Piano rock
Piano rock, sometimes referred to as
piano pop, is a term for a style of
music that is based around the
piano, and sometimes around piano-related instruments, such as the
Fender Rhodes, the
Wurlitzer electric piano, and keyboard-based
synthesizers.
Unlike the classic rock combination of lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals, piano rock puts the pianist front and center. Traditionally, piano rock has not been as prevalent as classic
rock. However, modern bands such as
Ben Folds Five,
Keane and
Coldplay, and solo artists such as
Fiona Apple,
Tori Amos and
Rufus Wainwright, have heavily featured keyboard instruments in their songs.
The roots of piano rock can be traced to
1950s rock-and-roll pioneers
Little Richard and
Jerry Lee Lewis. Many of their frantic performance styles, such as kicking the piano bench out of the way to play standing, raking their hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic effect, and even sitting on the keyboard are now commonplace in modern piano rock and often seen in the performances of
Billy Joel,
Elton John and
Ben Folds.
Elton John and
Billy Joel can be considered the modern-day groundbreakers in the genre, with hits throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s merging the
Rhythm and blues sounds of pianists
Ray Charles and
Stevie Wonder with Jerry Lee Lewis-inspired
Rock and
Pop idioms.
Artists such as
Tori Amos,
Ben Folds, and
Daniel Powter have kept piano rock in the public consciousness throughout the '90s and into the 2000s.
Some modern artists still prefer using the piano instead of the highly popular guitars. The following are some notable bands and artists who became famous with help from the piano rock
The
English band
Keane is known worldwide for not using guitars on their music.After their guitarist left in
2001, the still unknown band decided not using guitars anymore but their piano. In
2003, their piano rock songs
Everybody's Changing and
Somewhere Only We Know made them an internationally recognized band. Their piano style is also reflected on their
b-sides
Somewhere Only We Know#Snowed Under and
Something In Me Was DyingColdplay is another example of the piano rock success. The hit singles
Trouble,
The Scientist,
Speed of Sound,
Clocks and
The Hardest Part set the piano as the main instrument. However, Coldplay uses guitar on most of their songs.
Chris Martin (Coldplay singer) recently said their next studio album won't have pianos.
Vanessa Carlton is better known for her single
A Thousand Miles, which represents the main piano rock characteristics. As she plays the piano, the piano is set inmediately as the main instrument. The music still reflects the modern American pop so its referred as piano rock's alternative name, piano pop.
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Cover of Ben Folds Five's self-titled debut album |
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Little RichardHere's Little Richard (
1957)
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Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee's Greatest (
1961)
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Billy Joel:*
Piano Man (
1973):*
The Stranger (
1977)
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Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (
1973)
Honky Chateau (
1972)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (
1975)
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Tori Amos Little Earthquakes (
1992)
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Ben Folds Five :*
Ben Folds Five (
1995)
Whatever and Ever Amen (
1997)
Naked Baby Photos (
1998)
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (
1999)
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Rufus Wainwright :*
Rufus Wainwright (1998)
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Fiona Apple :*
Tidal (
1996)
When the Pawn... (1999)
Extraordinary Machine (
2005)
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The Whitlams Eternal Nightcap (1997)
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Something Corporate Ready... Break (
2000)
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Ben Folds Rockin' the Suburbs (
2001)
Songs for Silverman (2005)
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Coldplay Parachutes (2000)
A Rush of Blood to the Head (
2002)
X&Y (2005)
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Vanessa Carlton Be Not Nobody (2002)
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Delta Goodrem Innocent Eyes (
2003)
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Keane Hopes and Fears (
2004)
Under the Iron Sea (
2006)
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The Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls (2004)
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Missy Higgins The Sound of White (2005)
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Jack's Mannequin Everything in Transit (2005)
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Sarah McLachlan -
Surfacing (
Album of the Year) (1998)
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Sarah McLachlan - "Building a Mystery" (
Single of the Year) (1998)
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Rufus Wainwright -
Rufus Wainwright (
Alternative Album of the Year) (1999)
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Rufus Wainwright -
Poses (
Alternative Album of the Year) (2002)
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Sarah McLachlan - "Last Dance" (
Best Pop Instrumental Performance) (1998)
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Sarah McLachlan - "Building a Mystery" (
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) (1998)
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Fiona Apple - "Criminal" (
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance) (1998)
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Train - "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (
Best Rock Song) (2002)
* Coldplay -
Best Alternative Album (2002)
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Delta Goodrem - "Born to Try" (
Best Single) (
Highest Selling Single) (2003)
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Delta Goodrem -
Innocent Eyes (
Best Pop Release) (2003) (
Highest Selling Album) (2004)
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Missy Higgins -
The Sound of White (
Album of the Year) (
Highest Selling Album) (2005)
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Missy Higgins finished at numbers 31, 47 and 74 in the
Triple J Hottest 100, 2005 with "
The Special Two", "Stuff and Nonsense" and "
The Sound of White"
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Ben Folds finished at numbers 55 and 89 in the
Triple J Hottest 100, 2005 with "Landed" and "Bastard"
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Missy Higgins's "
Scar" finished number two in the
Triple J Hottest 100, 2004*
The Dresden Dolls came in at number twelve in
Triple J Hottest 100, 2004 with "
Coin-Operated Boy"
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Fiona Apple finished at number 62 in the
Triple J Hottest 100, 2000 with her single, "Fast as You Can".
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The Whitlams's "
No Aphrodisiac" finished number one in the
Triple J Hottest 100, 1997*
Coldplay -
Parachutes (Best British Album) (
2001)
*Coldplay -
A Rush Of Blood To The Head (Best British Album) (
2003)
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Keane -
Hopes and Fears (Best British Album) (
2005)
*Keane won as the Best Breakthrough Act in 2004.
*Coldplay -
X&Y (Best British Album) (2006 in music (UK)|2006)
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Popular music*
Piano Pop Quiz*
Jerry Lee Lewis: The Founder of Piano Rock Music*
Piano Rock Forum
