Top 30 Most Iconic Bass Riffs

It appears I am. In past videos Josh has used a Squier that is an exact match to what I linked to (see 5 Popular Beginner Bass Lines (Are You Playing Them Wrong?) - YouTube). I do see the stacked knobs, now (and a different pickguard). Good catch.

Yes! Yes, it did. Time for…

SHOW NOTES
Let’s start with this title card – Sting! (swoon) Gorillaz! (artsy) Tom Commerford! (gotdang filthy – his playing is filthy, the way he is sticking out his tongue is filthy, and he literally looks filthy, like someone threw a bucket of dirt at him. Peak Bass Coolness.)

T-shirt Check: BLACK SABBATH. In purple lettering. I love this video already.
#1 – Your bass has a buffet of two-note combos – BYOG(roove)
#2 – Am I sick of it? Haven’t listened to the whole song this century so I’m not sure.
#3 – I didn’t even notice what song this is – Josh’s bass face told me what I needed to know.
#4 – I am one of those people who like Zeppelin (sorry @Howard) – this riff is a lovely respite from their normal sexdrugsLoTRs-fueled ragers.
#5 – Watching Josh play Iron Man makes me want to play Iron Man, just so I can hit those strings HARD.
#6 – This song is one of those 70s songs that makes me think of the movie Dazed and Confused or Almost Famous even though I don’t think it’s actually used in either but maybe it was just in that old Freedom Rock commercial where one hippy tells the other hippy “turn it up, man!” – wait, what’re we talking about?
#7 – I love this love letter of a song, to love, to morning driving, to experience, to shared history. Plus that tone is just sooooo great.
#8 – Sheff is underrated. That is all.
#9 – Tasty, tasty slides live on the Wild Side.
#10 – I was not a cool 14-year-old. But listening to this song made me feel cool. Still does.
#11 – OK this song was DEFINITELY in Dazed and Confused and YES I was bobbing my head before the subtitle said it.
#12 – The bass adds so much drama to an already dramatic song; it feels like life and death.
#13 – PUNK ROCKERS ASSEMBLE
#14 - Walking back from your house / Walking on the moon / Feet they hardly touch the ground / Walking on the moon – yeah, I remember that feeling. Thanks Sting. (also, a nice reference to Josh’s “Roundabout” video with the word spaaaace)
#15 – Gorgeous. Glad a bit of strumming made the list.

Quick halfway break: I feel the need to address the pickguard on your Squier, @JoshFossgreen – I’ve been staring at it for multiple videos now. Seriously. In some light, it looks flat gray; in other moments, it looks purple-ish indigo. I know I’m not the only one who wants more information. I’m begging you - please, please explain this pickguard.

#16 – My favorite on this list because of the song, Randy Rhoads got a mention, and Bob Daisley gets his credit due.
#17 – I had no idea about MJ’s influence here, but now I can’t unhear it.
#18 – Two in a row! Bonus: David Bowie :black_heart:
#19 – OK, I’ve made my feelings about Rush clear before. But this is gooooood.
#20 – Can’t. Sit. Still. This bass player was doing the job proper.
#21 – I can’t think of anything to say that hasn’t already been said about this riff. How about: it’s like a nasty, dirty, filthy game of hopscotch. (well, I tried.)
#22 – There’s something so satisfying about how the E string wobbles around in drop D when you play this song.
#23 – This song requires the head-tilt-side-to-side-with-an-extra-bob-thrown-in manuever.
#24 – (I secretly love this song, because of the bass line.)
#25 – “…and we will fight you for it.” Lololoooool #truestory #noglory
#26 – I…I’m still nowhere near even considering trying to play this – it melts my brain.
#27 – This riff is like an air conditioner. Imma just let you extrapolate the rest of that thought, rather than be cheesy here.
#28 – I’m too old to know this song.
#29 – I like Arctic Monkeys, though!
#30 – I’m too old to know this one, too.

Speaking as a Forum member, it feels like there is a little something here for almost everyone. Like, I can assign songs to specific Forum members in my head. I call dibs on The Police/Sting and Ozzy.

Agreed. I am reminded that while we are here unified in bass, we definitely come from different perspectives. Even though I know a few of these songs, with the exception of Red Hot Chile Peppers and War, not one would of these would have made my top “anything list.” Where is the funk & R&B. Not one of my favorite songs, but an ICONIC bass line that I’m working on
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLTDpewIpfw
And an excellent tutorial for SYNCOPATION (5:42 mark)

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I thought you would have mentioned Booker T and the M. G.s

Green Onions is pretty iconic

One from Bootsy would be nice.

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Yes, that is definitely true. I was surprised by the lack of funk on this list because of its inclusion in other lists Josh has put together. I’m wondering if it’s a mixture of licensing and the particular audience this video may be catering to.

EDIT: not “just” because Josh has included funk in other lists, but because funk itself is iconic and deserves to be on all the lists of bass greatness. Funk elevated bass.

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And further down in that thread, Josh lets us know he installed this preamp on the bass: Pro JZ3 VB 4B Chrome

Regardless, even if I added that to my bass, I suspect I’m a long way from matching Josh’s tone.

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Green Onions. One of the first that I learned. An excellent one page song, and an excellent example of a 12 bar blues pattern. Bootsy is a funk pioneer/iconic player, but I don’t think he has that “worldwide” riff for the general masses (non-funkateers).

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Yes. All I have to do is look at “Sharing Friday”, “What are you listening to”, or “Post your covers” to realize that. I actually wrote Josh a few years before I signed up for the course. When I saw the course music list, I inquired about inclusion/learning other genres. When I finally came around (got smart) and joined, little did I know, and respectfully, his chosen course songs serve a purpose that benefitted me greatly. I do realize that just because Beatles and Elvis leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I am outnumbered a zillion to one. I accept that, but every now and again I have to put my 2 cents out there for soul, funk, R&B and my 70’s and 80’s pop.

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He does have Groove is in the Heart though - it’s pretty well known by non-funkateers, I think. But most people probably don’t know that’s Bootsy.

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I have his albums and all the Parliament Funkadelic stuff. I LOVE that song, and this morning when playing your post, I saw Bootsy and was shocked he was in it (I’ve heard the line and his voice thousands of time in it, and it didn’t register.) I almost confessed at the time but held back.

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Yes, please, and thank you!

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Big upvote from me, too.

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I was worried we weren’t going to get the play-by-play from @kristine . I should not have doubted.

Words to live by.

Oh, I am pretty sure @kristine was a cooler 14-year-old than most of us here on the Forum.

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same here - I saw it and went “how the hell did I not know this!”

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Same here. Never knew. Makes sense, that bassline and how Lady Miss Kier’s vocals groove over it is what sold the song in clubs.

If you’re going to get a funk bass player for your one hit, you might as well get the best :slight_smile:

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@booker_t Thanks for posting that tutorial video. I will try to check out his other tutorials, too. I had not come across Stuart Clayton before; not sure how I missed him.

I see he has some interesting bass transcription and tuition (tutorial?) books via his Bassline Publishing company, also courses. Yet another one who tempts me with bass books! I will resist until I am better prepared to make my way through the “books I already have bought before I can handle them.” :roll_eyes:

p.s. I also like the way Stuart Clayton refers to the hand positions as “fretting” and “picking” hands. As a left handed player (yeah, I know, I can hear you guys groaning because I go on and on about it, sorry! I do try to restrain myself!), there is that second or two of confusion when I hear or read “left hand” or “right hand” when instructors talk about hand positions. “Huh? uh, left hand, oh yeah, d’oh!” So, “fretting” and “picking” or “plucking” is more descriptive, and (dare I say) inclusive, for all.

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OK, so I’m dying to know - what’s on your “top whatever number” list?

@Never2Late, I’m starting on his slap book along with the Talking Bass Slap Course (that’s been sitting for a few years). The good thing about Stuart is you can sign up for 3 months (for $20 bucks or whatever it is) and work through those tutorials with tabs and standard notation). Be aware that some of his books are a little tough. He’s not big on tabs, and even when going through his scale and chord stuff, he’s about knowing the notes beneath your fingers, and not the shapes.

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@kristine. Glad you asked. Just 10 of many favorites, and not including some of my pop classics.

  1. If You Want Me To Stay- Not the Red Hot Chili Peppers- the original by Sly and the Family Stone (Larry Graham on bass).

  2. Rock Steady- Aretha Franklin (Chuck Rainey on bass)

  3. Scorpio- Dennis Coffey (Bob Babbitt on bass - One of the Motown Funk Brothers…“the white guy.” Check out the precision bass at the 2:04 mark of Scorpio. He also played bass on Stevies “Signed Sealed Delivered.” Marvins, “Mercy Mercy Mercy Me”, and Gladys “Midnight Train To Georgia.” Bass on over 200 top 40 hits).

  4. Boogie on Reggae Woman- Stevie Wonder (played with actual bass and Moog/Synth bass)

  5. I Wish- Stevie Wonder

  6. Fire- Ohio Players

  7. Ladies Night - Kool and The Gang

  8. Pick Up The Pieces- Average White Band

  9. Brick House- Commodores

  10. I Want You Back- Jackson Five (Often thought to be James Jamerson, but the great Crusaders saxophonist Wilton Felder on bass, and also check out an alternate bass version by @Barney of the BassBuzzers)

Just a taste:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZFabOuF4Ps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z91l_lPz1oc

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I like those, too! I didn’t recognize the song by its name, “Scorpio,” but when I heard it I recognized it. All great stuff!

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