Stylus Magazine's Top 50 Basslines of AllTime - what's your top 5? (1 Viewer)

[FeisalK]

what, no Iron Maiden?

 

[Jeff_A]

Agreed.

 

[Rob_D]

I agree with Iron Maiden and Rush and would add just about everything off the first few Black Sabbath albums and Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers Band!!

 

[Garrett Lundy]

This guy's smoking crack. the best bass-line ever belongs to the anonymous bassplayer who made the score for oh-so-many porno films.... "Bwah bwah bwah chickachickachika bwah bwah..."

'Under Pressure' is a pretty good #1. But 'Another one bites the dust' doesn't make the list?

'love will tear us apart' #7? Granted I haven't heard this song in years, but I don't recall any real instruments, I thought it was synth?

'Jerry was a race-car driver' #42. Sorry, but Claypool deserves to be much closer to #1 than 42. And 'My name is Mud' has much better bass.

Otherwise I can't say too much more for the list, havening never heard of most of the performers listed.

 

[andrew markworthy]

I humbly suggest you take another listen to Joy Division - they used synths plus 'real' bass, guitar, and drums. Their use of bass lines was very innovative. Arguably the way was paved by John Entwistle's use of bass on some of the early Who singles like Substitute where the bass effectively gives the melody.

Perhaps you're confusing Joy Division's biggest hit with New Order's work (N.O. of course arose out of the ashes of Joy Division after Ian Curtis's suicide)?

 

[John Kilduff]

I thought that the bass line from the end of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" would have made it on the list.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

I guess not.

 

[MarkMel]

Laugh if you may but I always thought the waitresses 'xmas wrapping' to have a great bass line.

And I am a bass player as well.

Peter Hook is the name of Joy Division and New Order's bass player. I always thought that was the best name for him since his playing made the hook in each of the songs.

I take no offense/stock in any top x list. They are clearly the opinion of the writer or an opinion poll type thing. Things will always be left off. That is a pretty good list and if you don't recognize some of the selections you should try and find them to listen. I looked up a couple that I didn't know off hand and they did have pretty good bass lines. Lists are good conversation starters.

There are technical players like Geddy, Chris Squire or Claypool and there are feel players like sting. In my early years of learning I used to learn every note on every Rush and Yes album only flipping the album when I mastered that side. I read an article where they interviewed Geddy and asked him who his favorite bass player is, he said Sting. I dropped the technical playing and starting listening to The Police and other, New Wave, Punk, Motown etc. If you can move a whole crowd with three notes, why fill up the measure with notes just to impress the few musicians in the audience?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Hey, don't forget The Analog Kid! One of my favorite Geddy lines.

BTW: Keyboards *are* a "real" instrument.

 

[MickeS]

While I love John Paul Jones' bassplaying in Led Zeppelin, the bass lines themselves aren't necessarily in the top 50, as "standalone" bass lines, IMO. For example, the great, catchy, melodic bass line in "Living Loving Maid (She's just a woman)" is being mimicked simultaneously by the guitar during the verse, which sort of diminishes it. In fact, while I love Led Zeppelin, it always annoyed me that they did not let the bass shine more than they did, even though it was heavily and prominently featured in pretty much everything they did.

I have n't heard even half the songs on the list, but I sort of agree with those I have heard. Still, I would gladly have replaced at least one of them with Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Down on the corner". That's a glaring omission (IMO).

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Surprised "No More Tears" by Ozzy Osbourne isn't on the list.

 

[Chris Tedesco]

Hmmm.

No Rush "Vital Signs" and yes of course "Analog Kid"

How bout this? Duran Duran, Rio (give it up for J.Taylor)

"Super-Freak"?

Good God how about Primus "Tommy the Cat" That sh1t is all over the place!

No Janes Addiction "Mountain Song" or "Been caught stealing"? WTF?

 

[Zen Butler]

I think U2's New Year's Day is pretty important

Taste of Honey's Boogie Oogie Oogie is fun

Brothers Johnson's Strawberry Letter 23

and to omit Jack Casady's(Jefferson Airplane) simpler lines is offensive

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Am I not the only one who thinks that Rio sounds kinda like a Rush song (lyrics aside)?

 

[DougWright]

Lots of good suggestions added Rush and Duran Duran for sure, The extended version (night mix?) of Rio is incredible.
But really, no Smiths?!?!

"Barbarism Begins At Home" should definitely be on any bass list. You could probably choose one from any album of theirs. They had a tight rhythm section.

 

[MarkMel]

I'm a huge Smiths fan. What about Fatboy Slim's playing when he was in the Housemartins? Good stuff there.

 

[ScottCHI]

chris squire?

 

[ChrisDixon]

Chris Squire is not my favorite bass player, but I have to admit that Long Distance Runaround was the first thing that came to mind when I read the question.

Chris

 

[DanaA]

Well, as far as I can see, nobody has mentioned my favorite bass line of all time...

The Allman Brothers: Whipping Post

 

[Jon_Are]

First thing that came to my mind: The theme from Barney Miller.

dum...du-du-dum...du-du-dum...du-du-du-du-du-du-du-du-du-dummmm......

 

[Steve Meskell]

Beatles-She's so Heavy(I want you)
Queen- Dragon Attack