Songs every Bassist should know/learn....

[pocketgroove]

I'm going to second Funk #49. Great bass line, and tricky to master.

 

[mcglyph]

Make it funky by James BROWN. It is so simple yet not. Just a D played like you own it.

 

[Mr L]

Steady as she goes by the raconteurs is a lot of fun to play.

Are you gonna be my girl by jet is a great song to learn and has a very recognizable bass line.

Another one bites the dust by queen is another fun one and will get everyone bumpin along as soon as they hear it

Seven nation army by the white stripes is a little boring but super simple and everyone knows it

If you're up for a challenge try hysteria by muse

Crazy little thing called love by queen is a great song to learn as well.

And the last one I'm gonna say is teddy picker by the arctic monkeys, simple but super fun to jam along to

 

[Dazzare]

Johnny Kick a Hole in the sky Great Chop Builder
Blue Jazz Fiction
Brainstorm by Beck MCS

 

[Matthew_84]

Steady as she goes by the raconteurs is a lot of fun to play.

Are you gonna be my girl by jet is a great song to learn and has a very recognizable bass line.

Another one bites the dust by queen is another fun one and will get everyone bumpin along as soon as they hear it

Seven nation army by the white stripes is a little boring but super simple and everyone knows it

If you're up for a challenge try hysteria by muse

Crazy little thing called love by queen is a great song to learn as well.

And the last one I'm gonna say is teddy picker by the arctic monkeys, simple but super fun to jam along to

A lot of Arctic Monkey stuff is super fun to jam along to, especially the first two albums. My favourites are From The Ritz To The Rumble, A Certain Romance, and Fluorescent Adolescent.

 

[Definitely]

Definitely!

What?

I haven't knowingly heard Rush.

Leave now.

 

[Definitely]

I was under the impression this was a requirement for posting on TB...?

It's a requirement for living!!

 

[Definitely]

Thela Hun Ginjeet - King Crimson

Roundabout - Yes
Close To The Edge - Yes
Yours Is No Disgrace - Yes
South Side Of The Sky - Yes

Ready for it?....

Anthem
Fly By Night
The Fountain Of Lamneth
2112
Lessons
Something For Nothing
Xanadu
Closer To The Heart
Cygnus X-1
Cygnus X-1 Book II
Circumstances
The Trees
La Villa Strangiato
Freewill
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
Vital Signs
The Analog Kid
Digital Man
Open Secrets
Roll The Bones
Where's My Thing?
Animate
Leave That Thing Alone
Driven
Caravan
Clockwork Angels
The Anarchist
Seven Cities Of Gold
Headlong Flight
-Rush

ALL ARE MUST LEARN IN YOUR LIFETIME!!!

 

[Maquisbass]

Whipping Post - Allman brothers
One way out - Allman brothers
Crazy Train - Ozzy
Soul man - Blues brothers
Roundabout - Yes
Foreplay/Long Time - Boston
Wayward Son - Kansas
Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull
Limelight - Rush

 

[Mr L]

A lot of Arctic Monkey stuff is super fun to jam along to, especially the first two albums. My favourites are From The Ritz To The Rumble, A Certain Romance, and Fluorescent Adolescent.

True that! I am a die hard AM fanboy and pretty much every song they have is extremely fun to play on either guitar or bass.

Come together by the Beatles is a must know as well.

 

[ilovenofrets]

Day Tripper-Beatles
Wrathchild-Iron Maiden
Pump It Up-Elvis Costello
Wouldn't Want To Be Like You-Alan Parsons
When The World Is Coming Down-The Police
Cocaine-Eric Clapton~You think you know it, think again. Most bands you hear cover this, the bassist just follows the guitar. Listen closely to the song, and you will hear what Carl Raddle was doing. Very tasetful use of passing tones and counterpoint to fill the space up very well. This is NOT the boring bass line so many think it is.
For all you fretless guys and gals(me too):
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling-The Firm

 

[handaer]

Cissy Strut - The Meters
Bernadette - The Four Tops
Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
How many more times - Led Zeppelin

 

[Xeones21]

I plan on learning each one of these songs by focusing on one to two songs a week (as time permits) and I will not progress until each song is mastered.

The list covers a wide range of styles/ influences.

1. Hey Joe- Jimi Hendrix
2. I am the Highway- Audioslave
3. Rooster- AIC
4. Albatross- Corrosion of Conformity
5. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
6. Are you gonna go my way- Lenny Kravitz
7. Empire- Queensryche
8. Livin on a Prayer- Bon Jovi
9. Wrapped around your finger- The Police
10. Comedown- Bush
11. Mother- Danzig
12. Sweet child O'mine- GNR
13. Young Lust- Pink Floyd
14. Enter Sandman - Metallica
15. Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
16. Walk this way- Aerosmith
17. Say you'll haunt me- Stone Sour
18. Smooth Operator- Sade
19. Kiss of Life- Sade
20. Black Magic Woman- Santana
21. Come Together- Beatles
22. Tom Sawyer- Rush
23. Black Dog- Led Zep
24. Under the Bridge- RHCP
25. Orion- Metallica

 

[Burwabit]

Steady as she goes by the raconteurs is a lot of fun to play.

Are you gonna be my girl by jet is a great song to learn and has a very recognizable bass line.

Another one bites the dust by queen is another fun one and will get everyone bumpin along as soon as they hear it

Seven nation army by the white stripes is a little boring but super simple and everyone knows it

If you're up for a challenge try hysteria by muse

Crazy little thing called love by queen is a great song to learn as well.

And the last one I'm gonna say is teddy picker by the arctic monkeys, simple but super fun to jam along to

Second for Crazy Little Thing... great sliding triads.

 

[Maquisbass]

2nd for How many more times - Led Zepplin
Add
White Wedding - Billy Idol
Come Together - Beatles
A little help from my friends - Beatles

 

[Definitely]

I plan on learning each one of these songs by focusing on one to two songs a week (as time permits) and I will not progress until each song is mastered.

The list covers a wide range of styles/ influences.

1. Hey Joe- Jimi Hendrix
2. I am the Highway- Audioslave
3. Rooster- AIC
4. Albatross- Corrosion of Conformity
5. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
6. Are you gonna go my way- Lenny Kravitz
7. Empire- Queensryche
8. Livin on a Prayer- Bon Jovi
9. Wrapped around your finger- The Police
10. Comedown- Bush
11. Mother- Danzig
12. Sweet child O'mine- GNR
13. Young Lust- Pink Floyd
14. Enter Sandman - Metallica
15. Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
16. Walk this way- Aerosmith
17. Say you'll haunt me- Stone Sour
18. Smooth Operator- Sade
19. Kiss of Life- Sade
20. Black Magic Woman- Santana
21. Come Together- Beatles
22. Tom Sawyer- Rush
23. Black Dog- Led Zep
24. Under the Bridge- RHCP
25. Orion- Metallica

All of the bolded Rush songs in my list are absolutely necessary to learn. Ok maybe not the full 2112 or Cygnus X-1 Book II, but at least parts.

 

[rokkitt]

Lets go with these:

Happy Birthday
Greensleeves
If I only Had A Brain
Yesterday
Summertime

that is a very cool list.

One of my best bass teachers told me to learn songs in my head from when I was a kid...like nursery rhymes and other "kitchen table, sing with grandma" songs.

very good for the ear

allen

 

[wilberthenry]

I'll Take You There-The Staples Singers (I think)
Flashlight-Parliament
Dinah mo Hum-Frank Zappa
Concrete Jungle=Bob Marley
Come On Come Over-Jaco Pastorius (w/Sam and Dave)

 

[s4001]

I'm going to buck the trend here. You want to learn 25 songs over a few months to improve your musicianship? Learn 25 songs in two days instead. Then another 25 the next two days. Put Pandora or Spotify on random and play along with every song that comes on. Listen to the chord structures - then pick parts from that. Then become familiar with the common chord progressions and hear the changes. This improves your ear - which improves your musicianship. Then songs like Starship Trooper or Aqualung don't seem too hard.

 

[tunewriter]

I'm a beginning base player and the 1st song I learned was Kicks by Paul Revier and the Raiders. Fun to play.