Most people who start piano lessons want to play the songs they already love: the melody from a film, a tune that keeps turning up on Instagram reels, or a classical piece they first heard at a school function. Some of these pieces are perfect for beginners, while others take years of practice to master.
Below you will find the most famous piano songs and pieces in one quick list, followed by a closer look at each one, sorted into classical and modern favourites.
The best Piano tutors available
Rohan
₹500
/h
1st class free!
Vishesh
₹1,140
/h
1st class free!
Shashank
₹1,000
/h
1st class free!
Stevenson
₹400
/h
1st class free!
Mrinmay
₹800
/h
1st class free!
Manish
₹750
/h
1st class free!
Debojoti
₹799
/h
1st class free!
Sudhanshu
₹1,200
/h
1st class free!
Rohan
₹500
/h
1st class free!
Vishesh
₹1,140
/h
1st class free!
Shashank
₹1,000
/h
1st class free!
Stevenson
₹400
/h
1st class free!
Mrinmay
₹800
/h
1st class free!
Manish
₹750
/h
1st class free!
Debojoti
₹799
/h
1st class free!
Sudhanshu
₹1,200
/h
1st class free!
Famous Piano Songs at a Glance
If you only have time for ten, start with these. Each one is instantly recognisable, and together they cover four centuries of famous piano music.
- Für Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven (1810, classical)
- Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven (1801, classical)
- Clair de lune by Claude Debussy (published 1905, classical)
- Turkish March by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (c. 1783, classical)
- Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin (1830–32, classical)
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (1975, rock)
- Imagine by John Lennon (1971, pop)
- River Flows in You by Yiruma (2001, contemporary)
- Someone Like You by Adele (2011, pop)
- Clocks by Coldplay (2002, rock)
Famous Piano Pieces from the Classical Repertoire
These are the works that piano teachers, exam syllabuses and concert halls keep coming back to. They run from the Baroque period to the early 20th century, when ragtime and jazz began to blur the line between classical and popular music.
Prelude in C Major, BWV 846 by J.S. Bach
- Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
- Year: 1722 (from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1)
- Why the piano part is famous: It is built entirely from flowing broken chords, which makes it a classic early-intermediate study. Charles Gounod later wrote his Ave Maria melody over it.
Turkish March by Mozart
- Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Year: c. 1783 (third movement of Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331)
- Why the piano part is famous: Its bright, marching rhythm shows off the talent of this famous composer and is recognisable within a few notes. It is well known, but playing it cleanly needs solid finger technique and the ability to read music fluently.
Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven
- Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
- Year: 1801 (Piano Sonata No. 14)
- Why the piano part is famous: The slow, hypnotic triplets of the first movement are among the most played passages in classical music. The "Moonlight" nickname came from a critic after Beethoven's death, not from the composer.
Für Elise by Beethoven
- Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
- Year: 1810 (published in 1867)
- Why the piano part is famous: The opening theme is often one of the first "real" pieces taught to beginners, although the full piece needs an intermediate level. Find out more about piano classes to learn it properly.
Nocturne in E-flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 by Chopin
- Composer: Frédéric Chopin
- Year: 1830–32
- Why the piano part is famous: A singing, ornamented right-hand melody floats over a gentle, waltz-like left hand. It is the piece most people picture when they think of Romantic-era piano.
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Liszt
- Composer: Franz Liszt
- Year: 1847
- Why the piano part is famous: It moves from a slow, brooding opening to a dazzling, rapid finale, showing off a pianist's speed and power. Many people first heard it in the 1947 Tom and Jerry cartoon The Cat Concerto.
Gymnopédie No. 1 by Satie
- Composer: Erik Satie
- Year: 1888
- Why the piano part is famous: Its slow, sparse melody and swaying chords sound calm and modern, even today. It is a favourite with late-beginner pianists because the notes are simple, but the mood is hard to get right.
Clair de lune by Debussy
- Composer: Claude Debussy
- Year: composed around 1890, published in 1905 (from Suite bergamasque)
- Why the piano part is famous: Soft, shimmering harmonies make it a defining work of musical Impressionism. Controlling the pedal and the quietest dynamics is the real challenge.
Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff
- Composer: Sergei Rachmaninoff
- Year: 1900–01
- Why the piano part is famous: It opens with a series of deep, bell-like chords that build into sweeping, romantic themes. Rachmaninoff's large hands shaped the wide chord stretches that make it so demanding.
The Entertainer by Scott Joplin
- Composer: Scott Joplin
- Year: 1902
- Why the piano part is famous: The bouncy, syncopated right hand over a steady "oom-pah" left hand is ragtime at its best. The 1973 film The Sting brought it back to worldwide fame.
Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin
- Composer: George Gershwin
- Year: 1924
- Why the piano part is famous: Written for solo piano and jazz band, it mixes classical structure with jazz rhythms and blues harmonies. The piano solos are bold, showy and full of character.
The best Piano tutors available
Rohan
₹500
/h
1st class free!
Vishesh
₹1,140
/h
1st class free!
Shashank
₹1,000
/h
1st class free!
Stevenson
₹400
/h
1st class free!
Mrinmay
₹800
/h
1st class free!
Manish
₹750
/h
1st class free!
Debojoti
₹799
/h
1st class free!
Sudhanshu
₹1,200
/h
1st class free!
Rohan
₹500
/h
1st class free!
Vishesh
₹1,140
/h
1st class free!
Shashank
₹1,000
/h
1st class free!
Stevenson
₹400
/h
1st class free!
Mrinmay
₹800
/h
1st class free!
Manish
₹750
/h
1st class free!
Debojoti
₹799
/h
1st class free!
Sudhanshu
₹1,200
/h
1st class free!
Famous Piano Music in Pop, Rock, Jazz and Film
From jazz standards to film scores and chart-topping ballads, these songs prove that the piano is just as central to modern music. Many of them are great choices if you want to sing and play at the same time.
Take Five by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
- Artist: The Dave Brubeck Quartet (written by Paul Desmond)
- Year: 1959
- Why the piano part is famous: Brubeck's repeating piano vamp in the unusual 5/4 time signature holds the whole track together. It is one of the best-selling jazz singles of all time.
Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles
- Artist: Ray Charles (written by Percy Mayfield)
- Year: 1961
- Why the piano part is famous: A descending, jazz-influenced bass line drives this upbeat hit. It is fun to play and a great introduction to rhythm and groove.
Let It Be by The Beatles
- Artist: The Beatles (Paul McCartney on piano)
- Year: 1970
- Why the piano part is famous: It uses only a handful of simple chords, which makes it one of the most popular first songs for learners who want to accompany themselves.
Imagine by John Lennon
- Artist: John Lennon
- Year: 1971
- Why the piano part is famous: A simple, moving accompaniment for a song that became an anthem for world peace. Novice pianists can usually play it after a few lessons.
Piano Man by Billy Joel
- Artist: Billy Joel
- Year: 1973
- Why the piano part is famous: Its waltz-time piano part and storytelling lyrics, inspired by Joel's time as a lounge pianist, made it the signature song of the singer-pianist.
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
- Artist: Queen (written by Freddie Mercury)
- Year: 1975
- Why the piano part is famous: Freddie Mercury's piano ballad section is one of the most recognisable passages in rock, before the song switches into opera and hard rock.
Hold the Line by Toto
- Artist: Toto
- Year: 1978
- Why the piano part is famous: The pounding, fast piano chords are the song's hook. They are accessible to beginners, and the main challenge is coordinating both hands.
Mistral Gagnant by Renaud
- Artist: Renaud
- Year: 1985
- Why the piano part is famous: This French classic is loved for its tender piano introduction, which has been covered by many French artists. You can learn it with piano classes in Pune on Superprof.
Changes by 2Pac
- Artist: 2Pac (Tupac Shakur)
- Year: 1998 (released after his death)
- Why the piano part is famous: Its piano riff is sampled from Bruce Hornsby's 1986 hit The Way It Is. The intro is achievable for beginners after a few piano lessons online.
River Flows in You by Yiruma
- Artist: Yiruma (South Korea)
- Year: 2001
- Why the piano part is famous: A slow yet flowing melody over simple, repeating patterns has made it one of the most requested pieces among learners. Many listeners link it with the Twilight films.
Comptine d'un autre été, l'après-midi by Yann Tiersen
- Artist: Yann Tiersen (France)
- Year: 2001
- Why the piano part is famous: Its melancholic, repeating left-hand pattern and delicate melody were made famous by the film Amélie.
One Summer's Day by Joe Hisaishi
- Artist: Joe Hisaishi (Japan)
- Year: 2001
- Why the piano part is famous: This gentle, nostalgic theme from the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away is a favourite with anime fans and pianists around the world.
Clocks by Coldplay
- Artist: Coldplay
- Year: 2002
- Why the piano part is famous: Chris Martin's fast, cascading piano riff is the whole identity of the song. It is a great exercise in keeping broken chords steady.
A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton
- Artist: Vanessa Carlton
- Year: 2002
- Why the piano part is famous: The energetic opening riff is one of the most recognisable piano intros of the 2000s.
If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys
- Artist: Alicia Keys
- Year: 2003 (single released in 2004)
- Why the piano part is famous: Keys is a classically trained pianist, and her soulful chords drive this R&B ballad, which won a Grammy Award.
Nuvole Bianche by Ludovico Einaudi
- Artist: Ludovico Einaudi (Italy)
- Year: 2004
- Why the piano part is famous: Its title means "white clouds", and its simple, repeating motif slowly builds in intensity. It is one of the best-known pieces of modern solo piano.
Divenire by Ludovico Einaudi
- Artist: Ludovico Einaudi (Italy)
- Year: 2006
- Why the piano part is famous: A slow tempo and a familiar-sounding, cinematic feel make it a popular contemporary choice for pianists.
New Soul by Yael Naim
- Artist: Yael Naim
- Year: 2007
- Why the piano part is famous: Its bouncy, hopeful piano line became widely known after it featured in an Apple advertisement in 2008.
Someone Like You by Adele
- Artist: Adele (co-written with Dan Wilson)
- Year: 2011
- Why the piano part is famous: The song is just voice and piano, built on a flowing broken-chord pattern that many listeners know by heart.
Bonus: Other Famous Classical Piano Pieces to Explore
Once you have worked through the list above, these pieces by the same great composers are worth adding to your playlist:
- Debussy: Arabesque No. 1
- Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66
- Wagner: Isolde's Liebestod (in Liszt's piano transcription)
- Liszt: La Campanella
- Brahms: Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118 No. 2
- Rachmaninoff: Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3 No. 2
Vocabulary
Sonata
A composition for two instruments, generally in three or four movements.
Concerto
A composition in the style of a sonata, written for an orchestra and a soloist.
Do you want to become a famous pianist? You can find a list of famous pianists here.
Summarise with AI:
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
