Most Iconic (not best/most technical) basslines

[Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw]

If you ask a bunch of bass players for the greatest bassline of all time you're bound to end up with some The Chicken on the list or things like YYZ, and rightfully so both are great.

But, I'm looking for most iconic basslines of all time, the basslines that start to play and even people who don't listen to music know it and start tapping their foot. So on this list 'The Chicken,' wouldn't crack the top few hundred, but 'Feel Good Inc,' might end up in single digits. On this list Paul McCartney > Victor Wooten.

If there is a good thread on this, please lead me to it. I have found a bunch of 'best bass line,' threads, but they all seem to include a lot of things that only deep dive music fans or bass players would be super into.

I've got a few faves:

Want You Back
Another One Bites the Dust
Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)
Stand by Me
Come Together
Feel Good Inc
Bill Jean
I'll also say there are like 15 Motown hits that could make the list so I'm just

I know I'm missing tons.

 

[bholder]

London Calling
White Rabbit
Money

 

[bholder]

Lipstick Vogue (a bit obscure, early Elvis Costello gem featuring Bruce Thomas)

(Edit: this one happens to be plenty technical, too - wish my fingers went that fast!)

 

[L Anthony]

 

[woodyng2]

Taxman/Start

 

[two fingers]

The Pretenders - My City Was Gone

The following is NOT about politics. It is just an observation of the facts on the ground.

I used to work in radio. I sold ads for a new rock and a classic rock station. Our company also owned several other stations, including a talk radio station. Rush Limbaugh used to use that hook as the opening music for each of his three hours daily. 23 million people a day heard that song. I couldn't TOUCH talk radio ratings so my sales were an uphill battle in Eastern NC military towns. I grew to hate that song back then, even though the bass line is awesome, and easily identified by millions.

The funniest part is that many of those millions would have no idea that it was The Pretenders. They just thought it was his theme song.

(Don't go off on a political tangent!!!!! This was just literally an answer to the question.)

 

[Oddly]

Elvis: Fever

 

[Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw]

London Calling
White Rabbit
Money

Ooooh, good ones. Heck, White Rabbit was so good that we all were willing to listen to Starship a few decades later.

 

[Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw]

The Pretenders - My City Was Gone

Interesting story, thanks for sharing!

 

[Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw]

Yep, criminal that I didn't have Chic on my original list.

 

[Stewie]

I’ll Take You There, The Staple Singers. I’d pull it up from YouTube but I’m not that good with the phone

 

[Windowliquor]

Waiting Room, Fugazi
fIREHOSE cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s the Red and the Black

 

[ellipsis]

Lou Reed - “Walk on the Wild Side”, bass parts by Herbie Flowers.

 

[Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw]

I’ll Take You There, The Staple Singers. I’d pull it up from YouTube but I’m not that good with the phone

I've got you

 

[GretschWretch]

 

[Gothic]

As you put it, I think first on that list would be the seven nation army (not a) bassline.

 

[Winslow]

 

[Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw]

As you put it, I think first on that list would be the seven nation army (not a) bassline.

Haha, sure is what a lot of guitar players do when they pick up my bass for the first time.

 

[Killing Floor]

On the pop side, thinking of songs not already posted; Tell Me Something Good and The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.

On the less popular front but very influential to this day; A Dream Told By Moto (Minutemen) and M-Train (Pylon)

 

[Killing Floor]

For those not in the know. You can try but you’ll have a hard time finding a cooler bass line from the 80s.