Recommend some classic, must-know songs that are beginner friendly (i.e. EASY !!)

[devnulljp]

First song I learned on bass was Phantom of the Opera by Iron Maiden when I was about 10 years old (by ear no less, long before youtube tutorials were a thing, took a while to work it all out). Everything else was easy after that

 

[TakeABreak]

Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young) is a fun and fairly easy one.

 

[packhowitzer]

Polly Wolly Doodle
Little Brown Jug
Oh Susanna
Turkey in the Straw
I've been working on the railroad
Skip to my Lou
Camptown Races
Blue Tail Fly
My Bonnie

 

[TommyGunz]

Seven Nation Army

He said *Bass* lines...

 

[pbass74]

Doesn't get much easier than "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac.

 

[Rib 13]

Hotel California

If Played correctly, that's actually fairly challenging!

Its not too bad by itself but I have to sing it and play it.... :/

 

[lbbc]

Can't You See... Marshall Tucker
Dreams............. Fleetwood Mac
Hit Me With Your Best Shot...Pat Benatar
Breakdown....Tom Petty
Teach Your Children...CSNY

 

[REV]

All Along the Watchtower

 

[Dincrest]

Not a "classic rock song" but Hella Good by No Doubt has a bassline that is so simple, yet so good. That's a great simple bassline to jam on to really get a great sense of feel, since the feel is everything in that bassline.

 

[arbitrary]

hot cross buns

 

[hrodbert696]

I guess a lot depends on how "easy" is "easy." Louie Louie and Wild Thing come to mind. A lot of U2 lines, like With or Without You (good exercise for keeping steady tone and tempo over a long, repetitive time...) or Desire. Just about anything by AC/DC. Running with the Devil (Van Halen). I Love Rock n Roll. Roadhouse Blues. Mary Jane's Last Dance, definitely. I think the first tune I ever learned was Talking Heads' Take Me to the River.

Someone mentioned Stray Cat Strut - the basic roots are simple, sure. If you're going to do the walking lines on the instrumental breaks, though, that's a whole other ball of wax. But Rock this Town is pretty simple. Someone else mentioned You May Be Right, which I agree isn't HARD to play or anything, but it isn't the kind of simple three-chord wonder you can just jump in on.

Oh that reminds me - most hits with the Bo Diddley beat. I Want Candy, the Hand Jive, etc.

 

[getrhythm]

SUN Records catalog of rockabilly...Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Lee Riley, Carl Perkins, etc.
And as others have mentioned, a lot of Booker T tunes have relatively simple but potent groovy bass lines and CCR too!

 

[Plectrum72]

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
Attitude - Misfits
Stillness of Heart - Lenny Kravitz

 

[walking Bass]

Motown - all of it. Then add a bit of James Brown and dig into the blues until you're behind 12 bars or can keep ahead of them

 

[climber]

Feeling Alright
Cocaine
Blue Suede Shoes

any and all blues tunes

 

[Krizz]

Santana, Oye Como Va and Evil Ways

 

[TNCreature]

Violent femmes is far from beginner level stuff!

Most sabbath is far from "easy" and van Haley is no cake walk either lol!

Ok. If you say so.

 

[Julian G]

Summer of '69 is easy to follow
Papa was a Rolling Stone - nice and simple groove to get into
Stand By Me - classic simple bass line
Walking on the Moon - simple instantly recognizable bass line
Standard 12 bar blues

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Temptations.
'Papa Was A Rolling Stone'.
About as simple a line as you could get, but if you can hold steady to that groove for the full eleven minutes and fifty seconds, you can call yourself a bass player.

You are soooooo right, my friend! I love when I hear "some" people say, "that's such a simple and easy bassline"... great example of bass ignorance. Of course, the drummer had to be spot on also. Love The Temptations stuff! Great post! And a great point made by you, sir!

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Motown - all of it. Then add a bit of James Brown and dig into the blues until you're behind 12 bars or can keep ahead of them

All Motown? Hmmmm... I would consider Jamerson's and Babbitt's work far above a beginner's level. Just my $.02. I guess I suck! Lol.