Piano rock, sometimes referred to as piano pop,[1] is a style of popular music that is based around the piano—and sometimes piano-related instruments such as keyboards–with piano typically replacing rhythm guitar as the rhythm instrument.[2][1] Traditionally, piano rock has not been as prevalent as classic rock; however, modern bands such as Keane, The Fray, Muse, Ben Folds Five,[3] The Dresden Dolls,[4][5] and The Whitlams, and solo artists such as Tori Amos and Rufus Wainwright, have helped popularize the genre.
The roots of piano rock can be traced to 1950s rock-and-roll pioneers Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. Many of their frantic performance styles, such as kicking the piano bench out of the way to play standing, raking their hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic effect, and even sitting on the keyboard are now commonplace in modern piano rock and often seen in the performances of Elton John and Ben Folds.
Elton John is perhaps considered the most notable popularizer of the genre,[1] with hits throughout the '70s and '80s merging the rhythm and blues sounds of pianists Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder with Jerry Lee Lewis-inspired rock.
Artists such as Tori Amos, Alicia Keys and Ben Folds have kept piano rock in the public consciousness throughout the '90s and into the 2000s.[1]
Some popular modern piano-rock songs are "Karma Police" by Radiohead, "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, "Trouble" by Coldplay, or "How to Save a Life" by The Fray.