Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Which Of These Top Ten Songs Do You Feel Is Worthy?

Hey guys it feels as if most of you play and listen to Classical Piano music which is great but not for me, and this is kind of a summary as the Top Ten List made of top piano songs(modern) Which do you like and which don't you like? Thanks.

http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/02/19/best-piano-songs/

Daza.

The Way it is. There`s an amazing piano solo written word for word on the sheet music. I have it. I haven`t played it . . . the piano on the recording now sounds dated unfortunately.

Hi Daza, for me it has to be Piano Man.......simply a classic

However although it may appear that we all listen and play classical music nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the forum members here have wide ranging tastes.... for myself I am proud to say I have been listening to Genesis since 1975 (that's long before they became famous) and at the moment am totally besotted by bands like IQ and Glasshammer. It is no co-incidence they all have great piano players.

I really love Walking in Memphis

amongst the "piano song" I guess I would add "All by myself", the piano is rather prevalent in it

Which would lead us to a discussion of pop music that quotes classical music. But there's a whole Wiki page for that so I needn't bother mentioning any. Specifically not Sting's "Russians" (not a piano quotation though.)

Pop Songs Based on Classical Music

What's to be said about the #1 song? (Piano Man)
Best Billy Joel interview about the song -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl2JqQWjPHI

I'm surprised Tiny Dancer is there and Your Song is not.

Anything of Hornsby's

Also surprised nothing from Randy Newman, or Carole King.

I agree, Farmerjones; I wouldn't have put Tiny Dancer on the list, let alone the #2 slot.

I would've put Bob Seger up there, either "Against the Wind" or "The Fire Inside."

1, 3, 4 and 6 (Piano Man, Lean On Me, Let It Be and Imagine) are all on my todo list and I've been practising all of them.

Hey that's great to hear, then I have found a place I have been searching for, as I have no one to discuss my music with, that makes me very happy Thanks. You will see plenty of me around here now.

Daza.

Maybe the OP would be interested in checking out the "Non Classical" forum here on PianoWorld...I think you'd find a lot of people there who share your interest in popular music, more than in this forum, which is primarily devoted to classical music (well, until very recently, when there have suddenly been a large number of threads on songs or other New Age stuff, for some reason or another).

Of these, I call Bill Withers cuz he's a long time client and friend. Among the rest, I prefer Joe Jackson to all of them not so much for his virtuosity but HOW he uses the piano to serve his songwriting which IME is far more ambitious and interesting than all of the above with a nod towards Elton John's (and Bernie's) phenomenal abilities to write catchy songs that capture the imagination. JJ's mix of punk, jazz and world beat captures MY imagination endlessly and 6 or seven of his records are part of my desert island list.

Kurt

edit: the non-classical forum, while technically is more directed towards discussion of non-classical styles, seems to be the domain of cocktail/wedding pianists and jazz players.

Another thing, am I nuts or did I not see Ben Folds on that list? I KNOW I didn't see Ray Charles. I would have listed those WAY before Warren Zevon or Cold Play.

When I think of 'piano' pop tunes, I think of Eric Carmens 'All by Myself' (written by Sergei Rachmaninoff), or 'Wildfire' by Michael Murphy. Also '100 years' by five for fighting or 'postcards from LA by Joshua Kadison.

These pop tunes contain a predominant piano throughout the entire piece in which the beauty of the melody is delivered by the piano, not the voice of a singer.

Many tunes contain a very short predominant piano 'section', but then the rest of the tune is just a regular pop song with mostly singing and drum beats.

True piano 'songs' are getting harder and harder to find.

Some of these songs are ok. I like Clocks. In the 40 years I've been listening to the 5 Beethoven Concertos, I have not gotten tired of them yet, but I'm pretty tired of most of these on the top 10 list. Pop is fine, but I get bored of them quick.

As much as I sometimes worry about the ABF being mostly classical, so far the submissions in the next recital have been running about 1/2 classical and 1/2 other kinds of things, so we're not in close danger yet of being mostly classical

I like blues piano and old rock-and-roll - Pine Top Perkins, Little Richie, Jerry Lee Lewis, and newer stuff - Dr. John, Marcia Ball, Jools Holland. Rowdy stuff

Cathy

The ABF is not primarily devoted to classical music, at least not by design. You seem to be confusing the Adult Beginner's Forum with the Pianist's Corner.

The OP might indeed be interested in checking out the Non Classical forum, not because the query is misplaced in ABF, but as a way of perhaps reaching more people with the question and expanding the discussion.

Gee.....I'm surprised nobody mentioned one song....modern...piano...Was a big hit. Unforgettable, very impressionable, beautiful song.
The theme from Love Story.

Yes all those others were good.

rnaple your correct but how easily Love Story could have been missed as it was in a golden age of good acoustic piano based pop songs.

I was thinking in terms of Top 40 pop/rock songs. If we broaden the criteria to indie modern music, Vienna Teng would get my vote for being in the top 5.

Piano Man (Billy Joel has the chops..), Tiny Dancer (Sure, Elton John, especially EJ from that era, was just fantastic.) Lt It Be (I guess. I can think of better piano pieces but it is a great song.), Maybe I'm Amazed (Not incredible piano but a well crafted song). I never cared for "Imagine" all that much. I think if someone other than Lennon had written it it would never have been all that popular. Don't know Clocks. Always turn the channel when Werewolves comes on (same with Imagine). Don't care much for "
The Way it is" but Hornsby plays a good ax. Walking in Memphis.. OK but doesn't ring my bell. Lean on ME. Guess I should listen to that again. I remember the song but not the piano that much.

She's got talent, and a real pianist. "Anna Rose" is one of my favorites.