100 GREATEST KEYBOARD/PIANO PERFORMANCES:
Edited By: beaverteeth92
~Updated 7/8/06~

1) Tarkus – Keith Emerson (ELP)
2) Close To The Edge – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
3) Karn Evil 9 (Suite) – Keith Emerson (ELP)
4) Highway Star – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
5) Roundabout – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
6) Light My Fire – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
7) Toccata – Keith Emerson (ELP)
8) Siberian Khatru – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
9) Trilogy – Keith Emerson (ELP)
10) Lazy – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
11) Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding – Elton John
12) Gates of Delirium – Patrick Moraz (Yes)
13) Firth of Fifth – Tony Banks (Genesis)
14) Hope for Happiness/Joy of a Toy - Mike Ratledge (Soft Machine)
15) Glad – Steve Winwood (Traffic)
16) Chameleon – Herbie Hancock
17) Outa-Space - Billy Preston
18) Catherine Parr – Rick Wakeman
19) A Whiter Shade of Pale – Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum)
20) Prelude/Angry Young Man – Billy Joel
21) Call Me the Breeze – Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
22) Lady Fantasy – Pete Bardens (Camel)
23) Supper’s Ready – Tony Banks (Genesis)
24) Struttin' - Billy Preston
25) The Barbarian – Keith Emerson (ELP)
26) Riders on the Storm – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
27) Thick As a Brick – John Evan (Jethro Tull)
28) South Side of the Sky – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
29) Dance of Eternity – Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
30) Take A Pebble – Keith Emerson (ELP)
31) The Way It Is – Bruce Hornsby
32) Dream – Jan Hammer (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
33) Mister Ten Percent (Suite) – Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat)
34) Great Gig in the Sky – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
35) Universal Mind – Jordan Rudess (Liquid Tension Experiment)
36) Fireball – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
37) Awaken – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
38) Metropolis Pt. 1 – Kevin Moore (Dream Theater)
39) The Three Fates – Keith Emerson (ELP)
40) 1984 (Suite) – Anthony Phillips
41) Piano Thing – Matt Bellamy (Muse)
42) Voodoo Chile – Steve Winwood (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
43) When the Water Breaks – Jordan Rudess (Liquid Tension Experiment)
44) Song for America – Kerry Livgren (Kansas)
45) Sheep – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
46) Butterflies & Hurricanes – Matt Bellamy (Muse)
47) Home – Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
48) Another Dimension – Jordan Rudess (Liquid Tension Experiment)
49) Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow (Suite) – George Duke (Frank Zappa)
50) Cans and Brahms – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
51) Catherine of Aragon – Rick Wakeman
52) Freedom Rider – Steve Winwood (Traffic)
53) Toussaint L’Overture – Gregg Rollie (Santana)
54) Fatal Tragedy – Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
55) Shine On You Crazy Diamond – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
56) Viva Pompeii – Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat)
57) Population Override – Travis Dickerson (Buckethead)
58) After the Cosmic Rain – Chick Corea (Return to Forever)
59) Rat Bat Blue – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
60) Knife-Edge – Keith Emerson (ELP)
61) House of the Rising Sun – Alan Price (The Animals)
62) Shuck It Up – John Medeski (Medeski, Martin, and Wood)*
63) Chosen – Kevin Codfert (Adagio)
64) Ticking – Elton John
65) Sysyphus (Suite) – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
66) Spartacus – Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat)
67) Across the Waters – Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat)
68) Chest Fever – Garth Hudson (The Band)
69) A Change of Seasons – Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater)
70) Proclamation – Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant)
71) Biaxident – Jordan Rudess (Liquid Tension Experiment)
72) Oye Como Va – Gregg Rollie (Santana)
73) Hold Your Head Up – Rod Argent
74) Interstices – Jordan Rudess
75) Paradigm Shift – Jordan Rudess (Liquid Tension Experiment)
76) The Musical Box – Tony Banks (Genesis)
77) Bitter Fingers – Elton John
78) Anne of Cleves – Rick Wakeman
79) Acid Rain – Jordan Rudess (Liquid Tension Experiment)
80) Daddy Long Leg – John Novello (Niacin)
81) Son of Mr. Green Genes – Ian Underwood (Frank Zappa)
82) Triangle – Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat)
83) Son of Your Father – Elton John
84) Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider – Pete Bardens (Camel)
85) Stagnation – Tony Banks (Genesis)
86) Foreplay/Long Time - Boston (Tom Scholz)
87) Magnum Opus – Kerry Livgren (Kansas)
88) The Cinema Show – Tony Banks (Genesis)
89) Jordrök – Tom Johnson (Änglagård)
90) No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed – Tony Kaye (Yes)
91) Heart of the Sunrise – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
92) Hush – John Lord (Deep Purple)
93) Nine Feet Underground – David Sinclair (Caravan)
94) Sound Chaser – Patrick Moraz (Yes)
95) The March to the Eternal City – Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat)
96) Empty Pages – Steve Winwood (Traffic)
97) Just the Same – Kerry Minear (Gentle Giant)
98) The School of Instant Pain – Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat)
99) Moondance – Jeff Labes (Van Morrison)
100) Sign in Stranger – Paul Griffin/Don Grolnick (Steely Dan)
101) Riding the Scree – Tony Banks (Genesis)
102) Needled 24/7 – Janne Wirman (Children of Bodom)
103) Duke’s Travels – Tony Banks (Genesis)
104) Frankenstein – Edgar Winter
105) Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
106) Another Saturday Night – Jean Roussel (Cat Stevens)
107) Running Hard – John Tout (Renaissance)
108) Rocket Man – Elton John*
109) Up the Khyber – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
110) Southbound – Gregg Allman (Allman Brothers Band)
111) Reason to Believe – Ian McLagan (Rod Stewart)
112) The Colony of Slippermen – Tony Banks (Genesis)
113) Noonward Race – Jan Hammer (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
114) Gimme Some Lovin’ – Steve Winwood (Spencer Davis Group)
115) Quantum Soup – Jordan Rudess
116) Get Back – Billy Preston (The Beatles)
117) America – Keith Emerson (The Nice)
118) Working All Day – Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant)
119) Peaches En Regalia – Ian Underwood (Frank Zappa)
120) Waiter, There’s a Yawn in my Ear – Mannfred Mann (Mannfred Mann’s Earth Band)
121) Return of the Giant Hogweed – Tony Banks (Genesis)
122) In the Land of Grey and Pink – Dave Sinclair (Caravan)
123) Journey to the Center of the Earth – Rick Wakeman
124) In The Light – John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
125) Playing the Game – Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant)
126) Burn Down the Mission – Elton John
127) Dancing With the Moonlit Knight – Tony Banks (Genesis)
128) Market Square Heroes – Mark Kelly (Marillion)
129) Grey Seal – Elton John
130) Tarot Woman – Tony Carey (Rainbow)
131) Magic Carpet Ride – Goldy McJohn (Steppenwolf)
132) The Battle – Rick Wakeman (The Strawbs)
133) Trip to the Fair – John Tout (Renaissance)
134) Soul Sacrifice – Gregg Rollie (Santana)
135) Boogie Woogie Waltz – Josef Zawinul (Weather Report)
136) Rhayader – Pete Bardens (Camel)
137) Soldiers of the Wasteland – Vadim Pruzhanov (DragonForce)
138) A Light in the Black – Tony Carey (Rainbow)
139) Child In Time – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
140) Martha My Dear – Paul McCartney (The Beatles)
141) Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers in that Quiet Earth – Tony Banks (Genesis)
142) Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys – Steve Winwood
143) Fritha Alone – Pete Bardens (Camel)
144) You Shook Me – John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
145) Incommunicado – Mark Kelly (Marillion)
146) Black Flame – John Tout (Renaissance)
147) Inside – Pain of Salvation (Fredrik Hermansson)
148) Won’t Get Fooled Again – Pete Townshend (The Who)
149) The Glass Prison – Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
150) Stage Fright – Garth Hudson (The Band)
151) The Hangman and the Papist – Rick Wakeman (The Strawbs)
152) Jealus Guy – Nicky Hopkins (John Lennon)
153) No Quarter – John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
154) Evil Ways – Gregg Rollie (Santana)
155) Sitting – Jean Roussel (Cat Stevens)
156) Space Dementia – Matt Bellamy (Muse)
157) Dogs – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)*
158) Ordinary Pain – Stevie Wonder
159) Robbery, Assault, and Battery – Tony Banks (Genesis)*
160) Cogs in Cogs – Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant)
161) Burn – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
162) In the Cage – Tony Banks (Genesis)
163) And You And I – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
164) Lazarus – (Porcupine Tree)
165) You Never Give Me Your Money – Paul McCartney (The Beatles)
166) Rotten Peaches – Elton John
167) Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann (Manfred Mann's Earth Band)
168) Far Beyond the Sun – Jens Johansson (Rising Force)
169) Flaming Telepaths – Allen Lanier (Blue Oyster Cult)
170) Pow R. Toc H. – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
171) Yes, the River Knows – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
172) Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? – Robert Lamm (Chicago)
173) Demon’s Eye – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
174) Apocalypse Please – Matt Bellamy (Muse)
175) Erotomania – Kevin Moore (Dream Theater)
176) Bridge Over Troubled Water – Larry Knetchel (Simon & Garfunkel)
177) Yours Is No Disgrace – Tony Kaye (Yes)
178) She’s Not There – Rod Argent (The Zombies)
179) Lucifer Sam – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
180) Superstition – Stevie Wonder
181) Three Minute Warning – Jordan Rudess (Liquid Tension Experiment)
182) Overture 1928 – Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
183) San Tropez – Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
184) Kashmir – John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
185) Rosalita – David Sancious (Bruce Springsteen)
186) Dreaming in Titanium – Jordan Rudess
187) As Above, So Below – Jens Johansson (Rising Force)
188) Black Diamond – Jens Johansson (Stratovarius)
189) Living for the City – Stevie Wonder
190) Ruled by Secrecy – Matt Bellamy (Muse)
191) Love – John Lennon
192) Blues Deluxe – Nicky Hopkins (Jeff Beck Group)
193) The End – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
194) Crystal Ship – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
195) Saturday in the Park – Robert Lamm (Chicago)
196) Layla – Bobby Whitlock (Derek & the Dominoes)
197) Lucky Man – Keith Emerson (ELP)
198) Tuesday Afternoon – Mike Pinder (The Moody Blues)
199) Behind the Lines – Tony Banks (Genesis)
200) The Mirror – Kevin Moore (Dream Theater)
201) Sunburn – Matt Bellamy (Muse)
202) Space Truckin’ – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
203) A Venture – Tony Kaye (Yes)
204) Carouselambra – John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
205) Getting In Tune – Nicky Hopkins (The Who)

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Updated 12/10/05

15 Greatest Keyboards/Piano Albums:

1) Brain Salad Surgery – Keith Emerson (ELP)
2) Close to the Edge – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
3) Machine Head – Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
4) The Six Wives of Henry VIII – Rick Wakeman
5) Tarkus – Keith Emerson (ELP)
6) Scenes From a Memory – Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
7) Fragile – Rick Wakeman (Yes)
8) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
9) Selling England by the Pound – Tony Banks (Genesis)
10) John Barleycorn Must Die – Steve Winwood (Traffic)
11) Octopus – Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant)
12) The Doors – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
13) On The Threshold of a Dream – Mike Pinder (The Moody Blues)
14) Illusions on a Double Dimple – Jürgen Fritz (Triumvirat)
15) Wish You Were Here – Richard Wright (Pink Floyd)

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Honorable Keyboard/Piano Solos:

Ray Manzarek - Light My Fire
Rick Wakeman - Roundabout, Cans and Brahms, Anne of Cleves, Close to the Edge, Siberian Khatru
Jon Lord - Highway Star, Rat Bat Blue, Lazy
Gregg Rollie - Oye Como Va, Toussaint L'Overture, Evil Ways
Keith Emerson - Tarkus, Rondo, Knife Edge, Lucky Man
Rick Wright - Sheep, Shine On You Crazy Diamond
John Paul Jones - In the Light
Elton John - Burn Down the Mission, Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Tony Banks - Firth of Fifth, Supper's Ready, The Cinema Show
Steve Winwood - Glad, Voodoo Chile
Herbie Hancock - Chameleon
John Medeski - Wiggly's Way, Shuck It Up, Syeeda's Song Flute, We're So Happy



Zach and Lew gave me permission to take over as editor of this list, so I am. Here are some performances I'd like to see on here:


Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis (VERY influential on rock music)
Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin (John Paul Jones) (much harder than it seems due to the pedals)
Sleeping in Traffic - Beardfish (Rikard Sjöblom)
All of the Above - Transatlantic (Neal Morse)
Space Shanty - Khan (Dave Stewart)
St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast/Father O'Blivion - Frank Zappa (George Duke)
Sacrament of Wilderness - Nightwish (Tuomas Holopainen) (VERY influential on the development of keyboard playing in metal)
Up on Cripple Creek - The Band (Garth Hudson/Richard Manuel)
Center of the Universe - Kamelot (Miro) (If it's eligible; not sure how much is orchestral and how much is keyboards)
Every single other track from Rick Wakeman's "The Six Wives of Henry VIII"
At least one Dr. John song (probably Croker Courtbullion)

I'm glad that this list is going to be revised, because it needs a major overhaul. As it stands, it's very unrepresentative of rock as a whole. Unless I missed something, there is nothing pre-1964 on the list, and the only black artist represented is Stevie Wonder, and none in the top 100. Since keyboards were more important to rock in the early days than at any time since, and black artists have been at least as inclined as white artists to use keyboards, it would seem that at least 1/3 of the list should either be pre-1964, by a black artist, or both, and maybe closer to half. I'm glad to see you're planning on adding a Jerry Lee Lewis track, but he should probably have more than one. Some other artists who are missing are Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Little Richard, Huey "Piano" Smith, Ray Charles, Booker T. Jones, and Aretha Franklin, to name just some of the more obvious ones.

Sorry pal, Saint Alfonso's Pancake Breakfast/Father O'Blivion is under Don't Eat The Yellow Snow suite.
Cathedral by Van Halen is a guitar.
Muffin Man is live and is by George Duke.

needs A LOT more Doors, and I mean A LOT. Look, we're going to top 200 here and only have 3 Doors songs, you could fit plenty more all over this list.

I really want to add more black artists, but I couldn't think of any definitive tracks by these guys. What would you recommend? The only one that really sticks out to me is Tutti Frutti by Little Richard. Not sure about individual stuff from Longhair, Fats, Smith, Ray Charles, and Aretha.

For Booker T. and the MGs, what do you think? Green Onions? And why don't you think St. Alphonzo's is eligible if it's part of a studio album? Yes, I know it's part of an overall suite, but it makes no sense to leave out a good performance because it's part of a concept album.


For The Doors, are these good?:

You Make Me Real
The Soft Parade
When the Music's Over
Orange County Suite
L.A. Woman

Completely agree with your statements and would love to see Tutti Frutti up there.

Those are all great Doors performances, but I also feel if this list is not just how purely technical the piece is, and is also based on composition, I think Touch Me and Soul Kitchen deserve some credit as well for there famous keyboard riffs, along with possibly roadhouse blues. But yeah, you hit the big ones. Also, I think pretty much every Doors song is an amazing keyboard performance, since they had no bassist, I was convinced for quite a while they did who was only there for albums, and then I found out Manzarek plays his left hand at a bass setting, and then every performance became like holy shit, because the bass parts were so vastly different from the right hand parts, whole new level of respect, and I already loved manzarek with a burning passion

They did have numerous studio bassists. The most common one was Jerry Scheff who played with Elvis.

Really? Then everyone who told me otherwise in the other thread was wrong, give me a sec

[/quote]

something like this lead me to believe they had no studio bassist...but I guess I was correct the first time before I thought? I was proven wrong...

They actually have 5:

6) Light My Fire – Ray Manzerek (The Doors)
23) Riders on the Storm – Ray Manzerek (The Doors)
167) Yes, the River Knows – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
191) The End – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
192) Crystal Ship – Ray Manzarek (The Doors)

The Doors have a lot of fine keyboard performances, but so do other artists. With there being a good deal of subjectivity in the criteria, and no one dominant keyboardist, I think the list should have a limit for performances by a given musician, to treat all keyboardists in a fair, balanced way. I think 8 would be plenty for anyone. Any more than that probably indicates a bias in favor of that keyboardist.

The comment on St. Alphonso came from KeithMoon, not me.

For me, the main thing is that the list should be representative and balanced. Precisely which performances are the best choices for each artist and style is a more difficult question. I'll try to get back to you soon on that, and in the meantime, I recommend that you also look into the question of which pre-1964 and which R&B, soul, and funk recordings do best in the criteria. But I wouldn't let the difficulty in determining the best choices for these styles stand in the way of including something from them, especially since those same questions arise for all styles.

Another thing at least worth considering is that the organ was frequently used on records by garage bands form the '60s, so there might be something there that could also be included.

The pianist on "Moondance" (#95) is Jeff Labes.

Agreed, and understandable, I agree there has to be cap on all of these. Beatles are my favorite band, and I feel they have so many amazing influential songs, than for the greatest songs of all time, you'd need at least 35 of there songs on the list, but we have like 5, and that's reasonable, because no one should dominate a list that much.

Speaking of the Beatles, "Lady Madonna" might be a good song to include.

I prefer Martha My Dear. And I'd put In My Life up there, but they didn't play the piano solo, I think they doubled the speed in the studio because their pianist (who for that song, was not Lennon), could not play at that speed. Idk if effects mark something down, but I believe if you're doubling the speed of something, it doesn't deserve to be considered what it is. That's why Dragonforce, who not only suck at guitar, but double everything they play in the studio making it invalid. I feel somewhat similar about In My Life's piano solo, though In My Life is my favorite song of all time, without a doubt.

Where would you guys put "Hope for Happiness/Joy of a Toy" by Soft Machine? I'm thinking #19 because it was one of the first instances of running an organ through effects, and it's still a damn intimidating performance to listen to.