Most recognizable bass lines of all time

  • Under Pressure – Queen/Bowie
  • Pink Floyd – Money
  • Rappers Delight – Sugarhill Gang
  • Come Together – The Beatles
  • Psycho Killer – The Talking Heads: Simple, but effective.
  • Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana: The Pixies formula played to perfection
  • Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Honorable Mention:

  • Pass the Mic – Beastie Boys: Not one of their more popular songs, but MCA pulls out the stops here.
  • The Distance – Cake: Working that octave for all it’s worth.
  • The Meantime – Spacehog: The list was getting a bit ’90s heavy, but this one still holds a respectable place.
  • Jeremy – Pearl Jam: I’m somewhat embarrassed about my Pearl Jam fanship of the past. Still, these opening notes are unmistakable.

Comments welcome.