A bass riff can make a song, and in the case of these five tracks by The Who, Queen, Pink Floyd, Yes, and Lou Reed, the bass playing truly defines the songs.

In 1974, Kool and the Gang had a huge hit with the song "Jungle Boogie." The song, from the band's 1973 album Wild and Peaceful, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 9, 1974, and was on ...