The bass is all too often seen as the electric guitar’s less glamorous and easier-to-play big brother. But anyone who has paid attention to songs with good bass lines such as the Billie Jean bass line, the Under Pressure bass line, or ventured down the YouTube rabbit hole of the ‘Best Top 100 Bassline Songs of All Time’, will know that the bass is a powerful, dynamic and exciting instrument with the potential to make a great song a classic.
The bass guitar was my gateway to music. At 11 years old, I asked my Dad what the instrument playing the cool line in The Offspring’s ‘Pretty Fly For a White Guy‘ was. He replied that it was the bass guitar, and so began my lifelong obsession with music and songs with good bass lines.
I saved all my pocket money and purchased a cheap Squire P-Bass (racing green with a white scratch plate, if you’re interested!) and I’ve been playing ever since.
Creating any blog entry that hopes to list great basslines is difficult. There are so many songs with great basslines it’s almost impossible.
My search for the best basslines of all time has taken me through iconic basslines in pop and rock and the best funk bass lines. I have documented my findings here and also included them in this Spotify playlist. Have a listen and keep reading to learn more about each song!
The Who – My Generation
One of the early pioneers of rock bass was the one and only John Entwistle. Entwistle embodies a virtuosity on the bass guitar that hadn’t been seen before 1965. The grooving off-beat rambunctious bass matches Pete Townshend’s guitar and rolls alongside Keith Moon’s drums in such an exciting way.
My Generation reached number 2 in the UK charts on its initial release. Rolling Stone named it number 11 in its list of the 500 greatest songs ever written.
If you’re looking for an example of Entwistle pushing the envelope, I would encourage you to also check out his incredible solo from the band’s Albert Hall performance in 2003.
Rancid – Maxwell Murder Best Basslines
Old School punk rock might not necessarily be the first place you’d look for great basslines, but Rancid’s Matt Freeman is an incredible musician. Maxwell Murder is 1 minute and 26 seconds of pure speed with some epic walking bass. The real jaw-drop moment comes at 59 seconds where Freeman puts in a perfectly phrased, high-speed solo.
The bass track cuts through the mix with quite a treble-heavy sound. The use of a pick makes the tone punchy and facilitates those fast trills in the solo.
CHIC – Good Times
It’s hard to pin down a specific CHIC tune as having the best bassline but Good Times is one of the front-runners.
Bernard Edwards employs one of the key foundations of the groove in bass playing. ‘Three on the E’, three beats on the bottom E string right on the beat at the beginning of a phrase, just can make you want to move. It has been used expertly by the likes of Queen and Vulfpeck as well.
The rest of the phrase is melodic and engaging. And as the rhythm becomes more complex towards the end of the phrase, the tension and release created by Edwards as he returns to the E are what gives the song its danceability.
Best Basslines: Miles Davis – So What
Miles Davis was initially part of the Bebop scene in New York, playing the Saxophone at lightning speeds for Charlie Parker. But switching to trumpet, he pioneered a brand new style of jazz in his seminal album ‘Kind of Blue’ released in 1959.
The opening track of the album ‘So What’ is now a pivotal example of Cool Jazz. The track centers around the bass which carries the main melody of the head. The studio recording perfectly captures Paul Chambers making the most of the double bass ability to slide smoothly between notes.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers – Aeroplane
There aren’t many lists of great bass players that don’t mention Flea. The Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player has made a huge contribution to music. He put bass and drums at the forefront of Chili’s music. Not to mention his philanthropic contributions including his co-founding of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. As well as his appearance in films such as Back to the Future II and III, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Big Lebowski.
Choosing one of the many outstanding bass lines from RHCP’s catalog is difficult. For me, this is one of the best basslines. The pulsing walking bass in the chorus and the slapping verses groove make this song have one of the best basslines of all time.
Level 42 – Lessons in Love
Staying on the theme of slap bass, Mark King is a figurehead of the technique. One of the Isle of Wight’s great exports, Level 42 had a string of hits in the ‘80s with King’s unique approach to bass playing.
The key to the feel of the bass in Lessons in Love is the economy of the index finger ‘pop’ part of the slap. And a lot of muting in the left hand married with a subtle chorus effect. This makes the slap style a lot more dynamic, lending itself to a more galloping feel.
Best Basslines: Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Leaving the low end, some bass players have on occasion ventured higher up the neck to play lead bass. One the finest examples of this are Peter Hook’s line Love Will Tear Us Apart, which was such a perfectly placed line that Ian Curtis chose to mirror with the vocal.
Jaco Pastorius – The Chicken
Jaco was a one-of-a-kind virtuoso who played with the likes of Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell. He also released several records under his name – the most famous of which was The Chicken.
A Jazz-Funk blast where Pastorius lays the groundwork before experimenting with the rhythm and notes. Beneath first-class trumpets and drums, the live version that includes a steel drum and punchy trumpet is my favorite.
Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
The great basslines that underpin the coda of The Chain were arguably the best basslines ever. Even before it was utilized as the theme for Formula 1’s global television coverage.
Throughout the song the bass is relatively straightforward, sticking tightly to the drum. But as the band exit the final chorus and the drums shuffle, John McVie kicks in with that instantly recognizable riff and lifts the whole song.
Free – All Right Now
Free is a band whose short career doesn’t get enough recognition. A fantastic group of musicians, Andy Fraser’s bass work on All Right Now is a perfect counterpoint to Paul Kossoff’s guitar. But the real genius of the piece is during the guitar solo.
It joins the list of songs with good bass lines. It breaks down and lands on a bass-led groove in A – the line is fantastic but it’s the semi-hidden root note in the answering phrase that showcases Fraser’s attention to technique.
Queen & David Bowie – Under Pressure
Perhaps not one of the most complex basslines in the world, but one of the best basslines ever. John Deacon’s two notes in that rhythm are nothing short of pure genius. The rhythm of the first note leads perfectly to the second and the little pause before returning to the first note gives a little space, which draws the listener into the phrase and ultimately into the song.
The fact that it’s in the higher register also packs a little more punch when they go into the chorus and deacon ventures to the lower notes.
Best Basslines: Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Billie Jean is a straight walk in the bass but the rhythm alongside the electronic drum kit makes the song, it has great basslines.
The bassist in question, Louis Johnson, performed on Jackson’s albums ‘Off The Wall’, ‘Thriller’ and ‘Dangerous’ as well as being a permanent member of his group the Brothers Johnson. He also played alongside the likes of Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, the Carpenters, Kenny Loggins, and Stevie Nicks.
In addition to this iconic bassline, Johnson’s bassline on Jackson’s song ‘I keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)’ has underpinned countless rap tracks.
Johnson’s signature sound came from a unique Stingray bass made for him by Leo Fender and he is widely regarded as one of the Godfathers of Slap Bass. This is where his nickname (arguably the best bassist nickname ever) ‘Thunder Thumbs’ came from, and why he is ranked as Bass Player Magazine’s 38th Best Bassist of All Time.
That Was Our List Of The Best Basslines Of All Time
So there you have it, that was our review of the best basslines ever!
The thing all of these great basslines have in common is that they stand apart from the other instruments. They have their unique part which allows them to fill the rhythm and the frequencies of the overall sound and create texture and intrigue for the listener. In all of the songs here, the instrument is so integral that to remove the bass would be to kill the song.
Do you agree? What basslines would you have included in your list of the best basslines all of all time?
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