A Best Bass Line/Lick/Riff List....

fIREHOSE- Down with the Bass
Mike Watt has a bunch of good basslines, but this one may be best, it is my favorite. I saw the guy break a low E string on his bass slapping it out. Being a bassist I realize that is an unusual to bust those big strings, especially when not using a pick. Watt plays really freaking hard.

Jane's Addiction- Summertime Rolls
The introduction bass arpeggios are unique and give this tune its strange lilting quality.

The Effigies- Security
These guys just don't seem to be that well known, but the bassline and beat on this is really tight and funky for 80s punk rock.

Mission of Burma- Peking Spring
I was listening to their live album today and this tune always blows me away. The bassline is so driving and is the center of the song.

Motorhead- Stay Clean
Another great bassline that I have been really enjoying of late and actually have learned to play. I love the break part where Lemmy goes into the figure that is based on the opening riff up on the neck. It isn't anything real flashy or technical, but it sounds really good and makes the tune.

"Manifest Destiny" by Jamiroquai

It's really great. Interesting melody and smooth as.

Fishbone's "Bonin' In the Boneyard". I'm not that big on slap bass solos, but in the middle-8 on this when Dirty Walt's all like "funky bass" and Norwood is just throwing the fuck down...what a great moment.

Kick In The Eye by Bauhaus.

Beastie Boys "Gratitude"
The Cure "Lovesong"
Talking Heads "Found a Job"
Primus "Shake Hands With Beef"
Deltron 3030 "3030"
Medeski Martin and Wood "Nightcrawlers"
Miles Davis "Rated X"

Anything off the Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime, or Mike Watt showing how the bass can take over.

And whatever that song with the awesome bassline is off the Kruder & Dorfmeister sessions... I forget who did it originally...

"Hallowed Ground" by the Violent Femmes -so unhinged!

Can't believe this thread doesn't have

Tighten Up
Tighten Up
Tighten Up
Tighten Up

Can anybody recommend some 60s/70s garage rock/psych/classic rock type stuff with good basslines? Looking for inspiration for songs to learn in this vein.

try "pretzel logic" by steely dan. it's deceptively difficult and fun as hell

Jack Cassidy of Jefferson Airplane, his lines might be worth looking into.

Love always had good basslines.

Chris Hillman too.

the original thread is so white I can hardly see it

I can’t choose between “I Want Your Love” and “Good Times” so I’ll go with “My Forbidden Lover”.

try "kicks" by paul revere and the raiders

ted nugent 'stranglehold'

Doobie Brothers, "Keeps You Runnin'"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m494DrQa42g

If you are looking for sophistication look elsewhere - but this is super fun to play in a knuckle-dragging way and one of my favourite bass-led 70s songs - presented here in the preferred Dave Brock vocal version

Jack Cassidy of Jefferson Airplane, his lines might be worth looking into.

"D.C.B.A.-25" especially, but yeah, Cassidy.

Several Buffalo Springfield songs (incl. "Rock and Roll Woman," "On the Way Home") thanks to Bruce Palmer, and a couple thanks to Stills, who played bass on "Questions" and "Special Care." Probably "Uno Mundo" too, but I can't find a credit for that one.

Top of my mind I love to play these on bass:

Liquid Liquid - Cavern
Staple Singers - I’ll take you there
Gladys and the Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia

Also super difficult to play for my not huge hands and I kept fumbling it but still great bassline:

Aerosmith - sweet emotion

Oh also

Eagles - one of these nights

There’s so many I used to play with different bands which I thought were fun. I guess some Beatles songs too… Something and Come Together in particular come to mind.

Also with a metal band of some friends I was invited a couple of gigs when their main bassist was sick/on vacation - which is a weird match since I’m not that much into metal and I definitely didn’t fit the look but well, at least I wore black out of respect to not stand out like a sore thumb - I used to warm up playing “dark tranquility - lethe” and it seemed to impress people and they’d usually approach to ask for what song it was.

I don’t know the whole song just the intro but it sounds cool on bass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMhffUFqPxo

This is the intro, sounds more difficult than it is to play.

I would also play the intro to “tidal tantrum” on bass but that one is actually guitar. I think it sounds better on bass tbh.

I’m actually not 100% sure if the intro to “tidal tantrum” is bass or guitar now that I’m relistening it.

It’s been years since I heard it and can’t tell.

This is off brief, but when I was learning to play I had a ton of fun sitting down and playing along with Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure & Joy Division, good lines, easy to pick out.

Ah yes A Forest was fun to play.

Add Bauhaus to that list, they have some really fun to play and iconic basslines

The Clash - Guns of Brixton also another one I just remembered.

funkadelic - knee deep
parliament - flash light
chic - dance dance dance
pointer sisters - automatic
heatwave - the groove line
weather report - nubian sundance
p.i.l. – careering / theme / anna lisa / anything with jah wobble
simon steensland – parade
the jesus lizard – if you had lips / mouthbreather
eivind opsvik – brraps!
The orb – slug dub
Arto Lindsay & the ambitious lovers – locus coruleus
The one from joe morris’ wildlife’s “Traits” that’s a 13 min odd ayleresque juggernaut where morris’ bassline sounds like henry mancini playing a guimbri
mike watt, rob wright – I can’t choose – too many.
massimo pupillo wigging out & holding it down on anything where he's paired with peter brötzmann
petter eldh - anything

that goofy dude from madness was really good too

"bed & breakfast man" maybe
also
MAGMA - Soleil d'Ork (Ork's Sun)

butthole surfers - graveyard
cocteau twins song about a brown van bringing a parcel when you're out
stretchheads - long faced german
the fall - Das Vulture Ans Ein Nutter-Wain

shafiq husayn - dust & kisses
thundercat - fleer ultra

davy dmx - one for the treble
hashim - al naafiysh (the soul)

keith jarrett - mortgage on my soul (wah-wah)

Fav basslines from the psych/classic rock zone around 1970

Green Eyed Lady

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_i7PKdQJU4

The main Melody Nelson theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AznHU0cWvz0

For a Thousand Mothers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-ZDY-NtpII

Ballad of Dwight Fry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfqrZvKI_1g

Eight Miles High

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_51PAR23sY

Rush, "Limelight"

I've long been fascinated by the bass line to "Little Green Bag." One of these days I should sit down and learn it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sobvrbX-_tM

Oh yeah I love that bassline too. It’s fairly easy to learn, even beginners could nail it in a couple of tries I think

Reminds me it plays in my mind somewhat similar in difficulty to this one which is also a great bassline:

War - Low Rider

James Brown – Cold Sweat

The Four Seasons, "The Night"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfKz1PYsY78

... in a similar vein...

Mr. Bloe, "Groovin' With Mr. Bloe"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa5I_8eZjlo

Canned Heat, "Time Was"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEeqy625jYU

This a silly suggestion but the bassline fucking slaps -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1MfbKsA26Y

Some good suggestions here, have started learning a bit of that Four Seasons song now in fact.

The one from joe morris’ wildlife’s “Traits” that’s a 13 min odd ayleresque juggernaut where morris’ bassline sounds like henry mancini playing a guimbri

...I must hear this.

i perhaps oversold it, but the name of the track is "display" - hearable on the bandcamp page here:
https://joemorrisritiglacialeratic.bandcamp.com/album/traits
it is a low prowl of a groove

....not oversold at all, that is extremely my jams... drummer is great on that album too...

also really digging petter eldh's Koma Saxo!

Nilsson, "jump into the fire"