From psychedelic Hammond organs to stadium-filling synthesizers, join us as we explore the most iconic keyboard moments in rock history! From progressive epics to pop-rock anthems, these unforgettable melodies have shaped the sound of modern music. Which keyboard riff gets stuck in your head?
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:06And today we're counting down our picks for the recognizable or memorable keyboard
00:10sections from the world of rock music.
00:18Number 20.
00:19Kids.
00:20MGMT.
00:21The prevalence of keyboards and synthesizers within the pop music landscape isn't limited
00:26solely to the 70s and 80s.
00:36Kids from MGMT proved that cool musical licks of this sort could thrive within late millennial
00:42indie charts.
00:49The tune is catchier than Kindergarten Sneezes, thanks to an insistent, driving beat and one
00:55outstanding synth hook.
00:57That bebop of Ben Goldwasser's Synthesizer is instantly recognizable and practically
01:03dares the audience to dance.
01:05He even takes a righteous solo around the four minute mark that's very welcomed indeed.
01:14MGMT sounds timeless on this track, with kids existing within a wonderful conceptual vacuum
01:23between 80s art-pop and contemporary electronica.
01:34Number 19.
01:36November Rain, Guns N' Roses.
01:39There have been a lot of big, rockstar-type personalities that have come and gone within
01:44the lineups of Guns N' Roses.
01:50Slash, Bumblefoot, and Buckethead all come to mind, but keyboardist Dizzy Reed has remained
02:00a GNR constant since 1990.
02:03His work with the group has always been good, and November Rain could have easily been a
02:08shining moment for Reed in the studio.
02:15However it's songwriter and singer Axl Rose who handles the dramatic piano flourishes
02:21around the seven minute mark, while Reed delivers backing choral vocals.
02:33This takes nothing away from the support Reed has given GNR, but Axl definitely deserves
02:39all the flowers for composing this 90s rock classic.
02:46Number 18.
02:48Roundabout.
02:49Yes, the fragile album from Yes isn't only the group's finest musical hour, it's also
02:55one of the finest examples of 70s prog rock, full stop.
03:06Each member puts on a clinic here, but keyboard legend Rick Wakeman went above and beyond
03:12with regard to his array of equipment.
03:21Hammond C3 organ, Mini Moog synthesizer, and glorious Mellotron sounds all make appearances
03:28here, adding texture to Roundabout's heady trip.
03:38Wakeman also takes a solo on that aforementioned Hammond, demonstratively showcasing his influence
03:44upon just about every prog keyboardist to emerge in his wake.
03:55Number 17.
03:57Runaway.
03:58Del Shannon.
03:59It isn't a foregone conclusion that every golden oldie fan familiar with Del Shannon's
04:04runaway also stuck around long enough to check out his 1968 experimental psych recordings.
04:18That said, perhaps it's also fair to say that the decision to include a brief but memorable
04:23electric piano solo spoke to Shannon's progressive songwriting aspirations.
04:36The lick played by keyboardist Max Crook on his own invention, the Musitron, is a standout
04:42section of the song.
04:50In fact, the solo is so memorable that it stands on its own alongside Shannon's iconic
04:55falsetto singing, and this was no mean feat.
05:06Number 16.
05:07Gypsy.
05:08Uriah Heep.
05:10Britain's Uriah Heep came roaring onto the international rock scene with this debut single,
05:15one that served as a harbinger for heavy metal.
05:24Gypsy opens up with Ken Hensley's electrified organ and never looks back, crunching and
05:31flattening all with one hell of a steamroller riff.
05:41The single and album versions differ, in that the one taken from Heep's iconic Very
05:47Heavy Very Humble debut features extended solo sections.
05:59Both are incredible, of course, but the real ones know that the studio version's extended
06:04organ freakouts offer a view into Uriah Heep's monolithic 70s sound.
06:16Number 15.
06:18Trampled Underfoot.
06:19Led Zeppelin.
06:21Led Zeppelin's members brought a diverse set of musical influences.
06:25These helped Zepp's sound flow through rivers of rock, folk, and even funk.
06:35Trampled Underfoot is a great example of the latter, a tune co-written by bassist John
06:41Paul Jones, who also handles the clavinet electric piano.
06:46Jazzy, funky, and soulful fusion permeates Trampled Underfoot, a fun tune influenced
06:55by Stevie Wonder's Superstition.
07:03This inspiration is more than obvious, but Trampled Underfoot is infectious from the
07:07first notes to the last, demonstrating just how much range this legendary band had.
07:17Number 14.
07:18The House of the Rising Sun.
07:20The Animals.
07:22It wasn't only the 70s and 80s that had a lock on important keyboard sounds.
07:32Eric Burden and The Animals covered this folk standard in 1964, and immediately lent their
07:38own stamp to the tune.
07:45Their House of the Rising Sun is notable for Alan Price's spooky organ sound, a long
07:50solo run that adds tons of atmosphere.
08:00The proto-psychedelic sound of The Animals is prevalent here, while Price's playing
08:04feels both mournful and melancholic.
08:07Overall, however, The House of the Rising Sun is a group effort, a timeless classic
08:12rock tune where every member feels important.
08:21Number 13.
08:23Magic Man, Heart.
08:24Radio edits have, historically speaking, never been the place for extended instrumental jams.
08:35This is generally why they shortened these sections for commercial airplay.
08:39The version of Magic Man on Heart's debut album, Dreamboat Annie, features even longer
08:44guitar soloing, and many Moog synth performances really highlight the tune's 70s origins.
08:58Some detractors may claim that these analog synth flourishes date the song, but we couldn't
09:04disagree more.
09:12In fact, we dare to argue that the album version is the definitive one, a smoke and cut that
09:17deserves investigation if you've only ever heard the radio version.
09:24Number 12.
09:25Fanfare for the Common Man, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.
09:29Keith Emerson was no stranger to complex keyboard gymnastics.
09:34Case in point, ELP's Benny the Bouncer.
09:44The musician would outdo himself, however, on this reworking of a piece from the early
09:4940s.
09:57The track was originally composed by Aaron Copland in 1942, but was reworked by the band
10:03for their 1977 opus, Works, Vol. 1, with Emerson taking center stage on the keyboard.
10:17Emerson and the group would transpose Copland's piece into a shuffling, bluesy number to huge
10:23success, resulting in a fan-favorite ELP track, which followed the band throughout
10:28their career.
10:35Number 11.
10:36Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division.
10:38The keyboard melody of this entry may be comparatively minimalistic, but it's no less powerful or
10:44influential.
10:52Love Will Tear Us Apart is arguably the most enduring track from British post-punk band
10:57Joy Division's tragically brief career.
11:07Guitarist Bernard Sumner takes to the keyboards and echoes Peter Hook's riffy, melodic bass
11:12line while adding sweeps and swells of his own to make an already dramatic song even
11:18more so.
11:25It may not be a grand, complex part, but the keyboard's cold, haunting tone is perfectly
11:30suited to the song and is a perfect match for Ian Curtis's pained, vulnerable vocals.
11:43Number 10.
11:44Subdivisions, Rush.
11:46This song from Canadian rock legend Rush goes for the synthesizer glory right from
11:51the get-go with a solo performance from singer and bassist Geddy Lee.
12:03Subdivisions is taken from the band's 1982 album Signals, which itself signaled a turning
12:09point of sorts for the progressive rock outfit.
12:18The track showcased a streamlined and melodic sensibility new to the Rush sound, anchored
12:24by Lee's forward approach to using the synthesizer as a lead instrument.
12:32Indeed, the guitar work of Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart's drumming is almost restrained
12:39against the stirring and emotional melody line delivered by Lee in this massively influential
12:45Rush song.
12:53Number 9.
12:55Separate Ways, Worlds Apart, Journey.
13:05With its iconic opening keyboard melody, Separate Ways grabs your attention right from the start.
13:19Journey's Jonathan Cain possesses a striking tone to his chosen instrument, as his driving
13:24lick is quickly bolstered by guitarist Neil Sean's heavy staccato riffing.
13:29The keyboards then take a supporting role in Separate Ways as the song weaves its tale
13:34of a lonely lover promising devotion to his former flame, despite their separation.
13:47Cain's keyboards return for haunting effect near the end of Sean's guitar solo, then lead
13:52into a collaboration with singer Steve Perry to bring it all home for the song's epic finale.
14:02Number 8.
14:03Foreplay, Long Time, Boston.
14:06A Hammond M3 organ is the star of this early Boston classic, serving as one of the most
14:12memorable tracks from this arena rock band's multi-platinum debut.
14:23It's Foreplay, which serves as the most keyboard-centric section of the 1-2 combo, an instrumental
14:29track that hinges upon the quick arpeggio melody lines for primary effect.
14:41The song then segues into Long Time, a more traditional Boston track that utilizes the
14:46keyboards as a more understated but mood-setting accompaniment to Tom Scholz's layered guitar
14:52symphonies and Brad Delp's powerful vocals.
15:02Place them together and you have a tasty sandwich of keyboard goodness performed in that bombastic
15:0970's style.
15:14Number 7.
15:15The Final Countdown, Europe.
15:17It's perhaps one of the most famous keyboard parts of the 1980's, and one that was actually
15:23written by Europe's lead singer Joey Tempest.
15:32The Final Countdown is super slick, radio-friendly glam metal from a group that proved their
15:36stuff way back, during the earlier part of the decade.
15:49Early Europe may be heavier, speedier stuff, but The Final Countdown was tailor-made for
15:54Stadium Rockin'.
16:00The song's entire structure is based around Tempest's insanely memorable chord-keyboard
16:06lick, a decision at which the rest of Europe initially balked.
16:10It was, however, via Tempest's insistence that The Final Countdown was born, and 80's
16:16metal history was forged.
16:24Number 6.
16:26Space Divest, Dream Theater.
16:28The Kevin Moore era of Dream Theater was truly something special for fans of this progressive
16:33powerhouse.
16:42Space Divest might be one of the most emotional-sounding tunes of this era, and proof that the keyboard
16:48doesn't necessarily need to sound clinical or distant.
17:00The song is impressively experimental, utilizing spoken word and movie samples in a manner
17:05that Moore would further develop later in his career.
17:15The keys are 100% the star of the show, but vocalist James Labrie is also a big part of
17:21the song's success.
17:23Meanwhile, the instrumental coda featuring the entire band just sends shivers down our
17:29spines every time.
17:37Number 5.
17:39Jump, Van Halen.
17:47The Van Halen of 1984 was a band going through some serious changes.
17:58Not only were tensions between the band and vocalist David Lee Roth becoming worse and
18:02worse, but the hard rock band's sound was evolving into one that was increasingly incorporating
18:08keyboards, as opposed to the riff and two-hand-tapped guitar work that defined their early work.
18:19Jump summed up this new sound, propelling guitarist Eddie Van Halen's commercially friendly
18:23and catchy keyboard melodies into the Billboard charts.
18:27It's a driving and infectious ditty indeed, and fans responded in droves making Jump a
18:33number one smash in countries around the world.
18:42Number 4.
18:43Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pink Floyd.
18:47Talk about epic.
18:48Shine On You Crazy Diamond is a 9-part, 25-minute opus from Pink Floyd on their 1975 concept
18:55album Wish You Were Here.
19:00Split into two chunks which bookend the album, the song was composed as a spiritual ode to
19:06former member Syd Barrett, and serves as a fine example of Floyd at their most emotional
19:12and atmospheric.
19:20Particular attention should be paid to keyboardist Richard Wright, whose adept sense at keyboard
19:25creating mood makes it easy for lead guitarist David Gilmour to work his magic over the top.
19:32It's simply a match made in musical heaven.
19:41Number 3.
19:42Highway Star, Deep Purple.
19:45Moving on to something substantially less restrained, Deep Purple songs like Burn and
19:50Highway Star just might epitomize absolute pedal-to-the-metal perfection.
20:01Much of Highway Star's success can be attributed to the band's keyboardist, John Lord, and
20:06his insane runs on the Hammond organ.
20:15Lord trades off classically-inspired solos against his Purple bandmate, Ritchie Blackmore.
20:21Fiery runs that meet Blackmore note for note.
20:24Both musicians drum up dizzying technical flourishes, right on through the song's crash
20:29and burn finale.
20:37Lord and Blackmore would go on to co-perform on the comparatively mid-paced Perfect Strangers
20:43in 1984, but it was Highway Star that sealed the deal for many fans some 12 years prior.
20:54Number 2.
20:55Light My Fire, The Doors.
20:58It's a classic rock mainstay that is recognizable almost immediately, thanks to keyboardist
21:03Ray Manzarek and his intense musical skills.
21:14Manzarek was so talented with his chosen instrument, but The Doors rarely ever used a bassist when
21:19performing live, with the keyboardist filling that role via a Fender Rhodes piano bass.
21:31It's the Vox Continental organ here, however, that provides the song's most memorable attributes,
21:37from the unending middle solo to the playful riff that hooks us in from the get-go.
21:49Manzarek also flirts with the melody while supporting Robbie Krieger's inquisitive and
21:54quasi-flamenco guitar solo, before driving hard back into one of rock's most memorable
22:00musical moments.
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22:21Number 1.
22:22Baba O'Reilly, The Who.
22:24Pete Townsend and The Who are no strangers to composing rousing, epic keyboard melodies,
22:30as evidenced by their iconic 1971 track, Won't Get Fooled Again.
22:41It was the opening track to that same album, Who's Next?, which would go on to cement the
22:47band as certifiable rock gods.
22:56Baba O'Reilly is famous for the repetitive, layered synthesizer tracks that served as
23:01an undercurrent for Townsend's windmill guitar riffs and frontman Roger Daltrey's soaring
23:06vocals.
23:14The driving synth lines are then further expanded upon during the Townsend-sung bridge, as sparse
23:21melodic notes are used to accentuate the song's overt, dramatic atmosphere.
23:26The result?
23:27A classic rock masterpiece that still retains all of its original power.
23:38Do you feel that piano, synth, or organ flourishes add a lot to rock music?
23:43Or could you do without them?
23:45Let us know in the comments!