Most impressive basslines from "popular" bands

[Mossiebass]

Title says it all. What's the most impressive popular bassline you know? We'll define popular as something you wouldn't be completely shocked to hear on the radio.

 

[JTE]

Well, depends on what radio YOU listen to. My radio, on the few occasions I use radio, is likely to have Beatles, Allman Bros, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Bros. Johnson, Motown, Stax, etc. So I'd go for either Jamerson on "Bernadette" or Jack Bruce on "White Room"...

John

 

[FrednBass]

Macca's bassline in 'Lovely Rita', 'Something' and 'Another Day'

 

[bachlover]

Sir Paul's "Nowhere Man."

 

[fisticuffs]

Any Michael Jackson or Duran Duran single.

 

[P. Aaron]

Pump It Up (and many others) by Elvis Costello.

 

[BioWeapon]

A couple of Bruno Mars' songs have some fun basslines. I don't know that I would call them impressive however, more like well-composed and groovy.
Two in particular stick out, Locked out of Heaven, and Treasure.

 

[adamaarts]

Anything from Muse. 'Roses' from Outkast. There's lots more.

 

[KalTM]

John Mayer has some good basslines. I LOVE the line from "no such thing"

 

[Andrew W.]

I always liked the bass line from the Killer's "Somebody Told Me." The mini solo at the beginning of the song really caught my ear the first time I heard it.

 

[bamaky1]

The newer single "Come a little closer" by Cage the Elephant genuinely threw me for a loop during the verses. I've never really been into them but I heard it at work the other day. Simple yet it kept playing in my mind at points throughout the week.

 

[Journey55]

A lot of Taylor Swift songs have good basslines (ie Fifteen starts out with a bass solo and Stay Stay has a pretty groovin line for basically the whole song)

 

[20db pad]

For me it's always been "Every Time You Go Away" by Paul Young with Pino Palladino on bass.

 

[ryanms3030]

If we're talking about current popular aka "pop" music , I would have no idea. I would not recognize a Bruno Mars or John Mayer song (to name a couple of examples from the thread). I'm not arrogant about my musical taste, I just don't listen to the radio. But older popular music I always loved Billy Jean by Michael Jackson and White Wedding by Billy Idol. Maybe not impressive but great grooves

 

[charlie_rtr]

Sweet chilld of mine, a bass line that has always impressed me

and that daft punk song, 'get lucky', simple but awesome

 

[Andrew W.]

Almost all of the songs off of Random Access Memory have awesome basslines.

Sweet chilld of mine, a bass line that has always impressed me

and that daft punk song, 'get lucky', simple but awesome

 

[Marial]

Any Michael Jackson or Duran Duran single.

Yep, and most of the lines from Motown's heyday. Also see 'disco'.

 

[Jared Lash]

I had to learn "Footloose" for a wedding gig years ago. Still not a fan of the song (or the bass tone for that matter) but the bassline is fantastic. I had heard the song a few times but never really listened so I sat down thinking I'd knock it out in a few minutes and ending up getting a clinic. Dig the runs during the chorus, the double stops and the that drives the song while never being too much. Like something Jamerson would play if he got called out for rock sessions.

It wasn't until years later I found out that Nathan East played on that track which made a lot of sense.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

I like the bassline from Treasure by Bruno Mars, definitely funky stuff.

 

[pan1k]

Bruno Mars locked out of heaven. Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines. Some recent lines ive fallin in love with i guess.