Image Credit: Alex Moss/FilmMagic.com
Earlier today, a link got passed around the EW music department that made everybody chuckle a little bit: an article that appeared on the website for venerable British music weekly NME, and declared “Muse’s ‘Hysteria’ voted best bassline of all time.”
That declaration came from another website called Music Radar, who held a poll that Muse fans obviously blitzed to push “Hysteria” to the top spot, beating out such iconic low-end parts as Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” Rush’s “YYZ,” and Pink Floyd’s “Money.” Honestly, we had trouble thinking of the bassline to “Hysteria,” and every time we thought we had it, we realized that we were thinking of the part from “Uprising.” Or “Time Is Running Out.”
The point is, they’ve got a ton of great songs with killer basslines (courtesy of four-stringer Chris Wolstenholme), and quite a few of them are way, way better than “Hysteria.” And in no way, shape, or form should Muse be considered better than Queen at anything, which is why a whole new list is necessary.
Being a bass player is tough, because you’re either playing stuff that nobody notices (95% of bassists fall into this category) or you’re being showy to the point of being obnoxious (the Les Claypools and Stings of the world). Being great requires incredible artistic balance (and quite a bit of manual dexterity), and it’s a very elusive sort of greatness.
So in addition to some of the clear winners on the Music Radar list — Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” David Bowie & Queen’s “Under Pressure,” Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away” — here are some other overlooked moments of low-end excellence. READ FULL STORY »
