Top 25 Bass Guitar Favorites
Check out our top bass guitar arrangements, including hits by Queen, Pink Floyd, The Jackson 5, and more!
Get ready to rock, jam, and sing the blues with these classic bass guitar arrangements! This list includes all the well-known riffs that made these songs the classics that they are considered today. Check our list of the top 25 bass parts you have to know, and check out our website for a wide variety of bass guitar offerings!
1. "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen
The beginning bass guitar riff is an earworm you won’t want to get rid of! This worldwide hit by Queen was recorded with John Deacon playing the majority of the instruments: bass guitar, piano, electric guitar, and handclaps.
2. "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison
This 60s pop rock classic was one of the first from Van Morrison to be recorded after he left the band Them. The bass line keeps the rhythm going for this summery song.
The bass part is one of the most familiar parts of this song aside from the cash register sounds! This classic by Pink Floyd stands out due to the 7/4 time signature for the majority of the song.
4. "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson
This dance-pop classic by Michael Jackson features a catchy bass line at the beginning. Michael’s producer, Quincy Jones, didn’t like the bass line and wanted to cut it, but they decided not to do that since Michael said the bass line made him want to dance!
5. "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5
The well-known riff at the beginning of this song will encourage everyone to get to the dance floor! This was the first single from The Jackson 5, and it was performed first on Diana Ross’s The Hollywood Palace.
6. "Don’t Stop Believin’" by Journey
This rock standard includes another popular bass line. The song was inspired by band member Jonathan Cain. When he was a struggling musician in LA, his father told him to “Don’t stop believing or you’re done, dude.”
7. "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King
The bass line for this classic pop song was not the first to be composed but rather one of the last parts. Ben E. King originally wrote the song for The Drifters, who turned it down.
This instrumental rock song is uniquely in 10/8 time signature, and the beginning notes and rhythm of the riff are based on the letters YYZ in Morse code. This code was broadcast as they were flying into the airport, and the pattern stayed with them until they created this song.
9. "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple
All beginning bass guitar players want to learn the riff of this 70s classic! The song was based on a time when the band was scheduled to record in a casino theater in Switzerland that caught fire. The band noticed the smoke from the fire over Lake Geneva, hence Smoke on the Water!
10. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen
This rock and roll-style song was inspired by Elvis Presley. The song was written in just ten minutes, but the repetitive swinging bass line makes the song a memorable classic.
11. "My Girl" by The Temptations
Originally written by Smokey Robinson, this classic Motown tune begins with a simple but memorable bass line that people around the world recognize.
12. "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie
The repeated bass line in this song is a staple, but it was originally unclear who composed this iconic riff. John Deacon most likely created it, but either Roger Taylor or David Bowie might have changed the riff slightly.
13. "Come Together" by The Beatles
The bass line of this song is the most memorable during the interludes. The song was inspired by You Can’t Catch Me by Chuck Berry, but the tempo was slowed down to make sure it didn’t sound too much like Chuck’s song.
14. "(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding
This song was inspired by a houseboat that Otis Redding was staying at in California while touring. The bass line brings this song together in this mellow track.
15. "What’s Going On" by Marvin Gaye
This 70s classic was written to address the police brutality that occurred during an anti-war protest. It was originally written for The Four Tops, but they turned it down since they considered it a protest song.
16. "The Thrill is Gone" by B. B. King
Get ready to sing the blues with one of B. B. King’s signature songs! The repetitive pattern serves as a foundation to the lyrics.
17. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & The Pips
This version of the song was created around the time that Aretha Franklin’s arrangement of “Respect” gained popularity. The producer, Norman Whitfield, wanted to “out-funk” Aretha, so he added a funk band: the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.
18. "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel
This classic pop rock hit was also featured in Quentin Tarantino’s film Reservoir Dogs. The lyrics describe a silly music industry cocktail party.
19. "(They Call It) Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker
This blues hit was performed by T-Bone Walker, who was one of the first musicians to use an electric guitar. The release of this song was delayed due to limited supplies for creating records during World War II. It is sometimes confused with Stormy Monday Blues by Earl Hines, which is quite a different arrangement.
20. "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Ray Orbison
You know what song is coming when you hear the first couple bars of this bass line! This classic was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, and it was later featured in the movie Pretty Woman.
This smooth jazz song was originally written when Sade was in her previous band Pride. It is about a con-man that is a part of the higher social circles.
22. "Californication" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
This is one of the most popular songs by the rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers. Anthony Keidis had the lyrics ready for this song first, but the band struggled to make the music for it. The music was a perfect fit because this song is one of the most performed at their concerts.
23. "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd
This classic rock hit comes from the rock opera The Wall, and it is a protest song against strict schooling. The band had to be convinced to add a couple elements of disco to the song to make it more accessible on the pop charts.
24. "Stayin’ Alive" by The Bee Gees
This disco hit was originally written for the movie Saturday Night Fever. The band had mixed feelings about the song because while it made them quite successful, it also branded them as a disco act, which was not accurate after listening to their music before and after this time period.
This rock hit by Muse contains a complex bass line, and it was voted as having the sixth best bass line of all time by MusicRadar.
Click here to access sheet music for our top bass guitar hits, and don’t forget to download our free Musicnotes app!