16. James Jamerson
Image Source: The Greenville News
A good chunk of the bass work during the heyday of Motown can be credited to Jamerson. The Hall of Famer was one of the great session bassists during the 1960s and ’70s, playing on legendary tracks such as “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “My Girl,” “Dancing in the Street” and “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.” Jamerson’s technically solid and creative bass playing was a signature of the Motown sound.