Top 10 greatest bass players

1. Paul McCartney
As one of the driving forces in the Beatles, and the most successful outside of the band, McCartney is a monster songwriter and one of the most famous musicians in the world. On top of that, his bass playing innovative, melodic and the base for so many fantastic songs.

2. Gene Simmons
The KISS bassist is mostly famous for his stage antics, but the fact is that he is a very skilled bass player and sadly underrated by most. His style reminds of McCartney's - it is melodic and works as a foundation for many KISS classics.

3. Steve Harris
One of the heavy metal Gods himself is a great bass player, with a focus on speed, aggression and drive. He is the main songwriter in Iron Maiden and a great stage presence.

4. Phil Lynott
A talented songwriter, bass player and frontman in Thin Lizzy. Despite dying young, Lynott had a huge influence on the rock scene with his bass driven songwriting.

5. Lemmy Kilmister
Legendary on the hard rock scene for other things than bass playing. And yes, his playing is far from perfect but none the less his Motörhead have delivered some heavy tunes with a crunching bass sound.

6. Sting
Probably one of the most technically skilled players here, with a focus on melody rather than chords. Another great songwriter, both with The Police and solo. Not a great stage persona, but the man is good.

7. John Deacon
The least famous member of Queen and not one of its primary songwriters, even though he has written number one songs. He definitely let his playing do the talking. Too bad he quit too early.

8. Geddy Lee
The main force in Rush is another good bass player and songwriter. Not one to focus on his stage persona, but the band usually lets the music do the talking. Very skilled player (with cool glasses)!

9. Nikki Sixx
Another overlooked player due to his persona. The main songwriter in Motley Crue and the brain behind many of the bands classics. A great and entertaining stage presence, and more than adequate playing.

10. Mike Dirnt
Punk bands like Green Day is not famous for being skilled musicians, but Dirnt certainly has his bass playing down. Focus on speed and attitude, and on top of that he is a fun stage personality.

Top 10 Greatest Rock Singers

1. Freddie Mercury - the obvious choice, Freddie was one of a kind with a voice so great that it's still considered one of the best over 20 years after his death. A very unique stage presence that is perfectly displayed on Queen's performance on Live Aid, widely regarded as one of the best live performances in history!

2. Paul Stanley - the often neglected KISS frontman was, in his prime, second to only Mercury. A fact that is sadly ignored by so many critics. The fact that he was once hired as the Phantom of the Opera says something about his quality and versatility. Stanley between ca 1980-2005 is just pure awesomeness.

3. Paul Rodgers - this is the greatest classic rock singer of all time. Great feeling, perfect raspiness and control makes Rodgers a pleasure to listen to, even at 65.

4. Robert Plant - Plant is among the fathers of hard rock, and no one touches him in that field. His powerful voice mixed with his stage presence made him a legend.

5. Ronnie James Dio - Dio is to metal what Plant is to hard rock, the perfect model for the genre. Power, control, range and a distinct sound made Dio a heavy metal God.

6. Klaus Meine - Meine is often overlooked even though he has one of the most recognizable voices in the world. He sings with ease and has a great tone that fits in many genres.

7. Steve Perry - a great sounding voice with an instantly recognizable sound. Great range and a perfect control makes Perry a great singer both live and in the studio.

8. Roger Daltrey - maybe not the most perfect singer technically, but with power and energy he is a huge part of The Who's sound both live and in the studio.

9. Bruce Dickinson - another heavy metal powerhouse that has a great range and can sing clean high notes as well as low ones. His sound is so "Maiden" that the other singers are forgotten.

10. Steven Tyler - Tyler basically IS Aerosmith with his familiar voice and enormous charisma. Great range and can sing both hard rock and soft ballads to perfection.

********

Freddie Mercury

Paul Stanley

Top 10 Legendary Guitarists

This list is not based solely on talent, nor is it based purely on image or fame. It is simply a ranking of the whole package required to be considered a legendary guitarist. Of course these guitarists need to be talented players, but they also need to have a well developed image recognized all over the world. Let's go!

1. Angus Young - the schoolboy uniform, the duckwalk, the devilhorns and wild stage presence Young is one of the most recognized guitarists in the world, maybe most of them all.

2. Pete Townshend - inventor of some of the most classic guitar moves like the windmill, the powerstand, guitar jumping and guitar smashing. A rock pioneer that is hugely respected.

3. Slash - that top hat with sunglasses and a dangling cigaret is an image almost everyone recognizes.

4. Jimi Hendrix - a legend in the most correct sense. Dead at 27 he had already influenced the rock scene immensely. Moves included behind the head playing as well as tongue and teeth playing.

5. Keith Richards - maybe not that famous for his stage persona, but his presence and different style along with all the myths surrounding the man has made him the living legend he is today.

6. Brian May -  his persona is not flamboyant, nor his outfits. The big curly hair and that classic red guitar is a well known image in the music world. The best singer here.

7. Jimmy Page - famous from the fathers of hard rock, Led Zeppelin, Page is a rock legend from top to bottom. Countless classic riffs, stage antics and great songs makes him one of the most legendary players here.

8. Ace Frehley - the guitarist from outer space with make-up and a costume out of this world Frehley and his smoking, rocket-shooting guitar antics forever made him a rock icon.

9. Eddie Van Halen - this man changed the way rockers saw the guitar as an instrument and what you could do with it. Eddie introduced many new techniques used to this day like tapping or over-using the whammy-bar!

10. Eric Clapton - a guitar virtuoso that has never really focused on the imagery of the guitarist but focused on playing and honing his skills. Impeccable player, but a rather boring stage presence.

KISS Albums Ranked 1-20

Saw this on Ultimate Classic Rock's website and it needs a response... Not that they are totally wrong, but some stuff needs to be put right! Note that all albums are great and that KISS is the hottest band in the world. KISS has released 20 studio albums and 4 live albums.

1. KISS - the heart and soul

2. Destroyer - all the classics

3. Creatures of the Night - no filler just killer

4. Dressed To Kill - great obscure gems

5. Revenge - heaviest songs, badass Gene

6. Love Gun - lots of great moments

7. Hotter Than Hell - heavy, dark and early

8. Rock And Roll Over - some great classics

9. Lick It Up - killer writing, few lows

10. Psycho Circus - super Paul, average band

11. Unmasked - great songs, thin production

12. Sonic Boom - good songs but no peaks

13. Monster - good songs but Paul's voice

14. Hot In The Shade - some great, lots of filler

15. Carnival of Souls - different but heavy

16. Asylum - average songs but Kulick

17. Dynasty - two of their greatest, but bad stuff too

18. Crazy Nights - too much synth, Paul awesome

19. Animalize - too fast, lots of filler

20. The Elder - too weird, but the Oath

---------

50 best songs from 2014

Track / Artist

1. Gimme Something Good - Ryan Adams

2. Space Police - Edguy

3. A Shot At Redemption - HEAT

4. Gotta Get It Right - Sixx AM

5. I Want Out - Young Guns

6. Running With The Dogs - The Treatment

7. Resist And Bite - Sabaton

8. Paradise (What About Us) - Within Temptation

9. Through Oblivion - In Flames

10. Space Invader - Ace Frehley

11. Stars - Sixx AM
12. Do Me Like A Caveman - Edguy
13. Stay With Me - Ryan Adams
14. Mannequin Show - HEAT

15. Love Tyger - Edguy

16. Tragedy + Time - Rise Against
17. Emergency - The Treatment

18. Inferno - HEAT

19. Whole World Is Watching - Within Temptaion
20. Kim - Ryan Adams

21. Wicked Stone - Slash
22. Spectacular - The Answer
23. New York City - Lenny Kravitz
24. Hector's Hymn - Hammerfall

25. Face Everything And Rise - Papa Roach
26. Waiting For Superman - Daughtry
27. Alone In Myself - Edguy
28. Say Fuck It - Buckcherry
29. Hymns For The Broken - Evergrey

30. The Heart - NeedToBreathe

31. Words As Weapons - Seether
32. The Only Way Out - Bush
33. Bushido - Hammerfall
34. World On Fire - Slash
35. If Only She Was Lonely - Electric Boys
36. Raise Your Hands - Ammotrack

37. Multiplied - NeedToBreathe

38. Final Masquerade - Linkin Park

39. Burning - The War On Drugs

40. Million Miles An Hour - Nickelback

41. Gotta Get Away - The Black Keys
42. To Hell And Back - Sabaton
43. Disaster Highway - Smash Into Pieces
44. The Devil In I - Slipknot
45. New Horizon - The Answer

46. I Am Machine - Three Days Grace

47. Wait, Wait, Wait - Northern Faces

48. Geronimo - Sheppard

49. Until It's Gone - Linkin Park
50. Rusted Nail - In Flames

Listen to this playlist on Spotify HERE

Top 10 Albums from 2014

2014 is almost over and it's time to summarize the music year. I think it has been a pretty good year for the kind of music I'm interested in. Early in the year we got one of Edguy's best albums ever, we got super-strong "follow ups" from HEAT and The Treatment. Legends like AC/DC and Ace Frehley woke up later in the year and delivered the goods. We also got an amazing sort-of-comeback from Ryan Adams and the year's biggest surprise from Sixx AM. These are the best albums from 2014.

1. Edguy - Space Police: Defenders of the Crown

2. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams

3. H.E.A.T - Tearing Down The Walls

4. The Treatment - Running With The Dogs

5. Sixx A.M. - Modern Vintage

6. Sabaton - Heroes

7. AC/DC - Rock Or Bust

8. Within Temptation - Hydra

9. Hammerfall - (r)Evolution

10. Ace Frehley - Space Invader

Top 10 songs from 2014

This year's best albums and other releases has resulted in some kick-ass songs to fill up my playlists in 2014 and here's the best of them.

1. Ryan Adams - Gimme Something Good

2. Edguy - Space Police

3. H.E.A.T - A Shot At Redemption

4. Sixx A.M. - Gotta Get It Right

5. Young Guns - I Want Out

6. The Treatment - Running With The Dogs

7. Sabaton - Resist And Bite

8. Within Temptation - Paradise (What About Us?)

9. In Flames - Through Oblivion

10. Ace Frehley - Space Invader