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Most Iconic (not best/most technical) basslines

#222
Polkatronixx said:
Oh, I thought you were saying non-musicians knew who you were talking about. I was confused, as I'd assume most people would confuse Anthony Jackson with the guy from American Idol!

As an aside, I think it's a phaser, not a flanger.
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By name, most I talk to don't recognize him. I have to bring up that tune. Then, they make the connection, but in most cases the interest ceases there, haha.

I always get those effects mixed up. I was certain AJ used flange, and I think he did eventually move to that, but I see you're right about his use for this tune.
 
#223
Smooth_bass88 said:
Wow, lots of great, although certainly not iconic, basslines being talked about here.
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Yeah, I decided I wasn't going to play thread police on this one at all since there are songs like 'Longview.' I consider that bassline as iconic as it gets, but if you were a little older it might not have hit you that way because even though it was big it wasn't in every single movie and played at every single wedding the way something like 'Uptown Funk,' is. I felt like I'd get better answers if I didn't go around shouting 'not iconic enough,' over and over again.

I wanted to let people play with the definition of 'iconic,' a little since I know there are styles of music very rarely become 'iconic,' at least not in the way I mean it. Like, there are a few people who have mentioned 'So What,' by Miles Davis. I'd argue he is iconic, and the bass line is brilliant, but if you aren't a bass player or jazz fan you probably haven't even heard 'So What,' and it definitely isn't something that makes non music fans say 'ah, I know this one, I've heard that bass line before,' the way 'Another One Bites The Dust,' does.

So yeah, a few people might be slightly deeper into their personal preferences than fits the question, but no one is saying. 'Have you heard this obscure bass player from the Caucasus Mountains? Nuns hiked up from their monastery to record his bass playing. He did one amazing track then sprinted into the wilderness never to be heard from again. To this day you have to barter in Rubles and fainting goats at a crossroads on a moonless night if you want to buy a copy.' Lots of 'best bass line,' threads devolve into 'who can gain the most internet points by knowing about something super obscure.'
 
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#224
Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw said:
Yeah, I decided I wasn't going to play thread police on this one at all since there are songs like 'Longview.' I consider that bassline as iconic as it gets, but if you were a little older it might not have hit you that way because even though it was big it wasn't in every single movie and played at every single wedding the way something like 'Uptown Funk,' is. I felt like I'd get better answers if I didn't go around shouting 'not iconic enough,' over and over again.

I wanted to let people play with the definition of 'iconic,' a little since I know there are styles of music very rarely become 'iconic,' at least not in the way I mean it. Like, there are a few people who have mentioned 'So What,' by Miles Davis. I'd argue he is iconic, and the bass line is brilliant, but if you aren't a bass player or jazz fan you probably haven't even heard 'So What,' and it definitely isn't something that makes non music fans say 'ah, I know this one, I've heard that bass line before,' the way 'Another One Bites The Dust,' does.

So yeah, a few people might be slightly deeper into their personal preferences than fits the question, but no one is saying. 'Have you heard this obscure bass player from the Caucasus Mountains? Nuns hiked up from their monastery to record his bass playing. He did one amazing track then sprinted into the wilderness never to be heard from again. To this day you have to barter in Rubles and fainting goats at a crossroads on a moonless night if you want to buy a copy.' Lots of 'best bass line,' threads devolve into 'who can gain the most internet points by knowing about something super obscure.'
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The part I bolded and underlined is just too good! And it rings true, even though it hasn't happened in this thread.

There's usually somebody who will try to out-"deep dive" you and find the most obscure example of something. It makes them feel hipper than thou, I guess.
 
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#226
twinjet said:
By name, most I talk to don't recognize him. I have to bring up that tune. Then, they make the connection, but in most cases the interest ceases there, haha.

I always get those effects mixed up. I was certain AJ used flange, and I think he did eventually move to that, but I see you're right about his use for this tune.
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I usually get confused and struggle to tell the difference between flanger and phaser - well, at least half of the time. I only knew this particular fun fact because I read it on Wikipedia or something.

I never had a strong opinion about that song one way or the other, but the Apprentice ruined it for me!
 
#229
Breeders - Cannonball
Pixies - Here comes your man
Pixies - Gigantic
Cure - pretty much every song that is recognizable is because of the bass line
Bjork - Army of Me
Duran Duran - Rio (12 inch Dance Version) features the bassline much more forward in the mix
Sneaker Pimps - 6 Underground
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
Death From Above 1979 - pretty much every song, Bass and Drums only kind of ensures that ...
Trainwreck 1979, Caught Up, Virgins ...
Lighting Bolt - same as ^^^^^

lots of new and old alternative bands rock the bass harder/better than most "classic rock" and "metal" bands in the past ...
 
#231
Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw said:
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.
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Come Together
Rain
Something
Spanish Moon
Life is a Carnival ( the Band)
Fat Man in the Bathtub
Dixie Chicken
Peg
Josie
 
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#232
two fingers said:
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.)
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That line was written and performed by Tony Butler. If you don't already know about Tony, go listen to some older Big Country recordings. You can thank me later.
 
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#238
Michedelic said:
No, thank you. These threads always devolve into ‘favorites’ lists without any regard to the original premise. In the context of the general population knowing the songs that’s been listed so far, I’d say there’d very few. Sure, they might have heard some, but do they even know what a bass is, let alone being able to pick out what’s being played as a distinct part/hook? Someone mentioned Miles, Chambers, and “So What”; yeah, iconic…for us, but the average person doesn’t know it, and couldn’t care less. But they might know Seinfeld, however that’s getting pretty irrelevant now, and it’s not even a real bass.[/ Back in the day many musicians wouldn't believe me when I said the line to Seinfeld was not played on a bass guitar. It was just my opinion at the time.
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