The greatest bass lines of all time have been revealed – with Queen taking four of the top 10 spots. ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ and ‘Under Pressure’, played by John Deacon, came first and third in the list of iconic tracks.  While ‘Radio Gaga’ and ‘Killer Queen’ were their other beloved tracks, with Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ and Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ other notable hits in the top 30.  

Chic’s ‘Good Times’ also featured alongside U2’s ‘With or Without You’ played by Adam Clayton, according to the poll of 2,000 music lovers. The survey was commissioned by Sky ahead of the launch of ‘Greatest Bass lines’ which airs on  Sky Arts, Freeview Channel 36 and NOW, on Friday 28th November at 9pm.

A spokesperson said: “This has been a celebration of some truly iconic bass lines. A memorable bass motif can make or break a song, and turn it from a good track into one that stands the test of time for decades.

“In fact, most of the tracks here are ones that have been beloved for many years, which could be due to the classic four- or five-piece band not being as popular today as they once were.”

The study went on to find John Deacon of Queen was named the best bass player of all time, beating out Paul McCartney of the Beatles and John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin.

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, and Flea, the slap-bass master of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, rounded out the top five.

Nearly half (47%) of those polled believe bassists are the ‘coolest’ members of any band, and 63% reckon the instrument is underrated in popular music.

As for what makes a bass line iconic, 56% said it has to have a memorable rhythm, and 51% want it to ‘drive’ the entire song. And 81% reckon a really good one has the power to make or break an entire song, while 22% feel simplicity is key to a classic.

Legendary bass player, Peter Hook, formerly of New Order and Joy Division, said: “Basslines are the heartbeat of so many iconic tracks. I’ll always remember a guitarist asking me: ‘can’t you just play root notes on this one?’ My answer…NO.

“Greatest Basslines is a celebration of those grooves that have shaped music history, so no surprise to see Queen’s John Deacon leading the charge. Another One Bites The Dust. This shows how deeply basslines resonate.”

Pop music was deemed to have the most danceable bass lines, followed by disco and rock. With a really great one leaving people feeling energised, uplifted or in the mood for a boogie.

As 33% admitted they have strapped on an ‘air bass’ and pretended to play along with an irresistible groove, according to the OnePoll.com data.

The spokesperson for Sky said: “The best bass lines are instantly recognisable, you’d know them within a second if they were played at a pub quiz.

 “It’s great to see Queen and John Deacon represented so heavily in this list, along with lots of other luminaries of the instrument. People were loving Another One Bites the Dust 40 years ago, and it’s a safe bet to say they’ll still be nodding their heads to it 40 years from now.”