Ramble On by Led Zeppelin is a personal favorite
Ramble On by Led Zeppelin is a personal favorite
Yes it's SO good. That and Dazed and Confused are my personal faves. John Paul Jones is a God.
I like What Is and What Should Never Be
Another great one! I love the bass in In The Light as well.
The Lemon Song.
my bass teacher taught me this as an example of one of the best ever.
How Many More Times
The Lemon Song is a little bit of a deep cut but the bass line gets funky when the song slows down
It's so chill and yet he's on a mission to groove on every note the fretboard can produce.
It’s played on a synth, and so very simple, but Chameleon by Herbie Hancock.
Super funky. Herbie Hancock has a lot of good ones on that album Head Hunters and also on the album Thrust.
That bassline on Watermelon Man? Daaank.
Yes - Roundabout
Allow me to introduce you to "Heart of the Sunrise."
Also "South Side of the Sky."
And "Long Distance Runaround."
And "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)."
Fragile is just pure gold, but especially for Squire's playing on it.
The bass in Close to the Edge is masterful, absolutely brilliant.
It's certainly a better bassline, but not nearly as iconic as Roundabout, and not just because of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Chris Squire was a god damned legend.
Geddy Lee
Case closed.
Yeah, when a guy who can play Jacob's Ladder says another beat is better, that's pretty impressive ups.
Didn't he get to play that with Yes for their induction into the rock and roll Hall of Fame?
he did, and it was amazing. Chris Squire had died not that long before, so Geddy Lee stood in for him. see it here
Siberian Khatru.
Nobody beats Chris Squire’s tone on the Rickenbacker
The best bass sound. I wish I could afford a Rickenbacker.
So happy to see some 1970s prog rock in AskReddit! Really, what those guys were doing in the 70s was so mindblowing it makes today's music sound dull and unimaginative
Took me a while to get into Yes but once I did I had most of their albums on repeat for months. Tried when I first got into classic rock as a teen and wasn’t a fan but maybe it was the pop recommendations or lack of progressive experience.
Superstition by Stevie Wonder and You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon.
That bass solo in You Can Call Me Al just comes out of nowhere! It’s crazy
Fun fact, that bass interlude is reversed during the second half. The bassist played the downward-walking portion and they played the recording backwards for the upwards part. That's why it sounds a little warped at the end.
And then Bakithi actually went and learned how to play the backwards bit so that he could do it at live shows!
Superstition vote is tricky. It’s not a bass guitar, it’s a clavinet. It’s not played in a low register, it’s in a high register. It totally feels like a bassline, but it’s a melody.
N.I.B - Black Sabbath
Some people say that that bassline cannot be true
Believe in Lord Geezer, and He will show you
I will show you bass riffs you thought unreal
The Sun, the Moon, the Bass all bear my seal.
Your love for my groove has juuuust gooooooot to be reeaaaaal...
Before youuuu hearrrr the wayyyy my bass makes you feeeel.
Finally my fingers can rest from the scroll
had to scroll for a good while before I came across this, what an amazing song
I heard they got the name N.I.B from when they were smoking opium and Ozzy said Tony Iomi's beard looked like "a fucking pen nib".
Bill Ward's beard, I think it was? I kinda remember the interview from The Last Supper DVD, back when both DVDs and Bill Ward's involvement with the band were still a thing.
I want you (she’s so heavy)
For my money, the best McCartney bassline is Something
Hey Bulldog is my favorite.
What's ironic is that George hated it. Thought it was too busy. But yes, it's an amazing baseline.
As a side note, if any of you like Something and Here Comes The Sun, do yourself a favor and listen to George Harrison's solo album right after the Beatles broke up. All Things Must Pass.
It's a lot like Abbey Road and has some amazing songs that could easily be classic Beatles songs.
When the Beatles broke up, everyone was wondering who would do better. Paul or John. Paul got mostly panned for his solo debut. John was critically acclaimed for sure, but not much of a massive hit. Meanwhile George has both sides and outsold them all by a lot. Dark Horse is an apt name for him.
This!! Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (let it roll) is my all time favourite song. I find it so strange how few people actually know about this album, deserves so much more recognition!
Yeah but Paul's solo career was definitely ultimately better.
Personally I still think Ram and Band on the Run are still better post-beatles albums.
Man, incredible album. Long story but back in 2017 I’d been setting up the dining room of a restaurant I was working at in Utah at a ski lodge. This semi-familiar song came on and I was loving it, ran to the back to look at the screen of the pandora player thing they had but the song had switched and I couldn’t go back. I didn’t remember any of the words, just mostly the melody, this commenced like two months of desperately trying to find this song, trying to sing the melody with made up mumbo jumbo words to friends to see if they could help, nothing. After I’d convinced myself maybe it wasn’t even real and I was just losing my mind, a buddy I’d worked with in Wyoming came out to work with us, one night we’re in his room talking and listening to music and he’s like “you ever listen to George Harrison’s solo work?” I’m a huge Beatles fan but hadn’t really, he’s like let me play you one song, and puts on What is Life, which I immediately recognized as the song I’d been searching for for months, was one of the most enjoyable relieving moments in memory, just like laid flat on the floor and reveled in it. Stellar album
that and 'Rain' are god tier
Paul's bass lines are so incredible. They MAKE so many Beatles songs.
Somebody once said one key to the Beatles' appeal was the tension between a bassist who pushed the beat and a drummer who dragged it.
Wait til JK Simmons sees this
He can't look, he's too busy looking for pictures of that menace, Spider-Man
“Not quite my tempo.”
Listens. Throws chair.
My musician friends have said that Ringo plays “behind” the beat, so maybe this is true. Tho honestly the tension between Paul’s gorgeous melodies and John’s cynical poetry may be a little more of what makes the Beatles the Beatles.
Very present in Something & Penny Lane
https://youtu.be/tIoqyGkMHKw
That sounded so relaxed, I had to go back to Abbey Road to see if Ringo really managed to play behind it, and of course he did.
If you haven't checked out McCartney 3 2 1 on Hulu yet, do so immediately! They pick out different instruments and tracks from different songs and really dive deep into them, but of course many times it's the bass line they discuss. While I had an appreciation for Paul McCartney's work already, this show really made me appreciate him even more.
Honestly one of the best basslines Paul McCartney ever played
And there's a lot of competition in that space. Obviously Taxman and Come Together are pretty obvious choices as well, but I started thinking about it a bit and there's just too many great ones to choose from.
Great song. I highly recommend the version by The Bee Gees from the movie Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band if anyone hasn't heard it
Great one, I think my fav Bassline by them is hey bulldog.
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Waiting Room - FUGAZI Also Stash Up- OPM
“I am a patient boy!”
“I wait, I wait, I wait, I wait”
"My time's water down the drain"
Everybody's moving
Everybody's moving
Everybody moving, moving, moving, moviIIiiiIiing
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Joe Lally is a library of awesome basslines.
Oh fuck! I clicked this ready to make a shitpost. And you’ve only fucking got top comment with the ACTUAL answer. Their live bootleg video of this song is also my favourite YouTube of all time. The kid head banging shadow. I LOVE IT. Great call my dude
Did not expect to see Fugazi as the top comment lol
I also love Sweet and Low. Such a chill little groove.
Both Fugazi and minor threat fucking killed.
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I saw them at Live Earth. Every bass player from the other bands joined them on stage. I think even James Hetfield played bass on that song (but who would pass the chance to play with Tap??)
Kirk Hammett was up there too!
Talk about mud flaps
MY GIRLS GOT EM
how many bass players in the video
More than 11
Love how the bass player has two basses haha
Alice in Chains have so many great bass lines but I'm gonna go with 'Would'
“Nutshell” has one of the most hauntingly beautiful basslines I’ve ever heard. Mike Inez is a genius!
Especially the unplugged version, the sound guy had his bass high in the mix and it was clear as a bell.
Its a simpler one but the bassline from I Stay Away is great too
I was thinking the same thing, wasn't expecting someone else to mention this. Especially in the unplugged version, the baseline is really interesting, especially that bass slide thing that he does a few times.
That’s literally the baseline that popped into my head as I was opening the thread. The intro is so 🤌🏼
If. I. Could. Would. You?
If I’m going AiC it’s gotta be either No Excuses or Nutshell
intro drums for no excuses is my JAM
Would is incredible. I always loved the bassline in Rotten Apple.
Sly and the family stone. If you want me to stay...
Thank you. Fa lettin me. Be mice elf. Agiin.
Groove is in the heart. ❤
Bootsy!
If it's a funky bassline, there is a decent chance that's it's Bootsy Baby!
Killer. And actually originally from Herbie Hancock, Bring Down the Birds.
The Chain Fleetwood Mac
During the recording of Rumors, Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham had just broken up, and Christine and John McVie were divorcing and could barely be in the same room with each other.
They were all doing a shitload of coke and writing songs about how much they hate each other (Go Your Own Way and Dreams are both about Buckingham and Nicks's breakup, from each one's perspective.)
The Chain is actually the only song that every songwriter in the band worked on, and it's arguably the best song on the album
I'm glad Silver Springs got a second chance with The Dance because it's incredible. It's a shame it got relegated to a B side back in the day.
It's so vicious, absolutely should've been on the original release.
I think it's perfect where it's at. It's always one of the last songs the newer generations discover when they're just getting in to Fleetwood Mac. It makes you appreciate the band that much more. When you finally figure out what the song is about, then go back and listen to Lindsey's guitar work in it, it's fucking haunting. Goes to show how fucking phenomenal they are, that their catalog is so deep, some of the best songs don't even get around to radio rotation. Silver Springs, Crystal(from their 1975 self-titled album) and the live The Dance version of Big Love are my favorite songs by them.
The most brutal part from bassist John McVie's perspective was "You Make Loving Fun." Christine tricked John into the recording session by telling him the song was about her dog. He found out pretty soon afterward how she had really written it for the band's lighting director.
It's a miracle that band didn't disintegrate that year.
John isn't a songwriter, but his famous riff on "The Chain" sounds like it sums up his feelings about the matter.
edit
Fixed link (d'oh, copied URL from the wrong window).
That's quite a riff. Even the FDA and Pfizer got involved.
Buckingham is the only reason that album got done. He was usually the most coherent and ready to record and he often had to get everyone else in line.
Technically all the band worked on it, but I believe it was spliced together from three or more different songs.
As a Formula 1 fan this hypes me up so much. It was the theme tune to the UK broadcasts for many years.
When I hear the song on its own I still hear engines like this
https://youtu.be/ChxX3tR4mD0
Absolutely gave me goosebumps! I'm a massive F1 fan but this takes me back to Sundays and watching it with my dad. He passed in 2019 and found it hard to watch a race without crying for a long time!
I didn't know how much I needed this video in my life until now, ty
I need to watch more F1
Just a little question. Are formula 1 cars manual?
Semi automatic, they have paddle shifters behind the wheel but don't need to use a clutch
Semi-automatic. Aka flappy paddle gearbox.
No crap!! I can be listing to music, the chain comes on, still paying it no mind until the bass bridge, and the then suddenly I’m in full F1 mode thinking it’s a Sunday….
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Strange structure to that song, but wow, so great. And talk about bass lines.
That line following behind the "I never did belieeeeeeeeeeve in miracles" - that's peak pop arrangement right there.
That's my choice for Fleetwood Mac songs as well.
Just last night I was telling my fiancé this. It’s not overly complex, it’s actually quite simple, but the delivery…it’s just chef’s kiss
There’s this part on Dreams at the second verse there’s this bassline that just sticks out and is so amazing.
Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
Haven't seen it so far. Slightly surprised I am.
:)
All of Tony Levin’s stuff on that album (So) is incredibly inspired. My favorite bass line is the one from “Don’t give up” on the same album.
Tony Levin is fucking sick. His work with King Crimson is amazing.
I had the honour of working with Tony in New York around 2003. I always was in awe of Daniel Lanois for the sound of Sledgehammer, but Tony plugged his bass in and played on the production I was doing, and it was instantly in that ballpark, I didn’t have to do a thing. Made me realise a huge part of Peter Gabriel and Daniel Lanois’ talent was team building. To my ears Sledgehammer is still one of the best pop productions ever - certainly one of the best mixes ever.
Not a single clunker on that album.
Longview by Green Day was the reason I picked up a bass in high school.
Can vouch. Was at their concert Friday, Mike put a GoPro on the bass while he played that song. What a banger
How is this so far down? Even if you're a Green Day hater, this is from their objectively relevant/good period.
I mean, there is very little objectivity in music, but still.
My name is mud
I can't believe I had to scroll so far down to see Primus mentioned. Les Claypool is the bass master.
I think it's because basslines traditionally accompany the melody, whereas with primus ler played the accompaniments to claypools lead
Seconded.
Thirded!
I started fast scrolling jusr to find primus and upvote
For me Jerry Was a Racecar Driver is the most iconic Primus bassline.
When I realized Claypool was playing that line while singing I lost my mind. I saw them a couple years ago and am just in awe with how talented the dude is
When I first heard Tommy the Cat I had to sit down.
Hamburger Train, but really the whole catalog of Primus and his side projects are the best basslines. Otherworldly
John the Fisherman or get the fuck out.
Primus sucks anyhow.
Tommy the cat
Groundhog Day. No, wait...
Spaghetti Western. No, wait...
Hamburger Train. No, wait...
Ah shit, just whatever Les Claypool is playing.
Les claypool should be at the top of this list with no one else even considered besides victor wooten.
This. I put on Tommy The Cat when I need to get some shit done.
Tommy the Cat live
Came here for this. Maybe not the most difficult song played by Les, but definitely my favorite.
Jiggity jiggity jiggity, jiggity jiggity jug
Laquerhead knows but one desire!
Laquerhead sets his skull on fire!!
Les Claypool should be considered cheating in this thread.
DMV for me
This was my answer but I was tempted to go with Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver
Had to scroll this far to see Les Claypool on this list? Come on!! Love me some slappin bass!
Really anything by Primus in the 90s.
It starts out simply enough, but as the song goes on Entwistle goes more and more insane. Jump to 1:30 to get the impact on this isolated bass track.
Edit: The drum and bass track may be better, your call!
I love Entwistle because if you just focus on the bass line it's like he's playing his own song but it really fits with everything well.
As a kid, I had the theory that as a band, they never actually wrote a bassline for Entwistle. They wrote everything else, told him what they were playing and just let him do his thing. The older recordings tended to have him turned down a little, but you could always just hear him doing his own thing. It always fit and fit well, but he was always on a different level.
Plus he played all those great horn parts on Tommy and Quadrophenia and elsewhere. Gave them a classical feel--when they did a 20th anniversary revival of Tommy and brought in a Memphis-style horn section, it sounded all wrong.
The OX is GOD!!
Not gonna lie. Thought I was being trolled for the first minute and a half then the love hit. Sure he was still stone faced jamming this out
The Real Me is also terrific
Won’t get fooled again - isolated bass
I always loved what he does at 7:36 of this clip and I find it hilarious that the spotlight is on Pete while he’s doing this crazy baseline.
Damn, isolated tracks are the shit.
"You're on The Dust" cough
Chic - Good Times.
Bernard Edwards’ bass line as sampled by the Sugarhill Gang for Rappers Delight. Which in turn lead to many many cover versions of said track round the world. It’s the bassline that just keeps on giving
Actually the bass line to this iconic song is the inspiration to the bass line of another iconic song, “Another one bites the dust”.
EDIT: line
And the two were mixed together during "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel".
My favorite Bernard bassline has to be Everybody Dance
IIRC, at the time, sampling was in its infancy, and Sugarhill Gang ended up having a bass player going for the full fourteen minutes.
Rapping was in its infancy too. The musicians had never heard of it before and the producer had to try to explain what it was by saying something like "a group of guys are going to come in and talk fast over the music."
The baseline in Rapper's Delight wasn't sampled - it was bassist Doug Wimbish.
"Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Wimbish started playing guitar at the age of 12 and switched to bass guitar at the age of 14. In 1979 he was hired together with guitarist Skip McDonald and drummer Keith LeBlanc to form the house rhythm section for Sugarhill Records. Although they did not play on the Sugarhill Gang's famous song "Rapper's Delight" (the rhythm tracks for this song were played by the group Positive Force), they did play on many other popular song tracks, including "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, "White Lines" by Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel, "New York City" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and "Apache" by the Sugarhill Gang."
If you grew up in the early 80s, all of those songs are iconic.
He also played for the Rolling Stones after Bill Wyman left - until Daryll Jones took the spot. He played with Living Colour since their second album and is a permanent member (this is why I know him, I love that band.) He did a lot of stuff with different session musicians since the late 70s.
Doug Wimbish is one of the most underrated bassist around.
Tina Weymouth's bass on Psycho Killer Talking Heads
It’s especially impressive when you consider she is self taught and only learned bass after joining the band.
Tina’s basslines are awesome. She’s just so effortlessly cool
She is so damn underrated
Pretty much any bassline off remain in light. Tina is so simplistic but effective. Truly one of the best
Born Under Punches is my favorite. On the live version you can hear her bass line way more prominently and it’s crazy sounding.
https://youtu.be/YO7N2tFb0X8
I love this performance so much in how experimental it gets to the point of being a different song and then of course Tina’s playing is immaculate
Close second is Found a Job
So glad someone mentioned Tina Weymouth. My personal favorite of hers is the live version of “Born Under Punches”. I think I read somewhere that the studio version of the song is actually multiple bass parts (might even have a keyboard thrown in there?), so playing it live she had to essentially merge multiple takes into one bass line, and it’s freaking crazy sounding. Best version I know of is on the digital version of live album “The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads”.
She needs way more praise. Her playing is brilliant.
I recently rewatched the Stop Making Sense concert/movie, and she just KILLS it. She is so effortless, so good, so fun to watch. When David Byrne introduced everyone by name at the end, and waited to introduce her last, I could just feel the crowd loving her. What a remarkable talent.
My toddlers favorite song when she was a few months olds from just the bass beat. Still runs over when she hears it. I'm counting on the subject matter not drilling too deep into her psyche.
Life During Wartime is better, IMO
"Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello and the Attractions (Bruce Thomas, bass)
Higher ground comes to mind
What I heard in my head the instant I read the question
Rio - Duran Duran
John is a DAMN good player and SO under rated :(
So SO SO underrated...& because of that, a massive cautionary tale to anyone who thinks "being pretty" is the answer to all life's problems. John Taylor gets loads of props from actual musicians but to the public at large he's just the pretty one, & that's a goddam shame.
Was looking to see if this got a mention. John Taylor is a far better musician than people give him credit for, he's not just a pretty face.
Was scrolling way to long to find this one and if I didn’t it was going to be my pick. As a bass player I was very surprised the first time I tried to play this song. I never realized before just how insane their bassist is in this and many other songs. Also, very fun to play
Save a Prayer, too.
That bassline is bananas
ANY Duran Duran song has an INSANE bass line.
That bassline is cocaine in music form
One of the best Bassline's for me is No More Tears by Ozzy Osbourne.
Also, for Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica.
Edit: Wow, thank you for the award.
Metallica is notorious for having great bassists but turning their volume all the way down.
They turn it down to -1. Most people can only turn it down to 0. But these, these go to -1.
Kinda like when Nathan Explosion turned Murderface's levels down because no one listens to the bass in Dethklok.
For the longest time I had no idea how much of that was bass. Cliff Burton was amazing
Cliff is why I bought my first bass 31 years ago.
That bass section in Orion tho. Pure gold.
Yeah, he does a Bass interlude on Kill 'em all that is just outstanding. Sorry I forget what it's called.
Anesthesia
If we're talking Metallica, Cliff Burton is rocking some seriously wicked shit throughout pretty much the entirety of Call of Ktulu. Most of it is lost in the original mix, but there's a couple of good YouTube videos where people have played with the levels so you can actually hear it.
No More Tears gets me going every time. Same with NIB.
No More Tears bassline was written by Mike Inez, one of my favourite bassists, Cliff Burton is also a favourite!
Sabotage!
It's just so grinding and dirty. It compliments the lyrics in the song perfectly.
I haven't seen someone put No One Knows - Queens of the Stone Age yet!
The baseline in that song is really good in my opinion
YYZ-Rush
The lead in just before the vocals start in Hemispheres is peak bass imo
From about 2:30 - 3:00
Anytime I see this band name I can't help but think of Krieger shouting that "Neil Pert stands alone!"
And yes I know he was the drummer, not bass.
Most Rush songs. Geddy Lee is an awesome bass player
By no means do I think he’s underrated, but at times I believe he is under-appreciated
If anything, the under-appreciated member of Rush is Alex Lifeson
He was awesome in his Trailer Park Boys roles as well.
Sure, if you're a fan of drunk male prostitutes!
It's hard being the third most talented musician in your own band. Alex is great, but it's got to be tough to shine when there's two absolute legends in your band.
That's the issue. Geddy and Neil are both undisputed top 5 players of their respective instruments.
The only reason Lifeson doesn't get a ton of praise is because he isn't literally Jimi fucking Hendrix.
It also speaks to his ability as a guitarist that he can not only keep up with them, but enhance their sound.
Tom Sawyer has a very catchy bassline.
And what you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift
And Leave That Thing Alone. And Red Barchetta. And The Big Money. And Limelight. And Tom Sawyer, Natural Science, Freewill, Malignant Narcissism, The Main Monkey Business, Anthem, all of La Villa Strangiato, all of Cygnus X-1, Jacob‘s Ladder, The Camera Eye, Vital Signs, Digital Man, Turn the Page, Where‘s My Thing, The Anarchist, Headlong Flight, Secret Touch, The Garden etc…
So many tasty basslines, unbelievable
Here to show love for The Camera Eye. My favorite song off Moving Pictures.
Oh man! I totally forgot about Leave That Thing Alone.
I love that there are 21 songs listed here and you're like, "oh yeah, that one instrumental."
Personally, I think the list of quality work done by Geddy could be limited to between about '73 and 2018.
Geddy didn't "solo" much, but YYZ is awesome and the Freewill jam session has an awesome bass line. Several other songs have just great bass licks.
Yes, Free Will!
I love the bass in Tom Sawyer and Red Barchetta. I'd give assists to Marathon and Big Money. Time Machine, Roll the Bones ... too many to list, honestly. What a fucking virtuoso this guy is.
One Little Victory has an underrated bass line and Geddy’s solo album has tons of good ones too
One of the hardest songs I ever learned to play. The rhythm is just so different than anything else I'd ever come across before.
Barbarism begins at home is gud.
Ben E. King's "Stand By Me".
Peg - Steely Dan
Kid Charlemagne as well.
On Rick Beato's "What Makes This Song Great", Rainey's bass with Purdy's drums are just incredible.
Bass solo, take one… (Anesthesia)
That's my absolute favorite Metallica song and I've never quite understood why but I'm just so drawn to it
Rob played that live on their stadium tour a few years ago and it just punches you in the chest with the reverb.
Sploosh
I was just about to type this myself. Then saw your comment. Amazing. RIP Cliff
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke
Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
Disappointed that the top 5 or so responses aren't all Tina Weymouth bass lines.
I love it! 2 notes. Brilliant tune with swinging changes; always the same 2 notes. Genius
Pink Floyd, "Money"
Nay. Pigs (Three Different Ones).
Amazing. And not just the intro!
One Of These Days has entered the chat
Need 2 bassists for that one
I'm going to cut you into little pieces!
Not as funky, but Portrait of Tracy is one of the most beautiful pieces.of music ever recorded on bass.
Can we all agree that mentioning jaco in this thread is cheating?
You know yo shit!
I'm John Francis Pastorius III. I'm the greatest bass player in the world
My favorite : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZFshvun0eQ
Cake's version of I Will Survive.
Cake has some banger bass lines
the distance has a great one
Also one of the most underrated lead guitar players of all time. Stick Shifts and Safety Belts comes to mind.
Short Skirt, Long Jacket is pretty much the Bass line.
Also their version of war pigs
Come Together takes it for me, but while we're here, My Iron Lung by Radiohead has to have the most underrated and overlooked bass part ever.
Hysteria-Muse
Yes. First song that came to mind. An absolute banger!
This was the first song that came to mind for me and I’m surprised it’s not higher up!
people would rather circle jerk about the same 15 classic songs
Chris Wolstenholme is one of my all-time favorites. Panic Station?? Banger.
The bass in Munich Jam is just perfection
Finally, someone who likes him as much as i do!
There are dozens of us!
I came here just for this. Also, the bassline in Hyper music's verses is underrated
Truly an epic bassline
Any bassline by Muse rocks!
They do got some bangers. Darkshines is probably my favourite still
It's a corker of a way to kick off a live gig.
https://youtu.be/ZqCOzgYQsKI
God damn they are so good live.
I am going to another of their concerts as soon as tours are back.
This is the content I came for!
I can't believe this is so far down. The entire song is the best bassline ever made.
The bassline in Undisclosed Desires fucking slaps
Yes! Also Plug in Baby
This is the answer
This is the way
Lots of good muse bass lines :)
Check out Futurism from Origin of Symmetry, it has a wicked bass line that rivals Hysteria
All responses here are on point, but can I also recommend New Born (and maybe also Reapers). Dude has fingers of frickin steel
How is this so far down?! There may be more famous examples but this one is just so catchy and gritty!
Billie Jean
Came here to say this. Can't help but smile everytime that song comes on. Such a simple yet extremely groovy song.
Billie*
Michael Jackson half-apologized to Hall & Oates for stealing their riff from I Can't Go For That, but he played around with it differently enough that H&O hadn't even noticed until he pointed it out, and told Jackson that they ripped it from somewhere else so don't worry about it.
Sunshine of your love
Not bad, but I like White Room better. But it's just my opinion
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Disorder is cool too
Disorder is so simple but god damn if it's not the first bassline I play every time I pick up the bass
chorus pedal and lots of strumming.
also i really like the basslines on Shadowplay and Wilderness and Glass and many others
Transmission is also an amazing bass line
Cameo - Word Up
Ramble On by Led Zeppelin.
Dazed and Confused as well, this live version is mind blowing: https://youtu.be/ZQgYn23Xvck
Hot Chocolate- Sexy Thing
Good Times by Chic
The Cure Fascination Street is a good one
Probably not the best. But it's iconic and my favorite.
Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie
Another One Bites The Dust has a banger of a bass line too
Personally I prefer Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice. That little tss totally makes it for me
/s
The tss makes it a totally different bassline.
Schism- Tool
Tool has so many good bass lines. My personal favorite is The Pot.
46 and 2 by Tool
Edit: diggin all the love for Tool! Y’all are right. It’s hard to pick one song of theirs. And yes, Justin is the greatest of all time.
well then, of course i have to say a classic like Schism
love me some 10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)
Fetch me the Spirit, the Son, and the Father. Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended. It's time now! My time now! Give me my, give me my wings!
Between the haunting bassline and the power behind that verse... easily one of my favorite songs of all time.
Personally love the bass line in Tool - The Pot
I’d have to say Lateralus for my favorite bass in a Tool song.
Vicarious.
Tool is waaaay too low on this list.
Sober as well. And about 75% of the Tool library has crazy good bass lines.
My people. Justin Chancellor kicks ass.
Any love for The Pot?
Would? by Alice in Chains
I could try to pick between quite a few Alice in Chains songs. I love that bass intro to Would? though
Panic station
also hysteria, animals, sunburn and hyper music. muse has so many good basslines
The less I know the better by tame Impala
Let It Happen also has a great bassline.
The first time I heard Let It Happen I ascended
Fucking looking for this, straight facts.
Scrolled and searched to make sure this was represented. Never before hearing this song had I ever been ripped into by a bassline like this
That whole album has some insane grooves on it
I was gonna say new person, same old mistake but that too
I read this question and heard this bassline before my brain even consciously processed what I read
Can’t Stop- RHCP, Superstition- Stevie Wonder
Can't believe I had scroll this far down to see the chili Peppers!
Chillies get upvotes from me!
All Around the World fucking smacks!
Throw away your television is also great and memorable
Can't stop is a good one.
Winona’s big brown beaver
Debaser by The Pixes
As I just commented regarding Tina Weymouth and Talking Heads, Pixies are one of those bands where the bass is really the melodic instrument of the group. The guitar supports the rhythm and the lead melody and tone comes from the bass usually - The Smiths are another example IMO.
came to say gigantic but this works too
Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz. May not be the “best”, but easily one of the most recognizable for me.
This was the very first bass line that I learned!
Was gonna say this if nobody else did. It may not be the most technically impressive bass line but damn is it catchy and it made feel good inc a truly iconic song.
The catchiest has to be express yourself by Charles Wright (made uber famous by NWA)
Freedom by Rage Against the Machine
Tim Commerford can write some amazing lines
Another One Bites the Dust.
Edit: I personally think Dragon Attack is the best Queen bass line that I’m aware of, but it doesn’t get radio play and is unknown compared to their more popular singles... and I wanted those sweet, sweet upvotes. Here’s a treat for the uninitiated:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spm5-SXo4Do
yess and Crazy Little Thing Called Love has amazing bass
And even though it’s simpler, I have to put Under Pressure there as well for it’s catchiness
Queen has some underrated basslines. Nothing horribly technical, but iconic nonetheless.
If you want to hear Deacy showing off try the Millionaires Waltz :)
How about Spread your wings? That’s double the bass
Anything he wrote himself is always a good bet :)
Dragon Attack has got to be the most underrated Queen jam. Basically no one knows it in a popular sense but it's just been sitting there all this time being such a great song.
Upvote for Dragon Attack. It’s a great song.
Deacon is the master of catchy, but simple basslines. My favorite is Breaktrough, such a pumping rythm.
Yes!
Gimme Gimme Gimme by ABBA.
Yes I’m serious
ABBA’s basslines in general are almost always incredible, extremely underrated musicians. I don’t think anyone underrated the group themselves obviously lol, but how often do you hear someone mention them in talks of best basslines or piano playing?
Truth
Rutger Gunnarsson is a bass god :-)
https://youtu.be/wL-VMOGAhzE?t=31m
ABBA fucking slaps
Peace Sells, But Who's Buying? by Megadeth
Ellefson is admittedly very skilled with his hands
Whaddya mean I couldn't be the president... of the United Basslines of America? Tell me sumpthin, it's still "we the headbangers", right?
How this isn't higher amazes me. Didn't you fuckers watch MTV News?!?
'I wanna be adored' by the stone roses.
My fellow mancunians will understand
Joint first place with fools gold
Both great songs, but Fool’s Gold is the far superior bassline
Also that guitar tone.
I love Adored but I am the resurrection kills it bass wise, the breakdown when it goes into the instrumental is phenomenal.
Tommy the Cat
I was thinking my Name is Mudd but as long as we are saying Primus we’re good
I am also going to have to put My Name Is Mud ahead of Tommy The Cat...
Its insane that Primus isn't closer to the top of the thread.
Welcome to being old, but not old enough!
Came here to say Tommy the cat
Knight Rider theme song
Digital - Joy Division.
It sounds like an evil machine being turned on and off.
mr. Hook is one original bass player
absolutely incredible bass player. He IS joy division / New Order to me.
I could pick so many Joy Division ones. Simple and effective; I never get bored of hearing them or playing them
U can't hold no groove - Victor Wooten
Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith. A classic
Money by Pink Floyd. Sets up the song so nice and it just sounds so fucking cool
I'm biased so, Longview - Green Day
Mike isn't the most technical player in the world, but man Green Day on bass, especially the older stuff, is so damn fun to play!
For green day I would say “80” is one of my favorite Mike Dirnt lines. Guy has parts for days though. Super fun bass to play along too.
The part in "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon where the base line is played forward and then backward
Lenny Kravitz - It ain't over till its over
Them Changes- Thundercat
Jungle Boogie - Kool & the Gang
Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
The line that loops at the end, about 19 minutes in.
Who played the bass on that again? Oh yeah...
“Is this it”
PDA by Interpol is by far my favourite.
Shit, any song by Interpol. Awesome bass in all their songs.
I'm glad someone said an interpol song - although I was inclined to go with Evil for coolest bass line! Carlos really was quality (no shade to Paul or the touring bass player, they're my favourite band but no doubt Carlos was integral to that Interpol sound in the beginning)
Seven nation army - is that a bassline? Just had it in my head all day when I read this question so maybe I'm just a wrong answer under this post 😶
I think it can qualify as a bassline, but it's played on a guitar with an octave pedal
Does “bass” in bassline refer to a bass guitar or just bass meaning low notes? Kinda a rhetorical question, but I definitely think seven nation army is one of the most iconic basslines of all time, even if it’s not the best (it is very good though)
It's a good choice (guitar/8ve pedal aside) I think any song that the recording alone can get an arena of people stomping and chanting is pretty special
Metallica’s Cliff Burton “Pulling Teeth”
Dude anything les claypool does is magic. I dont like primus much but he fucking kills it
I've seen Primus six times, the things Les does with his bass are astounding. One concert at Red Rocks he stretched out Sailing the Seas of Cheese into a three hour jam and style show.
Saw them at red rocks a few years back with mastodon, they definitely sounds amazing live
One Better
Otherside chili peppers, probably another from flea but i cant say off the bat.
Gotta say Around the World is the really standout Flea bassline for me. I always listen with bass boosted and feel amazing when I hear it.
It's got everything--hype staccato riff during the verse, really satisfying bends, smooth longer notes that comfort you during the chorus, harder rock parters that pick you up, it builds tension and releases it. Just masterful stuff.
I always loved Soul to Squeeze
Rancid - Maxwell Murder
I like Journey to the End of the East Bay as well. Rancid has some solid basslines.
“The best fuckin bass player in the world, Matt Freeman”
That is my all-time favourite Rancid song
Matty came from far away
From New Orleans into the East Bay
He said this is a Mecca
I said this ain't no Mecca man, this place is fucked
What a great bass solo on Max Murder
I love ‘Pump it up’ by Elvis Costello, but ‘If’ by the Bluetones is a wonderful baseline.
Also the bass line from ‘Horsell Common and the Heat Ray’ In Jeff Wayne’s war of the worlds is so menacing and iconic.
Helter Skelter
Detroit rock city by KISS has such a good bassline
Won't be fooled again by The Who
Glad someone put in a vote for the late John Entwistle. My vote goes to The Real Me.
Dean Town by Vulfpeck is really great, especially if you like funk, the whole song is centered around Joe Dart's amazing bassline and really explodes in bass goodness around one minute in!
lol I came to this thread just to see if anyone posted any vulf content
that goes hard
This is a great bassline! The madison square garden version is also sick
Around the world - Daft Punk.
How tf did I have to school this far
Anything that Larry Graham ever played
I think Paul McCartney’s bass playing on the song Something is some of the best bass playing in pop music ever.
The trooper bass line is pretty rad.
I would argue that bass line might be one of the best in metal, and that The Trooper is one of the best songs in metal. Steve Harris’s gallop is legendary.
YYZ
Talk Talk - It's My Life
Fools Gold by The Stone Roses. That shit is funky af
Sober -tool. Even got the tabs tattooed on my arm.
Schism - Tool
forty six and 2 - Tool
American life-Primus
Hand that feeds-nine inch nails
Heretic prevails - shadow of intent
Born in Winter - Gojira
I’m a bassist so I could go on and on and on
Come Together
heaven can wait by iron maiden
Not many people out there can touch Steve Harris, at one time he was labeled the fastest Bassist in the world..
And Powerslave
Phantom of the Opera has a sick baseline too.
Love buzz by Nirvana
Also: Come As You Are
James Jamerson had some real gems. “Dear Darling” and “For once in my life” are a couple great examples of his brilliance.
Entwhistle "My Generation"
Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads!
Immigrant Song by Led Zeplin one of the most iconic
The National Anthem by Radiohead.
How to disappear completely also has a tremendous bassline
Airbag
I guess this will become the Radiohead appreciation comment thread, so I’ll say Colin has a lot of extraordinary bass bits that sometimes get overlooked- what are some other favourites?
Where I end and you begin chef's kiss
Kinda random one, but the baseline for Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses is amazing.
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
The way Tony Levin played his fretless bass and the effects he used; amazing
Cannonball by The Breeders
“Flashlight” by parliament
“So what”, Miles Davis
“Song for my Father” , lee Morgan. (Later copied in Ricky Don’t Lose That Number)
“Chameleon” . Herbie hancock
EDIT: thanks for the gold, kind Reddit music lover!
Rock Lobster by The B-52's
The Beatles - Come Together
Paul was certainly a terrific bassist and an inspiration to many. So many of his bass lines are fantastic!
Annoyingly, he's so casually brilliant about it.
Like that bass line in Silly Love Songs- if a normal human like me came up with that, it'd be the musical highlight of my life. For him, that was just normal Tuesday, whatever.
The bass line on Rain is pretty great. Might be his most busy playing
Don't know about the best, but I LOVE the work on Killing in the Name.
"Know your enemy" by Ratm is also really good
bombtrack has a good bass line as well
Tyrone by Erykah Badu.
Into The Mystic Van Morrison
Pretty much anything that James Jamerson played on. I'll point out Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life" just 'cause of the cool video.
Ceremony- Joy Division
Berry Oakley Whipping Post At Filmore East
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ppYldfTMiE
The Breeders - Cannon Ball
"Calm Like a Bomb" - RATM. Great intro and head banging groove for the whole song.
"Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground. Simple but definitely gets you moving.
green onions - booker t and the mg's
I've scrolled a LOT and no mention of Walk On The Wild Side?
7 Nation Army
Even if not the best, easily one of the most iconic and recognizable.
This. So simple, yet so ingrained in everyday life.
A baseline not played on a bass, which is cool in and of itself.
Surreal how far down I had to go for this.
This thread needs more Thundercat.
I'm partial to What's The Use (Mac Miller) for its funkier vibe, but you could just as well go with Shadows (Childish Gambino) for a straight up flex of talent. The man just spits out phenomenal basslines. Can't make a bad pick.
Bulls on Parade - RATM
Rush - YYZ is certainly in the Top 5, if not just #1, all on its own.
I was about to say Tom Sawyer. But Geddy Lee in general is just boss.
SLAPPIN DA BASS
Death Cab For Cutie - I will posses your heart.
Basically the bass line is the song, with lovely subtle notes dispersed throughout
I Can’t Wait - Nu Shooz
I'm a heavy metal bass player and could list 1000's of huge lines; but surprisingly, one of my favorites is Attention - Charlie Puth
Soundgarden, “The Day I tried to Live”
Joy Division - Transmission
Might be heretical but Hey man, nice shot by Filter is my all time favorite baseline.
Paperback Writer-Beatles or Hey Bulldog-Beatles
Come as you are - Nirvana
You might like Life Goes On by the Damned. Its bass line inspired the guitar riff to Eighties by Killing Joke, which presumably then in turn inspired Come As You Are. All three are great songs in their own right
Dazed and Confused, Led Zeppelin
Passion, Nightmares on Wax
Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd
Not a musician so I don't know what's makes a good baseline but I've a new found appreciation for:
Isley Brothers - Footsteps in the dark
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit
Outlast - Prototype
Jackson 5 - I want you back
Im not a fan, I just love that fucking bassline.
Yup I feel like people overlook this one a lot but it's so awesome. It's somehow busy and sparse at the same time.
How could you not be a fan? The Jackson 5 bop!
I feel bad saying this is the greatest bassline, because this is also the greatest song ever recorded. I feel like I should spread the praise around a bit.
Fantastic bass line. Great tone. Played by a nearly blacked out drunk genius lying on the ground in the studio. I gotta agree, it's the best
Edit: I'm sorry, I'm getting songs mixed up. I was thinking of James Jamerson on Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" for being too drunk to stand or sit, so he laid on the ground and did it in one take.
Edit 2: speeling
Michael Jackson is getting way overlooked here in general I think.