# Best bass lines in rock music history? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327 "2007-12-26T22:52:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/41 "2007-12-27T17:33:36Z")
**WordMan** , good call on Mike Mills and Radio Free Europe. I would add Cuyahoga as another great Mills bass line. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/42 "2007-12-27T17:34:20Z")
I’m gonna keep on nominating _Thorazine Shuffle_ by **Gov’t Mule** , but this time I’ll add _Wandering Child, Trane_ and _Mule_. **Chris Squire** fans might want to listen to _Sun Dance_ from \*\*Gov’t Mule’s \*\* Deep End series. I got a lot more. _Chilly Water, Rebirtha_ and _Stop-Go_ from **Widespread Panic**. _MLT_ and _Black And White_ from **String Cheese Incident**. _Rebubula_ and _Buster_ from **moe.** I would add _Pegasus, True Gravity_ and _Instrumental Illness_ to the \*\*Allman Brother’s \*\* list. I like **Sting** ’s _Shadows in the Rain_ and _Driven To Tears_, but played by **Darryl Jones** on Bring On The Night. **Santana** has worked with some really good bass players, but especially **Stanley Clarke** on Borboletta. I like a lot of the bass work on Welcome and the bass featured on _Runnin_ from Marathon. **Stu Hamm** tears it up on \*\*Joe Satriani’s \*\* _Why_. I like the bass parts on \*\*Lou Reed’s \*\* Rock and Roll Animal, especially _Intro/Sweet Jane_. And somebody needed to mention _Spanish Moon_ from Waiting For Columbus by **Little Feat**. And now I have. Anybody interested in good bass players should find out about **Jonas Reingold**. He plays in several prog-rock bands, two of which are **The Flower Kings** and **The Tangent**. Seriously, do yourself a favor. Even if you don’t like prog, you’ll have to recognise the talent. (And if you happen to run across a drummer named **Zoltan Csörsz** you’ll have been doubly blessed.) ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/43 "2007-12-27T18:13:01Z")
**The Cure** - Burn, Lovecats, A Forest, Primary, Friday I’m In Love, Never Enough **Jimi Hendrix** - Manic Depression **Ozzy Osbourne** - Crazy Train, No More Tears (and lots more) **Metallica** - One, Enter Sandman, Whiskey In A Jar, I Disappear, Fuel, Memory Remains. **Iron Maiden** - Can I Play With Madness, Aces High, The Trooper **Nine Inch Nails** - Closer, Head Like a Hole, Terrible Lie, Down In It, I’m Afraid of Americans (With David Bowie), and Only. ETA: Some of these are more from a listener’s standpoint, others took skill to pull off, and some are songs where the simple bass line skillfully played made the song. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/44 "2007-12-27T18:16:28Z")
Jeff Beck - Lady Primus - Ol’ Diamondback Sturgeon and As The Toys Go Winding Down ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/45 "2007-12-27T18:21:51Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] 1. The whole Abbey Road medley by the Beatles (which I’m counting as one song - feel free to debate this if you want.) Bass played, obviously, by Sir Paul McCartney. [/QUOTE] George played bass on “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” which has the coolest bass of the entire medley, imo. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/46 "2007-12-28T00:45:01Z")
Rolling Stones, “Live With Me” (played by Keith) Beatles, “Penny Lane,” “Hey Bulldog” & and countless others James Brown, “Sex Machine” (a really young Bootsy Collins … it’s mesmerizing) Van Morrison, “The Way Young Lovers Do” and all of _Astral Weeks_ (jazzman Richard Davis) Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” (Carol Kaye) and besides James Jamerson, kudos to Donald “Duck” Dunn of Booker T & the MGs and David Hood of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/47 "2007-12-28T12:52:08Z")
In contrast to the OP title and most of the foregoing nominations,I praise the obscure. It seems “best lines” could be taken two ways;one being the example of Tina Weymouth in “Take me to the River” where the sequence is repeated and recognisable,the other being lines that propel and underpin without necessarily repeating,Bruce Thomas being a good proponent. Ray Shulman of the band Gentle Giant has the qualities that make me think,great bass player-he’s always tight with the rhythm,holds the bottom end,seldom repeats anything;is melodic and contrapuntal using other components of the material or other player’s parts,and manages to sing on top of that.Never exhibiting “I’m the star!” behaviour. If you’ve never heard that band,give it a listen,but be aware that they progressed through musical styles-they were ill defined as a “prog rock” band.A good starting point would be “Interview”,“Power and the Glory” and “Free Hand”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/48 "2007-12-28T14:14:21Z")
I think Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers was one of the great rock bassists. I’d say Whipping Post and Hot 'Lanta were his best album efforts. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/49 "2007-12-28T17:13:04Z")
[“Bitch”](http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZgqogVTN1PM) by the Rolling Stones. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/50 "2007-12-28T20:56:19Z")
“For the Love of Money” by the O’ Jays with its distinctive bass line by Ronnie Baker. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/51 "2007-12-28T21:14:15Z")
Again, not technically marvelous, but a memorable bass line: **“My City Was Gone”** by The Pretenders. And has anybody meantioned Flea’s work on [Higher Ground](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS3hEuAbuLE) (Red Hot Chili Peppers)? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/52 "2007-12-28T21:53:00Z")
I didn’t have time to check those links that were posted so maybe this guy has already been referenced - how about _anything_ Motown™ in which **James Jamerson** is playing? He did some sensational work as the studio bassist for about 99.9% of Motown’s songs. If I had to pick one as my favorite bassline it would be “ **Bernadette** ” by the **Four Tops**. “ **Hungry** ” by **Paul Revere and the Raiders** was pretty cutting edge for its day. (1966) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/53 "2007-12-28T22:04:29Z")
First mention of Cream’s Jack Bruce? Let’s start with “Badge” and “Tales of Brave Ulysses”. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327/54 "2007-12-28T22:13:28Z")
Another one: Noel Redding’s bass line on Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bass-lines-in-rock-music-history/431327.md?page=2)