# Good Pop "Piano" Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075 "2004-11-29T02:06:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/1 "2004-11-29T02:06:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/2 "2004-11-29T02:33:49Z")
“Linus and Lucy” (aka the Charlie Brown theme) by the Vince Guaraldi Trio - You can’t get much snappier than that. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/3 "2004-11-29T04:46:25Z")
How about Ben Folds? He score high on the snap-o-meter. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/4 "2004-11-29T05:52:30Z")
**Lynyrd Skynyrd** used a lot of piano in their songs. Billy Powell is a great piano player. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/5 "2004-11-29T06:02:01Z")
> [@pokey](#): > > How about Ben Folds? He score high on the snap-o-meter. “Kate” is a pretty good Ben Folds Five piano-y song. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/6 "2004-11-29T07:18:48Z")
Any and everything by Randy Newman. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/7 "2004-11-29T07:37:41Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > Any and everything by Randy Newman. [hijack] Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot… [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/8 "2004-11-29T19:09:58Z")
Something Corporate is another group that has a lot of piano in their stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/9 "2004-11-29T20:48:38Z")
> [@Stark Raven Mad](#): > > [hijack] Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot… [/hijack] There’s Randy Newman, sittin’ under a tree and singin’ about what he sees! ---
**Author:** ![Milkman\_Dan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Milkman\_Dan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milkman_Dan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/10 "2004-11-29T23:02:55Z")
Check out Rufus Wainwright’s first and second albums. ---
**Author:** ![ChristmasEve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@ChristmasEve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChristmasEve)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pop-piano-songs/277075/11 "2004-11-30T00:20:20Z")
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.