You can find plenty of bass-heavy songs in most genres, like pop, rock, metal, EDM, and house. Adding bass to songs adds a lot of depth and feel to the music.
It can take years to learn how to play bass guitar at a professional level, although online bass lessons can certainly help expedite the process.
That being said, many popular bass-heavy songs these days don’t use a typical bass guitar at all. It’s a synth or even some other type of midi-generated sound.
In most songs you hear, the bass serves as the backbone and typically doesn’t shine as much as the lead instruments or vocals.
That being said, in this article I wanted to highlight songs where the bassline does shine through.
Here’s a list of some songs with the best bass lines for you to vibe to.
1. “The Chain” By Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac is a band formed in London in ‘67. The band has six members as of now, but there have been 12 former members that have all been replaced at some point in the band’s career.
‘The Chain’ was released in ‘77 and is one of the most popular Fleetwood Mac songs. The bass line is basic, but it makes the song much better.
2. “24K Magic” By Bruno Mars
This song, released in 2016, became a big hit worldwide.
Synth bass adds a nice touch to this hit song. It’s fun, funky music that makes you want to get up and dance. Bruno has mastered the art of writing and singing music that everyone can appreciate and vibe to, which isn’t an easy skill.
3. “Black Velvet” By Alannah Myles
Black Velvet is a song about Elvis Presley’s life written by two Canadian songwriters and sung by the Canadian singer-songwriter Alannah Myles. It was her most popular hit and still has not been topped by any of her other songs, which are also quite impressive.
The song starts with a thumping bass sound that continues throughout most of the song. It’s the base of the song.
4. “Lucid Dreams” By Juice WRLD
Juice WRLD is an American singer and rapper. The song was officially released in 2018 by the artist. The genre of the music is emo rap, which isn’t the most popular genre, but Juice WRLD has released some fantastic emo rap songs, like this one.
The bass in this song is the kind that will get the subwoofers in your car rumbling. It also helps adds to the sadness of the lyrics and overall tone of the music.
5. “Teeth” By 5 Seconds of Summer
‘Teeth’ is one of 5 seconds of Summer’s most famous songs, deservedly. The song was released in 2019 as a single from their album ‘CALM,’ which has more fantastic songs.
Calum Hood, their bassist, really put his heart and soul into this song. The bass sound is what makes it so thrilling and impressive.
6. “Feel Good Inc.” By Gorillaz
Feel Good is one of those songs that almost everyone has heard before. The iconic laugh at the song’s beginning is instantly recognizable.
It was released in 2005 by the British band and is unlike other songs you’ve heard before. It’s a funky rock song with a hint of hip-hop. The song is hard to compare to other music because it’s such a unique sound.
7. “Another One Bites the Dust” By Queen
Everyone knows who Queen is. The British rock band is iconic and has released some of the most popular songs worldwide, like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘I Want to Break Free’, ‘We Are the Champions’, and ‘Another One Bites the Dust’.
The song is known for the heavy bass line in the beginning. Everyone knows within seconds of hearing it which song is playing.
8. “Animal I Have Become” By Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a rock band from Canada formed in ‘92 under a different name. The band is still active now.
The song starts with a nice bass sound and builds on that as the song progresses. ‘Animal I Have Become’ is one of their most famous songs, which makes perfect sense once you listen to it.
Read Next: Songs About Animals
9. “Feel It Still” By Portugal. The Man
‘Feel it Still’ is a groovy song with a nice bass line that takes the music to another level. The American band Portugal. The Man was formed in 2004, and this song was released in 2017. The song, and its funky bass line, became very popular; to this day, it’s still their most popular hit.
10. “Enter Sandman” By Metallica
This song by the American metal band is an absolute masterpiece. Enter Sandman is just one of those songs that you have to blast through your speakers.
It’s been around for a while, as it was released in ‘91 by the band which was formed in ‘81. The song is about a child having nightmares. It’s one of their most popular songs alongside ‘Master of Puppets’, ‘One’, and ‘Nothing Else Matters’.
11. “Sugar” By Robin Schulz & Francesco Yates
German DJ Robin Schulz produced this song with the amazing voice of Canadian singer Francesco Yates in 2015, and it became a big summer hit.
The EDM song has a great bass sound, making it the perfect music to blast through the speakers in your car with the windows down. It’s also a great song to add to a summer party playlist for you and your friends to vibe to.
12. “Dark Necessities” By Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in ‘83. They are still active right now with four members. They’ve had ten former band members that have all been replaced at one point.
Of course, what would a bass song list be without featuring a song that Flea plays on? This song’s bass has a very funky sound, adding some power to it. The bass line adds a lot to the song; it’s indispensable.
Read Next: Songs About Thunder and Lightning
13. “Arabella” By Arctic Monkeys
Who doesn’t love a great Arctic Monkeys song? The English rock band Arctic Monkeys have written some absolute bangers, and ‘Arabella’ is one of them. The song was released in 2013 on their ‘AM’ album.
The Arctic Monkeys are known for their nice bass sounds in their songs. They very clearly know what sounds good and what will make a song stand out.
14. “ZITTI E BUONI” By Måneskin
The Italian band wrote this absolute banger song for the Eurovision contest and won the competition. Måneskin was formed in 2016, and they write both Italian and English music.
The bass guitar is played by the only female member of the group, and she does a fantastic job adding more depth to the song. To enjoy this amazing rock song, you don’t need to know any Italian.
15. “7 Rings” By Ariana Grande
Ariana is an American singer-songwriter, one of the most popular of our time.
‘7 Rings’ was a hard song to avoid hearing for quite some time after its release in 2019. It was on the radio all the time, and rightfully so! With a deep bass sound and Ariana’s beautiful voice, it wasn’t surprising that the song was so popular and still gets millions of streams today.
16. “Who Do You Love” By The Chainsmokers & 5 Seconds of Summer
The Australian band’s “5 Seconds of Summer”, collaborated with the American duo, ‘The Chainsmokers’ in 2019 for this pop/electro song. ‘Who Do You Love’ is a banger and ranked high in the Australian, Belgian, Czech, Hungarian, Mexican, and US charts, among others.
The bass in this song makes you want to turn the sound all the way up. It’s the perfect song to get everyone up and dancing in the club.
17. “Patience” By KSI, YUNGBLUD & Polo G
The British rapper, YouTuber, and boxer, KSI, collaborated on this song with the British rock/hip hop/punk singer YUNGBLUD and American rapper Polo G.
‘Patience’ is a nice song to vibe to with a funky bass sound and insightful lyrics about feeling the pressure of life and navigating through life changes.
18. “Oblivion” By Royal Blood
Royal Blood is another music duo. The English duo has been active since 2011 and still makes music. They signed with the same music label as the famous English rock band Arctic Monkeys.
The bassist, Mike Kerr, really went all out on this song. The bass has a sexy and dark vibe, perfectly suited for the lyrics.
19. “Killing In the Name” By Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine debuted with this single on their debut album named after the band. They’ve been active since ‘91 and released the album in ‘92.
With the rocking bass sound in the song, they’ve really taken it to another level. Listening to this song loudly will make you feel powerful and give you some energy. It could be the perfect start to the day.
Read Next: Songs About Monsters
20. “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” By ABBA
The iconic Swedish group ABBA loves to add a great bass line to their songs, giving them more depth. Some of their most popular songs like “Mamma Mia” and “Dancing Queen” feature iconic bass lines.
The artists are musical geniuses and know how to create songs that make everyone want to dance and sing.
21. “Tainted Love” By Soft Cell
Soft Cell is another English duo. The duo was formed in ‘78 and released their cover of the American singer-songwriter Gloria Jones song (1965) in ‘81. Their cover was more popular than the original version.
The bass adds a mysterious and thrilling vibe to the love song. It almost feels like the song belongs in a horror movie.
22. “Need You Tonight” By INXS
INXS is an Australian rock band. The band was formed in ‘77 by six original members. After their lead singer died in ‘97, he was replaced thrice until their last concert in 2012.
‘Need You Tonight’ is a sensual song, which is strongly emphasized by the sound of the bass and drums, and the seductive tone of the singers. It was their most popular hit in the US, ranking very high in the charts.
23. “Billie Jean” By Michael Jackson
Pop icon (King of Pop) Michael Jackson released ‘Billie Jean’ in ‘83, and it’s still a very popular and highly streamed song. It was his fastest-rising single as a solo artist. ‘Billie Jean’ is a funky pop hit, perfect for any party playlist.
You’ve probably heard the song before; if so, you can recognize the bass line within seconds.
24. “You Should See Me in a Crown” By Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish is an American singer-songwriter who writes most of her songs with her very talented brother, Finneas O’Connell. ‘You Should See Me in a Crown’ was released in 2018, when the singer was only 16 years old.
The song has a dark vibe, like much of her other music. It suits her voice perfectly and has the necessary heavy bass sound.
25. “The Hills” By The Weeknd
The Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd released this song in 2015, and it became a worldwide hit. It’s still one of his most famous songs.
The artist writes many darker and more sensual songs, which is the perfect medium for many bass sounds. The Weeknd has this completely figured out, as it’s a common theme in his music.
26. “Bad Guy” By Billie Eilish
‘Bad Guy’ is another one of Billie’s most popular songs.
The bass in this song gives it a darker feel, which is not very common in pop music. Billie has a lot of bass in most of her songs, and it works so well with her lower voice and breathy tone.
27. “Come As You Are” By Nirvana
Nirvana was an American rock band active from ‘87 to ‘94. The band quit after the death of their lead singer, Kurt Cobain, who committed suicide in 1994.
The sad feel of the song is partly due to the use of a lot of heavy bass throughout the entire piece. It works very well with Kurt’s raspy voice.
Read Next: Saddest Songs of All Time
28. “Rasputin” By Boney M.
The disco- and funk group Boney M. consisted of five members. The group was formed in ‘74 and ended in ‘86, so they weren’t around for a long time. However, they were trendy, with ‘Rasputin’ their most famous song.
The bass in this song adds a funky sound to a song that is already very groovy and makes you want to dance.
29. “The Less I Know The Better” By Tame Impala
If you’ve never heard of Tame Impala, you’ve missed out on a lot. Tame Impala is a project, not a music group. This project consists of psychedelic music, which is music inspired by the use of many types of psychedelic drugs that were very popular in the ‘60. The Australian musician Kevin Parker launched the project in 2007.
The songs have a particular feel, which isn’t to everyone’s taste. However, you should give listening to the songs a try. You might be positively surprised by how the music makes you feel. The Less I Know The Better isn’t just incredibly fun to listen to but also fun to play is for bass players out there.
30 “ Late Night Talking” By Harry Styles
‘Late Night Talking’ is a more recent Harry Styles song. It was released in 2022 as a single on his latest album ‘Harry’s House’.
This funky and romantic song is one of the most popular tunes he’s ever released as a solo artist. It is played on the radio all the time and is probably stuck in your head by now.
Final Thoughts
Bass adds a vibe to any song. It creates some depth and can completely transform the sound and feel of the music.
Although bass players don’t always get the recognition they deserve, it’s an incredibly vital instrument to any song.
So there you have it! That’s my list of some of the best bass songs ever created. Of course, there are a ton more great bass songs out there. Let me know in the comments, which one is your favorite?
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