Music lovers have voted for the greatest bass lines of all time – and number one shouldn’t come as a surprise
The best bass lines in music history have been unveiled, with Queen dominating the list by securing four spots in the top 10. ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ and ‘Under Pressure’, both played by John Deacon, clinched the first and third positions in this list of legendary tracks.
Their other cherished hits, ‘Radio Gaga’ and ‘Killer Queen’, also made the cut, along with Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ and Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, which were among the top 30 notable hits. Chic’s ‘Good Times’ was also featured, as well as U2’s ‘With or Without You’, performed by Adam Clayton, according to a poll of 2,000 music enthusiasts.
This survey was conducted by Sky in anticipation of their new show ‘Greatest Bass lines’, set to air on Sky Arts, Freeview Channel 36 and NOW, on Friday 28th November at 9pm.
Three-part series celebrates music’s killer basslines. Following the same format as Greatest Guitar Riffs each episode is authored by a different bass expert, offering three unique perspectives of experience and expertise and allowing the series to traverse through multiple genres: rock, funk, disco & hip hop and reggae & club culture.
Each episode combines newly-shot interviews, immersive experiences and masterclasses from each author alongside exciting archive and new contributions from a range of musicians that speak to the different basslines/tracks covered.
A spokesperson said: “This has been a celebration of some truly iconic bass lines. A memorable bass motif can make or break a song, and turn it from a good track into one that stands the test of time for decades.
“In fact, most of the tracks here are ones that have been beloved for many years, which could be due to the classic four- or five-piece band not being as popular today as they once were. “
The study revealed that John Deacon of Queen was voted the greatest bass player of all time, surpassing Paul McCartney of the Beatles and John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin.
Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, and Flea, the slap-bass master of the Red Hot Chili Peppers rounded out the top five.
Nearly half (47%) of those surveyed reckon that bassists are the ‘coolest’ members of any band, and a whopping 63% believe the instrument is underrated in popular music.
When it comes to what makes a bass line iconic, 56% said it has to have a memorable rhythm, while 51% want it to ‘drive’ the entire song. A staggering 81% believe a really good bass line has the power to make or break an entire song, with 22% feeling simplicity is key to a classic.
Legendary bass player, Peter Hook, formerly of New Order and Joy Division, said: “Basslines are the heartbeat of so many iconic tracks. I’ll always remember a guitarist asking me: ‘can’t you just play root notes on this one?’ My answer…NO.
“Greatest Basslines is a celebration of those grooves that have shaped music history, so no surprise to see Queen’s John Deacon leading the charge.”
Pop music was deemed to have the most danceable bass lines (44%), followed by disco (40%) and rock (35%).A really great bass line leaves people feeling energised (47%), uplifted (42%) or in the mood for a boogie (34%).
As many as 33% admitted they have strapped on an ‘air bass’ and pretended to play along with an irresistible groove, according to the OnePoll.com data.
The spokesperson for Sky said: “The best bass lines are instantly recognisable, you’d know them within a second if they were played at a pub quiz.
“It’s great to see Queen and John Deacon represented so heavily in this list, along with lots of other luminaries of the instrument. People were loving Another One Bites the Dust 40 years ago, and it’s a safe bet to say they’ll still be nodding their heads to it 40 years from now.”
THE TOP 30 BASS LINES OF ALL TIME:
1. Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
2. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
3. Under Pressure – Queen
4. The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
5. Radio Gaga – Queen
6. Come Together – The Beatles
7. Stand By Me – Ben E. King
8. Killer Queen – Queen
9. Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) – Pink Floyd
10.Walking on the Moon – The Police
11. I Want You Back – The Jackson 5
12. Money – Pink Floyd
13. With or Without You – U2
14. Good Times – Chic
15. My Generation – The Who
16. Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
17. Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
18. You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon
19. Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reed
20.Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers
21. Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz
22. Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
23. Around the World – Daft Punk
24. Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone – The Temptations
25. Temptation – New Order
26. The Joker – Steve Miller Band
27. I Wish – Stevie Wonder
28.The Sign – Ace of Base
29. Hysteria – Muse
30. Sabotage – The Beastie Boys
