i guess we have to be careful not to assume that the widdliest bass players will necessarily create the best bass lines for a song? it'll degenerate into a "who's the best bass player" debate, shame on us.

i wouldn't really rate doug carrion as a great player, but the bass lines on wig out at denko's (godfather, exercises) really do it for me. the bass lines i would play my gran have already been mentioned:

"peace sells" megadeth
"night goat" melvins
"monkey trick" jesus lizard
"waiting room" (can't remember who did that one)

others have to be:

"bob dylan wrote..." minutemen
"another one bites the dust" queen
"body bag" nomeansno (in fact, everything by rob wright - i guess they fit into the jesus lizard category of never being able to write a song without a gut-turning bass line)
"mr moustache" nirvana
"wrathchild" iron maiden
"terms of psychic warfare" huskers

The Headmaster Ritual by the Smiths
Mary Had A Little Drug Problem by the Scratch Acid
Head Over Heels by the Tears for Fears
One Evening by the Jesus Lizard
Ry Cooder by the Tortoise
Short-Haired Robot by the Bastro
Drown by the Mule
These Days by the Joy Division
Three Days by the Jane's Addiction
Misty Mountain Hop by the Led Zeppelin
Chemical Wire by the fIREHOSE
Even the Odd Orbit by the Gastr del Sol

...just off the top of my head.

Peking Spring.

Some more best ones:

99 Red Balloons-Nena (both the synth bassline and the double time bit)

Straighten Out-Stranglers

Song For Che-Charlie Haden

i don't know if anyone mentioned "live with me" off of "let it bleed".

keith is playing the bass and really goes crazy at the end.

letterman's band played it the other night and butchered it. probably even worse then the stones do now.

"Valley Girl" - Frank Zappa.

Zing.

areopagite wrote:as a guitar player who started on bass and as a member of a bassless band for the past five years or so, a great bass line just tickles my soul. anybody care to nominate a few of the best?

first on my mind because i'm listening to the record right now:
come - "weak as the moon" from near life experience

great song. great band

I've never heard a bassline better then the one on "Disco Inferno" by the Tramps. Listen to it. You'll see.

i've always loved the bass line for 'no birds' by public image ltd. and i also really love how that guitar part loops quicker than the bass and kind of accents it. i also like 'dissorder' by joy division for it's similar bass, guitar interaction.

as far as just straight up bass parts on their own: 'the friend catcher' and most other bass lines written by tracy pew, and the stooges' '1970'

New Order - Ceremony
Form of Rocket - danger snake
Doors - Indian Summer