an inconclusive list of john deacon’s best bass lines
in no particular order
Another One Bites The Dust: this is instantly recognisable to anyone who’s ever listened to music before despite the fact that the bass line itself is actually quite simple. making the most with the least amount of effort/10
Under Pressure: how iconic does your riff have to be in order to be ripped off almost 15 years after it’s written and become a part of ANOTHER well known song? very.
A Kind Of Magic: again this is a relatively understated bass line but that in no way denies it of the pure FUNK it brings to the song. you go john
Killer Queen: literally here just for the run during “fastidious and precise”
Liar: moving away from funk and into the CLASSIC ROCK. this solo slaps hard and is a stand out part of the entire song, which is truly saying something when you consider it’s a bass solo
Brighton Rock: you thought deaky went hard in Liar? think again. this is so fast yet so in time to the song it practically melds with the guitar and drums. another severely underrated masterpiece.
Dragon Attack: oh BOY this is great. honestly what else is there to say other than this riff makes the entire song. why don’t more people know about this
The Millionaire Waltz: this is it. I know i said this list wasn’t ranked but this is by far the best bass line ever written in the history of music by john. seriously. you thought his simple bass lines were great? well then the complexity of this is enough to kill you. the way it accompanies the piano is honestly breathtaking and when people talk about great bass lines, this should be the first thing they mention purely because of the way it supports the melody whilst also keeping rhythm. nut.
some honorable mentions:
not really specific songs but it needs to be pointed out how john’s style of bass playing really impacts a song. the way he is comfortable in playing in the higher end of the fret board (unlike most bass players) allows him to create really beautiful melodies that don’t take anything away from the other instruments. listen to the beginning of ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘We Are The Champions’ to see what i mean.
in conclusion: John Deacon is the most underrated bass player/musician and i am Bitter. there are few songs out there that have bass lines that are as supportive yet interesting as his and that is what is wrong with the world. thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Take me to the room where the beat’s all round
Gonna eat that sound (yeah yeah yeah)
Take me to the room where the black’s all white
And the white’s all black, take me back to the shack
She don’t take no prisoners
Gonna give me the business
Got a dragon on my back
It’s a Dragon Attack