Best bass riffs

[Nani Nana]

what are the sickest bass riffs in rock&roll ? I'll start with two obvious ones


Clash - Magnificent Seven





Who - My generation

 

[Legend16]

the Beatles 'Come together"
and the White Stripes 'seven nation army'

though I dont play bass and am open to being called an idiot for being musically wide of the mark. just saying what I like

 

[Masterplan]

i would go for
beatles - come together
pink floyd - money
gorillaz - feel good inc

white stripes- seven nation army ( dont know if it could be technically considered a bass riff as its played on guitar)

 

[Legend16]

i would go for
beatles - come together
pink floyd - money
gorillaz - feel good inc

white stripes- seven nation army ( dont know if it could be technically considered a bass riff as its played on guitar)

really? sounds like bass.

 

[Count Duckula]

There's something about that bassline that gets me.

 

[Masterplan]

really? sounds like bass.

nah the white stripes dont use a bass from wiki;

Although it sounds like a bass guitar (an instrument the group had famously never previously used), the sound is actually created by running Jack White's semi-acoustic guitar (a 1950s style Kay Hollowbody) through an octave pedal set down an octave

 

[Lance Uppercut]

The BeeGees - 'Stayin' Alive'

Megadeth - 'Peace Sells...'

 

[Legend16]

nah the white stripes dont use a bass from wiki;

ah very interesting. well there ye go. I aint no musician. but I like the 'fake' bass on it anyway

 

[El B]

A best bass riff thread and no mention of Primus or Death From Above? Shameful.

Primus - Tommy The Cat


DFA1979 - Romantic Rights

 

[Flying Fox]

Just because it looks funny:


Also Tom Commerford from Rage Against the Machine:

 

[R.N7]

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Queen - 'Another One Bites the Dust'

 

[Flying Fox]

Wooten, again.

 

[Werewolf]

One man : Cliff Burton

 

[Mihajlovic]

The BeeGees - 'Stayin' Alive'

Megadeth - 'Peace Sells...'

Man I love that song!!!

 

[lewstherin]

The Eagles - One of these nights

 

[pillory]

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

the bass is for losers.

sorry.

 

[lewstherin]

the bass is for losers.

sorry.

That hurts Dwayne.

 

[Xander45]

Heart - Barracuda

Although not really a riff, more a repetition of a note.

 

[The Flying Potato]

Muse - Time is running out

 

[FranklyVulgar]

 

[Moz]

Some other cool bass riffs:

Michael Jackson- 'Billie Jean'
The Sugarhill Gang- 'Rapper's Delight'
Muse- 'Hysteria'
Red Hot Chili Peppers- 'Pretty Little Ditty'
Spinal Tap- 'Big Bottom'
Guns n Roses- 'Sweet Child O'Mine'
Alice in Chains- 'Would?'
Nirvana- 'Sliver'
The White Stripes- 'Seven Nation Army'
Green Day- 'Long View'
Elvis Presley- 'Fever'
The Jam- 'A Town Called Malice'
Chic- 'I Want Your Love'
Herbie Hancock- 'Chameleon'

 

[njred]

N.I.B. - Black Sabbath
Dazed and Confused-Zep

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

ffs everyone knows if you're playing air bass you have to play lefthanded, like Paul McCartney.

 

[sammymc]

jethro tull - bouree
free - mr big
black sabbath - NIB
jefferson airplane - white rabbit
jackie wilson - higher and higher(james jamerson)
black sabbath - hand of doom
beatles - taxman
cream - sunshine of your love
hawkwind - motorhead
fleetwood mac - the chain
led zeppelin - what is and what should never be
stone roses - fools gold
booker t and the mgs- time is tight

 

[Scholesgoals]

Led zep - how many more times

dum/ doo-de dum dum/ dum doo dum-dum

 

[I_live_cement]

 

[roxyfella]

JJ Burnel

Mark King, Slap Bass solo.

 

[SecondFig]

and last of all, not an amazing bass-line, but Emily Haines is lovely:

 

[Diver]

The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
Alice Cooper - Gutter cat vs the Jets
Queen & Bowie - Under Pressure
Stone Roses - Fools Gold
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke
Ian Hunter - All American Alien Boy
Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies
Motorhead - Ace Of Spades

 

[El B]

Chromeo - Tenderoni


This bass line is so funky it'll make you wet.

 

[GiggsysGirl]

 

[Nani Nana]

Queen - 'Another One Bites the Dust'

good shout

 

[mr.suave]

Mostly reggae and funk, to be honest...

The Brothers Johnson - Stomp
Ohio Players - Fire
Chic - Good Times
Bootsy Collins - Body Slam
The Happy Mondays - Hallelujah
The Stone Roses - I wanna Be Adored
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Give It Away
Patrick Andy - Regular Heartbreaker
Wayne Smith - Under Me Sleng Teng
Sister Nancy - Bam Bam
Betty Davies - Anti-Love Song
Queen - Under Pressure

 

[Alex]

The Beatles - Something

 

[jveezy]

You've all mentioned some good ones. To add:

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal
Rush - The Spirit of Radio
Journey - Don't Stop Believin'
Pink Floyd - Happiest Days of our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall Part II
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl
Three Dog Night - One
U2 - New Year's Day

Although a lot of those are songs with great bass lines and not necessarily cool bass riffs.

And of course, definitive proof that Big Bottom is the greatest bass song ever:

Every Bassist Ever and Spinal Tap - CollegeHumor video

 

[downxandxout]

Man! I haven't heard these in ages haha.

 

[ILBB15]

Rick James - Super Freak