Discover the art, speed, and precision involved in creating fast bass lines. You’ll explore 25 songs with really fast bass in various music genres.
There is a plethora of fast bass lines, especially nowadays with all of the incredible bassists that exist.
With that being said, it wasn’t easy to make this list.
It’s a blend of popular bass lines from a wide variety of genres, plus some underground gems that showcase stupidly fast and technical bass playing.
And no, these are not in any particular order.
With that being said, let’s look at these incredible bass lines!
Table of Contents
1. Rush – “YYZ”
“YYZ” is one of the most iconic instrumental bass songs ever, and Geddy Lee does not hold back with his bass lines!
- Album: “Moving Pictures”
- Year Released: 1981
- Bass Player: Geddy Lee
2. Primus – “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver”
“Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” likely needs no introduction. Les Claypool’s fast-tapping riff is attempted by many bass enthusiasts every day and only mastered by a few.
- Album: “Sailing the Seas of Cheese”
- Year Released: 1991
- Bass Player: Les Claypool
3. Jaco Pastorius – “Portrait of Tracy”
“Portrait of Tracy” shows us as students of the bass guitar why Jaco Pastorius is the bassist’s bassist.
- Album: “Jaco Pastorius”
- Year Released: 1976
- Bass Player: Jaco Pastorius
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Higher Ground”
“Higher Ground” is like a funky bass slap in the face! In all seriousness, this song really defines and shows off Flea’s bass guitar prowess.
- Album: “Mother’s Milk”
- Year Released: 1989
- Bass Player: Flea (Michael Peter Balzary)
5. Muse – “Hysteria”
“Hysteria” is one of the most popular fast bass lines and one of the best bass intros ever, especially in rock music.
- Album: “Absolution”
- Year Released: 2003
- Bass Player: Chris Wolstenholme
6. Tower of Power – “What Is Hip?”
“What is Hip’s” bass line makes for an awesome bass guitar exercise.
But let’s face it:
What Tower of Power bass line doesn’t make for a good exercise?
- Album: “Tower of Power”
- Year Released: 1973
- Bass Player: Rocco Prestia
7. Racer X – “Scarified”
“Scarified” is one of the best songs in all of speed metal, and I dare you to attempt to play its lightning-fast bast lines!
- Album: “Second Heat”
- Year Released: 1987
- Bass Player: John Alderete
8. Victor Wooten – “Me and My Bass Guitar”
“Me and My Bass Guitar” is such a unique bass line. But what else do you expect from Victor Wooten? He’s one of the best bassists of all time.
- Album: “A Show of Hands”
- Year Released: 1996
- Bass Player: Victor Wooten
9. Yes – “Roundabout”
“Roundabout” finds itself in a unique position because everyone knows the song, but bass guitarists and music fanatics are the only people who truly recognize the monster musicianship needed to compose a song like this.
- Album: “Fragile”
- Year Released: 1971
- Bass Player: Chris Squire
10. Weather Report – “Teen Town”
“Teen Town” has the most well-known bass line in classic jazz fusion, and that’s all thanks to Jaco Pistorius’s innovative and creative bass playing.
- Album: “Heavy Weather”
- Year Released: 1976
- Bass Player: Jaco Pastorius
11. Hiromi – “Return of the Kung Fu World Champion”
“Return of the Kung Fu World Champion” is an incredible piano performance accompanied by an amazing bass line from Tony Grey.
- Album: “Spiral”
- Year Released: 2006
- Bass Player: Tony Grey
12. Tool – “Schism”
“Schism” will make your head spin with its mind-bending bass rhythms and intricate time signatures. And if you’ve never listened to Tool, be prepared for a complete progressive metal rhythm package.
- Album: “Lateralus”
- Year Released: 2001
- Bass Player: Justin Chancellor
13. Thundercat – “Beastly”
“Uh Uh” is pure, high-speed bass wizardry, played by one of bass guitar’s modern icons, Thundercat.
- Album: “Drunk”
- Year Released: 2017
- Bass Player: Thundercat
14. Metallica – “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)”
“Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)” is a famous metal bass solo by Cliff Burton. It’s not the fastest of fast bass lines, but it’s definitely one of the most influential.
- Album: “Kill ‘Em All”
- Year Released: 1983
- Bass Player: Cliff Burton
15. Level 42 – “Mr. Pink”
“Mr.Pink” is the most technical and fastest bass line on this entire list.
If there’s one song you need to listen to on this list, it’s this one.
- Album: “The Pursuit of Accidents”
- Year Released: 1982
- Bass Player: Mark King
16. The Who – “My Generation”
“My Generation” showcases John Entwistle’s bass prowess, as he delivers an iconic rock bass performance that defines the 1960’s.
- Year Released: 1965
- Album: “My Generation”
- Bass Player: John Entwistle
17. Chic – “Everybody Dance”
“Everybody Dance” has a bass line so infectious that it ensures you’ll groove to the beat. Seriously, this bass line is nuts.
- Album: Chic (1977)
- Bass Player: Bernard Edwards
- Release Date: 1977
18. James Brown – “I Got You (I Feel Good)”
“I Got You (I Feel Good)” is not only a Garfield soundtrack staple; it’s a lesson in funky, session-level bass accompaniment.
- Album: “I Got You (I Feel Good)”
- Year Released: 1966
- Bass Player: Bernard Odum
19. Parliament – “Flash Light”
“Flash Light”, headed up by the incredible Bootsy Collins, is a funky bass-fueled spaceship ride that’ll transport you to a whole new dimension of groove.
- Album: “Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome”
- Year Released: 1977
- Bass Player: Bootsy Collins
20. Weather Report – “Birdland”
“Birdland” is a jazz fusion masterpiece with a bassline jam-packed with high-level bass techniques. But it’s not just a technical display; it’s a great lesson in taking a unique approach to accompaniment as a bassist.
After all, do you use bass harmonics as the primary bass technique in any of your bass riffs?
And yes, I realize that having Jaco Pastorius 3 times on this list is a bit of an overkill.
- Album: “Heavy Weather”
- Year Released: 1977
- Bass Player: Jaco Pastorius
21. Casiopea – “Time Limit”
“Time Limit” isn’t just a showcase for fast bass lines; it’s a full-blown jazz fusion party!
- Album: “Casiopea”
- Year Released: 1979
- Bass Player: Tetsuo Sakurai
22. Jamiroquai – “Travelling Without Moving”
“Travelling Without Moving” features a bassline so smooth, it’s like riding on a cloud through a funky wonderland.
- Album: “Travelling Without Moving”
- Year Released: 1996
- Bass Player: Stuart Zender
23. Stevie Wonder – “Higher Ground”
“Higher Ground” is a bass-driven anthem jam-packed with positivity and funk! Like most Stevie Wonder songs, it’ll make you want to get up and jive.
- Album: “Innervisions”
- Year Released: 1973
- Bass Player: Reggie McBride
24. Queen – “Another One Bites the Dust”
“Another One Bites the Dust” may not be the fastest bass line of all time, but it’s one of the fastest in pop culture. It’s a groovy song that will have you stomping your feet in no time!
Also, give some love to this awesome, inspirational cover.
- Album: “The Game”
- Year Released: 1980
- Bass Player: John Deacon
25. Greg Howe – “In Step”
“In Step” wasn’t just composed by shred guitar legend Greg Howe. It had a co-writer, Al Caldwell!
The bass playing on the track is some of the best in the entire world of jazz fusion!
- Album: “Introspection”
- Year Released: 1993
- Bass Player: Al Caldwell
Fast Bass Lines Conclusion
These songs feature iconic bass players and bass lines that have made significant contributions to the world of bass guitar and music as whole.
And yes, this list doesn’t have every fast bass line, but it has lines that have inspired myself and probably millions of others.
Lastly, thank you for reading, and never stop enjoying top-level bass lines!
