Top 50 Greatest Rock Keyboardists/Pianists Of All Time

Here’s a list of the musicians in the video ⤵️
1. Keith Emerson - ELP
2. Billy Joel - Solo
3. Jon Lord - Deep Purple
4. Ray Manzarek - The Doors
5. Richard Wright - Pink Floyd
6. Rick Wakeman - Yes
7. Elton John - Solo
8. Nicky Hopkins - Session Musician
9. Billy Preston - Solo
10. Tony Banks - Genesis
11. Jordan Rudess - Dream Theater
12. Jerry Lee Lewis - Solo
13. Steve Winwood - Traffic
14. Gregg Allman - The Allman Brothers Band
15. Fats Domino - Solo
16. Al Kooper - Blood, Sweat & Tears
17. Garth Hudson - The Band
18. Billy Powell - Lynyrd Skynyrd
19. Paul McCartney - The Beatles, Wings
20. Rod Argent - The Zombies
21. Leon Russell - Solo
22. Donald Fagen - Steely Dan
23. Patrick Moraz - Yes, The Moody Blues
24. Dave Greenfield - The Stranglers
25. Freddie Mercury - Queen
26. Gary Brooker - Procol Harum
27. Christie McVie - Fleetwood Mac
28. Ian Stewart - The Rolling Stones
29. Jan Hammer - Solo
30. Doug Ingle - Iron Butterfly
31. Greg Hawkes - The Cars
32. Steve Walsh - Kansas
33. Mike Pinder - The Moody Blues
34. Little Richard - Solo
35. John Paul Jones - Led Zeppelin
36. Richard Tandy - Electric Light Orchestra
37. Don Airey - Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple
38. Tony Carey - Rainbow
39. Alan Price - The Animals
40. Geddy Lee - Rush
41. David Bryan - Bon Jovi
42. Gregg Rolie - Santana, Journey
43. Dennis DeYoung - Styx
44. Max Middleton - The Jeff Beck Group
45. Michael McDonald - The Doobie Brothers
46. Benmont Tench - The Heartbreakers
47. Rick Davies - Supertramp
48. Ian McLagan - Faces
49. Roy Bittan - The E Street Band
50. John Evan - Jethro Tull
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[@lucapolidori8817]

Even being a hard Pink Floyd fan, I can't see how Wright can be considered greater than Wakeman.

[@elpelp1878]

I don't like Wakeman's work outside of Yes that much but I agree with you. He is clearly more talented than Wright, who I also greatly admire for his elegant, bold style and unusual timbres perfectly integrated into Floyd's music.

[@neyarturfetter4115]

....muito pior é colocar Billy Joel em 2o. lugar....e Rick Wright na frente de Wakeman com certeza!!!

[@leandroscheid3043]

Really

[@newspapertaxis1]

Wakeman at #6....We have a problem.......A BIG one!!!!!

[@juansteverlynck4405]

I Agree 100%. He is number one by far

[@TwoToed66]

I agree. Rick Wakeman has works of provenance.

[@Lorens198x]

I agree.

[@NYChica23]

Definite agreement there

[@stuarthecht8196]

Excellent list. I would have included Rick van Der Linden (Trace, Ekseption). He was a keyboard monster with a persona land musical style that is a cross between Emerson and Wakeman

[@CentipedeMKDS]

Tony Banks is like a magician His solos on Firth Of Fifth and The Cinema Show are my favourite

[@hibee72]

With my deepest respect, Tony Banks below Elton John or Richard Wright stands never in a lifetime! It's clear they voted for the band, not for the keyboardist!

[@dan-ws2sf]

@@hibee72agreed, what crap! I guess you tube lists are going to be popularity contest and personal opinion anyway, without actually knowing music. The guitar and drummer lists are just as bad😤

[@ardiherbasuki786]

Dancing with the moonlite too ❤❤

[@marsupialmicron]

Keith Emerson, Tony Banks and Rick Wakeman, in that order, IMHO

[@philsmith2444]

@@marsupialmicron I’d switch 2 & 3, but yeah, those 3 names should be in the top 3 every time.

[@jenniferbeyer6412]

So glad you recognized Keith Emerson as number 1. He was the KING OF KEYS. Many are close, but none can surpass him.

[@davidutnik]

Rick Wakeman. No one better

[@uppityloser9087]

There are keyboard players on this list that would ask why is Jan Hammer is only 29 and Brian Auger is not even on it. C’mon man!

[@quentinmichel7581]

​@@davidutnikExcept for Keith. 😊

[@quentinmichel7581]

​​​@@uppityloser9087I agree - Brian Auger was one of the first great (and underappreciated) keyboardists that I recall catching my intention and set me on the path to eventually make my way to Emerson and ELP. Brian also had that wonderful collaboration with Julie Driscoll ... In the later 60's there were two female vocalists who totally grabbed me as a young man....Julie Driscoll and Grace Slick.

[@Jonniboi-di7qu]

Jon lord was his equal

[@ardiherbasuki786]

1 rick wakeman 2 keith emerson 3 john lord 4 tony banks

[@CooperHeckman-h4q]

Keep ray at 4

[@carloseduardotupinambamace6909]

Did you heard "The cinema show", "Firth of Fifty", "Watcher of skyes", "The return of gigante Hogweed"? From Genesis?

[@tomrudolsen6235]

My favourite. Jon Lord😊😎

[@damirhlobik6488]

he was good, but predictable, there were no surprises

[@balticstain7150]

​@damirhlobik6488 so was Ritchie Blackmore

[@waldemarpasiut7083]

Jon Lord (R.I.P.) was the best.

[@markoliver630]

Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman tie for #1. Both amazing virtuosos

[@scottsuvoski9574]

Totally Agree! How could they not be? They were the Kings!

[@zdenkonouzovsky6947]

Put Jon Lord there as well

[@mattslupek7988]

@@zdenkonouzovsky6947 Beat me to it!

[@SuperPrince1007]

Top two for me. I'd put Keith Emerson just a slight cut above. I was expecting to see Keith Emerson # 1 & Rick Wakeman # 2 on this list.

[@mctavish23]

Was fortunate enough to see ELP in Athens, Ga. in 1971-72. Was magical.

[@nickkaltz738]

Karl Jenkins - Soft machine Peter Bardens- Camel Graham Bond Thjs Van Leer - Focus Dave Greenslade Kerry Minnear - Gentle Giant Francis Monkman Vangelis

[@nicktamer4969]

Vince Crane (Crazy world of Arthur Brown/Atomic Rooster). Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum) Verden Allen, Morgan Fisher & Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople) Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) Ken Hensley (The Gods /Uriah Heep) Blue Weaver (session/Bee Gees) Dave Kaffinetti (Rare Bird/Spinal Tap) Allen Lanier (Blue Öyster Cult) Peter Hammill (Van der Graaf Generator) Ian McDonald (King Crimson) Dave Greenfield (The Stranglers) Roger Manning (Jellyfish/Imperial Drag/The Lickerish Quartet) Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge)

[@drmanny1957]

Agreed !

[@claudebuysse7482]

Yes for Vangelis and the others. Another miss Mike Ratledge...

[@paulbrookes413]

That list is FANTASTIC !

[@itnow]

Klaus Schultze!

[@hudsonhollow]

I won't argue with the ranking. I will only say thank you to all these great artists ( and many more) for making my life much better!!

[@Questmetalband]

Emerson, Wakeman &Lord - 3 way tie for #1

[@lukefitton7329]

Jon Lord at number 3 is based. He’s my favourite musician of all time. RIP.

[@tegarsatriani4327]

Agreed. He was the reason i love Deep Purple until now

[@telukpaku4296]

Jon Lord on the organ there.... Jon Lord... And love Billy Powell of Lynyrd Skynyrd too.😊

[@jIescareno]

Jon Lord , Emerson and Wakeman what a trío , My favorite is Jon Lord

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

I can picture Jon at #3. I would put him behind Wakeman, and I can see some argument for Emerson being ahead of him.

[@lukefitton7329]

@@bricefleckenstein9666 yeah there are some keyboard players that I can see being ahead of him, but I also love Jon for his skills as a classical composer. His solo Albums like Gemini Suite, Sarabande and Pictured Within are brilliant.

[@garycombs5721]

John Paul Jones can seemingly play every instrument ever made.

[@edzeppelin1984]

Simultaneously, in some cases.

[@oraziorossi1359]

@@edzeppelin1984 Quando era alle tastiere di certo il basso a pedale

[@truemanmontfort8031]

Yeah….Rain Song alone puts him at better than 35! Geezy

[@Owlstretchingtime78]

No Irmin Schmidt? Insane!!

[@zosothezephead837]

Check out No Quarter from Earls Court May 24 1975.

[@saurian11]

Wakeman at only # 6? He should be at least #2. And where is Tony Kaye or Vangelis? Was Geoff Downes mentioned?

[@Scaramousche1955]

Well, Tony Kaye wasn't that good, certainly not above about #40

[@enriquehuryk2480]

Soy un fan de Vangelis, sin embargo en esta lista se hace referencia a géneros del Rock, su estilo orientado a musicas nuevas con fusión, no todo lo que compuso y ejecutó está dentro del rock, pero es verdad que hubo álbumes con estilo de rock progresivo, pero en general no es rock, es muy amplio el surtido de géneros que hizo, debe estar dentro de los músicos clásicos de la electrónica, y excelente como músico integral, solo pudo hacer una banda con la grabación en pistas en sus comienzos y midi posteriormente, otros músicos no llegaron a destacarse componiendo solos, siempre es con la banda, por ej soy seguidor también de Rick Wakeman,muy bueno en sus teclados como rock sinfónico, pero lo prefiero con una banda sinfónica, ya que con sus álbumes solistas no llega al nivel de Vangelis, que grabó hasta la percusión y otros instrumentos, haciendo muy bien el estilo para bandas sonoras de películas, que requiere de variedad musical en el acompañamiento de la imagen del cine, comparable solo con compositores de calidad del género clásico, Williams, Ennio Morricone.

[@redx1708]

Weird list ! Some of these aren't really keyboardists, just people who can play some piano. And don't get me started on the ranking, which seems totally random in several cases, like you suddenly remembered a name and just dropped it in there.

[@danburnes722]

It could not get more uneven. There are masters rated lower than hobbyists.

[@michaeloconnor5084]

It's a great list, but it should be called, " 37 Keyboard players that I heard of and 13 more that I had to look up, listed in no particular order".

[@normandaubry]

I fully agree. As an example, Geddy Lee is a fabulous bassist and a good keyboard player. But putting him before John Evans, Dennis de Young or Rick Davies, amongst others, does not make sense to me.

[@martythemartian99]

@@michaeloconnor5084 And when he googled keyboard players, he saw the guy from Focus and though "What kind of name is Thjs Van Leer?" and left him off the list.😉

[@joshwolfegant8449]

Paul McCartney wasnt a great keyboard player

[@quentinmichel7581]

Kind of held my breath on this until the end... And then there was justice for Keith Emerson. For some reason he has been dissed in this category for a long time and now recently he seems to be getting his well-deserved due at the Top Spot. RIP Keith ... the greatest Keysrider of my long life. As an aside, I think Rick Wakeman should've placed a bit higher, but at least he's near the top of the heap.

[@Daryl_Phillips_]

Rick is my favorite Pink Floyd member and is number one for me

[@tto0508]

DEFINITELY RICK IS ALSO MY FAVORITE FLOYD MEMBER HE IS THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE FOR ME

[@andrewdyke5561]

My favorite and top 10 for me

[@DunceIncOfficialTotallyReal]

Thanks for putting Ray Manzarek, he is one of my favorite American keyboardists.

[@OctavianMilca]

I like Manfred Mann....

[@scottyg5403]

Oh yes Keith Emerson numero uno! Definitely agree!

[@angeloserrentino102]

Very happy that Kieth Emerson was put at #1. That man was incredible to watch

[@KurtMitchell-ly3in]

How about Ken Hensley? WTF

[@clannad99germany70]

He is missed and Tony Banks no 10 ? Just underrated !

[@brianreed5926]

I was about to write and saw your post. No Ken Hensley absolutely ridiculous !

[@magalirouard8441]

I'm not shure is ever heard of Uriah Heep ! And the guy allows himself to make a ranking... So funny !!😄 I'm going back to listen to july morning !

[@clannad99germany70]

@@magalirouard8441 July morning, Salisbury, The park, Easy living, Free me, many more.....

[@igorbristol9240]

​@@janne_1954 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnStdHVtq7SJosksi=XsuFk5wTiFQGGiF5

[@hughie869]

Jon Lord ❤

[@Owlstretchingtime78]

Irmin Schmidt for knowing when not to play!

[@markmalasics3413]

You forget to place 3 crucial, fully applicable words in the title of this video: "IN MY OPINION"

[@africanfartingfrog]

It's implied, since there is no objective way to determine who is the greatest

[@VovaHook]

I agree 100%! The list looks somewhat strange in some points.

[@sandiz83]

​@@VovaHookyes, missing some musicians who are not American or British.

[@brankogluscic7417]

RAY MANZAREK no 1 for ever

[@Lorens198x]

TRUE.

[@robertlivingstone3364]

Keith Emerson absolutely number one.

[@damirhlobik6488]

👋👋👋

[@quentinmichel7581]

Absofragginposilutively 👍👏

[@miguelangelmontenegro9939]

Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Jon lord, Don Airey, Tony Banks

[@Luke-1296]

RIP Richard Tandy, passed away less than 2 weeks ago. Amazingly talented keyboardist but also guitarist and bassist. Should be much higher up on this list.

[@mctavish23]

He was truly amazing. May he RIP.

[@garyarnett1220]

Don't think he ever was given the time to really shine.

[@philsmith2444]

Same with Mike Pinder.

[@EM-xm8po]

Ray Mazanrek is a bloody legend. R.I.P

[@newspapertaxis1]

You know it Brother!!!!!

[@dustylover100]

I met Manzarek years ago when the Doors movie was just passed playing in theaters. Early 1990s. He was with one of Morrison's poet buddies, Michael McClure. Great guys.

[@dustylover100]

It was a McClure poetry reading and Manzarek was providing background music.

[@Calebmariofan]

Robby Krieger, Ray, and Jim Morrison are the best musicians ever

[@andrewdyke5561]

Overrated but i still love him

[@TheTornadoMan]

I didn’t expect Emerson to be number one but that’s a very welcome surprise. I agree with that placement

[@yousefabdelmonem3788]

He’s almost always #1 on every list

[@clubf-fu8vz]

Especially if you have seen ELP live!!

[@Roscoe-pi1gq]

I expected Emerson to be number one. I didn't expect Billy Joel #2.

[@johnboylan3591]

John Lord

[@lynby6231]

Jon Lord above Tony Banks? Whatever

[@RoaryJP]

Good list though I was totally expecting to see Burton Cummings, Eddie Jobson, and Brian Eno. Glad to see John Evan and Jan Hammer on there. Really can't dispute Keith at #1.

[@jackwyatt4184]

I saw Emerson lake and Palmer in 1972 in Denver, Colorado.He is definitely the best organist of all time

[@j.c985]

Nicky Hopkins is my favourite, that man played beautifully.

[@Jovolution]

because he's the real number one👍

[@j.c985]

@@Jovolution Absolutely, I mean “Jealous Guy” and “She’s a Rainbow” who can top that realistically? No one.

[@Jovolution]

@@j.c985 and: We love You, Symphathie for the devil, Kinks, Who, Cocker, John Lennon and for many many world hits and stars.

[@j.c985]

@@Jovolution Oh yes of course, everything he did was brilliant. His playing on Rolling Stones “Winter” is another one that stood out to me for being beautiful.

[@Jovolution]

@@j.c985 if you hear the first line: She's like a Rainbow, you can hear Santana's Samba Pa Ti

[@daveminers3404]

I certainly agree with Emerson at #1, but I have Wakeman at #2 and Jon Lord #3. And, yes, Ken Hensley should be there somewhere.

[@thmckenna]

Agreed. I had the honor of seeing Rick and Jon play (not together unfortunately ) They, along with Emerson, were great showmen!

[@RichardCook-on3gf]

Love ELP.

[@ildaruk8293]

Undeniably, Keith Emerson is def No.1. By far.

[@ArtLogins]

Emerson, Wakeman and Lord are the three kings, but my favourite Moog solo is on Welcome to the Machine.... Van Halen had great sounds and Final Countdown is iconic too...

[@_.emil8703._]

Don't forget Steve Porcaro and David Paich from Toto

[@EvilTheOne]

Really, what's up with that? Paich and Porcaro have played on so many albums other than Toto. Steve even worked as a programmer for other keyboardist. David was a masterful songwriter as well. Just like the R&R hall of fame, they get no respect.

[@ronstucker3550]

100% correct I was expecting at least one of them.

[@EvilTheOne]

@@ronstucker3550 How many rock bands efficiently used two piano/keyboard/synthesizer players within their songs. Knowing how Toto's musicians gets snubbed, what's next, keeping Jeff Porcaro and Steve Lukather off the top 100 greatest rock drummers and guitarists list?!

[@ronstucker3550]

@@EvilTheOne Yes Probably. No RRHF either

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

@@EvilTheOne All encompassed and revealed emphatically on 'Rosanna '

[@laurencelevene4333]

Rick wakeman was outstanding with Yes and his own incredible solo albums. Rick wakeman deserve s be at the top position

[@silgen]

Don't forget Rick Wakeman and David Bowie. Rick's playing on the Hunky Dory album is phenomenal, see Life on Mars for example.

[@laurencelevene4333]

​@@silgen. Oh yes, Rick was brilliant on that album 👍

[@RobJMeronek]

@@laurencelevene4333”Morning Has Broken,” as well.

[@laurencelevene4333]

​@@RobJMeronek I didn't know he played on that👍

[@robertranger6612]

Wakeman can’t be lower than #2 and have list taken seriously

[@colinjones1589]

Rip Mr Jon Lord an absolute legend who should be number one👍

[@MrSzekus1]

Lord the best!! R.I.P.

[@MrMarkOut]

Assolutamente John Lord, su un altro pianeta rispetto agli altri. Non c'è n'è per nessuno. Unico w inimitabile. RIP.

[@ronaldKOESTLINGER]

WHAT?

[@mariesimbeck9875]

Keith Emerson was an absolute genius

[@WatcheroftheSkies2]

agreed

[@michaelgoleniak4581]

ELP probably had the number one drummer as well. Great to see Dave Greenfield get some love at #24.

[@garyhitchcock3828]

Dave Greenfield and lesser known Keys player Andy Clark (Be-Bop Deluxe) should be in the top 10.

[@tago69mago671]

​@garyhitchcock3828Greenfield was a monster creativity wise and no slouch but the prog rock snobs will slag off his technique!

[@DennisDoyle-qu7kl]

No ken hensley😢

[@josephsoap2698]

You got it right . The late great Keith Emerson at 1 . Nuff said.👍

[@dietrichhirschberg743]

Brian Auger ist missing!

[@Mattressinsptr]

Agree

[@patricklemeur4607]

oui, complètement oublié....

[@GeorgeBecos]

I was about to mention this outrageous thing, and I saw your post. Excellent my friend

[@dougbrowne9890]

Thank you for acknowledging Rick Wright in the top 5. Without him The Pink Floyd may never have made it big. Most people don't see it that way, but David Gilmour does. And that counts more than all the others in the world. Keith Emerson is an easy number 1. Thanks for a great video.

[@saturnsabyss]

I'm pretty happy with this list! Emerson at #1 was a given, but like everyone else I would have changed a few placements. Very good amount of variety and really covered the all bases for players influenced by funk, soul, jazz, blues, classical and psychedelia.

[@philsmith2444]

Pretty good list, I would have had 1-3 as Emerson, Wakeman, and Banks. Dennis DeYoung should have been higher IMO. Jon Tout (Renaissance) should have been on the list, Geoff Downes as well.

[@joelucayt]

Richard Wright ahead of Wakeman? Because holding out chords is extremely difficult...

[@MJEvermore853]

Right?!

[@IsmJism]

HA - True - I get it

[@Sincityslim1983]

As much as I love Billy Joel, I'm really glad Keith Emerson got the number 1 spot. He's a keyboard virtuoso

[@DarlingtonII]

You forgot one other New Orleans keyboard artist off your list Dr. John.

[@anthonyfrancis2374]

Great to see Nicky Hopkins on the list so high up!

[@williamgreenfield9991]

"Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder" from the 3rd LP by Quicksilver Messenger Service "Shady Grove" is my favorite Nicky Hopkins song.

[@aristotleasparaguspodcast1129]

Bill Payne definitely deserves a mention. His work both as a member of Little Feat and as a session musician is fantastic

[@AlzataDiMano]

True.

[@drmanny1957]

Yep!

[@mctavish23]

Agree

[@realitythreshold]

Legendary keyboardist. Sad omission

[@michaelfendrich1864]

Absolutely. His iconic piano on "China Grove" (Session work for Doobies) should get him on this list.

[@mikekaratasios9093]

Nice. Jon lord 3rd. Id put him 1st tho

[@timriglar4502]

Deffo contender

[@anthonyfrancis2374]

He's a bit one-dimensional!

[@joshheitman5459]

Bill Payne of Little feat has got to be on the list. He was one of the greatest to tickle the ivories. But really enjoyed the video. Great content! Thanks

[@clausappel8086]

My number one is Jon Lord but I am glad you mentioned him at all. BTW: In my opinion Rick Davies is very underrated. Just listen to "Bloody Well Right", "Crime Of The Century" and "Child Of Vision" ...

[@rushyeskansas]

Emerson R.I.P, Wakeman and Lord R.I.P.. they are the greatest for me. Just missing here: Manfred Mann, Eddie Jobson, Geoff Downes, Kevin Moore, Kerry Livgren!

[@larsfocken3456]

No way Don Airey is No. 37! He‘s at least top 5!

[@peoriavideosltd6822]

Don A. and Jon Lord are my two favorites; very different styles and quite interesting that they are/were both in Deep Purple.

[@lucaandreoli5566]

I saw hum Live in July. The only thing I can say is: OH GREAT HEAVEN. He has literally drunk a glass of wine while soloing.

[@fenderstratocastertelecast8479]

Steve Porcaro, David Paich, Geoff.Downes, Oliver Wakeman, Igor Koroshev, Tony Kaye, Jonathan Caín, Dave Stewart, Geoff Nichols

[@TheMarzamat]

and Chris Stainton

[@jeanclaudebossonney7520]

@@TheMarzamat Anf Jon Cleary (maybe more funk than rock) and "Poppa" Funk Art Neville and Kenny Kirkland with Sting

[@kimallen5068]

Chuck Leavell should be in the top ten.

[@RJS1974]

Not sure I’d have Billy Joel over Elton John.

[@saurian11]

How is it that they put him above Rick Wakeman????

[@williamgreenfield9991]

Most people don't realize that Elton John is the piano player on the great rock song "Redneck Friend" from Jackson Browne's 2nd LP. On that tune he proves that he is right up there with Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis in the pantheon of great Rock and Roll pianists.

[@bennyscomin]

Goddamn right, Keith Emerson, hands down........composition, performance, ability to think on his feet and in action, and sheer balls and showmanship!

[@Tiill-The-End]

My top 6: 1 Keith Emerson 2 Jon lord 3 Rick wright 4 Rick wakeman 5 Tony banks 6 peter bardens

[@mctavish23]

These are all great and deserving selections. I'm disappointed though that Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers, Sea Level, Rolling Stones) and Reese Wynans (Captain Beyond, Stevie Ray Vaughn's Double Trouble, and many other sessions works), weren't recognized. Thank you.

[@reebuck6169]

No Chuck Leavell is a travesty

[@mctavish23]

@MichProgNerd My bad. Knew that and got sidetracked. That alone says a lot about his talent. Thanks for the heads up.

[@DeVille98Concours]

Chuck Leavell (Stones,Allmans) = definitely

[@luisdanielgarciahernandez7852]

Proud of see Ray Manzarek in top 4

[@drmanny1957]

HONORABLE MENTIONS?? Here are some possible runners-up. I'm sure at least a few could be deserving. Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant) / Andy Clark (Be-Bop Deluxe; Others) / George Duke (Zappa; Others) / Robert Lamm (Chicago) / Ian Underwood (Mothers Of Invention) / Mike Garson (Bowie) / Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat) / Edgar Winter (Solo) / Keith Tippett (King Crimson) / Mark Kelly (Marillion) / Ryo Okumoto (Spock's Beard) / Roger Powell (Rundgren; Bowie) / Jools Holland (Squeeze) / Geoff Downes (Yes; Asia) / Eddie Jobson (Roxy Music; UK)

[@CurtisBooksMusic]

Greg Phillinganes as well

[@raffyvalky4527]

Eddie Van Halen too!

[@littlerattyratratrat]

Andy Clark, yes! Bebop Deluxe!

[@demianmartinez634]

Chick Churchill (Ten Years After) too

[@dibber43]

Keith Emerson...THE greatest keyboardist in rock history!!!🏆

[@DimTod-ps2wi]

after THE MASTER JON LORD!

[@nongthip]

Love the videos, thank you. I would humbly suggest it's not so much a 50-1 ranking, more like here's 50 awesome rock keyboardists who at any given moment were a 50 or a 1 or anywhere in between. =)

[@TedBonkers]

Donald Fagen is extremely underrated

[@antonioeasypiano]

😢 I MISS KEN HENSLEY FROM URIAH HEEP!!!!! 😢

[@jeffseven2194]

If Hensley isn't on it it's no list

[@petersack5074]

TOTALLY AGREED, WITH ANTONIOpiano man, and jeffseven.....yup. SHOULD BE MANY # 1 's .....all bunched together, as ! ...er 1

[@antonioeasypiano]

@@jeffseven2194 The lack of recognition of Ken Hensley as one of rock's greatest keyboard/pianists parallels the underappreciation of Uriah Heep as one of the greatest rock bands in history. In music the value of the composition is greater than that of the execution, that is, an excellent composition, executed in a mediocre way, but faithfully and correctly, offers much more pleasure than the best execution of a bad composition. In this sense, it must be said that Ken Hensley was the great writer of the wonderful Uriah Heep songs, in addition to the prominence he gave to the keyboard in the musical ensemble. If this list values the composition and the prominence of the keyboardist in the rock songs, instead of simple virtuosity, it is inexcusable that Ken Hensley does not appear on it.

[@InnavIturag]

Billy Joel at the 2 place????? Before JON LORD & WAKEMAN??? NO COMMENT. 😖😖

[@joaquinlezcano2372]

I like that both Gary Brooker and Greg Rollie gets respect here 😊

[@nickbovi]

I would have had Gregg Rolie higher myself, but glad he is on the list.

[@butler-macdonald8351]

...and then they go and disrespect Steve Winwood by putting him at #13 🙄🙄

[@patricklemeur4607]

GARY et M .FISHER ...aussi!

[@AttilioG]

Tom Scholz, Larry Fast, Tony Kaye...

[@MANFRED.KALTZ.77]

John Lord-Number 1👍👍👍

[@andrewk5710]

While these lists mean nothing, Keith is also my number one. However, I’m thankful for all these wonderful keyboardists 💕

[@davidturleyeastcta1899]

Anyone who does not have Rick Wakeman at the top of this list, has not heard what he is capable of. He deserves number one hands down.

[@johnmarino4360]

As much as I love Wakeman I believe Keith should get the number one spot due to his fluency in literally all styles including Jazz and free improv whereas Wakeman fluency is mainly in the areas of Classical and Blues. Also Keith has the ragtime stride background as well further cementing is position at the top.

[@kratino]

Keith was a far superior composer and player.

[@michaelbeerbados3291]

@@kratino come on.. he was DIFFERENT. far more OUT THERE. Wakeman hit more notes accurately.

[@kratino]

@@michaelbeerbados3291 he hit far fewer notes.

[@jenniferbeyer6412]

He is good but he can't beat Keith Emerson, the King of Keys.

[@wildphil64]

Thanks for not forgetting Dave Greenfield ❤

[@ThirdRail7]

This is an interesting list. I'm curious about Rick Davies of Supertramp being placed on the list, yet Roger Hodgson of Supertramp was left off.

[@jimdukeproject]

Saw Don Airey twice with Deep Purple. He can do anything.

[@CristianAlsina-bh3hy]

Hey! Where is Vangelis?

[@quinelsantos5736]

Yes..... Vangelis and Ken Hensley

[@patricklemeur4607]

oublié !!.oui!

[@enriquehuryk2480]

Vangelis hizo muchos estilos musicales fusión de nueva era, pero pocos trabajos de rock, como Albedo 0.39 y Spiral puede decirse que es Rock progresivo, quizás Jazz eléctrico en Hipótesis,Earth rock, y algunos temas de otros álbumes. Psicodélico en sus comienzos con la banda que formó con su primo cantante Demis Roussos.

[@CristianAlsina-bh3hy]

@@enriquehuryk2480 el álbum "666" de su banda Aphodite's Child tiene algunas cosas propias del rock, tales como "Battle of the locusts" y "Do it", este ultimo tema con ritmo pro metal (con doble bombo)! Increíble. Sí, es cierto que el rock no es su marca distintiva en su composición, pero realmente el Maestro ha hecho un poco de todo. Un genio.

[@paulotamassia3549]

I agree....Keith Emerson the best.....

[@HassanNikfarjam]

Ken hensley?

[@CentipedeMKDS]

can’t miss him on hard rock

[@timriglar4502]

Too right!

[@soggyfranko4631]

Would be my number 1 for sure.

[@2is1acuity]

Love the list! Another great is Allen Lanier!! RIP

[@richardtorres3299]

Great list. Other notable mentions: Eddie Jobson (Zappa, Roxy Music, U.K.) and Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant).

[@CurtisBooksMusic]

If it's simply a list of 50 keyboardists it's very good. If the numbering is supposed to equal how good they are, it's horrible.

[@MJEvermore853]

Exactly

[@TedBonkers]

Love how Paul Mccartney is on all of these lists at some point

[@plue159]

Since that man inspires more people playing instruments than ever, so Paul Mccartney absolutely deserves every praise. He really makes bass guitar seems like a cool instrument rather background player.

[@michaelwalters3004]

Bill Payne..Little Feat

[@johnh2850]

McCartney shouldn’t be on any “best” musical instrument player list.

[@eyvithorgeirsson6028]

@@johnh2850He definitely should be in the top 50 best bassists and rock vocalists ever, probably even top ten on both those lists

[@johnh2850]

@@eyvithorgeirsson6028He shouldn’t be on any list of best keyboard players is what I should have said. I said nothing about vocalists though I certainly would not put him in the top 10. Nor would I put him in the top 10 bassists list.

[@charliemartin9702]

Great, you don't forget Patrick Moraz

[@DanGoodman-n4b]

How did Billy Payne of Little Feat not end up near the top. Even one if your top ten, Sir Elton, said Billy Payne was one of the best. And then there’s Bruce Hornsby. Not on this list WTF?

[@michaeloconnor5084]

What a great list, but it should be called, " 37 Keyboard players that I heard of and 13 more that I had to look up, listed in no particular order".

[@soulesscatastrophe3529]

jon lord is my number 1 all day

[@PeterJVogel]

Good list. I think the top 5 should be: 5. Wright, 4. Banks, 3. Lord, 2. Emerson, 1. Wakeman. These folks are better than Billy Joel and Ray Manzarek.

[@kentboadwine4224]

Hard to classify Billy Joel as Rock

[@tago69mago671]

Wright isn't top 50

[@BlueberryStinkFinger62]

Ric wakeman from Yes smokes them all

[@snuppssynthchannel]

Definitely not Emerson, Jan Hammer or Jordan Rudess.

[@elpelp1878]

Nope! Wakeman is very tacky..

[@edmadden2091]

Great list. I'm a big Jon Lord fan. RIP.

[@fslbob]

Jon Lord no 1

[@danilomitrovic1010]

Jon lord is number 1

[@riccardoangeli802]

Piano Man 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🎹

[@eileenryan2248]

Elton John.

[@poprostuja2885]

The first thing I did was to check if Keith Emerson is on the top

[@helenbirch5719]

Also #1, Steve Nieve who plays with Elvis Costello, from The Attractions forward. And somewhere up there, Bruce Hornsby

[@stevearrendale8341]

Bill Payne,Chuck Leavell ,Cory Levios,Kerry Lichtenstein,George Duke and the list goes on Ray Manzarek?You don’t play?

[@AntonXul]

Ken Hensley not making it hurt a bit. Surprised Mark Stein didn’t make it either. Was curious where Tony Carey, John Paul Jones, Doug Ingle & Jerry Lee Lewis were going to land. Surprised at Freddie Mercury making the list. Awesome. I love Symphonic Black Metal and I know they will never make a list like this, but I do love the atmosphere Mustis & Martin Powell made on the keys for their respective bands.

[@BeatlesGirl]

Loved Ken Hensley!

[@AntonXul]

@@BeatlesGirl Ken Hensley is my favorite keyboard player. I love how he sounds. He wasn’t showy, but played to compliment the music around him. My favorite song he plays on is “Circle of Hands”. The organ on that is beautiful.

[@BeatlesGirl]

My husband introduced me to him in the 1970s. I used to listen to his album "Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf" over and over and over again. One of my favorite albums of all time.

[@Stefan-lz7vj]

Where is Alan Clarke from Dire Straits?

[@africanfartingfrog]

#51

[@Lotman-yz9wp]

Alan Clarke is a living legend. He should be in top 10.

[@FOX6819]

At home in Whitley bay 😂😂😂

[@murilohumbertocmcb]

I'd NEVER put Billy Joel so high on this list.

[@stargirlzx]

Listen to root beer rag

[@apdavis]

@@stargirlzx Prelude/Angry Man, Summer, Highland Falls too

[@kentboadwine4224]

He wouldn't make a ROCK list

[@pablocespedes9585]

1.Lord 2.Wakeman 3.Emerson. 4.Richard Wraight 5.John Paul Jones

[@klozz2080]

The flying piano video alone makes Keith deserve number one