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Most Iconic (not best/most technical) basslines

#141
I'm late to the party, but all great references! I see Motown mentions with My Girl seemingly topping the list, but no mention of Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through The Grapevine. That's my pick.

+1 Ramble On
+1 Fourty Six & 2
+1 For The Love Of Money
 
#142
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.
Click to expand...

Papa was a rollin’ stone
 
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#143
Jason Schulhz said:
Cannonball / The Breeders
Our lips are sealed / The Go Go’s
Broken Wings / Mr. Mister
Brandy / Looking Glass
Kiss Me / Sixpence none the richer
Crazy / Patsy Cline
Come on Eileen / Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Fly Away / Lenny Kravitz
Click to expand...

Here in the UK it would be Our Lips Are Sealed by The Fun Boy Three. Simpler bass line. Given that Terry Hall co-wrote it, not exactly a cover.
 
#151
It seems synth bass is OK?

Frankie goes to Hollywood - Relax!

(Not joking, while utterly simple, it is 100% right for the song, has a character that even people normally deaf to bass might identify/recognize, and might have helped starting bass players ger into slapping.)
 
#155
AlexanderB said:
It seems synth bass is OK?

Frankie goes to Hollywood - Relax!

(Not joking, while utterly simple, it is 100% right for the song, has a character that even people normally deaf to bass might identify/recognize, and might have helped starting bass players ger into slapping.)
Click to expand...

Based on interviews, that's real bass from the bassist of the group with synth bass added, AFAIK.
 
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#157
NobodyImportant said:
I'm late to the party, but all great references! I see Motown mentions with My Girl seemingly topping the list, but no mention of Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through The Grapevine. That's my pick.

+1 Ramble On
+1 Fourty Six & 2
+1 For The Love Of Money
Click to expand...

Good call on "For the Love of Money" (and I've never even watched the TV series that later used it).

On "My Girl" I wonder how many non bass players would recognize the actual bassline? The pentatonic guitar figure, yes, for sure - and if you played that on bass people would recognize it.

All the mentions of "I'll Take You There" - I seem to recall reading that David Hood having said he got paid a flat one-time $35 for recording that. I hope that's mistaken!
 

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