Pianists might not be the most rock and roll of all musicians but songs that have been written on the piano make some of the sweetest and most memorable tunes out there. Some of the best songs to learn on piano have made it into the pop and rock halls of fame. Here we are looking at the very best piano songs you should learn on the piano. Grab your sheet music and let’s learn to play!
Jessie by Joshua Kadison
The first song in our list is the massively underrated hit from Joshua Kadison, Jessie. Released in the mid-90s, it is easily one of the best pop piano melodies ever known. The person who was referred to as Jessie throughout the song was once rumored to none other than actress Sarah Jessica Parker. This was because Kadison was romantically involved with her at the time.
When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars took huge inspiration from pianists such as Billy Joel and Elton John. You can see this inspiration come through in When I Was Your Man as Bruno Mars sits at the piano and truly emotes through the chords. It’s a great song that is one of the easiest piano songs to play if you find the beginner sheet music. As you listen to it you feel the intimate moments throughout the song, as the music is completely stripped down to show the artist’s true emotions.
The Man with the Child in His Eyes by Kate Bush
Kate Bush has never been known for easy piano songs to sing along to or to learn to play. Kate actually took the musical influences from her family which then inspired her to go on and teach herself how to play piano when she was 11. This is a perfect example of how famous piano players get their start in life.
The Man with the Child in His Eyes was written by the artist when she was only 13 years old, and it’s a great song for such young talent. The music then went on to be recorded when Kate turned 16. As you listen to the music you will hear of a relationship between an older man and a young girl. Back in 2010 Bush revealed that the song was about her then-boyfriend Steve Blacknell.
Someone Like You by Adele
Adele is probably one of the most famous piano artists out there and a lot of her songs have been adapted for easy piano playing. Someone Like You is one of the most emotional pop songs to have hit the charts in recent years as the artist wrote it when her boyfriend broke up with her.
When speaking about the piece, Adele explained that she imagined finding her boyfriend again when she was 40 and found him with a wife and kids and is very happy. Her fear comes through in the song as she thought she would still be alone. The chords in the piano are easy to learn in both the right hand and the left hand, and when you go through a bad breakup it’s definitely the sing along piece of choice.
Clocks by Coldplay
Clocks by Coldplay is one of their more famous piano songs and it’s been adapted to suit beginners in multiple pieces of sheet music. The famous piano riff came straight into Chris Martin’s mind as he stayed up late one night in Liverpool. Once the chords were in place he took the sheet music to the guitarist in the band to see if he would like it too. The guitarist added in the guitar chords and together it made this chemically electric song.
Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin
Although you may not think of Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin being adaptable as an easy piano song, the chords and melody actually work really well for pianists. The song was specifically written for Franklin to sing and was released in 1967 as well as appearing on her 1968 album. Interestingly the backing vocals on the track were sung by The Sweet Inspirations which included Cissy, Whitney Houston’s mother.
All of Me by John Legend
This entry into the piano pop songs list was one of the biggest love songs in 2010. It actually started John Legend’s career and he quickly became one of the most admired and loved singers, songwriters and pianists of the generation. When you listen to the song you will probably be able to tell that it was inspired by his wife, Chrissy Teigen. All of Me was meant to represent how they balance each other out. Sheet music for the song is available online as well as easy piano versions.
Mad World by Gary Jules
Back in 1982 Mad World was originally recorded by Tears for Fears and featured on The Hurting album. In 2001 the song was re-recorded to become a cover version and soundtrack for the film Donnie Darko. Michael Andrews was the original composer and the vocals were provided by Gary Jules.
Mad World is an incredibly easy song to play on piano and is probably one of those pop songs that would be recommended for beginners. The sheet music is available for free online. It can be difficult to keep up with the different melodies and chords in the left hand and right hand but once you get the song down, it’s an easy piano song that will impress anyone who listens.
The song itself is such a beautiful example of how the world around us is mad, and how some people struggle with this throughout their life.
Children by Robert Miles
Over the past few years, a lot of artists have been turning to the piano as the go-to instrument for electronic and dance music. Children by Robert Miles is probably the best example of these types of pop songs. Miles said his inspiration came from the desire to have a song that would end a DJ set, calming ravers down before they drove home to hopefully reducing the number of car accident deaths.
Fallin by Alicia Keys
Could a song come from an artist with the last name keys and not feature some sort of piano? Fallin by Alicia Keys was one of the first songs to come from this artist and is still probably her most loved to this day. Coming through as an R&B soul anthem it took inspiration from the likes of Aretha Franklin to really pack a punch. Alicia first started to play the piano when she was six and began classical piano training when she turned seven. She would practice for hours a day, and you can certainly see this commitment to piano songs in the track.
A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton
When you are looking for a great piano song to play then probably the most searched for pieces of sheet music will be A Thousand Miles. This piano-centric song was the debut song from the artist and is easily still her most recognized piece to this day. The song’s intention was to talk about losing love and finding love that is so all-consuming that the lines of fantasy and reality become blurred. Vanessa first learned to play piano from her mother who was a professional pianist and also taught music at a school.
Let It Be by The Beatles
Let It Be was the title track from the last album The Beatles ever released. It saw piano legend Paul McCartney take to his piano and belt out a truly emotional message to those who were listening. McCartney said that he got the inspiration for this great song from a dream that he had about his mother. His mother, unfortunately, passed from cancer when he was 14, but he felt very blessed to see her in a dream and felt that the song could benefit anyone who listened to it.
Piano Man by Billy Joel
Has there ever been a more famous pop song pianist than Billy Joel? Of course, he had to make our list, and many of his pieces have been made into easy piano songs that even beginners can like. The chords used in this song are great for beginners, and there’s plenty of easy piano sheet music for this piece to help you out.
The music featured in Piano Man almost makes you feel as if you are sitting in a piano bar actually listening to the great man himself. He has a way of pulling the listener in. Once the song was released Joel later revealed that he would work in piano bars away from New York in order to pay his bills. Instead of playing under his stage name, he used the name Bill Martin and this was the Piano Man the song refers to.
Imagine by John Lennon
As soon as the first few chords of Imagine by John Lennon are played, it’s immediately recognizable. If there’s ever been a more iconic piano song and video, we’d love to hear about it! Lennon first thought up Imagine on an early morning in 1971 when playing his Steinway piano. Yoko, his wife, watched as he composed the full melody and arranged the sheet music to complete this timeless ballad. The beauty of this piece is that from the chords to the lyrics almost happened in a single quick writing session, showing the genius that Lennon was.
Your Song by Elton John
The final entry in our list has to be, of course, the legend that is Elton John. There are so many songs on piano easy mode that you can play by him, but Your Song has got to be one of the most iconic. We all remember this piece, where Elton remembers his career starting from his mother and grandma giving him his first piano. This is arguably one of the best pieces from the musician, and there are so many easy piano arrangements of it that you won’t struggle to learn it even if you are a beginner.
FAQs
What’s the easiest piano song to learn?
By far the easiest piano song you could learn is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It’s normally the first song all beginners learn on the piano.
What pop song should I learn on piano?
There are a lot of great pop songs you should learn on the piano. Take a look at the suggestions above to find one that you like the look of.
What is the best piano song?
Many people would turn to the classic piano songs and would probably say that Beethoven has the best piano song ever.
What is the hardest song to learn on piano?
Topping the list of difficult piano songs is Liszt with La Campanella. The piece is incredibly technically demanding and has huge jumps for the right hand. It also has a fast tempo which makes it almost impossible for most pianists to play.
Conclusion
There you have it, some of the best songs to learn on the piano. We hope this article gave you inspiration to go and tickle those ivories with some of these inspirational songs.
