or otherwise — Butler named three iconic musicians who have each left a distinct mark on his musical journey.
“My favorites have always been Jack Bruce, James Jamerson and Paul McCartney — three totally different players,” Butler said.
Butler went on to explain what makes each of these players stand out to him personally, starting with Jack Bruce of Cream.
“When I saw Cream, Jack Bruce amazed me with his playing,” he continued. “His whole approach was almost like playing a lead guitar, and Cream were one of the first bands I’d seen with just one guitar, no rhythm guitarist or keyboard player.”
He then turned his attention to Paul McCartney and James Jamerson, both of whom he regards as geniuses in their own right.
“Paul McCartney’s bass playing is like no other, some of his walking bass lines are pure genius,” Butler said. “‘Something’ has my favorite bass lines ever. Jamerson was another genius. His bass playing with Motown absolutely makes those songs.”
Butler’s comments offer a rare glimpse into the musical influences that helped shape one of rock’s most celebrated bass players.
Butler’s admiration for these musicians runs deeper than casual appreciation. It is rooted in a lifelong obsession with the instrument that began long before Black Sabbath became a household name.
In his early years, Butler could not afford a proper bass guitar. He tuned down a regular guitar to replicate the lower register. That unconventional starting point helped forge the distinctive, melody-driven approach that would later define his sound. His style developed from a love of jazz and pop music, blended with the raw power that heavy rock demanded — a combination that set him apart from his peers.
Jack Bruce held a special place in Butler’s musical development. Butler has spoken openly about being fascinated by Bruce’s playing before Black Sabbath even took shape. Bruce’s influence is evident in the way Butler treated the bass as a lead voice rather than a background instrument.
His bass lines were widely regarded as having a voice of their own — melodic, expressive, and impossible to separate from the songs they anchored. Rather than simply holding down the low end, Butler consistently pushed the instrument into the foreground. That quality became a defining characteristic of the Black Sabbath sound.
His influence on generations of bass players remains significant. The combination of heaviness, melody, and improvisational instinct that Butler brought to the instrument helped establish a template for what bass playing in heavy music could be. His list of favorites makes clear exactly where that vision came from.
