The best bass songs range from Come Together by Beatles to Attention by Charlie Puth. The list includes Rock, Pop and Hip Hop genre.
Bass is an underrated part of the musical ensemble. Often overshadowed by flashier instruments like the lead guitar, piano, and drums, or even the vocals themselves, it’s hard to downplay how important, though woefully ignored, the bass guitar is.
Countless genres from hip-hop to EDM need the bass to make their sounds pop. Not only is it the backbone of a tight rhythm, regardless of genre, but it is also the stability around which the rest of the musical instruments dance.
However, sometimes a song comes along where the bass guitar finally gets the chance to shine through.
Here is a list of fifteen of those songs where the bass will melt off your face.
1. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
Another One Bites the Dust is a rock song by the English band, Queen. It was released on August 22, 1980.
Written by the band’s bassist, John Deacon, this song has one of the most recognizable bass lines in all of rock history. Revolving around that bass line is Queen’s biggest single, sales-wise, with over seven million copies sold.
The reason why this bassline is so beloved is not only because of the success of the song but also due to the countless classic songs that have sampled this very bassline. Over 39 songs have either sampled or interpolated the bassline from Another One Bites the Dust.
From rap legends like Grandmaster Flash and Jay-Z to pop divas like Gwen Stefani, Deacon’s bassline has inspired hits in all sorts of genres.
2. Come Together by The Beatles
Come Together is also a rock song by an English band. The Beatles released it as a single on October 6, 1969.
Like Another One Bites the Dust, many believe Come Together to have one of the best and most recognizable basslines in recorded rock history. Written by the band’s songwriting duo and frontmen John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it was played by the latter, who is also the band’s bassist.
The song’s bassline is strong and subdued, and also the star of the show. Not only was Come Together a hit single, peaking at the top of the Hot 100 and reaching number 4 on the UK charts, but it also inspired countless hits from other bands like Aerosmith to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson himself.
3. Attention by Charlie Puth
Attention is a pop rock song by American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth. It was released on April 21, 2017.
A much more recent hit than the previous two entries, the song served as the lead single for Puth’s second album, Voicenotes. Upon release, its infectious bassline captivated critics and audiences alike, leading it to peak at number 5 on the Hot 100 and get certified platinum four times.
The song, written by Puth and Jacob Kasher, has a strong bassline that reverberates throughout the song and captures the audience’s attention, no pun intended, completely. A rarity in modern pop, the bass is not only the lead instrument but also the most prominent and memorable one as it has a tight groove that injects the entire, otherwise empty, song with life.
4. Breezeblocks by Alt-J
Breezeblocks is an Indie pop/rock song by the British rock band, Alt-J. It was released on May 18, 2012.
Though the song initially gained attention for its captivating and offbeat music video that featured a home invasion in reverse, what has kept that attention among fans and critics for over a decade is the track’s infectious and sinister bassline.
Mirroring the darkness of the lyrical content which talks about wanting someone to love you so bad that you’re willing to hurt yourself and them, the bass seems invisible at first but gets louder and louder, and more and more menacing as the song keeps going until it takes over the track and looms large over the rest of the instruments by the song’s end.
5. Intro by The XX
Intro is a trip-hop-inspired indie pop song by the English musical trio, The XX. It is the opening track of the debut album, xx.
An instrumental track coming in at a little over two minutes long, the song lays out the basics of The XX’s style during that short period. The music permeates throughout the track like a wispy fog as it gets dreamier and more effervescent.
However, in the middle of all that almost electronic spread of guitars and synths is a strong, unyielding bassline played by the band’s bassist and founding member Oliver Sim. Sim’s bassline grounds the song and serves as the roots while the rest of the band members let her instruments soar as the song ebbs and flows and eventually leads into the second track.
6. Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas
Boom Boom Pow is a dance song by the hip-hop group, the Black Eyed Peas. It was released as a single on February 22, 2009.
Unlike the previous songs on this list, the bass in Boom Boom Pow does not come in the form of an addictive bassline or a domineering stronghold, instead, the bass here is crude, booming, and exactly what is needed for a song with a name like Boom Boom Pow.
The entire song emulates the electro songs of the 80s where they eschewed the usual thinking of bass as a backing instrument. Instead, both those songs, and through their influence, this one ends up booming and powing, and all the while led to the band nabbing their first number 1 hit atop the Billboard Hot 100.
7. Army of Me by Bjork
Army of Me is an industrial rock and techno-pop fused song by Icelandic musician Bjork. She released it as a single on April 24, 1995.
Like the Black Eyed Peas, Bjork uses the bass in this song as a lead instrument, and the entire song can be said to revolve around the bass. It’s less of a bassline and more of a lead instrument like the lead guitar as it dictates the speed and direction of the song.
The booming bass presents both a dark and villainous emotion while also simultaneously being futuristic and full of energy. In making and releasing this song, the Icelandic musician created a track that brought together the abrasiveness of industrial music and the relentlessness of techno, leading to her first top 10 hit in the UK charts.
8. Archangel by Burial
Archangel is an industrial-inspired garage and dubstep song by British producer Burial. It is the second track of his landmark album, Untrue.
The electronic song samples Christina Aguilera’s Beautiful, Ray J’s One Wish, and Opening Infiltration by Harry Gregson-Williams. By splicing together two pop songs and one video game theme, Burial managed to create a brutal, atmospheric song ruminating about death, mourning, and sorrow.
Like Bjork, Burial uses the bass as a lead instrument, but since his song is more a splicing of samples, he has the unique ability to be able to take the bass in various different directions either in terms of range and sound or depth. One of the producer’s most recognizable songs, Archangel is a banner track in the realms of dubstep and IDM.
9. Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz
Feel Good Inc is a rap rock fusion song by Damian Albarn’s virtual rock band, Gorillaz. It was released on May 9, 2005.
The song was a landmark hit during its day for confusing the public and especially the critics with its rock and rap influences. The track had a rock music background but also featured the American rap group De La Soul rapping several verses in it.
However, the song is best remembered now for its incredible bassline that reverberates throughout the song, grounding it between beat switches and rap verses. Performed by Senseless Things member Morgan Nichols, who is popular for playing bass in various other British acts, the bassline has since become one of the most beloved parts of the track.
10. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
Seven Nation Army is an alternative rock song by the rock duo, The White Stripes. It was released as a single on February 17, 2003.
A minimalistic song, it only has three things: distorted vocals, a simple drumbeat, and a killer bass line. The verses of the song are completely carried by the bassline with the drums occasionally joining it.
This simplicity is then broken into a thousand pieces when the bassline explodes into a thunderous riff in the chorus that overtakes the listener and fills their ear, and then returns to becoming a simple bassline.
The song is The White Stripe’s most popular song and has become a staple of sports games all over the world with its bass’s easy-to-be-copied simplicity laying the foundation for such a reputation.
11. Age of Consent by New Order
Age of Consent is a song by the legendary New Wave group New Order. It is from their album, Power, Corruption & Lies.
Released on May 2, 1983, the song is one of the band’s most popular ones, despite never having been released as a single. The song has been played 208 times by the band in concert.
Played by founding member and bassist Peter Hook in both 4-stringed and 6-stringed basses, the song’s bassline is melodic and domineering as it leads the track along throughout the song.
The rest of the instruments follow in the bass’s lead, creating a melancholic yet optimistic song about youthful love and loss. The song’s popularity has led to it being covered by bands like Arcade Fire and Built to Spill.
A recent cover of the song by American band Cayetana has become popular due to it being featured on the soundtrack for the movie, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
12. Superstition by Stevie Wonder
Superstition is a funk rock song by American singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder. It was released on October 24, 1972.
The song is one of Wonder’s most popular, and it can be argued that it is his most popular song. It can also be argued to be the most popular funk song on an international level.
The funky bassline of the song comes from a Moog synthesizer that Wonder played himself. The synthesizer gives the bass a tangy and futuristic sound for its time which now sounds retro in the best way in hindsight.
The dual use of the synthesizer bass with a funky clavinet has elevated the song to legendary status. This status was confirmed in its day when it won two grammies and remains confirmed due to its continued popularity.
13. Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed
Walk on the Wild Side is a rock song by influential rock star and icon Lou Reed. It was released on November 24, 1972.
Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, Reed’s song is carried by its subdued bassline as he sings about the various characters he encountered in his youth. Both due to the charming quality of the music and the tales Reed spins, the song has become something of a counterculture icon.
However, the bass line has a life of its own as it is remembered not only for its presence in Reed’s song but due to its being sampled on the rap song, Can I Kick It? by the famed rap group A Tribe Called Quest. Tribe’s usage of the bassline gave the original song new life, and also etched the bassline in the annals of bass history.
14. Come As You Are by Nirvana
Come As You Are is a rock song by the famed grunge rock band, Nirvana. It was released on March 2, 1992.
The band’s second single after their thunderous lead single, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are is a subdued track led by bassist, Krist Novoselic’s oaklike bassline. The lyrics deal with frontman Kurt Cobain’s standard subject matter: drugs and depression.
However, it is Novoselic’s bass that brings out the darkness of the track, and what makes the song so memorable is that the bassist does so not through any hidden means but by playing a mean lead bassline that carries the main melody of the song.
Kurt and drummer Dave Grohl ride that melody till they reach the same place Noveselic is already in and become the chorus.
15. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean is a masterclass in basslines for a myriad of reasons. It was released on January 2, 1983.
Most of the songs on this list are on it due to the bass outshining or outperforming the other instruments in the song, either by design or by accident. What sets Billie Jean apart from those songs is the fact that the bass here didn’t need to do anything.
The bassline for Billie Jean took over the song by completely melding with it. In fact, it can be assumed that the bassline is the song as every other instrument, every other trill from Jackson’s voice, feeding into the main melody created by the bassline itself.
Billie Jean is already a great song, but keeping an ear out for the bassline makes the listening experience ten times better.