All About That Bass
May 25, 2016 12:46 PM Subscribe
Please help me add to my list of pop songs that have a great low frequencies.
I really like pop songs that have a wide dynamic range, particularly a strong presence of chunky, thumpy low frequencies—bass drum, bass guitar, clavier/organ, cello—whatever! Here's what's on my playlist so far:
What are some other must-have bassy pop tunes?
I really like pop songs that have a wide dynamic range, particularly a strong presence of chunky, thumpy low frequencies—bass drum, bass guitar, clavier/organ, cello—whatever! Here's what's on my playlist so far:
What are some other must-have bassy pop tunes?
The Police, I Burn For You has Sting doing an upright bass riff towards the end, and The Barenaked Ladies' cover of Lovers In A Dangerous Time has a cello solo.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:52 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:52 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Pony by Ginuwine is my current go-to. Eminently crankable, pre-loudness dynamics and a unique bass sound.
posted by Lorin at 1:04 PM on May 25, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by Lorin at 1:04 PM on May 25, 2016 [6 favorites]
I am eponysterically required to suggest Station to Station (bass starts around 1:20)
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 1:04 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 1:04 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
The bass on Devo's "Mongoloid" always gets me.
posted by SansPoint at 1:11 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by SansPoint at 1:11 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A lot of the Peter Gabriel stuff that Tony Levin was on, like Shock The Monkey or Big Time, has massive bass sounds.
posted by thelonius at 1:13 PM on May 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 1:13 PM on May 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Rihanna's "Work" has incredible bass on a proper sound system.
posted by naju at 1:20 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by naju at 1:20 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: In a different vein, The Band - Up On Cripple Creek has a satisfying low end. My system didn't reproduce it all that well until I added a sub.
Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine (pre-remaster) can be a tad thin on some set-ups, but Down In It opens with that deep, full kick and has great dynamics.
Nicki Minaj Trini Dem Girls is not dynamic in the pre-loudness wars sense of having a high dynamic range but the punch to that bass line ... damn. Ditto a lot of Beyoncé: Deja Vu is one I keep coming back to. Bouncy bass line, thumping drums ... good stuff.
posted by Lorin at 1:26 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine (pre-remaster) can be a tad thin on some set-ups, but Down In It opens with that deep, full kick and has great dynamics.
Nicki Minaj Trini Dem Girls is not dynamic in the pre-loudness wars sense of having a high dynamic range but the punch to that bass line ... damn. Ditto a lot of Beyoncé: Deja Vu is one I keep coming back to. Bouncy bass line, thumping drums ... good stuff.
posted by Lorin at 1:26 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
That said: Weeping Song; Newtons Gravitätlichkeit (and plenty of other Neubauten, how about 12305te Nacht or the entirety of "Solo Bassfeder"); The Strawbs' New World, uh lots more I'll get back to you.
posted by kenko at 1:39 PM on May 25, 2016
posted by kenko at 1:39 PM on May 25, 2016
Dark Side of the Moon has a heartbeat under (almost?) all the songs that is only audible on a very good sound system played at a pretty high volume. (Boom boom. Boom boom.)
Nantucket Sleighride, by Mountain.
Sail, by AWOL Nation.
Steady as She Goes, by the Raconteurs.
Dangerous, by Big Data.
Crawling Back to You, by the Arctic Monkeys
posted by Bruce H. at 2:02 PM on May 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Nantucket Sleighride, by Mountain.
Sail, by AWOL Nation.
Steady as She Goes, by the Raconteurs.
Dangerous, by Big Data.
Crawling Back to You, by the Arctic Monkeys
posted by Bruce H. at 2:02 PM on May 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yet another Stevie Wonder: For Once in My Life, which has a justifiably famous bass line from James Jamerson that seemingly does not repeat a single lick or phrase, despite being on point and complementary to the melody at all times. Here's that bass line isolated and graphed.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:15 PM on May 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:15 PM on May 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
Shriekback. All Lined Up and My Spine is the Bassline to start with...
posted by Lexica at 2:50 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Lexica at 2:50 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Green Day - Longview
posted by jitterbug perfume at 3:02 PM on May 25, 2016
posted by jitterbug perfume at 3:02 PM on May 25, 2016
El-P's bass production on the Run the Jewels albums is amazing. I'm thinking particularly of Oh My Darling Don't Cry and Close Your Eyes from RTJ2.
Also, Grimes's new album Art Angels is full of great bass. C.f. Realiti (play loud).
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 3:08 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, Grimes's new album Art Angels is full of great bass. C.f. Realiti (play loud).
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 3:08 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Pretty much anything by Morphine, particularly Buena.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 4:12 PM on May 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 4:12 PM on May 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
Sly and The Family Stone - If you want me to stay
posted by arha at 4:29 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by arha at 4:29 PM on May 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
No one posted Destiny's Child yet? Jumpin' Jumpin' surprised me!
posted by yueliang at 5:22 PM on May 25, 2016
posted by yueliang at 5:22 PM on May 25, 2016
The new Esperanza Spalding song is pretty nice: "One"
Some of my favorite girl group songs with pumping bass:
Perfume - Game
SISTAR - Alone
9Muses - Glue
Red Velvet - Time Slip
posted by yueliang at 5:38 PM on May 25, 2016
Some of my favorite girl group songs with pumping bass:
Perfume - Game
SISTAR - Alone
9Muses - Glue
Red Velvet - Time Slip
posted by yueliang at 5:38 PM on May 25, 2016
Ooh, forgot to include this. These are probably my two favorite Namie Amuro songs, Damage (eng sub) and Break It (eng sub). The guitar and bass lines in both are super delicious. The SISTAR and 9Muses songs I recommended earlier, also have some really nice bass guitar work too.
posted by yueliang at 5:54 PM on May 25, 2016
posted by yueliang at 5:54 PM on May 25, 2016
Also it sounds totally obvious in 2016 to mention Uptown Funk, but there's a really interesting section on Wikipedia about the inspirations present in the song, that would be good to look at.
posted by yueliang at 6:18 PM on May 25, 2016
posted by yueliang at 6:18 PM on May 25, 2016
Purity Ring - Stranger Than Earth
For some serious thump, check out J Dilla's remixes of various pop/r&b artists. Vivian Green - Fanatic is one example, but there are a bunch floating around out there.
posted by Lorin at 6:39 PM on May 25, 2016
For some serious thump, check out J Dilla's remixes of various pop/r&b artists. Vivian Green - Fanatic is one example, but there are a bunch floating around out there.
posted by Lorin at 6:39 PM on May 25, 2016
James Blake's self-titled album sounds incredible through some great speakers.
posted by lousywiththespirit at 8:08 PM on May 25, 2016
posted by lousywiththespirit at 8:08 PM on May 25, 2016
Massive Attack - Angel is huge. If a track has more low end than this then it has too much.
posted by bongo_x at 8:40 PM on May 25, 2016
posted by bongo_x at 8:40 PM on May 25, 2016
DJ Magic Mike *Bass is the Name of the Game* has the most outrageous bass I've ever encountered.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:08 AM on May 26, 2016
posted by persona au gratin at 12:08 AM on May 26, 2016
Old school:
Rick James, Super Freak
Run DMC-Walk This Way
Dazz Band, Let it Whip
Parliament, Flashlight
George Clinton, Atomic Dog
anything from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but this is a good start.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 2:45 AM on May 26, 2016
Rick James, Super Freak
Run DMC-Walk This Way
Dazz Band, Let it Whip
Parliament, Flashlight
George Clinton, Atomic Dog
anything from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but this is a good start.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 2:45 AM on May 26, 2016
Monarchy - Dancing in the corner (features swears) - this one makes my car doors buzz, love it.
Some awesome bass-y ladies, quite different styles but both have that low range oomph: Kendra Morris and Banks.
posted by Ness at 2:48 AM on May 26, 2016
Some awesome bass-y ladies, quite different styles but both have that low range oomph: Kendra Morris and Banks.
posted by Ness at 2:48 AM on May 26, 2016
Candy Perfume Girl from Madonna's Ray of Light album has some room-shaking bass.
See also pretty much anything else by William Orbit, especially Water From a Vine Leaf on Strange Cargo 3 (my home theater sub is the only thing I have that can reproduce its bottom line).
posted by AbnerRavenwood at 7:19 AM on May 26, 2016
See also pretty much anything else by William Orbit, especially Water From a Vine Leaf on Strange Cargo 3 (my home theater sub is the only thing I have that can reproduce its bottom line).
posted by AbnerRavenwood at 7:19 AM on May 26, 2016
The Beatles — With a Little Help from My Friends, Rain
Queen — You're My Best Friend
Prince — Cream, Controversy, Strange Relationship
Stevie Wonder — I Wish, Bird of Beauty, Boogie on Reggae Woman
Morphine — Honey White
posted by John Cohen at 7:48 AM on May 26, 2016
Queen — You're My Best Friend
Prince — Cream, Controversy, Strange Relationship
Stevie Wonder — I Wish, Bird of Beauty, Boogie on Reggae Woman
Morphine — Honey White
posted by John Cohen at 7:48 AM on May 26, 2016
Pretty much all of No Doubt's Rock Steady record was produced with bass in mind.
posted by General Malaise at 9:48 AM on May 26, 2016
posted by General Malaise at 9:48 AM on May 26, 2016
Jane's Addiction - Summertime Rolls
More of a rock song, I guess, but wow, that bassline.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:32 PM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
More of a rock song, I guess, but wow, that bassline.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:32 PM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Fantastic stuff! Thanks everybody! Also, a special award goes to DirtyOldTown for indirectly leading me to Vulfpeck. HOLY WOW.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 8:59 AM on May 29, 2016
posted by overeducated_alligator at 8:59 AM on May 29, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 12:51 PM on May 25, 2016