The Best Bass Lines In Rock

I'm a sucker for a great bass line. For me, the bass line is what makes a rock song, period. There are so many great bass lines in rock history and it is hard to narrow things down to a Top 10 but we might as well try! I mean, I am just sitting over here in COVID quarantine, listening to music and thinking deep thoughts. Here is my top 10 best bass lines of all time. Be sure to leave me your picks in the comments section. 

The list is in no real order - these just happen to be some of my favorite songs of all time. 

Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith [Stream 'Sweet Emotion' Here]
Money - Pink Floyd
Roundabout - YES
Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
No More Tears - Ozzy Osbourne
Would? - Alice In Chains  [Stream 'Would?' Here]
The Joker - Steve Miller Band
Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie
Fall To Pieces - Velvet Revolver 

Comments

[Shawn]

Free -- All right Now
Bass Solo Take 1 - Cliff Burton
Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden
Charley Brown Theme -- Stu Hamm

Many more Just a few off the top of my head

[Mike]

Gotta represent the demon here...

KISS - Goin' Blind
KISS - Sure Know Something

[Metalboy!]

All over the lot here and in no particular order but just off the top of my head (or what’s left of it after this weekend, haha!!) ...

1) Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin
2) How Many More Times - Led Zeppelin
3) Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin
4) Bring It On Home - Led Zeppelin
5) Live With Me - Rolling Stones
6) Miss You (12” Extended Version) - Rolling Stones
7) Detroit Rock City - KISS
8) Jamie’s Cryin’ - Van Halen
9) Lowdown - Boz Scaggs (Right, Allyson?)
10) Love Is The Drug - Roxy Music
11) Titanic Reaction - 999
12) Hanging Around - The Stranglers
13) Freeway Jam - Jeff Beck
14) On Top of the World - Cheap Trick
15) Naughty Naughty - Danger Danger
16) Someone Like You - Bang Tango

[JCD]

1) Gonna Raise Hell-Cheap Trick. 2) I'm sad that's all I can come up with at the moment.

[Metalboy!]

Whoa! JCD! Good one! ... I don’t know how I spaced that one out!

Well, if I got an excuse it’s at the top of my previous comments on this post.

Tom Peterson on the 12-String Bass he invented with Hamer!

[Metalboy!]

Petersson! Dangin’ Autoincorrect!

[steverox]

Most of my faves has been named.

Sweet Emotion, No More Tears, and of course, the two John Deacon Queen ones are legendary.

The only one I'll add is Hang Tough by Tesla's Brian Wheat, an underrated bass player in my opinion.

[Bkallday]

Primal Scream

[steverox]

Forgot one I have to add ...

Guns N Roses's opening song of course! That badass bass riff that starts every Guns concert ... It's so Easy.

[Metalboy!]

Damn, BK! ... I was tryin’ to think of a Crüe song with a savage bassline and you nailed it!

And let us not forget that tasty little Chuck Wright bassline on Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)”!
.

[steverox]

One more for fun ... Michael Anthony (Van Halen) Running with the Devil. not really a bass line, but that thumping start to the song signals its arrival.

[steverox]

Bon Jovi - Keep the Faith

(sorry, I should have thought this out more and grouped these into one post).

[Metalboy!]

We’re on the same page, Steverox!

Almost said, “Runnin’ with the Devil” but hesitated, now realizing that Michael Anthony thump is legit a bassline as any! ... Talk about BADA*S!!!

[Gary]

Back In The Saddle - Aerosmith (Joe Perry plays a 6 string bass on this)

Tonight - Ozzy (Bob Daisley. W/O him Would Ozzy be where he is today? Probably not. Enough said)

Primal Scream/ Dr.Feelgood - Both these hammering bass lines make me want to do 140 down the interstate while flipping off the state cops right before they shoot me) lol

Radar Love -Golen Earring and White Lions version - See above concerning Mr Sixx’s work)

[Kixchix]

Excellent responses peeps.

1) It’s a Kind of Magic - Queen
2) The Rage- Judas Priest

[Shawn]

@Gary Great Picks True on Daisly as well - I think I read where Bob and Randy would sit on the stairs and write together I am sure our old invisible pal Ace would know more but without either Ozzy would not exist as we know him.

[Metalboy!]

Yeah, Gary ... Great choices ... “Back in the Saddle” ... Killer bassline ... I’ve heard that song 1,000’s of times, had it played right in my face in 1976 ... Why I didn’t think of it, really has me pondering life, haha!! ... Great anecdote on Perry laying it down with a six string, as well ...

“Radar Love”! ... Another killer song with killer bass ...

“”Dr. Feelgood”, indeed ... I feel like SIXX is sometimes under appreciated mainly because he’s been so self-limiting in his creative output ... To appreciate him more, check out some of the videos of his bass playing / solos on YouTube - I think there’s at least one where they’ve isolated just the bass during an arena show where he totally shreds ...

Great comments, all ... and, Shawn, you are so right ... Where the h*ll is Ace?

[JCD]

1) Ozzy-Believer 2) Pretenders-My City Was Gone

[MZip]

One of my favorite songs:
Great White - Rock Me

Couple others I didn't see on this list already
Metallica - Orion
Megadeth - Peace Sells
Motorhead - Ace of Spades

[JCD]

Peace Sells....good one.