Good Pop "Piano" Songs

Cafe Society
1

I was listening to some music the other day and realized that even a bad pop song can be saved by some good piano playing.

The song that put this is my mind was “Good Thing” by Fine Young Cannibals. A weak to passable pop song that was released when I was in high school.

But there is a decent piano solo in the middle of the song that was pretty good.

Any other good piano song?

There’s the obvious: Billy Joel, Elton John, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ronnie Milsapp. Basically people famous for playing the piano.

Any other good pop songs that have suprisingly good piano instrumentals? Especially if it is “snappy.”

Any good Jazz I can look for? I love Kind of Blue, but it is “kind of blue.”

I need me some traveling music.

2

“Linus and Lucy” (aka the Charlie Brown theme) by the Vince Guaraldi Trio - You can’t get much snappier than that.

3

How about Ben Folds? He score high on the snap-o-meter.

4

Lynyrd Skynyrd used a lot of piano in their songs. Billy Powell is a great piano player.

5

“Kate” is a pretty good Ben Folds Five piano-y song.

6

Any and everything by Randy Newman.

7

[hijack] Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot… [/hijack]

8

Something Corporate is another group that has a lot of piano in their stuff.

9

There’s Randy Newman, sittin’ under a tree and singin’ about what he sees!

10

Check out Rufus Wainwright’s first and second albums.

11

The The - Uncertain Smile, which has piano by Jools Holland. More Jools on Squeeze’s Cool for Cats. Or you could try some Graham Parker and the Rumour - New York Shuffle has the kind of crunching chords that would make for good travelling music.