10 best piano pieces and songs ever written

Presenting the nkoda app’s top ten piano titles for the year - 2022 edition. A selection of the most innovative, imaginative, diverse and in-demand titles from the library. 

Previous blog articles have curated the best piano pieces in different genres and at different technical levels. But this one doesn’t recognise such boundaries, concerning itself purely with inspirational piano music per se, that caters to players of all styles and abilities.

It is difficult to meet the needs of such a broad cohort in the restricted space offered by ten pieces, but you should nonetheless find something here that inspires you to take to the keys. Failing that, hopefully you’ll still leave with a sense of the width and wonder of the world of piano music has become. 
 

Best and most famous piano pieces of all time
 

1. Concerto for Piano, Strings and Timpani by Galina Ustvolskaya 
2. ‘C Jam Blues’ by Duke Ellington
3. Piano Sonata in E-flat Hob. 52 by Joseph Haydn
4. Enseñanza elemental del piano by Rita Kurzmann Leuchter
5. ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ by Alicia Keys
6. Piano Sonata No. 3 by Ethel Smyth
7. Red Rain by Huang Ruo
8. ‘Where Are We Now?’ by David Bowie
9. Theme from The Cider House Rules by Rachel Portman
10. Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 by Frédéric Chopin

1. Concerto for Piano, Strings and Timpani by Galina Ustvolskaya

‘I am convinced that the music of G. I. Ustvolskaya will achieve world fame, and be valued by all who hold truth to be the essential element of music.’ So said Dmitri Shostakovich of his composition student - to whom he would submit scores for approval, whose music he quoted in his own, and whose musical idiosyncracies left a major impression on his work.  

She, on the other hand, took little influence from her teacher, instead developing one of the most distinctive voices in music history. Vivid timbres, skeletal textures and a relentlessly arresting dynamism - all of these features are abundant in the Concerto for Piano, Strings and Timpani. Composed in 1946, it’s one of her earliest works, and demonstrates the speed with which she formed the approach that would characterise her music.

In a rare ensemble setting, the piano is pitted against an entire string orchestra. And it holds its own, through music that seems to magnify the instrument to entirely new proportions, with its expansive accented lines, furious cascades and dense, thunderous chords. But there are also beautiful passages of total serenity. It’s a fascinating piece of energy and contrast.

2. ‘C Jam Blues’ by Duke Ellington

‘C Jam Blues’, almost comically basic as it is, has to be counted among the greatest entries in the 1,000-strong catalogue of Duke Ellington’s works. It’s precisely that simplicity that makes it so accessible, so memorable, so easily learned, widely adapted and universally loved. Few pieces will prove more useful in your piano repertoire. Suitable for all occasions.

A repeating G that resolves to C - dominant to tonic. Add a bit of syncopation and the 12-bar blues, and there you have it: the musical cornerstone that has been the foundation of countless jams, renowned improvisations, and school performances since Duke wrote it in 1942.   

So many jazz greats have memorably honoured this standard. Take Oscar Peterson’s 1963 version, for instance, which demonstraties how such bare bones can be worked into a sprawling edifice. Or the one Duke recorded with Louis Armstrong in ’61, on which Armstrong sings the ‘Duke’s Place’ lyrics later added to the tune in a homage to the legend himself.

3. Piano Sonata in E-flat Hob. 52 by Joseph Haydn

Joseph Haydn’s keyboard compositions make up one of the most important bodies of work for the instrument. Written mostly for the fortepiano, the predecessor of the modern piano, the Austrian’s trailblazing sonatas, concerti and variations defined the forms that would dominate classical piano composition for the next century.

His sonatas are at the heart of this legacy, and for many Hob. 52 represents the very best of their offering. It is an easy go-to, being the last of his 60 or so instalments in the genre, but it’s a momentous piece of music, and a phenomenal effort to sign off with - Haydn would live another fifteen years after writing it in 1794, so maybe he knew he couldn’t top it.  

There’s so much to admire about the work, and all the great Classical-era analysts have championed a range of attributes over the centuries. Considering its time, it boasts a massive scale, seriously adventurous harmony and some highly distinctive, unconventional gestures. And of course Haydn’s typically subvsersive sense of humour suffuses this landmark composition.

4. Enseñanza elemental del piano by Rita Kurzmann Leuchter

Classical, jazz, R&B, film - this countdown aims to encompass as many arenas as possible within the limited scope offered by ten pieces. And no list can claim to be comprehensive if it fails to consider traditional music. From ‘Danny Boy’ to Christmas carols, folk music is a cornerstone of piano performance, and this title offers a tremendous range of the good stuff.

Enseñanza elemental del piano (volumes one and two) comprises a range of traditional dances and songs from countries around the world - as well as a few compositions by the classical elite. What’s more, they’ve been compiled with an eye to education, a selection specifically curated with budding players in mind. 

Rita Kurzmann Leuchter is the arranger. A prominent Viennese pianist and pedagogue of the early 20th century, she emigrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936. Four years later she published this collection, and dedicated the rest of her professional career to helping young players master the instrument that she loved.

5. ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ by Alicia Keys

Few artists carried R&B into the 21st century the way Alicia Keys did. Breaking on to the scene in 2001 with her debut album, Keys proved she could toe-to-toe with established idols like Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu, and moreover that she might be the one to spark the neo-soul revolution that was primed to pop at the turn of the millennium.

The first track on that debut, Songs in A minor, was ‘Piano and I’. It may not have been in that key, but it instantly associated Keys with the instrument she would play so iconically throughout her career. Fast-forward three years to her sophomore effort, The Diary of Alicia Keys, and we find ‘If I Ain’t Got You’, featuring one of her great performances.

Right from the off, she weaves her keyboard magic, playing through the triplet arpeggios with measure and grace. Her piano glues the entire texture together, giving all the weight to those punchy harmonies - all with a seventh, as is typical of R&B music - that bring the groove to this emotive song. Keys on keys - there’s just nothing like it.

6. Piano Sonata No. 2 by Ethel Smyth

Pianist, composer, suffragette, LGBT+ icon - Ethel Smyth. Raised in a typically Victorian family in London’s hinterland, Smyth was introduced to the piano and to the classics by her German governess. Mesmerised by Beethoven, Schubert and the rest, she dreamed of attending Leipzig Conservatory and pursuing a life in music.

Those dreams came true, and although she didn’t think much of the conservatory, through her experiences there she encountered leading musical figures who encouraged her to ply her trade in a musical world dominated by men. In its depth, lyricism and seemingly effortless musicality, her C-sharp minor sonata perfectly embodies the creative gifts that she brought forth. 

From the work’s brooding introduction to the tempestuous finale, she governs the material masterfully. Take her harmony - functional despite its density and intense colour. Or her handling of the piano - idiomatic but imaginative nonetheless. You can discover this sublime piece’s offering among her collected piano works, published by Breitkopf & Härtel.

7. Red Rain by Huang Ruo

There aren't many composers around who can cite as eclectic a range of influences as Huang Ruo. Of those who can, few will match his diversity of output. Huang somehow manages to integrate rock, jazz, Western avant-garde and Chinese folk idioms in his art. He then instils this synthesis in operas, chamber works, plays, film scores, multimedia installations - the list goes on. 

Among the monumental works that fall into these categories, his 2012 composition for piano solo (and toy slide-whistle), Red Rain, might seem a modest achievement. But in the competitive context of piano composition, it stands as one of the great pieces of the contemporary era. At any rate, it’s a perfect gateway to Huang’s musical universe.  

The piece is defined by extremities, with each musical parameter stretched, exhausted and in constant flux - tone colour, register, rhythm, space. There’s irreconcilable tension between sound and silence, consonance and dissonance. It’s an endlessly fascinating work that warrants a place on far more concert programmes. 

8. ‘Where Are We Now?’ by David Bowie

For many of his fans, David Bowie will always be the innovative, chameleonic rogue that played a major part in making the early 1970s such an exciting time for music. But he was always creating, reinventing and pioneering - right up to his untimely passing in 2016. 

In his final years he produced some of the finest work of his career, albums such as The Next Day and Blackstar. On the first of those we find ‘Where Are We Now?’, released as a single on iTunes, with no prior warning or publicity, on 8 January 2013, Bowie’s 66th birthday. Word spread, and gradually the world discovered Bowie's newest experimentt, a highly moving anthem.

It’s right up there with ‘Life on Mars?’ and ‘Five Years’ as one of his great piano numbers. Session player Henry Hey’s at the stool here, working through seventh harmonies made all the richer by altered bass notes and block voicings. They supply so much force to this song that would become his final top-ten hit - a fitting last of a glittering career.

9. Theme from The Cider House Rules by Rachel Portman

Some film music, now. And for that we’re looking to Rachel Portman, who in 1997, for her work on the Jane Austen adaptation Emma, became the first woman to win the top award in the game - an Oscar for Best Score. She nearly picked up a second for her work on the 1999 film The Cider House Rules. 

A historical drama marked by sumptuous visuals and stirring acting performances, the film features a lyrical score from Portman that really connects with the moving narrative content. She foregrounds the piano in the broader score, but most noticeably in the main theme, one of the app’s most popular film-music titles. 

The theme combines a broad melody with spacious arpeggiated figures in the left hand, with some really nice changes beautifully backed by strings on the recording. The idiom captures the pastoral setting perfectly - firm associations that go back to Aaron Copland, whose influence on the way filmic depictions of rural America are scored is impossible to overstate.

10. Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 by Frédéric Chopin

No list of great piano music would be complete without Frédéric Chopin - a figure who for many remains unrivalled as far as compositional mastery of the keyboard is concerned. But that simply begs the question: which of his numerous classics to include? The E-flat nocturne? The second piano concerto? The never-ending mazurka?

What about a piece that the man himself chose to be performed at his own funeral? One that even in his esteemed eyes was particularly special. On 30 October 1849, at the imposing Church of the Madeleine in Paris, the Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 rang out. Its harmonies ticked gently, its sighing melody descended gradually, towards its soft, peaceful final cadence. 

It was more than just suitably sombre. For the thousands who heard it on that historic occasion, it was a work that symbolised Chopin’s life and achievements - as chosen by the composer himself. Even now, the miniature masterpiece still epitomises his legacy, and it also happens to be one of the less technically advanced of his works - so get playing.

Your next steps for great piano music
 

Head into the app to find this music and thousands more piano titles that might just stake a claim for 2023’s list. All the biggest names are waiting: Mozart, Bach, Clara and Robert Schumann, Claude Debussy, Billy Joel, Carole King, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, and a little-known up-and-coming player called Ludwig van Beethoven.

In case you didn’t catch some of the articles alluded to in the introduction, here are some links to more piano-related posts on the blog. For genre-specific countdowns, check out the best classical pieces, as well as the top rock, jazz, blues, country and pop songs.

If you’re a beginner player, have a look at the easy piano songs, while virtuosos should go for the hardest piano songs. 

But if, on the other hand, all this sheet music doesn’t mean much to you, then have a read of how to read piano sheet music as well as the 101 guides for total starters. And you can find a range of articles that will support your interaction with sheet music and guide you in optimising your personal practice.

Whatever your needs are, the blog’s here to help.