from the current Jan/Feb ’09 issue of Bass Guitar mag (issue # 40), compiled by staff & contributors :

40. The Doors – Riders On The Storm
39. The Cure – The Lovecats
38. Rush – Digital Man
37. Graham Central Station – Hair
36. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away
35. The Jam – A Town Called Malice
34. Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rythm Band
33. Bill Withers – Lovely Day
32. Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel – White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)
31. Cream – Crossroads
30. Queen & David Bowie – Under Pressure
29. Rage Against The Machine – Bullet In The Head
28. Jaco Pastorius – Teen Town
27. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
26. Iron Maiden – Phantom Of The Opera
25. Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
24. Stevie Wonder – I Wish
23. The Clash – London Calling
22. Sly & The Family Stone – Thank You
21. Ben E King – Stand By Me
20. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On?
19. Ian Dury & The Blockheads – Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
18. Metallica – One
17. Free – All Right Now
16. Lou Read – Walk On The Wild Side
15. Miles Davies – So What
14. Motorhead – Ace Of Spades
13. The Who – My Generation
12. Cream – Politician
11. Muse – Hysteria
10. Jaco Pastorius – Come On Come On Over
9. Yes – Roundabout
8. The Beatles – Come Together
7. Queen – Another One Bites The Dust
6. Led Zeppelin – Ramble On
5. Pink Floyd – Money
4. Chic – Good Times
3. Stanely Clarke – School Days
2. James Brown – Sex Machine
1. The Stranglers - Peaches

No PIL? No Gang of Four?

Since, once again, most "all-time greatest" lists don't seem to think music existed in the past 15 years, I'd like to open up the floor to best bass lines of this decade. These days, it's sometimes hard to tell what's a real bass line or not but regardless...

Two quickly come to mind:

1. Broken Social Scene - Stars and Songs
2. The Go Team - Friendship Update (hopefully the bass isn't a sample)

Chime in!

1. Astral Weeks - Van Morrison

I would think that Come as You Are has to be in there and several Pixies songs.

sympathy for the devil and hotel california have awesome baselines too!

i always loved xtc's "the meeting place"

My ever favourite bass line is the one from ELO’s Last Train to London

As thrilled as I am to see Stanley Clarke's "School Days," I gotta ask... no Jamiroquai?

Brick House by the Commodores is a personal favorite of mine. And though it's not technically a bassline how could you omit Seven Nation Army?

Seven Nation Army is admitted because there isn't actually a bass. The Stripes are just Jack's voice, his guitar, and meg's drums. White's guitar sounds like a bass via manipulation.

but AnotheR one bites the dust and Good Times is the same line bass...

It's not really a "bass line" but my favorite bass moment is when the unknown (to me at least) African dude lays down that break in Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al". Jaw drops every time.

I don't see a Stones song and the Beatles track I would have picked is the "The Word".

eh, as far as Beatles tracks, go, Come Together has one of ther best baselines, but I think Dear Prudence is probably better.

Just realized there are no Joy Division songs. Transmission anyone?

Prince's B-side "Loveleft, Loveright" and outtake "Chocolate" battle it out for me with several Gap Band and Parliament/Funkadelic songs.

Nothing brings the stripping pole-dancer in me quite like this. I'm not lying, by the way! There was an incident in college...

And as I said, this isn't far behind.

Hot damn!

Good list, but Pink Floyd's Money? I don't remember the bass being too prominent in that song, but I haven't heard Dark Side for awhile.

As far as the omissions others here have mentioned, kudos to Transmission, The Word, and Dear Prudence.

How about Prince's When Doves Cry? just kidding.

Where's Flashlight by Parliament-Funkadelic??

Another one that's pretty obscure but I think is great is That Hump by Erykah Badu. The bass is booming in the first half, then it becomes a mellow synth bass before going back to the first half part.

oh, and don't forget I Want You Back - The Jackson 5