Why don't you play something?

[Darkstrike]

Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away is pretty recognizable. Being able to play with an envelope filter helps.

If you can't use an enveope filter, slap and popping can work well too.

 

[PocketGroove82]

I have worked up the bach cello suite in g, which is instantly recognizable, a tapping version of linus and lucy, and also a little solo version of america the beautiful (ala jaco). I'm not big into solo bass stuff, but when some random person wants proof that a bass player can play more than just roots and fifths, I have those to fall back on.

 

[nbw]

I find it easier to just play some James Jamerson stuff, more recent red hot chili peppers and of course mandatory old school video game songs from Sonic the hedgehog and Mario. There are few people left on earth that wouldn't know something out of that list.

 

[Hawaii Islander]

Star Spangled Banner with OD and Fuzz Wah! That'll get em' good!

 

[genderblind]

This is a good question, and my stock reply when these situations happen is to play "Come Together", which always works as a cross-generational hook to the importance of a bass line. Yep...

 

[RedSubway]

Day Tripper is pretty recognizable, also We Gotta Get Out Of This Place by The Animals. And of course Money, or Under Pressure, or Another One Bites The Dust.

 

[JayAmel]

When someone asks me something like that, I generally reply "how much will I be paid for that ?"

Most seriously, Seven Nation Army is one of the most obvious to me, since not really close to my personal musical tastes.

 

[kumde]

I just play some sweet melodic stuff like evergreens, jazz standards etc.; depends on who is asking, of course.

Think about the phrasing and imagine you're blowing a baritone sax (after all, the range is about the same - only in place of the altissimo we have some stunning low notes to use for effect) and giving the audience the prettiest melody and loveliest tone they've ever felt

 

[Deacon_Blues]

I've worked out a version of "Your Song" featuring solo bass (chords) and vocals. Could work if you play it for a chick. That's not the reason I did this though, it was more an exercise in learning to play some chords on the bass...


+1 to songs like Another One Bites The dust and Come Together.

 

[rappa29]

Something Monkey Army something something. That line is catchy and everyone know it.

7 Nation Army! LOL! Might as well be Something Monkey Army as far as I'm concerned (IMHO, played it enough times in a cover band to be sick of it and never want to play it again). Even my 11 year old nephew knows this song by the bass line.

Other recognizable lines by the general public (assuming their Itunes library is broad enough):

Billie Jean\Caribbean Queen (how Billy Ocean never got sued for copyright infringement, I'll never know).
Smooth Criminal
Beat It
Save A Prayer (Duran Duran)
Killing In The Name Of (if your audience even knows who Rage is).
Jeremy
Ghost Busters\I want A New Drug (How Huey didn't get paid for Ray stealing his bassline I'll never know).
My Girl
Get Ready
You Give Love A Bad Name

 

[Siegy]

I have to learn a lot of random recognizable riffs to play between songs, because my guitarist takes FOREVER and he usually manages to break at least one string in a 30 minute set, so I have to do something to take up some time.

Killing in the Name of
Another One Bites The Dust/Ice Ice Baby
Darth Vader's Theme from Star Wars
the "Underground Theme" from Super Mario Bros.
Don't Stop Believing
The beginning of YYZ (simple, and the guitar hero kids recognize it)
Beat It
Bulls On Parade
Enter Sandman
Come Together
Billie Jean
Ghost Riders In The Sky

 

[bassteban]

Somewhere over the rainbow- great on fretless; Happy Birthday, when appropriate; Fish heads- anytime. Any Jimi Hendrix riff will usually get some heads bobbing.

 

[Johnny StingRay]

I play "Mary Had A Little Lamb", "Jingle Bells" just to be a smart ass................then I play the "Fly Me To The Moon" melody, (very easy), improvise through it, back to the melody and end it..........that usually satisfies them.

 

[DaneB]

Somewhere over the rainbow

I've got a song by Maurizzio Rolli based on that song, it's awesome.

 

[Slax]

Seinfeld Theme

Gets em every time.

...oh god, I can't play that damn song one more time for people. Worst thing I ever did was learn how to play it for the same reason. lol.

 

[notforrobots]

i get that all the time play something the only problem is that i spend all my time writing my own that i dont have time to learn other people music but i bet if i took the time it would make me a better bass player

 

[gdawg27]

Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots
Led Zepellin - Dazed and Confused

 

[cnltb]

Chromatic Fantasy by J.S Bach, or sometimes the cello suite.
I did a couple of arrangements I sometimes play or, originals.

 

[JazzBass Love]

If it's for my family, I can play whatever I want (the vast majority of them are musicians).

For other folks, I'll either play Inspector Gadget, Ramblin' On, or a version of Amazing Grace which involves plenty of tapping and harmonics. If they don't know any of those songs, I go onto an annoying slap solo until they leave me alone

 

[T.O.Bass]

I can't believe nobody has said it yet!

SUPER MARIO BROTHERS THEME!!!

Playing the overworld theme gets a laugh, and going into the underworld theme is the hook.