Monday, June 6, 2011

Greatest Rock Keyboard Players - Pianists


Rock keyboard players in bands don't get as much recognition for songwriting and performing as lead singers and guitar players do. Below is the complete list of the 100 Greatest Rock Keyboard players. Before you freak out about missing names; there is also a list below of the Greatest Rock Pianists. This list comes from the site, of which I have reposted other lists from before, www.digitaldreamdoor.com.  Where is Foreigner? Foreigner has specialized in Synthesisers; and this is one of the reasons the band broke up in the late 1980s because of disagreements between Mick Jones and Lou Grahm regarding synthesisers verses a heavy rock guitar style. I didn't see any of the keyboard players from Foreigner like Ian McDonald or Mick Jones listed. Also, I believe David Bryan from Bon Jovi is underrated, but he at least received an honorable mention on the list below. My number one vote for greatest rock keyboardist is Jonathan Cain from Journey.  I will not disclose my vote for greatest pianists because I am sure that there are more deep heated debates over that list. Please comment who you would vote for as the Greatest Rock Keyboardist and Pianist. - Kenny Leibow

Greatest Rock Keyboard Players
1. Keith Emerson (ELP)
2. Rick Wakeman (Yes)
3. Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
4. Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
5. Richard Wright (Pink Floyd)
6. Tony Banks (Genesis)
7. Billy Preston
8. Rod Argent (Zombies, Argent)
9. Steve Winwood (Traffic)
10. Al Kooper (Blood Sweat & Tears)
11. Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum, Solo)
12. Booker T. Jones
13. Ian Underwood (The Mothers Of Invention)
14. Gregg Allman (Allman Brothers Band)
15. Tony Hymas (Jeff Beck)
16. Jan Hammer
17. Nicky Hopkins (Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck)
18. Gregg Rolie (Santana, Journey)
19. Brian Eno
20. Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, The Dregs)
21. Richard Tandy (ELO)
22. Dennis De Young (Styx)
23. Jens Johansen (Yngwie Malmsteen)
24. Kerry Livgren (Kansas)
25. Kevin Moore (Dream Theater)
26. T. Lavitz (The Dregs)
27. Don Airey (Rainbow, Ozzy, Deep Purple)
28. Garth Hudson (The Band)
29. David Sancious (Springsteen, Santana, Sting)
30. Ian Mclagan (Rolling Stones, Faces)
31. George Duke (Frank Zappa/Solo)
32. Allan Zavod (Frank Zappa)
33. Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello)
34. Max Middleton (Jeff Beck)
35. Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
36. Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater)
37. Jimmy Greenspoon (Three Dog Night)
38. Jon Carin (Pink Floyd, Roger Waters)
39. Tony MacAlpine
40. Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep)
41. Benmont Tench (The Heartbreakers)
42. Isaac Hayes
43. Stevie Wonder
44. Amos Milburn
45. Jonathan Cain (Journey, Solo)
46. Geoff Downes (Yes, Asia)
47. Allen Ravenstine (Pere Ubu)
48. Roy Bittan (E Street Band)
49. Patrick Moraz (Moody Blues, Yes, Solo)
50. Matt Bellamy (Muse)
51. Alan Price (The Animals)
52. Leon Russell
53. Michael Mcdonald (Doobie Borothers)
54. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
55. Bob Mayo (Frampton)
56. Mike Pinder (Moody Blues)
57. Tony Kaye (Yes)
58. Bill Payne (Little Feat)
59. Richard Tee (Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, James Brown)
60. Claudio Simonetti (Goblin)
61. Bernie Worrell (Talking Heads, Funkadelic)
62. David Rosenthal (Rainbow)
63. Roddy Bottum (Faith No More)
64. Robert Lamm (Chicago)
65. Michael Pinella (Symphony X)
66. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (Grateful Dead)
67. Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones)
68. Michael Brown (Left Banke, Stories, Montage)
69. Peter Bardens
70. Jools Holland (Squeeze)
71. Bobby Whitlock (Derek & The Dominos)
72. Mike Ratledge (Soft Machine)
73. Neal Doughty (REO Speedwagon)
74. Mike Garson (David Bowie)
75. Larry Knechtel (Bread, Smith)
76. Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)
77. Burton Cummings (Guess Who)
78. Gary Wright
79. Lee Michaels
80. Jeff Chimenti (Rat Dog, The Dead)
81. John Evan (Jethro Tull)
82. Chris Stainton (Joe Cocker's Grease Band)
83. Dick Sims (Eric Clapton, Bob Seger)
84. Rick Davies (Supertramp)
85. Paul "Wix" Wickens (Paul McCartney)
86. Roger Powell (Todd Rundgren, David Bowie)
87. Mark Mancina (Yes)
88. Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge)
89. Felix Cavaliere (Rascals)
90. Page McConnell (Phish)
91. Edgar Winter
92. Art Neville
93. Vincent Crane (Arthur Brown)
94. Roger O'Donnell (The Cure)
95. Mark Kelly (Marillion)
96. Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart)
97. Janne Warman (Children of Bodom, Warmen)
98. Goldy McJohn (Steppenwolf)
99. Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant)
100. Manfred Mann



Doug Ingle (Iron Butterfly)
Geddy Lee (Rush)
Howard Jones
David Greenfield (The Stranglers)
John "Rabbit" Bundrick (The Who)
Tony Carey (Rainbow)
Steve Walsh (Kansas)
Brent Mydland (Grateful Dead)
Barry Goldberg (Electric Flag)
Donald Fagen (Steely Dan)
Stephen Stills
Eddie Jobson (UK, Roxy Music)
Greg Hawkes (Cars)
Reese Wynans (Double Trouble)
Gene Taylor (Fabulous Thunderbirds)
Pete Townshend (The Who)
Eddie Van Halen
John "Jojo" Herman (Widespread Panic)
Keith Tippett (King Crimson)
David Bryan (Bon Jovi)
Andrew Fletcher (Depeche Mode)
Moby
John Herndon (Tortoise)
Alan Fitzgerald (Night Ranger)
Simon House (Hawkwind)
Alan Pasqua (sessions-Damn Yankees)



1. Jerry Lee Lewis
2. Professor Longhair
3. Ray Charles
4. Elton John
5. Billy Joel
6. Little Richard
7. Fats Domino
8. Randy Newman
9. Keith Emerson
10. Rick Wakeman
11. Dr. John
12. Huey "Piano" Smith
13. Tony Banks (Genesis, Solo)
14. Leon Russell
15. Bruce Hornsby
16. Ian McLagan (Small Faces)
17. Stevie Wonder
18. Nicky Hopkins (Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck)
19. Esquerita
20. Ben Folds
21. Gary Brooker (Procol Harum)
22. Ian Stewart (Rolling Stones)
23. Spooner Oldham
24. Roy Bittan (E-Street Band)
25. Freddie Mercury (Queen)
26. Carole King
27. Joe Jackson
28. Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello)
29. Paul McCartney
30. Laura Nyro
31. Neil Sedaka
32. Tori Amos
33. Jack Nitzsche
34. Alan Price (The Animals)
35. David Sancious (Springsteen, Santana, Sting)
36. Jools Holland (Squeeze)
37. David Foster
38. Larry Knechte (Bread, Smith)
39. John Cale (The Velvet Underground)
40. Warren Zevon
41. Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople)
42. Paul Carrack (Squeeze)
43. Jim Dickinson
44. Tom Waits
45. Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys)
46. Carly Simon
47. John Legend
48. Mark "Moogy" Klingman (Utopia)
49. Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
50. Van Dyke Parks
51. Chris Martin (Coldplay)
52. Pete Wingfield (The Olympic Runners)
53. Matt Rollings
54. John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting)
55. Russ Conway
56. Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane)
57. Sarah McLachlan
58. Dan Fogelberg
59. Ed Harcourt
60. Sheldon Miller (This Is Me Smiling)
61. Delta Goodrem
62. Alicia Keys
63. Brenda Russell
64. Rufus Wainwright

3 comments:

james said...

Alarming exclusion - BILLY RITCHIE, Rock's first lead keyboard player, without whom there would be no Emerson, Wakeman etc. Check Wikipedia; AllMusicGuide; Encyclopedia of Popular Music etc etc!

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