These Are The Top 10 Piano Riffs of All Time?

[@CharlesCornellStudios]

This video definitely got claimed, so if you want to support the channel, learn piano and get 30% off while you do, use code MUSICTHEORY30 at checkout!! cornellmusicacademy.com/

[@bobbystrings5074]

do a video on why bohemian rhapsody is so good ;)

[@ajesco]

@Don't read profile photo okay

[@ShyGuyDood]

Can you please review Team Fortress 2 soundtrack.

[@bruisedfrog]

The real question is who claimed it first?

[@nielsr4578]

@Charles Cornell could you please look at the newer videos of Bill Wirtz? Especially fly around?

[@MildSatire]

That piano in the background looks so cool

[@miguellmdvs2]

@Don't read profile photo ok

[@MildSatire]

@Don't read profile photo No one will remember you. In a few decades you will be in the ground, a forgotten memory.

[@EC-te9fc]

Thanks Beethoven 😂

[@andresvalenzuela160]

@@MildSatire in a few minutes* lmao

[@MildSatire]

@@EC-te9fc You’re welcome, young lad.

[@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.

[@HighlandStudio91]

A Thousand Miles was an instant shit song. Weird how a classically trained pianist creates a cheesy pop tune( like perhaps Justin Bieber or Britney Spears would do.) Then again...it shouldn't be a surprise Vanessa Carlton would write garbage like that(as some people are complete retards without classic sheet music in front of them.) Amazing how some people without a shred of talent can be transformed into a musician with music lessons & sheet music(provided they study sheet music & spend hours every day practicing for 20 years.) If it weren't for her marketable, pretty face....she would have remained a music teacher or have been in some cover band.

[@ALB6969]

Hated the song and still hate it 😂

[@dans8857]

She ripped off Pleket

[@theoutsider6191]

It is the same way Abba's tunes seem like simple pop tunes, till you realise that in Dancing Queen for example there are loads of chord variations through the track before you even think about melody, making the music movement interesting from start to finish. All of their music is like this.

[@kamikaz1k]

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

[@dedinagames]

Hero

[@noname-yc5lk]

While I don't disagree with a few on the list the problem is the title of the vid. There seems to be, along with the comments, a need for sticking with the title. It says "riffs". Most of these are " intros". A few years back, keyboard magazine had the most recognized riff, known ALL over the world. It was "Gimme some lov'n" by the Spencer Davis Group. The organ riff was by none other than Steve Winwood. Most keyboard players I know agreed. After all the lists you checked, I don't know how this one was missed. From number one to not even on the list.

[@ranulfcaceres]

but it's still a piano riff in the beginning of the song! you can put a piano solo that are also a riff in the beginning and it will be an called an intro but it's still a solo/ riff!

[@davidburne9477]

What, no Werewolves of London???

[@gwpcs]

@@noname-yc5lk Riff: noun, a short repeated phrase in popular music and jazz, typically used as an introduction or refrain in a song. Just because it's an intro doesn't mean it's not also a riff.

[@RoxasLov3r4Ev3r]

I CANNOT believe how good, original, and instantly recognizable A Thousand Mile's riff is and Vanessa Carlton wrote it when she was 16!!!!!!

[@Honeydoyou]

An absolute bop

[@hiptobismo]

With a lot of help from Aaron Copeland

[@JustDom]

@@hiptobismo how?

[@ncard00]

Timestamps please!

[@RavenclawNimbus]

@@ncard00 There's a comment somewhere around the top

[@elio2740]

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.

[@davidstrm5005]

My no music theory dummy brain appreciates it very much

[@highground1.618]

Agree

[@davisdiercks]

Same! Even knowing a good bit of theory it's still really nice to have there

[@hi-five4960]

Good point but I'd personally prefer it to be more good looking

[@rpavlik1]

@Sasha Lemay yeah that's the only downside I see

[@DevilboyScooby]

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

[@NikkiDrawsStuff]

I can play by ear too. It's really cool

[@RUT812]

I can do that, too. It’s a blessing, but it was developed over time, in conjunction with 11 years of year ‘round classical piano lessons. I also have perfect pitch, so I can tell what key a song is being played in, and I can manually notate the song on staff paper, because of my knowledge of music theory.

[@obamasinladen947]

@@RUT812 11 lessons aint much

[@Mthompsonwv]

The amount of people in piano videos that claim to have perfect pitch lol

[@StinkyBuster]

@@RUT812 who asked lol

[@ashleyholloway6993]

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

[@nathanjasper512]

Tiny Dancer is top ten for sure. Go to any bar in America or the uk and play those chords and see if someone doesn't start singing along

[@thomaskaasi4225]

Sure, Elton's gotta be on the list :-)

[@Sky-TheYouTubeAccount]

Blue is so good!

[@finnleithomczyk5292]

Yellow brick road maybe

[@TheJasonbking]

@@finnleithomczyk5292 If you're going to talk Elton John riffs -- Bennie and the Jets. If not recognized from the initial chord, the four notes and you know what it is immediately.

[@isosceleskramer9565]

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

[@sbatou87]

Can confirm. I had a piano cover (no vocals, just piano) of this song as one of many to help me get to sleep.

[@CavinLee]

I agree, but I feel no guilt

[@ivsonoliveira3222]

better then the music is the White chick's scene... 😆

[@DWPF17]

Close second would be “Everytime we touch”

[@AlbertJafar]

Then you need to check out the song Who I Smoke. That riff is heavily sampled, but the lyrical content is notably different.

[@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.

[@colinchesbrough5772]

I made the same comment, and then read this. Absolutely!

[@anthonyreed480]

Always found that haunting. The piano, the lyrics, everything.

[@karla3460]

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!

[@Markus0021]

Definitely agree.

[@zackglickert4495]

morning has broken would be perfect for this list

[@klabrx]

I am tempted to put Chris de Burgh's "In a Country Churchyard" in that league as well.

[@moeball740]

I would also go with the piano on Art Garfunkel's "All I Know" and also the country classic "Wildfire" by Michael Martin Murphey

[@pysgodfish]

Did you know that the Piano riff was ad libed by Rick Wakeman, when he got called in as a session muso on the recording!

[@corbinisms8846]

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.

[@dugeniadugeniadugeniadugen5266]

"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."

[@hudsonja]

I came here to basically say the same, you'd think having it sampled in the Tupac song would have helped too

[@skierpage]

"The Way It Is" opening is not so much a piano riff as a beautifully constructed musical overture. Then it has that slurred phrase descending three times going into the chorus, then a GREAT piano solo. "Every Littler Kiss" has an even better piano intro hiding out in a pop song. Bruce Hornsby never stopped being good; Spirit Trail is an excellent double album, and Absolute Zero is modern music from a 65-year-old going strong. The piano intro on the Isley Brothers' "Highways of My Life" is so damn beautiful, but it's a keyboard duet with a synthesizer - the ARP masterfully engineered by Stevie Wonder's synth wizards Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff.

[@plonkster]

I bought a huge expensive book with all Bruce Hornsby's music just to get The way it is :-)

[@dugeniadugeniadugeniadugen5266]

@@skierpage I was talking about just the piano intro (although that IS an intro and not a riff per se; sorry my bad), but that synth/piano riff is iconic in its own right. As for other Hornsby performances, I'm really fond of "The Changes" and "Harbor Lights" off of Hot House and Harbor Lights respectively. I am a huge Metheny fan tough so I could be biased. :))

[@kc9cuk]

yup

[@joedurantguitar1447]

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.

[@BrianMark1776]

I agree, and add onto that, Roxette - Fading like a Flower, Bryan Adams - Everything I Do, Mark Cohen - Walking In Memphis

[@zs1dfr]

Yeh, and what about Floyd Kramer (Google?)

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Was going to comment this myself. Criminal it isn't on the list.

[@PeterSmith-xe6lp]

cmon guys all by myself cant just be overlooked here

[@3YearsApart1613]

This was the first song that jumped in my head when I saw the title of the video.

[@henrikluppe9959]

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

[@allanturmaine5496]

One of the best songs of that era.

[@honesttroll6332]

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.

[@sophiamcl]

Missing: "Walking On Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox. I suppose it wasn't on the list because it's no longer generally known, but it's just a slamming little piano riff that really makes the song, well worth a mention! kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2OYpKeBat6goqM

[@willnic9437]

Came here to make sure someone mentioned this song!

[@sophiamcl]

@@willnic9437 You know what they say: "Great minds think alike."

[@AGhostintheHouse]

Long time Huge fan of Annie, hold your head up, keep your head up!

[@HeyLetsDoAThing]

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

[@mochidomo]

That's if people actually knew the song. It's definitely not on the same level of global popularity as these songs.

[@ZipplyZane]

@@mochidomo I'd suggest it's quite widely known. It was so well known that it showed up on popular TV in the 90s. And I bet most people would know what's next hearing that intro, and can imagine themselves singing it in their underwear into a comb.

[@drumnate]

@@ZipplyZane Anyone who know who Tom Cruise is probably knows this song.

[@simontaylor2525]

Heard it once in my life, in that film

[@cooldebt]

@@mochidomo I think the top 10 recognisable piano riffs probably changes a bit over time and with geography. I know 'Old Time Rock and Roll (plus Bruce Hornsby 'The Way It Is' which didn't make the list either) but had never heard the Racsal Flatts and am less familiar with Linkin Park. Clearly, I must be older and live in a different hemisphere!

[@MyNameIsNeutron]

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

[@focusstudios1296]

Harbor lights would be cool too!

[@cooldebt]

Was about to comment the same!

[@PikkaBird]

Abso-fucking-lutely! And in the same kinda vein, Ten Sharp - "You" would've been nice to see on the list.

[@PedroPereira-bt7zo]

Yes, that is great! But Adele????? ROFL

[@kuederle]

@@focusstudios1296 Harbor Lights is crazy good but it was never that famous. "The End of the Innocence" (with Don Henley) probably more so.

[@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.

[@s.k.6100]

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!

[@chmendez]

I know it comes with practice but my god, it stills seems magic to me how musicians can play by ear and get the exact inversions so easily. What you did for playing "Clocks"..wow!!

[@MrAwesomeBrett]

Clocks was our warm up for Winter Percussion - Playing it on marimba with 4 mallets was a good easy way to get your hands warm. You'd play the melody bit with your right hand which was a nice easy way to kind of work on your independent strokes with the individual mallets. Then you'd play octave chords of the root notes with your left hand and you can play the eigth note pattern or just hit the whole note at the beginning of each measure. We were just pushing in between Open class to World class at the time so it was a good little maybe intermediate warm up for the pit section.

[@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! 😂)

[@psychedelikchameleon]

The riff in Clocks is really beautiful💚

[@ElijahRock92]

Here's 10 of mine that weren't on your list alphabetical order: 1) "Changes" by Tupac (sampled from Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is") 2) "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys 3) "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles 4) "New York State Of Mind" by Billy Joel 5) "Place In This World" by Michael W Smith 6) "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit 7) "Rosanna" by TOTO 8) "Roses" by OutKast (the intro mainly) 9) "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder (clavs but still counts) 10) "Sweet Love" by Anita Baker

[@BenjiDarius]

Well for one thing not many people are Christians so Michael W Smith is out

[@ElijahRock92]

@@BenjiDarius Eh, he was a big "crossover" artist, probably the first big one. That's why I threw him in.

[@tulleuchen]

Might as well throw in that Dr Dre into piano thing too then. Also why not The Way it is instead of just the sample

[@ElijahRock92]

@@tulleuchen The Tupac one is actually a little different from Hornsby's original.

[@miguelguthridge]

Absolutely agree with a ton of these! Rosanna in particular is super fun

[@jamesbarton7927]

I agree with some of these... these five would be on my top 10: The Beatles - "Let it Be" Bruce Hornsby & the Range - "The Way it Is" Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" Barry Manilow - "Could it Be Magic" Styx - "Come Sail Away"

[@dpwellman]

Everyone forgets Bob Seger until they hear it... If this list was made 25 years ago, Styx would be on there. This list is certainly a product of its time. Otherwise, Gary Portnoy? Hello? Geez. Also several others such as Paolo Conte as well as several possibilities from Henry Mancini-- probably theme from Love Story.

[@brokeeper2007]

I was waiting for those first three, and surprised when they weren’t there. I don’t know if Barry and Styx should be on the list, but nobody compiling a list for publication would admit they liked something they did, so they lose out just because of who they are.

[@optiTHOMAS]

Come sail away Is one of my favorites! It's a beautiful classic! 😁👌🏻

[@ethanmenzel]

Wheres Layla end riff

[@52_Pickup]

Come Sail Away deserves to be in the top ten. No question.

[@yell0]

There is always one riff that absolutely no one puts in the lists and I personally think it's one of the top 5 of all time. Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is". It's amazing, the chords are so well voiced, the piano sounds so bright, and it sets up the song perfectly. Really recommend you to check it out!

[@macsnafu]

It's a good piano riff, all right. And part of why it sounds so bright is because of the synth sound that's doubling and backing it.

[@marcweissman5752]

Agreed, and I think the solo is even more underrated. It's one of those solos that sounds improvised yet has a distinct melody to it that you can actually hum to urself. I like that about it.

[@tyler.the.creep.2100]

That’s just the way it iëêėēęés

[@rhayadergenesis]

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway has so many beautiful piano/synth parts. Love it

[@dougj102463]

A few more honorable mentions for the list: “Year of The Cat” (by Al Stewart), “Against The Wind” (by Bob Seger), “The Way it is” (by Bruce Hornsby and The Range), and many great Elton John songs from the 70s/80s.

[@brianelza9807]

Yeah, thought we were going to get a little Year of the Cat at 12:01 🤗

[@elizabethventurini8088]

Year of the Cat ABSOLUTELY and Angie by the Rolling Stones

[@doriancuculic5825]

The coolest piano riff I've ever heard is from the Cornflake girl by Tori Amos. It's very percussive and powerful, and the entire piano part from that song is wholesome, as well as the song itself. Strangely, I've never seen it mentioned in any piano riff compilations on youtube.

[@Mrdayz]

You bet your life it is

[@HawkOfGP]

I agree and Tori wrote other iconic piano riffs too. But seems to me that women in general don't make these lists very often. Vanessa's the only one here!

[@heezdeadjim]

Yeah I'm not happy that Linkin Park made the list nut not Tori Amos. Sorta Fairytale could be a candidate too

[@edinsonluhmann3038]

Or basically any song from Tori's broad repertoire could be in any piano riffs list. In a pop world, Tori's piano skills both as a player and composer are superior.

[@shachardl5360]

Also Precious Things piano riff!

[@Fasty]

Love the MIDI keyboard overlay, but would also love to be able to see your hands playing too! Also the intro to Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai has to be up there as a great piano riff in pop music

[@sammantixgm]

The number one takeaway here is similar to what a Cappella groups can learn from Pentatonix. People love a jazzy bit spliced into an otherwise incredibly accessible song. If it's all jazz chords, it's only people who like jazz who are into it. If you toss that jazz bit into a pop song, it's this "omg, that part is sooo wild"

[@bobsmith93]

This is exactly why a lot of my favorite metal has a bunch of jazz injected into it

[@meonjeng]

I don't play the piano & I mostly have no idea what he's doing, but what I do understand is that this man has a profound relationship with his instrument.

[@daveagazzi1929]

As far as riffs go the subtle but never mentioned amazing saloon style piano bridge in Lynard skynards Tuesdays gone is gorgeous

[@dbrawla6319]

Yes! i've always loved the piano in that song

[@wellurban]

I expect these are limited to pop & rock, otherwise the “of all time” bit would be way off without some Scott Joplin, Erik Satie or Herbie Hancock! I’d add in the intro to Wuthering Heights, and some stonking early 90s house piano chords like Ride on Time, but my favourite would be Aphex Twin’s Avril 14th. That one stands out because it was played on an acoustic piano, but not by a human!

[@stevenkantrowitz6040]

God the chorus piano of Wuthering Heights is amazing

[@ThePwebb]

Erik Satie is probably the most amazing piano that people don't know that they know

[@clawsoon]

I kind of hate "of all time" titles.

[@nobody342]

So here is the deal about Scott Joplin, His Maple Leaf Rag sold over 1million pieces of SHEET MUSIC, which people had to sit down and learn, no just turning on the stereo and letting it play. A golden album is 500k albums sold, and a Platinum album is 1million albums sold, and a person has to do no work to listen to a album. the us population in 1890 was ~62 million and the 1990 population was 250 million, so tell me, who is the super star?

[@jazzzzdude]

Not to mention Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, Ellington and Corea.

[@PianoVampire]

There's a D note in Imagine that never gets picked up - listen again and you can hear a high D note after the F chord chromatic run up (on the first C chord the second time) at 5:54 in this video. Once you hear it, you'll never be able to unhear it and you won't believe you couldn't hear it the first time...

[@andreeas7833]

omg ur right

[@CoingamerFL]

isnt that from charles' piano

[@nafkram]

You're not wrong exactly but that D you're hearing is just the harmonic fifth of the G in the C chord resonating particularly loudly due to the piano and recording environment - it's not a "real" played note

[@robertoladrondeguevara3873]

Clocks sounds so good, literally the song that made me learned piano

[@vaukest5888]

I saw your profile picture and it felt like being punched in the stomach by a heavyweight boxing champion

[@robertoladrondeguevara3873]

@@vaukest5888 woof

[@andrewroberts8139]

Nah, Exhibit A in how Coldplay declined from songs like Yellow

[@PoorStargazer]

@@andrewroberts8139 u wot m8

[@ariskarayannis6247]

@@andrewroberts8139 am I right I’m guessing you listened to yellow once and have never listened to another Coldplay song?

[@Bodyknock]

Just want to give honorable mention to the piano intro/riff from Sister Christian by Night Ranger. It's the first song that came to mind that wasn't in this list that reasonably might be a contender. 🙂 Another possible one is the piano intro of Yellow Brick Road by Elton John.

[@alexandredesilets4909]

This made my day. Such a great vibe. Thanks 🙏🏻

[@Fanchen]

Theoretically, in A Thousand Miles you can consider the inner line to be a tonic pedal. Having it occur in the middle line creates neat voicings or “suspended” harmonies. The F# dominant chord over the tonic pedal (B) works well because the previous E major and resolution B major chord all have the tonic as a common tone. Pedal sustains are sometimes a great way to introduce dissonance more seamlessly.

[@oakc9429]

The Fanchen

[@garyhost1830]

Whaaat I understood none of that bro, i just watch the you tube vids and play it like piano hero

[@insidiosity]

Fanchen my king

[@PtylerBeats]

Yeah, I was about to say this

[@harrublaku8963]

A bohemian rhapsody concerto is actually one of the grade 8 options for the MTB exam board now. It really shows how distinct that piece is. And how brilliantly it progresses without needing to divert to repeating itself over and over and coming back to the same riffs.

[@bobsmith93]

Through composition, when done right, can be pretty magical. It's a lot harder to write though but Freddy nailed it

[@javierolmedo4927]

The piano outro to “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos 100% deserves to be here! One of the most iconic piano parts in history.

[@nataliedepriest9113]

I thought it was going to be number one!

[@StealAwayTheStars]

Not gonna lie, I'm not super into that song but I listen to it purely for that piano at the end. Just gorgeous.

[@BitcrushedMozart]

The guitar riff at the beginning is iconic too

[@rich4444hrsm]

Listening to the producer who worked on 1000 miles just lets you appreciate how great that song was. Definitely needs to make the list, Vanessa Carlton is SOOOOOO underrated.

[@muffalopotato]

Al Stewart's "The Year of the Cat," Benny and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Locomotive Breath by Tull, Angry Young Man, Thunder Road by Spingsteen, Could it be Magic, Beth by Kiss, "The Way it is" Bruce Hornsby, "Nobody Does it Better" Carly Simon, "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Every little thing she does it Magic" (good luck picking that one up by ear without retuning)...aaaah... lists. Methinks they invite engagement.

[@pharrigan-hikes]

I definitely started to hear Hercules' "Go the Distance" when you were playing the chords for A thousand miles.

[@XAVR_]

Ha holy shit you're right

[@luf4rall]

8:25

[@ohnoitsalobo]

Well, a thousand miles is definitely quite a distance to go!

[@ZZubZZero]

I started to hear Japenese music! Specifically RADWIMPS, and their music for Kimi No Na Wa

[@chezzrain]

Completely

[@jasonbrucemusic]

Fun fact: I distinctly remember watching Linkin Park play this song live on TV more than once back in the day, & the piano part was chopped up note-for-note & played on a sample pad by the DJ. Which, to be honest, in hindsight, I respect the ingenuity.

[@bthellam]

I was surprised "Imagine" made the list over "Hey Jude." I was also surprised "Nightswimming," "Head Over Heels," "Walking In Memphis," and "The Way It Is" didn't make it. But I was expecting 6 of these! Very cool, thank you!

[@keithklassen5320]

Nightswimming is utterly entrancing, but this isn't that kind of list, as evidenced by Linkin Park, lol. Your list is more the kinda list a dedicated music-enjoyer might make, but the list Charles found is more of a populist thing.

[@caitlinwilliams8893]

Hey Jude or Let It Be

[@Checkmate1138]

Imagine is infinitly more famous than Let It Be, though.

[@positivecynik]

The Way It Is .... it's like, the king. That riff is magic.

[@jonasalden29201]

@@positivecynik I was hurt that it wasn't on there.

[@happypapi1903]

Here's my top 10: Aja - Steely Dan Close To You - Carpenters Clocks - Coldplay Just The Way You Are - Billy Joel Your Song - Elton John 30/90 - Jonathan Larson (Tick Tick Boom) In Our Bedroom After The War - Stars Let It Be - Beatles Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel Songbird - Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)

[@jimbeaux89]

Dude a thousand miles is among my favorites to play my drums to. Such a fun song to play, and I especially love what he’s doing with the hi-hat throughout the song

[@alessandro9609]

Would it be possible to move the digital piano view to the top? I really appreciated seeing your hands move along the piano while playing, gives so much more character to the performance, short as it may be.

[@wynoglia]

Hard agree!

[@nicolle2126]

idk, we wouldnt be able to see his face then

[@corymart]

I love the addition of the digital piano animation. But I also reaaaalllyyy wanna see him hitting the keys too

[@Rico42069]

Then we wouldn’t be able to see his face.

[@jakekeys88music]

There are some great suggestions in the comments here. Surprised "Walking in Memphis" wasn't in the list. Being a pianist myself, I knew all except those last two (Puth and Rascal Flatts). I enjoy your rendition of that Rascal Flatts one...had a Bruce Hornsby sound to it. Speaking of which, that would have been another great riff -- "The Way It Is".

[@nathanjasper512]

It's not that the last two were bad songs but they're really not popular enough for a top ten list.

[@jakekeys88music]

@@nathanjasper512 fair enough. I did like the sounds of the Charlie Puth one. I'm going to check it out.

[@pie_rex]

Walking in Memphis was the first one I thought of.

[@happygster922]

The Way it is definitely

[@dugeniadugeniadugeniadugen5266]

@@nathanjasper512 that's just it: The Way It Is WAS popular when it came out. It went to number one and even spawned a cover story for Bruce Hornsby on Keyboard magazine (I even remember the cover: "A number one record with a PIANO solo??") I suppose people just have short and selective memories.

[@DennisVlaanderen]

I think Evanescence is missing on this list. My Immortal is instantly recognizable and actually a riff as it's pretty much >50% of the song.

[@mandowarrior123]

@@thomaskaasi4225 50% of a song is hardly an intro is it?

[@bilingualkaraoke8665]

Yes, Evanescence is definitely missing on this list. But instead of My Immortal, I would have chosen Good Enough (not the intro, though it is also great, but the main riff).

[@blazing6string]

Check out good enough by evanescence, I can’t play piano so I programmed it for my wife (it’s our song) took me about 350 hours but it’s amazing piano

[@fink7968]

It's probably not on the list because the other elements of the song don't sound very good

[@tylerbrantner4026]

@@mandowarrior123 the list is piano riffs, not piano intros

[@HarrisaSports]

Vanessa Carltons song gets beat up a lot by everyone since it became a bit of a meme in White Chicks but I'll tell ya she is a damn talented musician and a lot of her music is amazing. Not to mention she writes the lyrics and composes the piano in almost all of her songs

[@karlkutac1800]

I always respect the talents of musicians who can break this stuff down. Thanks!

[@jacobhanekamp2534]

I love the overlay of the digital piano so we can better see what you're playing, it's a good innovation

[@MercenaryMuse]

Yes, this.

[@rhiannonbrown6390]

That journey song used to come on at the same time every night at a Walmart where I worked. One night I was in the back room and someone came out from behind a rack and started singing and one by one, people started popping out singing. There were 5 people singing in the back room by the chorus. It was like being in a musical.

[@ayoTGH]

I love how you explain the sounds and the combination of the notes. As a producer I love that stuff

[@andreasplattner]

That journey sound is so amazing! Well done!

[@GroundhogzGarage]

Enjoyed the video. It would be tough picking the top 100 let alone the top 10. Billy Joel”s Angry Young Man and Scenes from Italian Restaurant have great riffs in them. Bruce Hornsby, Elton John, Beatles, so many. Your video made me go back and listen to some great songs and that is really what it is all about.

[@Timmie1995]

I'll make the case that In The End deserves to be on this list. Not because the riff is particularly interesting or complicated, but because the piano is so explicitly stated, the song is incredibly well-known, and the song is fantastic. This intro just throws you right into the song. Of course, there's probably 200 more songs that deserve to be on here.

[@1337-Nathaniel]

I'm not sure there's room for 200 songs in a top ten lol. Maybe we should get the remaining 190 songs as honorable mentions

[@danielwalker5621]

When you played "In the End", I immediately heard "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart and wondered why that was missing. Please do a part 2.

[@tsubakichan]

I don't think In the End is truly top-10 worthy, but I'm glad it's in this video because you could tell Charles lit up when he saw it.

[@SeraphsWitness]

I totally agree. It's definitely a solid song and a recognizable riff. The eclectic mix of genres is what made that song so good. The muted breakbeat EDM in the background of that intro is something you just don't hear anymore with piano like that.

[@garricksantos]

I'm not a musician at all, but I always find myself watching Charles' videos. I may not understand all technical music terms he's using, but I always enjoy the conversation and the passion behind it.

[@generallysweet8434]

Ya no kidding, I'm kinda the same, I have been surrounded by music and musicians my whole life, but I dont know any theory or anything like that.

[@DylanJ_TV]

@@generallysweet8434 look up David Bennett piano, he’s another good music youtuber that explains how a lot of songs work/are put together

[@generallysweet8434]

@@DylanJ_TV I've watched him man, this stuff is like studying to me, I love figuring it out myself. And I barely remember anything I'm taught unless I write it down for hours lol

[@kenneth1767]

You are a musician, you just haven't given yourself permission yet. If you have the desire, you also have the ability to make that desire a reality. I started painting at 35. I started playing piano at 50. All things are possible to those who believe they can do it. Tenacity and time, with a whole lot of playing (practice) inbetween. Check out the story of Lazlo Polgar who raised three chess prodigy daughters.

[@AlexMoukalaMusic]

"Can You Understand" by Renaissance and "Space Dementia" by Muse should definitely be on this list.

[@thommywithanh]

I definitely agree with Space Dementia

[@stuartcampbell2107]

I love Muse but I feel like it borrows too heavily from Rachmaninoff to really sit in the top 10

[@elbraymundo]

Visiting from Planet Bass!

[@elio2740]

Kiev is no joke too, (Renaissance)

[@piesmuggler7268]

alex next level

[@BCE-111]

Love the intro to "Easy On Me" which of course was released after this video.

[@studley2436]

Surprised Bruce Hornsby didn't get a mention and Don Henley's song, 'The End Of The Innocence' is carried by a piano riff that everyone recognises and just pulls you into the song.

[@spooforbrains]

Al Stewart is mainly known for guitar, but the opening to Year of the Cat is gorgeous and is iconic for those of us that remember that far back

[@mudhens4ever]

I’m old enough to remember, and you are absolutely right!

[@greghansell5115]

That's truly a riff, no question and also unbeatable

[@whycantiremainanonymous8091]

Beatles, Lady Madonna. Jonni Mithchel, River (and quite a few other songs, actually) Practically anything ever by Tori Amos, especially her first two albums. And that's just keeping to relatively mainstream pop.

[@scottabroughton]

I agree with your comment on Tori Amos. Most of her repertoire is piano riffs. Silent All These Years, Flying Dutchman, Caught a Lite Sneeze (harpsichord, actually).

[@TheStevep52]

Going a bit further back to the 70’s there’s Al Stewart’s “Year of the Cat” and Chicago “Color My World” which is the entire chord structure of the song played by solo piano. Another I like is Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic.”

[@codysearchfield8258]

I one million percent agree on “Year of the Cat” and “Pretzel Logic” , and I move to add “Warmness on the Soul” by Avenged Sevenfold.

[@codysearchfield8258]

Also “Caves of Altamira” by Steely Dan, though I’m not sure how much piano is in that one. Perhaps “My Old School” would be better. Both are funky. Both are reasons Steely Dan is one of the best in my book. Signed, a millennial.

[@davidy7004]

@@codysearchfield8258 The chord progression at 12:00 (from the Linkin Park song) made me think of Year of the Cat

[@emily-crawford-soprano9181]

I use color my world when I introduce students to 7th chords

[@lisamh9037]

@@codysearchfield8258 haha MY OLD SCHOOL just came into my to mind.

[@CLGLazarus]

Old video but just wanted to chime in on the LP song. Part of why that super simple piano riff is so memorable is because of how it plays on the pre-chorus with Chester and Mike's vocals together. Then in the chorus it's basically overtaken by the guitar. But then it comes back with the bridge before turning into guitar again for the second half of the bridge. Chester famously had these two unique pockets of sound in his voice between the softer, beautifully melodic moments and the shrill, guttural scream/shout choruses. The piano in this song sort of mirrors those flips (especially for the two halves of the bridge) and in that way also helps represent LP's sound as a whole.

[@letsnotgothere6242]

That a piano intro could hold it's own and make a HIT from a country rock band is beyond amazing.

[@othem2227]

Appreciate the new keyboard view in the bottom, this way it's definitely easier to follow what you play, but I think it was also cool to look at your hands; best thing in my opinion would be to have another camera angle from above like at 14:59

[@ericanderson9706]

When I was in HS a gazillion years ago, all the piano student kids wanted to learn the intro to Van Halen's "Jump". Not much of a riff in terms of complexity, but very iconic.

[@Jim_Thomas_Draper]

Very iconic but not played on piano so it's fair that it's not on the list

[@carlwhissel7557]

With Van Halen I would say Right now. Its definitely a very cool piano riff

[@Oscaraha]

Thousand miles is definetly a treasure. Have used it in my partyband a few times, but it was not the best context. The drum groove that comes in is also kind of hip.

[@ntdscherer]

The drumming on that song is underrated.

[@mikosoft]

Drummer is Abe Laboriel, one of the best! No wonder it's such a great groove.

[@tandemhope8794]

I love this guy's reactions--great energy.

[@JohnMerrittMusic]

Pretty much anything by him belongs on this list, but “Brick” by Ben Folds Five was huge in the late ‘90s and definitely should be here.

[@thomasd9827]

so far as Piano riffs though, - One Angry Dwarf...

[@JohnMerrittMusic]

@@thomasd9827 Oh no doubt. Like I said, pretty much anything Ben has done belongs. But the one that most 90s kids will remember and have heard is “Brick”. “Philosophy” is another great one if you want more technically intricate riffs.

[@aridabaginindabag9970]

No what ascent if Stan is by far the peak

[@fraum3725]

Charles: "I don't think I ever played this before." Also Charles: Nailes it.

[@vallaindigital]

One that popped into my mind that is instantly recongizable, is "The End of the Innocence" by Don Henley. Oh and how can there not be "Right Now" by Van Halen? And there could probably be many by Elton John, like "Your Song", "Tiny Dancer", "Bennie and the Jets"...

[@StealAwayTheStars]

Love, love, love Right Now! That's another one that makes me wish I could play. Some day I'll be able to afford lessons.

[@shagerg2238]

I love the new keyboard that shows what you’re playing!! It’s a lot more useful and makes the videos a lot easier to understand!

[@brandoncrimmins6296]

To this day, as a drummer... A thousand Miles is the ONLY song I ever learned to play on piano.

[@teh_hunterer]

Teaching my brother in law piano, and he asked to learn A Thousand Miles recently, which I'd never played or really listened to before because I thought it was just some generic pop song, but honestly there is something cool to it, and I'm glad he requested it. It surprised me!

[@jerryokonkwo8449]

Those melodies seem impossible to resist as someone who won a talent competition at school during my youth for having played Clocks by mistake. I appreciate the list, Charles.

[@justindza]

What do you mean by mistake?

[@adamcetinkent]

A stopped Clocks is right twice per day?

[@mierardi88]

Linus and Lucy by Vince Gheraldi Avril 14th by Aphex Twin Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel those would be my additions to iconic piano pieces as well

[@marcweissman5752]

Good call. Virtually every song I play on keys has some avid lovers and some detractors. But everyone - I mean Everyone - loves the Charlie Brown theme Linus and Lucy. I can play that to an audience of young children, millennials, middle aged adults or retired seniors and invariably a smile comes on their faces as soon as that opening riff in the left hand starts. And the smiles are usually accompanied by people doing "The Peanuts Dance" with their head bobbing side to side. It's like a Pavlovian response. Lol Btw, if u've never heard David Benoit's version of it, you have got to hear it. It's actually better than the original imo, as well as Vince played it. Check it out.

[@theduchessofkitty4107]

I’ve loved the piano since I was a kid, but never really had formal instruction until recently (I’m almost 50.). It’s hard to learn to have enough confidence in placing my fingers on to the right key. It has been quite a struggle. But you make it look easy. I just subscribed.

[@JeromeDukes]

Some really good songs on this list but no Elton John is surprising. One of my favorite piano song writers is Jim Steinman. He wrote for various artist during the 70's, 80's and 90's. He wrote all of Meat Loafs song. Bat outta Hell has one of the best piano intros in rock history.

[@aridabaginindabag9970]

That and ascent of Stan by Ben folds was a piano intro that I appreciated the musicality of before I knew what the word meant

[@johnm3907]

He made meat loaf the bat out of hell album is awesome

[@JeromeDukes]

@@johnm3907 Easily top 5 of the greatest albums ever made in my book. Played a big part in my teen rebel years.😂🤣😂

[@johnm3907]

@DukesRocks it was out years before I was born. By my father had it on vinyl, so good every song on it, that intro on bat out of hell was great about 3 mins long or so

[@tiredoftheliesalready]

Ahhhh, love Vanessa Carlton's first album. So much great music overall, and the most known riff (A Thousand Miles) from it is so often heard randomly, even in places you might not suspect.

[@colinchesbrough5772]

Still think ordinary day is the best

[@ruffy0001]

I think "I Don't Like Mondays" would have deserved a spot on this list. Basically it's full of iconic riffs

[@djvoid1]

Cece Rogers - Someday. Outkast - Roses. Robert Miles - Children. Black Box - Ride on Time... I think you'll need a top 50 at the very least

[@jonaskrainbring487]

I second The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby. Also: - Elton John - Tiny Dancer - Joshua Kadison - Jessie - Ben Folds Five - Philosophy - Meat Loaf - I‘d Do Anything For Love (But I Won‘t Do That) I can’t believe none of those were mentioned.

[@Porphyro83]

Good choices. For popular recognition, I'd go with Brick for Ben Folds Five. At least recognizability seems to be what this top 10 list was aiming for.

[@jaredwonnacott9732]

I was recently listening to a similar list, right before heading on a road trip. The whole trip, as music was playing, I was thinking about great piano music whenever it came on. The one comment I made to my wife was, "If Ben Folds had been more successful, Annie Waits would have definitely made the list." I think Ben Folds is terribly underrated as a pop pianist.

[@4-kathryn]

Launched into this video and I was curious if "Clocks" would be featured, sure enough it was the second song introduced!♡ I'm not a musician but I'm captivated by your enthusiasm/knowledge; lovely video.

[@knutskaarberg]

If you made a similar list 35 years ago, there would be a lot more interesting jazz-oriented stuff to choose from. On Donald Fagen’s Nightfly album alone you could probably pick two or three fantastic intros. Not to mention all the other great artist from the late 60s until the early 80s like Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and many more. I’d love to hear your take on that list!

[@hannahheeeh]

I love Donald Fagen! You are so right though

[@TheBigburcie]

Ray Charles had some sick rhythmic grooves on the piano. Barely needed a percussion section.

[@stepbystepguitar4599]

For the second song... I see the first chord as the 5 and then the next as the 2 then the 6 next... But I love that there are so many ways to see music and it works for different people differently...

[@DeGuerre]

The Cat Stevens version of "Morning Has Broken". Piano part written and performed by Rick Wakeman.

[@chriswant1299]

Yep, this is the one that I would include -- such a great bit of piano.

[@johndododoe1411]

Especially the intro bars that are rolling so naturally.

[@53summer]

I second "The Way It Is" (Hornsby) and I think this list is missing some Ben Folds as well for sure. But also agree with the rest of the commenters here that you've got a great ability to play by ear and also explain the theory - thanks for a great video!

[@IanFraser420]

Oh my god, how can you not talk about Fire in the Hole by Steely Dan? Easily one of the sickest piano intros ever written.

[@jami.m7074]

Not to mention Babylon Sisters, but of course thats on a rhodes, so maybe it doesnt count.

[@tc2241]

You know, I never realized how much a role rhythm played in getting the feel for ‘Thousand Miles’ right. A nice, small, simple, intelligent use of a couple notes with just the right cadence. I know it’s a meme, but dang that brought a smile to my face haha

[@andrewdejuan4914]

I'm genuinely surprised that Bruce Hornsby's 'The Way It Is' is not in here. His solo in that just gives me eargasm.

[@dugeniadugeniadugeniadugen5266]

It also went to number one so it can't be accused of being unpopular or obscure.

[@dpwellman]

Suprised a third of the list is millennial dreck? No! Actually, I had hopes, but nah. Total disappointment.

[@ktshlyrss]

Bro, if you made a second channel just of you riffing popular melodies and making whole new songs out of them for like an hour, I would WATCH THAT! So fun to see a professional in their element

[@georgesonm1774]

Queen has a bunch of other great piano riffs: Seven seas of rhye, Somebody to love, We are the champions, Don't stop me now, Millionaire Waltz, Fairy Feller's Masterstroke, My Fairy King, You Take My Breath Away. Freddie's songs.

[@t1t051]

You literally play like a god man. I love your channel. Thank you so much for making all these videos.