Is piano used in rock?

Obviously, most of the popular songs in rock music are based mostly on guitars and only about 3% of songs in a classic rock song and modern rock feature piano as the main instrument that drives the song.

guitarsongsmasters.com - The 15 Best Piano Rock Songs of All Time |

What is the genre of The Piano Lesson?

The Piano Lesson Series The Pittsburgh Cycle Subject The various members of an African-American family in the 1930s strive to overcome the past....

Last updated Feb 3, 2019

Should a beginner guitarist learn scales?

Learning scales is essential for your development as a guitar player. The first step in learning music faster with the guitar is knowledge of...

Last updated Jan 5, 2021

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Promotion

Hey! I'm Cooper, and I hope I can be a helpful friend on your musical journeys. I'm a music artist based in Austin & Amsterdam, playing venues with a band / solo, and trying to learn with the most inspiring musicians wherever I go. In the last 8 years I've lived in Australia, northern Europe, the US and more.

(Last Updated On: November 10, 2022)

Hello, fellow music lovers!

In today's post, we will listen to the 15 best piano rock songs of all time. Obviously, most of the popular songs in rock music are based mostly on guitars and only about 3% of songs in a classic rock song and modern rock feature piano as the main instrument that drives the song. However, when the piano is indeed used as the main instrument and the song is being driven successfully by it, (like in the examples below) we can almost say that more often than not, those songs can become hits thanks to the special touch, vibes and beautiful sounds that this huge instrument brings with it. These are songs that were mostly seen as milestones in the way that the piano is perceived and the different range of emotions it can evoke in the listeners. Let's start with the popular song listed below.

The 15 Best Piano Rock Songs of All Times

Pink Floyd's The Great Gig In The Sky is a piano rock song with a few words but has excellent vocals. And if you're wondering who is behind that majestic that voice. That's the voice of Clare Torry

14 – Elton John – Your Song

Elton John's Your Song is one of my favorite piano rock songs. I think this song motivated me to learn the piano. This footage was Elton's second appearance on Top Of The Pops on Jan. 14, 1971. This was just a week before his song became the first-ever entry on the UK Singles Chart. Well done, Elton!

13 – Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)

The song that turned Queen into such a symbol is our list opener. The classical piano influences here (Freddie Mercury grew up playing classical piano) are very prominent and mixed hard with a lot of rock n' roll, incredible vocal harmonies, and Brian May's famous electric guitar solo. The piano moves from touching hymn arpeggios in the verses into a very jumpy classical style in the bridges. A big challenge for the amateur piano player – chords can be grabbed here.

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video)

Watch this video on YouTube

12 – Elton John – Levon (1974)

The British king of rock piano makes his first appearance on the list with this beautiful famous song that shows just the right way to play “easy piano chords” while remaining captivating in your playing during the whole time. Jon Bon Jovi covered Levon in a “guitar fashion” for the 1991 tribute album that contained 16 different Elton John covers by different artists. Bon Jovi claims Levon is his “favorite song of all time”.

Elton John - Levon (1971) Live at BBC Studios

Watch this video on YouTube

11 -- David Bowie – Changes (1971)

Another British diva kicks in at number 11. Beautiful runs all over the piano keyboard, hard bassy smashes on the low notes, enticing piano buildups before the chorus. A great showcase of different piano techniques, enjoy.

David Bowie Changes Lyrics

Watch this video on YouTube

Can pianist earn money?

The average concert pianist is pulling in around $50,000 per year, gross. This does not include travel, food, equipment, education, insurance or...

Last updated Apr 10, 2020

Is it illegal to buy a piano with ivory keys?

Buying and selling ivory is illegal. This applies to all ivory items — sculptures, embellishments, keytops, and even entire pianos with ivory keys....

Last updated Jul 25, 2021

Promotion

10 – Alicia Keys – Fallin' (2001)

The debut single from the debut album of Alicia Keys that entitled her for the song of the year Grammy award. You can classify this song as more of an R&B than rock but it still deserves the spot on the list thanks to the beautiful calm arpeggios that clash beautifully with Keys' soulful voice that's going all over the place. All coming out from her own petite fingers. Such an impressive performance!

alicia keys - fallin'

Watch this video on YouTube

9 – Styx – Come Sail Away (1977)

“I'mmmm sailing away”… A true prog-rock beauty that also provides great piano training exercises (click here for the chord sheets) with a lot of different chord spices – maj7, sus 4, sus 2 that you can clearly hear in the recording and imitate yourself. The “prog-rock” thing kicks in when the piano is abandoned in the second part of the song and in comes the heavy drums and the electric guitars. Personally, I like the piano part much more but nevertheless, it is still an excellent piece.

Styx - Come Sail Away

Watch this video on YouTube

Adele took an unfamiliar Bob Dylan song from 1997 and turned it into a sad lovers hymn hummed by millions and millions all over the world. I don't know about you, but I don't think the song would have had such an impact with a different main instrument. Some songs just demand a piano to get fully delivered and this one is one of them…

Watch this video on YouTube

7 – The Beatles – Let It Be (1970)

As much as Let It Be is so overdone by now, give it another listen. I have truly never heard another way of making only 4 chords sound so good. C-G-Am-F is still where it's at apparently… (:

6 – Joni Mitchell – River (1971)

Joni Mitchell in an interesting christmas mix jingle bells and a heart tearing folky ballad about a gone lover and the longing for home in Canada, written presumably from California. Mitchell Plays the piano parts herself in all of her songs which is something I appreciate a lot.

5 – Billy Preston – Nothing From Nothing (1974)

It's just like piano virtuoso Billy Preston came and said: “It's about goddamn time someone will show people how a piano music can be a lively, happy and funky instrument that can bring smiles to faces and not just tears”. Enjoy this one!

4 – Billy Joel – New York State of Mind (1976)

Billy Joel, New York native, in one of the most recognizable New York City band classics, up there with Sinatra's New York. I don't have any words to add, just watch and judge for yourself. There's also a beautiful sax solo like a lot of other Billy Joel songs, he has a great sax player and those two instruments seem to go very well together. This live version with Bruce Springsteen is my favorite. Bruce Springsteen w. Billy Joel - New York State of Mind - Madison Square Garden - 2009/10/29&30

Watch this video on YouTube

3 – Neil Young – After The Gold Rush (1970)

A British friend I met on my travels in New Zealand named Sam told me that this is going to be his funeral band song. This one and not any other. Funny considering he's only in his 20's… Listen to it and you might understand why. Neil Young in a sad and peaceful performance backed up by a very hearty (yet simple) piano playing.

2 – Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

How hard is ragtime?

Ragtime is too hard for complete beginners, but is approachable by those who have been playing piano seriously for at least 2-3 years. Ragtime...

Last updated Apr 15, 2019

How many hours a day do pianists practice?

How Much Time Do Pianists Practice Every Day? On average, a concert pianist practices at the piano about 3 to 4 hours a day. Before concert...

Last updated Mar 18, 2018

Promotion

Eargasm. One of the songs that I am sure that even a 100 years from now our great-grandchildren are still going to look up to when they think of what a true music masterpiece really is – one that has no expiration date. The piano music here is on a whole different level of beauty, especially when it's backed up by a section of violins and a stellar vocal performance.

"Bridge over Troubled Water" Simon & Garfunkel

Watch this video on YouTube

1 – Elton John – Tiny Dancer (1970)

Coming into the first place is one of the most epic songs I know. The lyrics talk about the bandwagon groupie girl who's the “tiny dancer”, one that came to life 30 years later in Almost Famous with Kate Hudson. The verses that travel back and forth and seem like you can fly along with them, the huge build-up before the chorus, and the chorus… That falsetto! Damn! Surprisingly enough for famous piano songs, (hold on…), this one became such a hit after Almost Famous that almost everybody knows the words to it, and thanks to that, have made it to the Best GUITAR Campfire Songs list as well.

Almost Famous - Tiny Dancer Scene (elton john)

Watch this video on YouTube

That's it friends, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the list. You're welcome to use the share buttons below and to add more opinions in the comment section below. Best. A Note for Those Interested in Learning How to Play the Piano Themselves: I learned without a teacher but with an online piano tutorial course, and I highly recommend the course that I learned with. It focuses on playing songs, instead of focusing on classical music. So if you like the songs above, you're going to deeply enjoy that method. The Smartest Way to Learn Piano: read about The Chords Method that I learned piano with. Note: not intended for classical music, the method teaches how to play songs.

—

What's your favorite piano rock song? Tell us in a comment below. Thanks for participating in the discussion!

The Ultimate Guitar/Piano Songbook (110+ of the Most Fun to Play Songs)

I hope this list has given you some ideas, and if you want to have another bunch of awesome songs in a fancy PDF form (many of them also appear on the list above), feel free to download the songbook in this link. You” find more details about the songbook underneath the two pictures (and don't worry, there's a lot more to it than Wonderwall and Hallelujah, you'd be delighted) PRINTABLE: (see the example picture below) For a few bucks you can get the book printed and bound at your local office equipment store. This way – you can always easily come up with a fun song to play in any situation. The Relevant Chords Diagrams are Attached to Each One of the Songs: This makes the book very easy to learn with – especially in challenging songs. The Ultimate Guitar/Piano Songbook (110+ of the Most Fun to Play Songs) – LINK

guitarsongsmasters.com - The 15 Best Piano Rock Songs of All Time |

What race is a pirate?

Most pirates were English (35%), but other nationalities were also represented: colonials from America-25%, colonials from the West Indies-20%,...

Last updated Mar 27, 2021

What happens if you shift too early?

If you shift too early, you run the risk of lugging your engine, asking it to move your car forward at an unnaturally low RPM. For more details,...

Last updated Oct 6, 2020

Promotion

What is interesting about blues music?

The blues music genre originated in the United States in the early 20th century after the American Civil War. It is believed that blues music was...

Last updated Nov 15, 2019

Promotion

What is the 10 finger method?

The process of using a typewriter, cell phone, calculator, or a computer keyboard to write something is known as typing. Therefore, as the title...

Last updated Jul 2, 2019