These Are The Top 10 Piano Riffs of All Time?

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[elio]

Hey Charles, just wanted to let you know that I'm an absolute fan of seeing the midi animation below. It makes me understand better what you are playing immediately, especially for more complex music that you use to analyze.

[MildSatire]

That piano in the background looks so cool

[RoxasLovrEvr]

I CANNOT believe how good, original, and instantly recognizable A Thousand Mile's riff is and Vanessa Carlton wrote it when she was

[kamikazk]

0:50 Bohemian Rhapsody
1:50 Clocks
3:55 Piano Man
5:55 Imagine
7:30 A Thousand Miles
9:15 Someone Like You
10:35 Don't Stop Believing
11:30 In The End
13:00 See You Again
13:40 Bless The Broken Road

[mikosoft]

A Thousand Miles was an instant hit. That piano intro is a one a in a million stuff, it stood out immediately the very first moment I've heard it on the radio. It's the case with great pop tunes, it sounds approachable but it's not simple, there's certain complexity to it that makes it unique. And I am completely on board why you like it Charles.

[isosceleskramer]

Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles is the ultimate guilty pleasure pop song and anyone who claims to not like it is lying.

[karla]

I consider the piano intro and arrangements in Simon & Garfunkels "Bridge over troubled water" and Cat Stevens "Morning has broken" to undoubtedly be among the most stunning ones!

[joedurantguitar]

The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range is my favourite piano riff in a pop song. Some really stylish playing throughout yet commercially accessible, great solos too. The outro solo in Sweet Home Alabama is probably the most overlooked piano part in a popular song.

[DevilboyScooby]

Your ability to play by ear and describe what the chords/progression are after listening just once or twice is mindblowing to me.

[corbinisms]

I mean, as soon as I saw Vanessa Carlton in the thumbnail, I heard the riff. I think that's a pretty good indicator of the quality of that one riff alone.

[henrikluppe]

What about Hold the line - Toto - its sooo iconic. That should definitely have been in the list

[RobertsonDCCD]

It took me a few minutes to conjure up my missing song from this list, and it is Marc Cohn, Walking in Memphis. It’s an addictive intro, and the song builds strong without losing the piano, peaks with a church choir vibe, and finally fades with the intro riff. Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for the rest of these—they are all memorable in their own way.

[ashleyholloway]

I'd throw some Elton John on that list. Your song and Tiny dancer are pretty iconic. Same with Bat out of Hell by Meatloaf. I'm Blue by Eiffel 65 has a pretty iconic riff too in my opinion

[dugeniadugeniadugeniadugen]

"The Way It Is" was a number one song with an outstanding riff - that most people have forgotten about apparently. On a personal note, my favorite piano riff on a pop tune is the intro to "Highways of My Life."

[interestedinstuff]

I love listening to these videos. My brain understands the music. My brain does not understand a single thing Charles is talking about. I'm mesmerised by the sounds but with the understanding depth of an otter. I might as well be an elephant in a field listening to a piano.

[HealthierHeroesLARP]

I think we all should recognize and appreciate the *phrasing* Vanessa Carlton plays her introduction with, too! Not only is it beautifully voiced, but she plays it with such great feel and dynamics!

(Fun fact, I wrote an arrangement of it to sneak into a friend's wedding when he asked me to play piano for his ceremony... it worked so well! 😂)

[HeyLetsDoAThing]

I would put the opening of "Old Time Rock & Roll" on a top ten list for sure. Immediately iconic and recognizable.

[MyNameIsNeutron]

"The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby should definitely be on this list too.

[s.k.]

I love how excited you get over the songs and the technicalities they have. Seeing your joy and hearing your laughter makes your videos so entertaining and endearing to me. Thank you for your great content and keep it up!

[honesttroll]

This guy is really good at piano and has a great ear. My mom can't read notes but loves piano and has played her whole life.

When I was young, my sister asked her if she could figure out this song so she could teach her to play it.

My mom heard it once and said. "Wait, really? That's just this" and immediately played it back flawlessly.

This man's skills have unlock a memory and new level respect of respect for my mom.