Top 10 Songs with the Best Basslines

You know a great bassline when you hear it. It crawls under your skin, takes hold of your senses, and demands attention. Some basslines are so good they don't just support the song, they are the song. From deep, rolling grooves to sharp, punchy riffs, the best ones have a way of making you move, nod along, or even air-pluck an imaginary bass without realizing it.

Bass players don't always get the same spotlight as flashy guitarists or vocalists, but let's be real. Some of the most unforgettable songs owe everything to that low-end magic. A killer bassline can make a track feel heavier, funkier, or even hypnotic. It locks in with the drums to create an unstoppable rhythm section. Think about those opening seconds of certain songs where the bassline kicks in and you instantly know what's coming. Some of them are so recognizable that even a single note or two is enough to set off a wave of excitement.

This list is all about those moments. These are the songs where the bass isn't just there to fill out the sound but takes charge in a way that makes the whole track unforgettable.

The Top Ten

Another One Bites the Dust - Queen

Extremely catchy and funky bassline of one of Queen's best. Perfectly demonstrates why John Deacon was both the secret weapon member and the most underrated member of Queen.

The bass parts are simply incredible. Suddenly, John Deacon emerges from the shadows and presents Queen with this bad boy.

John Deacon, one of the most underrated bassists ever. This deserves to be number 1. Nothing less than number 1.
Hysteria - Muse

Most definitely the best bassline I've ever heard! Got to love how Muse isn't afraid to use the bass as not just a background instrument!

Chili Peppers and Muse have the best basslines, but this song has more bass notes than guitar notes and in a great pattern.

Way more difficult than any of these other bass lines. Sounds like Jesus learned how to play.
Money - Pink Floyd

Manages to create something incredibly catchy, memorable, and unique, all the while with the odd time signature of 7/4. Whatever I may think about Roger Waters as a person, he was undeniably a great bass player, and this song is the most obvious proof of that.

This entire song is just so funky you can't help but move along to it, and the bassline, along with the 7/4 time signature, is one of the main reasons why it is so good.

Easily one of the catchiest bass licks of all time, a timeless classic that should top the list!
Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

What can I say? Flea is a fantastic bassist.
Come Together - The Beatles

Come Together at 15? Did you guys just forget this is literally among the most recognizable basslines of all time? This should absolutely be within the Top 10, possibly even the Top 5!
Roundabout - Yes
For Whom the Bell Tolls - Metallica

Distortion, time signature changes, and utterly heavy? What more could you ask for? Not to mention how the way it is made to sound like a bell ringing at points is a nice touch. R.I.P. Cliff Burton.

For Whom the Bell Tolls and Schism are on another level. Another One Bites the Dust, Money, and YYZ are amazing too.
Longview - Green Day

Anyone that genuinely believes that this is not the greatest bassline of all time is kidding themselves.

One of the best basslines ever. So are others by Green Day, such as "She" or "Stuart and the Ave.," that should also make it to the top 10.

Mike can write better basslines on LSD than anyone else can while sober! Seriously though, this should be No. 1.
Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie

It's very annoying to see David Bowie's name first in these credits. Everyone knows that the bassline was already finished before Bowie even got involved with this kick-ass song. John Deacon and the great Freddie Mercury had already worked out the framework, so it should be Queen and then Bowie, not the other way around. Bowie readily admits that the bassline and most of the song were almost done when he came to the studio to actually do another song with Queen.
Anyway, fantastic song! The best versions are, of course, Freddie at Montreal and Wembley, without Bowie's input.
Queen rocks!

John Deacon, one of the best bass players of all time, and his best work: Under Pressure.
YYZ - Rush

Great song. Deserves a higher spot.

The Newcomers

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Nubian Sundance - Weather Report
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Bück dich - Rammstein

The Contenders

Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz

This bass is godly. I seriously don't know how they conceived it.

Probably the best bassline of the noughties, besides Schism perhaps.
Schism - Tool

One of the few songs with a lead bass, and almost definitely the best example of a lead bass. Justin Chancellor really knows how to turn something as simple as a bass guitar into dynamic and engaging sounds.

Come on guys. This song has one of the most recognizable basslines ever. The time signatures are so unique, and the growling 12/8 bass intro is awesome.
Orion - Metallica

Move over YYZ. Orion was and continues to be the greatest instrumental I've ever heard. With two guitar solos, a bass solo, and the coolest riffs ever all shoved into an eight-and-a-half-minute song, it's incredible. R.I.P. Cliff Burton.

Especially in the middle at the interlude, Cliff is the guy that made me want to play bass guitar. This is the song they played at Cliff's funeral on my 14th birthday. R.I.P. Cliff.
Killing In the Name - Rage Against the Machine

The bass carries a LOT of RATM songs, to be honest. It's very memorable and distinctive, especially on this song.
Rage Against the Machine and Primus are two bands where the bass is the centerfold or greatest strength of their music, hands down. Tom Morello's wah riffs also give it some extra oomph.

Yeah, a really tense bass intro.
Peace Sells - Megadeth
Ramble On - Led Zeppelin

John Paul Jones is so underappreciated.
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver - Primus
My Generation - The Who

This should be in the top five. It has an awesome bassline and epic bass fills.

It's so epic! It should be in the top 10.
Slide in Next to Me - Red Riders

Most of you haven't heard this song, but this bass kicks butt.
My Name is Mud - Primus

No way, you can't beat Primus, dude!
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
Only in Dreams - Weezer

Their best song, in my opinion, and that bass is just perfect.
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Legendary vocals, a great melody, legendary dancing, and an extraordinary bassline that gets stuck in your head as soon as you hear it. What more can you ask for?

One of pop's best and catchiest basslines, that's for sure.
By the Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers

I've played bass for many years, and this has been one of my favorite songs to play since the beginning.

Where is Aeroplane?! This is still a great song and bassline. It's very prominent and distinct.
On Your Way Down - The Jungle Giants