The perfect bass line?

[RedHotFuzz]

I’m going with the unconventional but obviously-correct answer: Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac. It’s not flashy but you know every single person who hears it - bass player or not - is leaning back, flashing a bass face, and hitting those two specific notes on their air bass. You know the ones. The highest of the 2nd and 4th bars of the chorus. That off-beat quarter note just hangs there for the right amount of time. Man I could listen to that song a million times, and the bass part totally makes the song. Perfection.

 

[moles]

As an on again off again Fleetwood Mac Tribute bassist:

I approve.

 

[brianrost]

I’m going with the unconventional but obviously-correct answer

 

[Pdaddy1978]

"I want you back" by the Jackson 5.
Its really hard for a bass line to get more perfect than Wilton Felders on that.

 

[BrotherRay]

War "Slipping Into Darkness" has to be one of the ten funkiest bass lines know to man.
The Ohio Players "Sweet Sticky Thing" during the chorus is my idea of ideal groove. The changes during the verses ain't bad either.
Of course James Jamerson's masterpiece on Marvin Gaye's What's going on. Maybe that should go first