Piano rock

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Piano rock
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
Typical instruments
Mainstream popularity Worldwide since the 1970s
Derivative forms Piano pop

Piano rock, sometimes referred to as piano pop, is a term for a style of rock music that is based around the piano, and sometimes around piano-related instruments, such as the Fender Rhodes, the Wurlitzer electric piano, and keyboard-based synthesizers, rather than the guitar as is the case with traditional rock music.

Contents

[edit] History

The roots of piano rock can be traced to 1950s rock-and-roll pioneers Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Fats Domino. Many of their frantic performance styles, such as kicking the piano bench out of the way to play standing, raking their hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic effect, and even sitting on the keyboard are now commonplace in modern piano rock and often seen in the performances of Billy Joel, Elton John, and Taylor Hanson.[citation needed]

Elton John, Freddie Mercury of Queen and Billy Joel can be considered the modern-day ground-breakers in the genre, with hits throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s merging the rhythm and blues sounds of pianists Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder with Jerry Lee Lewis-inspired rock and pop idioms.[citation needed] Pianist Roy Bittan made contributions to the genre with his playing on such albums as Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell, and Dire Straits' Making Movies.

Artists such as Tori Amos, Ben Folds, Keane, Something Corporate, and Fiona Apple have kept piano rock in the public consciousness throughout the '90s and into the 2000s. Recently, artists such as Regina Spektor, Vanessa Carlton, Sarah Slean, Anna Nalick and The Fray have kept its fan base going.

Some bands use electronic keyboards to create special sound effects.

[edit] Modern success with piano rock

 Music samples:

"Politik" (2002)

The first track on Coldplay's 2002 A Rush of Blood to the Head, using heavy piano riffs.
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Some modern artists still prefer using the piano instead of highly popular guitars. The following are some notable bands and artists who became famous with piano rock.

The English band Keane is known for not using guitars in their music. After their guitarist left in 2001, the still unknown band decided to not use guitars anymore, but rather focus on piano usage. In 2003, their piano rock songs "Everybody's Changing" and "Somewhere Only We Know" made them an internationally recognized band.

Ben Folds Five produced several hits in the 1990s including the songs "Brick" and "Song for the Dumped." Ben Folds has since been highly successful as a solo artist and producer.

Coldplay is another example. The singles "Trouble", "The Scientist", "Speed of Sound", "Clocks" and "The Hardest Part" set the piano as the main instrument, as well as the song "Everything's Not Lost" from the album Parachutes. However, Coldplay uses guitars on most of their songs, and lead singer Chris Martin said that their next studio album will not feature pianos.

Vanessa Carlton is best known for her single "A Thousand Miles", which features the piano as the lead instrument. The music reflects modern American pop and so it can be known by piano rock's alternative name, piano pop.

Recently, Denver-based foursome The Fray achieved success with their piano rock song "Over My Head (Cable Car)" and "How to Save a Life". Also the Houston-based band Blue October have made recent success with songs with such as "Calling You", "Hate Me", and "Into the Ocean", although their piano rock musical style is often fused with the post-grunge genre, making them more distinct.

Canadian singer Daniel Powter who released his first single "Bad Day" in his debut album Daniel Powter (2005). The song reached as high as within the top 10 on the music charts in some countries.

Evanescence, in 2006, released two Piano Rock singles, "Call Me When You're Sober" and "Lithium."

[edit] Notable piano rock artists

[edit] Recent piano rock achievements

[edit] Juno Awards

[edit] Grammys

[edit] ARIA Music Awards

[edit] Triple J Hottest 100

[edit] Brit Awards

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

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