Best I-V-vi-IV bass lines

[MVE]

What are the your favorite I-V-vi-IV bass lines?

If there is a progression you need to recognize and be familiar with for modern music, its definitely the I-V-vi-IV.
But whenever I play it solo on my bass, all I hear is No Woman No Cry, which is great, but what are some others with good bass lines worth learning?

 

[Groove Doctor]

When I come around - green day.

 

[SteveCS]

This one always sticks in my mind:


For a slight variation on a theme there is always this one:

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

 

[Groove Doctor]

Mind blowing Medley of 1 5 6 4 songs.



Journey - Don't Stop Believing
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
Alphaville - Forever Young
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Mika - Happy Ending
Alex Lloyd - Amazing
The Calling - Wherever You WIll Go
Elton John - Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved
The Last Goodnight - Pictures Of You
U2 - With Or Without You
Crowded House - Fall At Your Feet
Kasey Chambers - Not Pretty Enough
The Beatles - Let it Be
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge
Daryl Braithwaite - The Horses
Bob Marley - No Woman No Cry
Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy
Men At Work - Land Down Under
Banjo Patterson's Waltzing Matilda
A Ha - Take On Me
Green Day - When I Come Around
Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight
Toto - Africa
Beyonce - If I Were A Boy
The Offspring - Self Esteem
The Offspring - You're Gonna Go Far Kid
Pink - You and Your Hand
Lady Gaga - Poker Face
Aqua - Barbie Girl
The Fray - You Found Me
30h!3 - Don't Trust Me
MGMT - Kids
Tim Minchin - Canvas Bags
Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
Five For Fighting - Superman
Axis Of Awesome - Birdplane
Missy Higgins - Scar

 

[SteveCS]

Mind blowing Medley of 1 5 6 4 songs.
...

Excellent, hilarious and totally true.

/Thread

 

[WrapRough]

Talking about why...

 

[Cave Puppy]

Almost any song from the '90s - Better than Ezra's "Good" immediately comes to mind.

 

[Cave Puppy]

If you've learned one - you've learned them all.

 

[Gustopher]

View attachment 4672816

Pat Finnerty is a national treasure.

 

[Burwabit]

I always liked the jumpy little bass line from this song…

 

[mambo4]

I V vi IV is the new I vi ii V.
Harmonically static chord cycles
Can support almost any phrase in the key of the I.

 

[NathOBX]

The Police-So lonely
Rancid- Journey to the end of east bay (killer bass intro)

 

[bfields]

Eh, there's some cherry-picking going on in the Axis of Awesome video--e.g. there's a reason they only play the first four bars of "Don't Stop Believing"--because the next bit goes I V iii IV. And then of course there's a different progression starting on "strangers...."

The second chord in "You're Beautiful" is in first inversion (V over the 7th of the scale)--is that just a detail? I'd recommend paying attention to it if you're the bassist--and then the chorus has a different progression.

Axis of Awesome also moves on from "Forever Young" *very* quickly--since it's actually something like I V vi IV V ii9 IV vi, I think?

Etc., etc.

Then there's the fact that the chords aren't the only thing that defines the song. I invite you to bring the chords to "Shake it Off" to a jam session some day (that one only has 3 chords!) and then watch everyone stop in confusion after a couple verses wondering why it isn't working.

 

[brianrost]

Every period of music has an overused progression. In the 1950s, doo-woppers were married to I-vi-IV-V. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was rhythm changes (I-vi-ii-V with a bridge of III7-VI7-II7-V7). Let's not leave out the 1,000,000,000,000 songs written over 12-bar blues changes or the time honored I-IV.

 

[yodedude2]

Every period of music has an overused progression. In the 1950s, doo-woppers were married to I-vi-IV-V. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was rhythm changes (I-vi-ii-V with a bridge of III7-VI7-II7-V7). Let's not leave out the 1,000,000,000,000 songs written over 12-bar blues changes or the time honored I-IV.

and they sound so good

 

[TheReceder]

One that my band does that we think is hilarious... mainly because it's so simple that eventually one of us screws it up.

Pete Droge - If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself) (Official Music Video) - YouTube

 

[MVE]

Eh, there's some cherry-picking going on in the Axis of Awesome video--e.g. there's a reason they only play the first four bars of "Don't Stop Believing"--because the next bit goes I V iii IV. And then of course there's a different progression starting on "strangers...."

The second chord in "You're Beautiful" is in first inversion (V over the 7th of the scale)--is that just a detail? I'd recommend paying attention to it if you're the bassist--and then the chorus has a different progression.

Axis of Awesome also moves on from "Forever Young" *very* quickly--since it's actually something like I V vi IV V ii9 IV vi, I think?

Etc., etc.

Then there's the fact that the chords aren't the only thing that defines the song. I invite you to bring the chords to "Shake it Off" to a jam session some day (that one only has 3 chords!) and then watch everyone stop in confusion after a couple verses wondering why it isn't working.

Many of these songs also have unique turn arounds or B parts.

 

[Rib 13]

A lot of 00s punk lived in that progression

 

[GretschWretch]

What are the your favorite I-V-vi-IV bass lines?

If there is a progression you need to recognize and be familiar with for modern music, its definitely the I-V-vi-IV.
But whenever I play it solo on my bass, all I hear is No Woman No Cry, which is great, but what are some others with good bass lines worth learning?

This set of changes, along with variations like vi-IV-I-V has become so ubiquitous that the best line is the one left unplayed.