7 Great Classic Tunes By The Beatles Which Feature Piano

July 19th, 2009 by Jason R. Bohener, under Music. No Comments

Before The Beatles, most rock bands usually stuck to a basic guitars, bass, and drums instrumentation for their songs. The Beatles began to try out different styles of instrumentation. This article is focused on 7 of The Beatles greatest tracks which feature a piano.

“Hey Jude” was one of The Beatles longest songs and it was also one of their most popular. To this day it remains one of their most listened to songs (just check the Last.FM website for proof) and it’s certainly one of the most obvious examples of a piano based Beatles song.

“Let It Be” is many people’s favorite Beatles song and it may be considered the most obvious example of a Beatles piano song so of course it’s included here. Even 40 years after it was recorded, “Let It Be” still resonates. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still being listened to regularly in 2049.

“The Long & Winding Road” was The Beatles 20th and final #1 single in the US. It was a song that actually played some role in The Beatles break-up because Paul McCartney was so infuriated by the over the top orchestration that was added to the song by producer Phil Spector. McCartney did not approve of this and actually intended the song to be far more understated. To hear McCartney’s intended version of the song check out the Let It Be… Naked album.

“For No One” is a very beautiful ballad from Revolver. Along with the piano, it also features a french horn and a harpsichord. The Beatles were always looking for new sounds to try on their recordings. This song is less well known than it should be. Those of you who only have The Beatles “greatest hits” compilations are really missing out on some of their greatest work. Buy the albums!

“The Fool on the Hill” is a rather quirky tune which includes piano but certainly has many other sounds in there as well (the flutes stand out in particular.)

“Lady Madonna” this an upbeat song whose melody so catchy that it became a hit again in the 1990s when Sublime used it for their song “What I Got.” Along with that catchy melody and the piano, the song also features a saxophone and a suitably awesome bass line by Paul McCartney. And here’s a tip: If you haven’t, start paying attention to The Beatles bass lines. They’re awesome.

“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” is most notable for it’s ridiculously catchy melody and it’s pumping bass guitar that really pushes the song forward but it does have some cool piano bits in there as well, particularly the intro which I think John Lennon actually came up with rather than McCartney.