17. Geezer Butler
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Cited for his early use of the wah-wah pedal and down-tuning (a favorite technique among grunge musicians) his bass, Butler is one of the most influential bassists among those in the metal and hard rock communities. Butler, also the primary lyricist in Black Sabbath, has been claimed by the likes of Steve Harris, Billy Sheehan and former Metallica member Jason Newstead as the biggest reason they picked up a bass. Butler’s performance on the Sabbath gem “Paranoid” essentially holds the song together.