Top 10 Best Keyboard Solos in Rock
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- These keyboard solos are epic! For this list, we’ll be ranking the most righteous and evocative keyboard solos in the genre. Our countdown of songs with awesome keyboard solos includes “Frankenstein”, “Catherine Parr”, “Light My Fire”, and more! What’s your favorite keyboard solo of all time? Let us know in the comments below.
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#Music
#Solos
#Keyboard
#Songs
#Piano
#KeyboardSolos
#Rock
#RockSolos - Розваги
What’s your favorite keyboard solo of all time? Let us know in the comments below.
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WHAT ABOUT FELIX CAVALIERE, HAMMOND B3 from 1965 to Present.The King of Blue Eyed Soul and Leader of the American Band, The RASCALS??
Lucky Man--ELP, not Dave Koz.
“And I’m more rock n roll than you’ve ever been! Don’t believe me?! Ask Led Zeppelin!” JRR Tolkien
My favorite line in that ERB!!
The organ solo in "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is truly iconic. Not even mentioned.
I'm 42 and I knew that my guy! Very well said though! Now I definitely have to go and listen to it now! 😆
The reason it's not mention is because the organ lines on that song is a riff not a solo.
@@bpabustan Bullshit. Its a long beautiful solo. Not a riff
I was going to mention that one.
Agreed. It was a perfect bit of song form and melodic composition. Just right.
Keyboard Rock is pure unadulterated awesomeness.
No Genesis?
If you like keyboard solos, you should introduce yourselves to Tony Banks' performances on The Cinema Show, In the Cage, Riding the Scree, In That Quiet Earth, Duke's Travels, and The Fountain of Salmacis (that solo is often mistaken for a guitar solo because it was run through a fuzzbox).
Yes! How do you have this list without Tony?
100% yes. Tony Banks' keyboard skills are all over every solitary track you mentioned in your mini list.
On the Three Sides Live version of "In The Cage", he played that synth solo like you can imagine a guitarist would... it sounds fucking awesome! "Duke's Travels" equals yet more synth-led awesomeness! The thing with Genesis is, Tony Banks started off with basic keyboards like Hammond organs, Mellotrons hooked up to fuzzboxes etc, but he moved with the times and got into Synclaviers, Emulators etc as they became available. But the big difference is, the guy can actually play... even though he's in his 70's nowadays.
I was thinking the same thing
It's WatchMojo.
To them, Genesis sucks. They never mentioned them... Well except once when talking about the worst #1 songs on Billboard and had to bring up Invisible Touch.
Maybe after Peter and Phil die they will give them some credit.
Not to mention the opening piano to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
There is nobody better than Keith Emerson. Keith Emerson is God on the keyboards.😊
the MASTER
@@blutomindpretzel1735 you're not just Whistling Dixie.
@@blutomindpretzel1735 the master of disaster the man with the plan the boss with the hot sauce the boy with the Tonka toy.
He's my all-time favorite musician.
@@MikeCohenSF him along with the great mr. Jeff Beck. R.i.p. to both
The piano "outro" for Layla is epic!
How on earth could you not have Argent's 'Hold Your Head Up' (Long Version) on this list? Even Rick Wakeman himself says it's the best rock keyboard solo of all time. Also, there's few keyboard solo's in rock as epic as Tony Bank's on 'The Cinema Show' by Genesis. And an honourable mention to Lenny Matlin's organ solo on Donovan's 'Season of the Witch'.
I love the huge organ sounds on God Gave Rock n Roll to you as well
Armageddon in 9/8(Featuring the Delicious Talents of Gabble Ratchet)!!
Agreed, hold your head up should be in there, as should Wakeman's solo in close to the edge
@@bradstensland506 Um, Apocalypse in 9/8
@@uckbee OOOPS!!! yes, but both have the same ending. :)
Jon Lord has the most awesome keyboard solos!
Agree 100% with "Highway Star" by Deep Purple and "Foreplay" by Boston. But "Jump" by Van Halen? Are you fucking kidding? That's entry-level stuff there.
Jordan Rudess plays everything from classic to metal, he should be there somewhere
Thank you for recognizing the keyboard players as real rockers!
Iron Butterfly should've been on this list too
At least as an honorable mention
And rockenist religious song . 🙏👼
@@akfreed6949 "Wait, this is rock and/or roll."
In a Gadda da Vidda SHOULD be top 1# it is not just missing in the list!
Also nothing from Steve Winwood? not even from his band Blind Faith but neither from his main band Traffic?
And why didnt they show When the Music is Over also when talking about Ray from The Doors?
Being a huge Emerson Lake and Palmer fan, what you played at the clip for Karn Evil 9, was actually a song from their debut album in 1970, called Knife Edge
That section was a hot mess. And Emerson absolutely wipes the floor with everyone else on this list.
Yeah and they played the guitar solo during Light my fire
Santana has some of the BEST solos ever! They were so incredible to watch live back in the 70’s. The Doors ‘Light My Fire’ is another great example of iconic solos. Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ is another timeless tune that will live on. Great examples!
Thanks for posting these great keyboard solos. One of my favorites that wasn’t listed was Black Licorice by Grand Funk.
No Emerson solo is more iconic than the one on Lucky Man it became a landmark in music history, and isn’t me saying. Deserved n. 1 or at least be in Karn Evil 9’s place.
This absolutely could have been a top 20. Some amazing (and popular) solos you missed are Close to the Edge, Octavarium and Thick as a Brick, for example
The solo in Del Shannon's "Runaway" was better than the one in "Jump".
Yep.
Yes. Equally iconic and both you can “hum”
You have no idea how happy I am to see "One with Everything" on this list. My favorite song on such an underrated album.
Uh no! The number 1 keyboard solo in rock is Rick Wakeman's organ solo in Roundabout. None of your top 10 even comes close to it.
duh ikr these videos suck..
The Hammond Organ is one of the greatest instruments of all time.
Sitting infront of my m-100 right now and I couldn’t agree more
@@Rigbysalad Love my M-100. I'd been looking for a Hammond. I wasnt going to pay to ship one here but everyone kept saying to be patient and one will find me. Finally, I was coming home from Guitar Center and decided to swing by Goodwill. Wouldnt you know it, they had an M-100 sitting there for $40. It wouldnt power up though. I of course brought it home and all it needed was a new rectifier tube. A B3 would have been nicer but Im not complaining one bit.
@@FloydYESterZep At GOODWILL…? That’s a steal man! I got mine fully functional and freshly serviced for $550 and had to move it myself. You my friend got a steal.
Jon Lord is the absolute master playing the Hammond Organ.
Well said. Hard to match the incredible sound of the Hammond.
A personal favorite of mine is Vincent Crane keyboard player for Crazy World of Arthur Brown and the song was "Fire"
Thanks. Additions: "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" (Traffic); "Green Onions" (Booker T. & the M.G.s); "Hold Your Head Up" (Argent) [This last one is actually Rick Wakeman's pick (and mine)]. tavi.
I can proudly say I was lucky to see most of these artists in concert. The only two I didn't see is The Animals and The Doors.
Where's "Subdivisions" by Rush, WatchMojo?
I’m disappointed, but not at all surprised, that you completely left out Garth Hudson of The Band. He was a musical and electronic genius who paved the way for everyone on this list. His improvised piece “The Genetic Method” in which he plays three keyboards, one with each hand and another with his feet, is a mind blowing experience.
No one is better than Emerson
Time of The Season - The Zombies
On The Silent Wings of Freedom - Yes
my vote on Time Of The Season, also on She's Not There Rod Argent was brilliant although it was an electric piano so that does not count on this list
Brian Auger, don't forget Brian Auger, still alive, still playing !!
Tarkus is the best ELP keyboard solo, 20 minutes of pure unadulterated prog.
It's definitely up there. May I recommend you watch the live video of country pie performed by Keith Emerson with the nice. It will blow you away. Go ahead and Google it it's on UA-cam😊
Huge omission is the organ solo in Green Eyed Lady by Sugarloaf!
Jon Lord's solo on No No No, is a masterclass in building tension!
Im surprised that The Final Countdown by Europe wasnt on here. 😮
That's more of a riff than a solo
it's not a solo, it's a riff
Oh. Very interesting! Thanks for letting me know 😊
They completely forgot about Carry On My Wayward Son. That tune has one of the best organ solos of all time.
So many choices with Steve Walsh/Kansas....a mention would have been nice.
Of these amazing players, I gotta give the nod to Rick Wakeman - such a discography, and amazing concepts in every song he touches!
The best keyboard bands back in the day were Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, and The Doors.
And Genesis, Yes with Pink Floyd too
Here are few of the early rock keyboard intros/solos that were truly iconic, distinctive and wildly popular in the 60’s:
1. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly
2. Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf
3. Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf
Absolutely love all three songs!
Especially In-a-gadda-da-vida Full version!
I like it when people who literally can't play a note or two without making a mistake and/or resort to single-note riffs because of their ineptitude, call prog rockers' music "excessive", "self-indulgent" and other BS like that. Well some of it was excessive and self-indulgent, but most of it was beautiful and classy.
No Tony Banks ?
Ohhh yes. The version on "Seconds Out" when they done "The Cinema Show" in its entirety.
For the final half of it (roughly five minutes straight) the Banksmeister hit that synth and practically owned the stage. Awesome! 😎👍
If you want to include Jazz/fusion, my all time favorite is Chick Corea's solo from "Vulcan Worlds"
"Tom Sawyer" by Rush has a pretty iconic keyboard solo in the middle 🎹🙌
Agreed. But most of their keyboard work was done using Moog pedals.
Search Adam Holzman - Moog Solo - Steven Wilson Band and you'll find the best keyboard solo ever
Yes ,on ancestral ?
i read the title. the first reason that i kept watching this video was because the first song i heard was 'jump'.
all in all,, good picks!
I opened this video with a simple thought: "No.1 is The Doors, probably "Riders on the Storm:, but WatchMojo will AS ALWAYS SOMEHOW screw up".
Well, some things never change. Sun rises, water flows, WatchMojo guys don't know what they're talking about.
8:22, Emerson used a Moog Modular, not a Minimoog. Also, the name Moog is Dutch and rhymes with vogue. Moog even named one of their synthesizers Rogue.
I would have also put Break on Through (To the Otherside), Baba O'Reily, A Whiter Shade of Pale, In a Gada da vida.
It's kind of interesting. For most other instruments, when you hear the term "solo," that instrument's player usually gets a singular moment to shine with no other competing instruments or vocals. But, with these keyboard "solos," there's almost always at least one other instrument playing with or against the keyboard.
“Light My Fire” deserves its spot, but “Riders On The Storm” is better than 3 or 4 songs in this list. It should have made it here.
OMG!! How can anybody take this countdown seriously when it doesn't feature the mind blowing solo from Firth Of Fifth by Genesis,
or anything for that matter by the genius who is Tony Banks??
As well as Firth Of Fifth they could have chosen the Hammond solo from Supper's Ready during The Apocalypse In 9/8 section,
the solo from Robbery, Assault And Battery, the solo from Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers/Quiet Earth, The solo from The Cinema Show,
or my personal favourite, the solo from In The Cage!!
This countdown loses ALL and any credibility for omitting Tony!!
Please, listen the keyboard solo of "The Cinema Show" by Genesis, played by Tony Banks! It's 5 minutes long, with a memorable melody, a lot of key changes, modal scales... all in a terrific 7/8 time signature! I think it's the best solo ever!
Hear hear!!
Or Firth Of Fifth
Yes ,or this one on SUPPER S READY 😢😢😢
Well done for including Deep Purple, Highway Star! That Hammond solo is mint! I'm also happy to see Van Halen, Jump & The Doors, Light My Fire. I've played both of those songs on keyboard before, in different bands I've played with. Believe it or not, both of those solos are actually pretty easy to play!
Epic let go 🔥
Although The Stranglers have been described as being "sub-Doors" and their style of music is represented by the choice of the Doors in this selection, I still think room should have have been found for The Stranglers' keyboardist, Dave Greenfield. His soaring arpeggios are magnificent. Tracks like Down In The Sewer and Goodbye Toulouse compare well with all the solos in this selection.
One of the best synth solos of all time is The Strangler's Dave Greenfield's synth solo on Nice 'N' Sleazy.
I was waiting for someone to mention Dave Greenfield, what a keyboardist, one of the best of all time
Loved his solo in the Stranglers Walk on By cover (a nod to the Doors)
I guess they carefully avoid ELP Tarkus cause it's a whole bible of masterful solos by the Hendrix of keyboard
Solid list but I’m surprised that there was nothing from Genesis, Pink Floyd, Procol Harem or Rush included
I saw Rick Wakeman in concert once, i'm told i had a great time. good for me.
Lol 😂
When we talk about rock keyboard solos, you can't forget the great Keith Emerson. Edgar is the winner in this list, imo.
As usual metal is completely overlooked. Bands like Nightwish and Ayreon should be included in a list like this one.
Honorable mentions: Won't Get Fooled Again..The Who. Hold Your Head Up..Argent Castle Walls...Styx Low Spark of High Heeled Boys..Traffic
Depends if you count them as rock or metal but if you like a good keyboard player I'd point you in the direction of Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish) 🙂
ELP's " Lucky Man" thats a great syth Solo!
Eddie was just damn great at everything!
I like that deep purple got a place on this list but I feel like burn should've been picked rather than highway star
To me it's a toss up....both are mind blowing.
I would've went with child in time instead
Rod Argent's solo on "Hold Your Head Up" was rated the greatest of all time by no less an authority than Rick Wakeman.
Guys, this is a Top 10 keyboard SOLOs in rock. Many of the songs mentioned in the comments that were thought to be ommited, do not have keyboard solos, but riffs. There is a difference between a riff and a solo. A riff is always repetitive while a solo is a "spontaneous" or "improvised" spots showcasing a musician's prowess to convey a message through the instrument.
Personally I feel that Led Zeppelin's Trampled Under Foot should've been on the list
Lazy by Deep Purple?
Also burn.
John carpenter is my favorite ❤
1. Jon Lord
2. Wakeman
That's enough.
3. Rod Argent
Roundabout by Yes.
My personal nomination is Toto's "Africa." Yes, it's short, but every note is so perfectly placed.
Surprisingly decent list...Wakeman, Emerson, Lord, Manzarek are obvious. The Styx song is an unknown gem and I'd have gone Foreplay over Smokin' for Boston. Gotta mention Steve Walsh and Kansas....so many choices and unfortunately overlooked.....and how is Funeral For A Friend (Elton John) missing?.....but Jump at #1? Pure radio cheese.
haven't watched the list but boston foreplay/long time needs to be on this
ok, smokin'. I'll allow it.
Deep Purple/ Emerson Lake & Palmer/ Doors
I think Highway Star should be number1
Really??? No Rosanna synth solo? Massive oversight. So creative and instantly recognizable.
Weird list. Selecting a solo from Wakemans' Henry the 8th album over his iconic solo on 'Roundabout' is just...Weird.
RIP Eddie 😢. You are missed.
The band Bloodrock the song DOA.. Epic
Van Halen? Number 01? Serius? Keyboard solo?
In guitar, maybe, but Keyboard solo? It' s crazy...
No Firth of fifth (Genesis)? No Never let go (Camel)? No Child of vision (Supertramp)?
Should have gone with Trilogy.
I strongly agree. They could have went with trilogy or the Endless Enigma. If I may make a suggestion check out country pie performed by Keith Emerson and the nice. Google it live video on UA-cam😢
When I cross myself, I say "Emerson, Lake and Palmer".
Lol
Steve Walsh's solo on "The Pinnacle" from the album Masque by Kansas is frankly amazing
IN-NA-GADA-DA-VIDA is my favorite keyboard solo, followed by Frankenstein Then Whiter Shade Of Pale. Keith Emerson I thought did much better solos on the TARKUS album. after all it is almost entirely an instrumental album. Sorry Jump isn't even in the same class as all the other songs you mentioned!
Van Halen is my all time favorite band, nice to see them at #1, but I am very surprised that when focusing on Synth solos, "Spaceship Superstar" by Prism isn't even on the list. Probably one of the most iconic keyboard solos of all time.
Country pie performed by the great Keith Emerson when he was with the nice has to be up there with the best if not the best. However I'm a realist and would never expect Mojo to have it on their list especially since it's totally non-commercial you could almost even say Underground😮
Highway Star is cool, but what about Hush? For my money an even more classic Jon Lord solo. Plus, all due respect to Eddie, putting Jump at #1 over Light My Fire is, in a word, BLASPHEMY.
"Lazy" is my favorite by Jon Lord.
Billie Currie’s synth solo on Gary Numan’s cover of On Broadway is pure moog/ARP odyssey heaven
Rick Wright on "Any Colour You Like," anyone? Tony Banks on "Cinema Show"? No disrespect to EVH, but I'm sure even he'd agree there are nine better solos than "Jump" on this list, and many more not on the list.
I love the keyboard solo in Opeth's "burden".
And, idk, i think that you missed Richard Wright's work here
Ahh, WatchMojo, I feel like a 17 year old again!
"Call me" by Blondie is a great one.
Popcorn Song. ELP's Touch and Go. Living On Video by Trans X. Liked your choices too. Thank you!
I wouldn't call Santana 'psychadelic'. STOP CALLING PROG ROCK 'decadent', 'excess', 'pretentious' and all that shit! It's great musicians pulling out all the stops. Love the solos on 'Highway Star'! Keith Emerson, YEAH!
Another Purple Jon Lord Masterpiece::LAZY and a Hard to Find Rarity: DOA-Bloodrock
You missed the synth solo on Genesis' "In The Cage."
Honorific memoir to 🛸UFO's Paul Raymond outtro solo on Rock Bottom live!!🎸🎹
Tony Banks anyone?