The 15 Greatest Keyboardists/Pianists in Rock and Metal

Good day to you all.

I have opened this blog for five simple posts. Greatest lists of all time in rock and metal based on my opinion. These lists will include: Top 15 Keyboardists/Pianists, Top 25 Bassists, Top 25 Drummers, Top 50 Vocalists/Frontmen, Top 100 Guitarists. These lists will probably be controversial. Some people (in fact, almost everyone) will disagree. Some will be disheartened or pissed off that their favorite didn’t make the list. You can always craft your own list.

We’ve heard the notions from different people in those metal documentaries that VH1 put out years back. I remember fondly the notion of “do keyboards belong in metal music?” The VH1 documentary believed keyboards in metal started with Eddie Van Halen playing “Jump”. Erm, probably not?

The truth is keyboards and piano not only belong in rock and metal, they are a mainstay. The piano/keyboard is an amazingly emotive instrument that everyone should enjoy listening to, and the guys that have made this top 15 list found the greatest ways to deliver that emotion to the ears of even the hardest-edged metal guy.

Please keep in mind as with any list that this is simply my opinion of who is the greatest based off of what I have heard out of them. Many factors come into play. Technique, emotion, songwriting, influence, and other factors led to the decisions made on these lists.

 

15. McCartney.

I will admit it: I am not a Beatles fan. This will also reflect in some of the lists, and it is bound to stir a heated debate into my musical credibility. However, despite my lack of taste for the Beatles discography, there is one man in the band who I think is an incredible musician: Paul McCartney. This man knows how to deliver fucking HITS. He may not be the flashiest pianist on the list, and there may be better technical players than him, but his influence, songwriting, and emotion get top marks in my book. This man is one of the best musicians in rock and roll history.

Selected tracks: “Maybe I’m Amazed”, “Lady Madonna”, “A Day in the Life”

 

14. Moore.

Prepare yourself now; there will be quite a few former and current Dream Theater members on these lists. One starts right here. I feel bad for people who haven’t heard the majestic work of Kevin Moore. Moore’s contributions to the first three Dream Theater albums lyrically and instrumentally are spectacular. Many people consider Dream Theater’s sophomore effort, the 1992 Images and Words album, to be their best work. I disagree, but the strong opinion is in large part due to the incredible contributions of Moore. I, in fact, am a bigger fan of the last album he did with them, 1994’s Awake.

Selected tracks: “Space-Dye Vest”, “6:00”, “Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper”

 

13. Lord

Prepare yourself for some Deep Purple members to make their rounds as well. Jon Lord is a legend in the purest sense. The problem is, not enough people pay attention to the keyboard players to recognize a man of such incredible talents. Lord not only became a composer like many keyboardists on this list have done, he also was the man behind the board for Deep Purple’s incredible run in the beginning before turmoil set in and drove the band apart. From there he became the keyboardist to a group known as Whitesnake, which would blow up in popularity a few years after his exit with a song he played on originally. Pay attention to the selected tracks and notice the push and pull between him and Ritchie Blackmore on the Deep Purple tracks.

Selected Tracks: “Highway Star”, “Burn”, “Here I Go Again ’82”

 

12. Airey.

 

Don Airey just edged out Jon Lord for a higher spot on the list. Odd, considering he was the choice after Lord for the Deep Purple reunion in the 00s and Whitesnake’s session musician when they hit it big in 1987. Airey could have just done the keyboards for “Mr. Crowley” and still have obtained a spot on this list. Truth is, he is one of the best session keyboardists rock and metal has ever seen. An incredibly emotive player, his compositions are next to none in fitting perfectly with a musical piece even if they don’t wow you technically.

Selected Tracks: “Mr. Crowley”, “Here I Go Again ’87”, “Bark at the Moon”

 

11. Lee.

Prepare to see a shit ton of Geddy Lee and Rush in general on these lists. As much praise as I heaped on McCartney earlier for being such an outstanding musician, Geddy Lee may be that much better. The voice, the boom, and much of the melody for Rush comes from one man. Geddy is accomplished as a vocalist, bassist, and as a keyboardist. Some of the best melodies from a keyboard (and best fits in an arrangement of instruments played by three outright madmen at their instruments) have been written by Lee. Perhaps Lee IS Rush. Or perhaps not.

Selected Tracks: “Tom Sawyer”, “Subdivisions”, “Countdown”

 

10. Silver.

Anybody that knows me knows that I am a huge Type O Negative fan, and it’s time the instrumentalists get their due. Josh Silver is like taking Ray Manzarek and turning him into a very gloomy and tatted up person. Silver not only makes up part of Type O’s sound with his keyboards, but also with his production. Silver and Peter Steele self-produced every single Type O release. Silver’s bombastic at times and creepily subtle at others arrangements were the perfect compliment to Steele and Kenny Hickey’s wide-spanning choral sound, covering sound over a very wide space.

Selected Tracks: “My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend”, “Todd’s Ship Gods (Above All Else)”, “Love You To Death”

 

9. Johansson.

Here’s a guy from a band you may not have heard of, and what a shame it is. Jens Johansson is the keyboardist for Finnish metal band Stratovarius, and he is a freak of nature. Combining medieval harpsichord emulations with clean, sparkly background harmonies that sound like crystals shattering on the ground, Johansson has carved out a niche as one of the most important (if not the most) pieces of the sound of Stratovarius. Also, remember those awesome Dragon Ball Z: Budokai soundtracks? Yeah, totally ripped off from a majority of Stratovarius (and Tower of Power) songs. Not saying I don’t thoroughly enjoy that, though.

Selected Tracks: “Black Diamond”, “Hunting High and Low”, “Infinity”

 

8. Wiberg.

Now this guy may be someone from a band that is gradually gaining much ground on the ears of an American audience. Per Wiberg may take a backseat to those spectacular guitarists in the magical progressive metal band that is Opeth, but one listen of the albums featuring Wiberg are sure to hook you. Wiberg has an uncanny ability (like many on this list) to fit so well with what the guitarists are doing in the song and to play arrangements that boost the overall sound in an incredible way rather than bog the song down with too much noise. Wiberg taking over in quieter, clean picking parts showcases his technical and compositional mastery.

Selected Tracks: “Atonement”, “Hours of Wealth”, “Folklore”

 

7. Wirman.

Three tracks are simply not enough to showcase the incredible talent and technicality of Children of Bodom’s Janne Wirman. One thing that immediately stands out in the music of the Hate Crew is the “Is that a guitar? No dude, it’s a keyboard.” frantic soloist mentality of Wirman. Don’t take that as Wirman just being incessant and overplaying by any means though. A repeated theme on this list is how well these technically proficient keyboardists are able to play in sync and occupy the same space as an incredible guitarist, and Wirman is no different, dueling at an extreme pace with CoB’s own Alexi Laiho whilst being able to arrange compositions that add an incredible layer of melody to their music. Prepare to be absolutely wowed.

Selected Tracks: “Hate Crew Deathroll”, “Blooddrunk”, “Mask of Sanity”

 

6. Bottum.

Roddy Bottum is one of the most masterful composers in rock and metal music hands down. If not for him, Faith No More would have sounded good, but not majestic. When Faith No More really blew up with 1989’s The Real Thing (including a lead single everyone should know, “Epic”), the world was shown what the new era of rock music was all about. Sabbath influenced guitarist, African rhythm studying drummer, classically trained pianist. Nirvana may have killed 80’s hair bands for good, but Faith No More was a huge reason for the tectonic shift. Bottum’s outro to “Epic” combined with his future work on the 1992 album Angel Dust made me a FNM fan for life.

Selected Tracks: “Epic”, “Falling to Pieces”, “A Small Victory”

 

5. Wright.

This is just the first, and definitely not the last, time you will see a member of Pink Floyd on the lists I am doing. Bottoming out the Top 5 all time is Richard Wright. Very few times you get so many geniuses in one room, and if not for Wright and Pink Floyd, would progressive rock and metal ever have achieved any recognition beyond the musicians and art folks? Influencing a vast amount of bands and musicians over the years, Pink Floyd are usually the staple in how to do prog rock and art rock. Sometimes taking a backseat to legends like David Gilmour and Roger Waters, Wright’s contributions are not to be overlooked. Has he ever been technically jaw-dropping? Not necessarily. But he didn’t have to be. His musicianship and arrangements have given birth to legendary songs that will stand as long as Stonehenge.

Selected Tracks: “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, “Us and Them”, “Any Colour You Like”

 

4. Wakeman.

When you get to the top 5, everybody can stake claims to that top spot. Rick Wakeman is no exception. Yes’s best album may in fact be the 1971 mindblower that is Fragile, and Wakeman’s contributions to the Yes discography cannot be overlooked. That alone could solidify him a spot on this list such as Don Airey’s contributions to Ozzy Osbourne could, but truth be told Wakeman is sought after for the simple fact that he is one of the best walking the earth. His flashy attire (see above) perfectly suits his incredibly flashy and jaw-dropping playing ability. Never mind the fact that he is one of the best musical composers and has an impressive solo career to boot. Wakeman can make a case for the top spot and many would agree with it.

Selected Tracks: “Roundabout”, “Close to the Edge”, “Heart of the Sunrise”

 

3. Manzarek.

As I said, everyone in this top 5 can probably make a claim for the top spot. This one is no different. Ray Manzarek helped define a generation with his pals Robby Krieger, John Densmore, and some dude named Jim. Remember hearing the bass in the music of The Doors? That ain’t bass. That’s Ray Manzarek playing a keyboard bass while playing his actual keyboard. Seriously, holy shit. The man is one incredible talent and his compositions have spun off a number of massively successful hits. The Doors’ heyday was led by a guy named Jim, but Ray’s wizardry behind the keys skyrocketed the musicianship of the band to astronomical heights. Manzarek’s influence and inspiration is far-reaching and his impact simply cannot be measured.

Selected Tracks: “Light My Fire”, “Riders on the Storm”, “Touch Me”

 

2. Emerson.

It could get controversial here. Every man in the top 5 has a claim for number 1, however. This man definitely does. Keith Emerson is mind-bogglingly incredible on the keys and is perhaps the greatest innovator of keyboards in rock music. Why do you think his name is the first one in Emerson, Lake, and Palmer? That may not be by chance. He allowed songs to breathe before taking the breath of the listener away with head-spinning compositions and shocking technicality. He destroyed Moog and Korg synthesizers with his dexterous fingers, almost as if they had been lit on fire by the man himself. Keith Emerson makes me feel bad that he is not number 1 on my list due to the incredible skill of the man.

Selected Tracks: “Karn Evil 9”, “Lucky Man”, “Tarkus”

 

1. Rudess.

I have never been as blown away by any keyboard compositions as I have been with Jordan Rudess. Dream Theater’s wizard behind the keys is the perfect combination of emotive and technical that the criteria called for. The man is able to push and pull with John Petrucci in a dueling manner whilst being able to deliver melodic, beautiful passages that would make any man weep and sob. Anyone that knows my love of Dream Theater will think this is a super-biased position, but listen to the album Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory and you will understand the reasoning behind Rudess deserving a placement atop the list. Rudess’s arrangements will leave you flabbergasted in the very least and will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.

Selected Tracks: “The Glass Prison”, “Acid Rain”, “Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity”

 

I hope you enjoyed reading this list as much as I did making it. Leave a comment sharing your approval, disapproval, hatred of me, love for me, anything you prefer. Next up: Top 25 Bassists.