Audition-Friendly Rock Songs for Basses
Last Updated: May 6, 2025
This list includes a curated selection of non-musical theatre rock songs for basses, organized by decade. Songs are drawn from a range of rock repertoire. Additional song lists are available on the non-musical theatre repertoire page.
1950s/1960s Rock Songs for Basses
“Crackin’ Up” – Bo Diddley
“Sunday Morning” – The Velvet Underground
“The Old Laughing Lady” – Neil Young
“Three Steps to Heaven” – Eddie Cochran
1970s Rock Songs for Basses
“C’est La Vie” – Emerson Lake & Palmer
“I Believe in Father Christmas” – Emerson Lake & Palmer
“Tom Traubert’s Blues” – Tom Waits
“Your Song” – Elton John
1980s Rock Songs for Basses
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – Joy Division
“Mercy Seat” – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
“Nikita” – Elton John
“The Carny” – Nick Cave
1990s Rock Songs for Basses
“A Long December” – Counting Crows
“Butt Town” – Iggy Pop
“Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” – Crash Test Dummies
“The Ship Song” – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Contemporary Rock Songs for Basses
“Ever the Same” – Rob Thomas
“Future Days” – Pearl Jam
“Let the Bells Ring” – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
“The Fable of the Brown Ape” – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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Author: Stacy Karyn
Stacy Karyn is the founder of Theatre Trip, the author of The Thespian’s Bucket List➝, and the creator of The Cast Album List➝. Her background includes a BA in Theatre, a TESOL Drama certificate, and professional experience in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.
