Best Bass Playing in a Song

The Top Ten
1 Fieldy in Korn's Right Now

Masterful, in your face bass playing. Brilliant

2 Tom Hamilton in Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion

He rocks the bass with the skill of Eddie Van Halen on a six-string here. Technical skills are just brilliant

3 Cliff Williams in AC/DC's Thunderstruck

Thunderstruck was recorded in January 1990 and AC/DC's bassist is Cliff William, not Cliff Burton. Cliff Burton (Metallica Bassist) died in September 1986 so he can't record a song after his death. R.I.P.

My official apologies for putting Cliff Burton instead of Cliff Williams. Obviously I knew that. It was a careless mistake that I should have caught

There are a lot of reasons this song is so adrenalizing. The powerful bass line is one of them.

4 Cliff Burton in Metallica's Master of Puppets

Personally I've always been a Jason Newsted fan, but there is no denying Burton's masterful playing in this song

5 Johnny Christ in Avenged Sevenfold's Aferlife

Standout song in Avenged Sevenfold's catalog for bass. Very catchy bass hooks in this jam

6 Tony Montana in Great White's Mista Bone

The successor to another very talented, very underrated bassist in Lorne Black, Montana really sets the tone for this song with some stylish bass lines

7 Twiggy Ramirez in Marilyn Manson's Minute of Decay

One of Manson's lesser known songs but it starts out with a very masterful bass intro that sets up for a very underrated song

8 Mark Mendoza in Twisted Sister's I Wanna Rock

Bass isn't the first thing you think of when you hear this song. But when you really listen, it becomes quite clear what's driving the power in this song

9 Geezer Butler in Black Sabbath's Wasp / Behind the Wall of Sleep / Bassically / N.I.B.

It may be a bit cliche to put on this list a song that includes a straight-up bass solo, but it can't be argued that this is one badass solo

10 Steve Harris in Iron Maiden's Powerslave

Steve is the man

The Contenders
11 Blackie Lawless in W.A.S.P.'s Wild Child

One of the only W.A.S.P. albums on which Lawless played bass, and he did an excellent job on it. This is his standout song on the four-stringer

12 Jack Bruce in Cream's Badge
13 John Deacon in Queen's Another One Bites the Dust

John Deacon is the unsung hero of Queen.

Iconic with Under pressure.

14 Paul McCartney in The Beatles's Something
15 Cliff Burton in Metallica's Orion

Go listen to just the bass track of this song, it is so good.

16 Les Claypool in Primus's Wynona's Big Brown Beaver
17 Dave Ellefson in Megadeth's Peace Sells
18 Chris Hillman in The Byrds' Eight Miles High
19 Flea in Red Hot Chili Peppers's Give It Away
20 Chris Wolstenholme in Muse's Hysteria
21 Chris Squire in Yes' Heart of the Sunrise
22 Roger Glover in Deep Purple's Pictures of Home
23 Chuck Rainey in Aretha Franklin's Rock Steady
24 Shavo Odadjian in System of a Down's Chop Suey!
25 Flea in Red Hot Chili Peppers's By the Way
8Load More
PSearch List