@@lylesmith3506 Before Billy Joel became famous, he had a “heavy metal” band named Attila. He tried to do with keyboards what Jimi Hendrix did with the guitar.
It certainly is & also Rick's performance on the Going For The One album with 2 songs, Awaken & Parallels are the real deal. Parallels is recorded live at the St Martin's Church in Vevey Switzerland & straight into the desk at Mountain studios 4 miles away via the telephone line with the band playing live along with Wakeman, from what we have heard.! A colossal sound it is. Awaken's parts were recorded & overdubbed onto the studio tracks later. Classic Rick & Yes.
I was standing in long line at security waiting to fly out of LAX about 5 or 6 years back not exactly enjoying myself when I heard a very talented individual skillfully and tastefully tickling the keys of a white Grand Piano that is for some reason stationed on second floor landing overlooking the international departures airline ticket offices. The pianist played a number of renditions of popular music from 70s-90s along with some classical shorts. He stopped a couple times between pieces and was greeted by rounds of applause from the mass humanity moving past him at the piano. As a huge DT fan from the release of their very first single "Pull Me Under" in the 90s I almost immediately thought I recognized the fluid technique and his distinctive crescendos and dynamic tempo changes. Of course, it was the greatest Rock and Progressive Metal keyboardist of all time; Jordan Rudess.
That's incredible you got to see him there! I remember hearing him talk about performing at airports in the past and always thought how cool it would be to see
I'd like to honorably mention Tom Scholz on keyboards on Boston's Foreplay / Long Time. The first 90 seconds is pretty heavy and I must've listened to it hundreds of times.
What makes that song so amazing is how popular it is for how progressive rocket is. Maybe one of the greatest rock openings of all time, next to funeral for a friend, which also deserves an honorable mention.
That organ section in Close to the Edge, I remember listening to the Yessongs version on mushrooms when I was 17 or so. I felt like those chords were ripping my body apart. Such an intense part juxtaposed to the soft moody vocals of Jon. I love Yes so much. So glad Jordan chose this particular section.
Grieg, Stravinski, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin. My mom was a concert pianist and had performed in Canada a number of times as she was considered comparable to Gould, so I listened to Chopin being played more than anyone and love his works to this day.
I always wondered just how prodigious Rudess was as a child, and I didn't know he was in a commercial as a kid. I guess that's my answer - that's generational talent.
I’m shocked, when I looked at the title, only one song came to mind, Boston - Foreplay. I was surprised it wasn’t on the list. That song blew me away and was my inspiration to start playing.
I guess that’s a common issue with the ‘10 best ..’ videos there are probably thousands of keyboard cadenzas which are epic . So whenever a video is made on ‘10 best whatever…’ it is only the 10 preferred songs or songs’ parts , of the TH-cam publisher . A more appropriate title would be . my top 10 keyboards cadenzas .
Yeah Foreplay is killer...but if you start thinking of songs...theres always epic ones you missed or forgot about. I will name one which DT covered in fact...Elton Johns Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
@@victormontielpiano major keys are essential still in many famous metal songs, like in afraid to shoot strangers , megalomania , crazy train, etc. To not say that , if i-VI-VII is such a common progression, the majority of chords of Iron Maiden are in major, but the key is minor.
Galneryus has a song, angel of salvation it's called, and it's basically a rearrangement of Tchaikovsky's violin concerto (don't remember the exact concerto).
I did not appreciate Led Zeppelin until I heard no quarter, because I was brought up, listening to all the overplayed classic rock songs and honestly the hits really aren’t even Zepplin‘s best music. thank you, and your time is gonna come! All great keyboard.
@@IowaJay Or the solo in Highway Star, maybe the dissonant, distorted notes in Hard Loving Man, and even the underrated Rat Bat Blue in Who Do We Think We Are. And should I mention Pictures Of Home?
This was very enjoyable to watch, Particularly for his thoughts on the classical music choices. You rarely hear people like Bach, Beethoven, and others mentioned this way. In like, a "rock" context. It's always approached academically, or theoretically. It actually made it simpler to understand what's happening in the pieces Jordan selected. My vote is always going to be for the keyboard intro riff for Loverboy's "Take Me to the Top." It's one of the best synth sounds I've ever heard outside of Isao Tomita, and it kicks ass.
As a clueless little American kid studying classical piano, I first learned of the existence of a country called Norway via Grieg lol. I remember thinking: this place sounds dark and mystical and cool, and full of trolls… 👍
Being roughly the same age as Jordan and having a similar musical background (but I didn't become a rock star LOL) I wasn't surprised by this excellent choices. IMHO #12 should be Modest Mussorgski. Think of Baba-Yaga's Hut (Pictures at an Exhibition), heavy as can be...
The first part of Liszt's totentanz is arguably the first heavy metal song. Heavy banging on the lowest keys of the keyboard while the Dies Irae plays, also in the lowest register, followed by some piano flourishes that rival anything else I've heard. The "storm" part of the Raindrop Prelude by Chopin is also quite heavy. Alkan - Etude Op.27 "Le Chemin de fer" has some pretty heavy parts to represent trains
Awesome list. As a long-time Bach listener, if one has grown somewhat overly familiar with his T&F in D, might I recommend his Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C. Only Bach could start in C Major and take it to the end of the world. LTE Live in LA was awesome.
Great list, so many favorites there - My personal two would be The Barbarian from the 1st ELP album, and the big B major section in the Liszt B minor sonata, so much fun to play Tarkus is in 10 but I'm sure Jordan knows that :)
This video made me nerd out so hard. To hear him articulate most of the things I just think in my head when I listen to this music that so many people don’t appreciate. And to hear him also articulated in the words that I can’t quite put it into, but just grab a hold of that emotion for several of these songs, and also educate me on the nuances of certain pieces I haven’t spent as much time with. Love it! Love dream theater.
Bartok's 1st and 3rd piano concertos definitely belong on a list of heavy keyboard riffs. Italian prog is loaded with keyboard riffs easily as heavy as anything on this list. Il Balletto di Bronzo - YS, is wall to wall keyboard heaviness. Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra, also has some pretty heavy riffs.
My favorite keyboard player is Don Airey. His keyboard solo on Rainbow's Spotlight Kid has some very heavy riffs. He's trading riffs with Mr. Blackmore during the solo... it's amazing. Also his playing on Colloseum II's Electric Savage album is AWESOME on every tune!
Love you Jordan ❤️ I would add to the list the Wilde Jagd etude by Liszt and the cadenza of Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto. Classical piano music is full of metal moments 🤘
Very clever to put a constantly heavy metal music on background while jordan talking about other songs and while we are listening to them. It helps a lot
The true successor of all those great keyboardists and pianists. They should've included some Dream Theater stuff, from Jordan era and pre-Jordan era as well.... There are plenty of them though, Lines In The Sand, Dance of Eternity, Erotomania, A Change of Seasons, and a lot of stuff from Train of Thought.
Some other picks for me are Foreplay (Long Time) by Boston (which was done by guitarist Tom Scholz), Pink Floyd’s In The Flesh (still one of the coolest intros to an album, Richard Wright kills it on that song) and I’ll also throw in I Want You (She’s So Heavy) by The Beatles. The stuff Billy Preston is doing is just awesome
This is an excellent list! If I were to pick a next in line classical piece, I'd have to go with Prokofiev's Toccata op. 11, which - I looked it up to confirm, and yep - is also in D minor.
The hard organ opening to "Point Of Know Return" by Kansas sends shivers down my spine every time. ELP's "Fanfare for the Common Man" (cover of Arron Copland) of course is so iconic that it is instantly recognized -- Just three notes, followed by three more, and the rest is history. just mentioning it makes it play in your head. "Blue Collar Man" by Styx deserves honorable mention, as does Jonathon Cain's Power keyboard riffs in "Separate Ways" by Journey. Maybe it's a bit obscure, but "In Ancient Days" by Black Widow has just this wicked keyboard intro that starts out spooky and descends into demonic chaos before the guitar part picks it up from floor of the dark pit and they start grooving and rocking out. th-cam.com/video/qWO2G5kp3X0/w-d-xo.html
I saw Keith on the Tarkus tour AND the ELP tour before that. What shows they were. Wot no "July Morning" ? And I guess "Child In Time" was a little too obvious ... 😜 But still a great one.
Great video Jordan! I remember seeing Yes at Radio City Music Hall some years back, and Rik Wakeman did an awesome keyboard solo, at one point he popped out of the side of the stage playing on the massive house organ! I can't remember specifically, but I'm sure it must have been that section from Closer to the Edge. It was an impressive moment!
Great choices Jordan. I expected super complex stuff and was pleased to find memorable melody lines which I think are more important than complexity. I would have added some of the stuff Lyle Mays did.
Thank you for recognising Uriah Heep’s Easy Livin/Demons and Wizards. You might want to check out Morcambe and Wise’s Greig Piano concerto with help from Andre Previn.
When I saw the title, my first thought was "Frankenstein" by the Edgar Winter Group. "Blue Collar Man" by Styx also comes to mind, but Styx always gets left out of lists like these. :( As for Yes, picking "Close to the Edge" is curious, as I would think "Roundabout" or "Siberian Khatru" would have heavier keyboard riffs. Still, a fun list to check out.
Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor was on my list, glad to see it made Jordan's. For all the rock fans, do yourself the favour and have a listen, you won't be disappointed.
Thanks for educating us Jordan, Here's a few other honorable mentions! Chopin Polonaise OP 53 , Procol Harum Whiter shade of pale, Walter Wanderley Summer Sanba, Zombies Time of the Season,
Great List, Great Mix between genres!! Uriah Heep! Back in the day I played Hammond with a beefed up Leslie that spit and screamed. Of course my band did Easy Livin' as well as alot of DP and Yes. I loved turning those rotors on and off! ha.
Thanks! I saw him once at a NAMM show in the 80's. He was a big dude; about 6"4" and man, was he wild! He was talking and his body was writhing around non-stop. He was wearing a very rock suede jacket and still had very long hair. I was literally right in front of him and wanted to talk to him, but he was really on another plane. LOL.
Bernie Worrell's organ on Seven Laws of Woo by Praxis. Doesn't hurt to have Buckethead doubling the line on guitar either. Intro is super sweet too! Rich the Ancient Metal Beast 🤘🧙♂️🤘
"Chest Fever" - The Band." "When the Music's Over" - The Doors."The Big Hush " - Shriekback & Traffic's cover of "Feelin Good"."Icky Thump" -White Stripes."The Iron Butterfly THEME" -Iron Butterfly. and last but not least The Mothers of Invention cover of "Louie Louie .
Since we're not including Jordan's own music (which ranks right up there in the pantheon of super bad keyboard riffs), let's give a shout out to Tom Scholz and his Bach(esq) intro Foreplay. Also, I love Steve Walsh of Kansas for his riffs on Point of No Return and Carry On My Wayward Son.
I’d like to mention Lucifer’s Friend, on their first couple of albums the great Peter Hecht plays all the keyboards along with the occasional French horn. Definitely check out their self-titled debut and their follow up “When The Groupies Killed The Blues”.
I remember seeing Uriah Heep live and I while I do really remember Easy Livin', I have some big memories of Gypsy Queen. That shit knocked my socks off
Hey Jordan, here is my list Lazy - Deep Purple (Jon Lord) Look At Yourself - Uriah Heep (Ken Hensley) Foreplay / Longtime - Boston (Tom Scholz) Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf (Goldy McJohn) Mr. Crowley - Ozzy Osbourne (Don Airey) Frankenstein - The Edgar Winter Group (Edgar) Autumn '68 - Pink Floyd (Richard Wright) In The Dead Of Night - U.K. (Eddie Jobson) Funeral For A Friend - Elton John (Sir Elton) 1984 - Van Halen (Eddie VH) Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who (Pete Townshend)
![[TH] JFT vs RLF - VCT Ascension Pacific - Day 2](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/PuIH7w_jO6c/mqdefault.jpg)
Keith Emerson was heavier than a lot of metal guitarists.
Fact !
ELP were considered Heavy metal before it was associated with guitar bands.
@@lylesmith3506 Before Billy Joel became famous, he had a “heavy metal” band named Attila. He tried to do with keyboards what Jimi Hendrix did with the guitar.
@@lylesmith3506 Really
He's the first one to come to mind for me when I saw the title for this video.
God that pipe organ part from Close to the Edge blew me when i first heard it and still gives goosebump : a real masterpiece
Me too then that organ solo just tops it off. Still blows me away
@@babylemonade2868 Right, then another unexpected break comes in. That was some crazy prog stuff in the early 70's
It certainly is & also Rick's performance on the Going For The One album with 2 songs, Awaken & Parallels are the real deal. Parallels is recorded live at the St Martin's Church in Vevey Switzerland & straight into the desk at Mountain studios 4 miles away via the telephone line with the band playing live along with Wakeman, from what we have heard.! A colossal sound it is. Awaken's parts were recorded & overdubbed onto the studio tracks later. Classic Rick & Yes.
Me too. I've been listening to it for 50 years and it still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
@@silgen Wish i wasn't bald to feel the same 😁
I was standing in long line at security waiting to fly out of LAX about 5 or 6 years back not exactly enjoying myself when I heard a very talented individual skillfully and tastefully tickling the keys of a white Grand Piano that is for some reason stationed on second floor landing overlooking the international departures airline ticket offices. The pianist played a number of renditions of popular music from 70s-90s along with some classical shorts. He stopped a couple times between pieces and was greeted by rounds of applause from the mass humanity moving past him at the piano. As a huge DT fan from the release of their very first single "Pull Me Under" in the 90s I almost immediately thought I recognized the fluid technique and his distinctive crescendos and dynamic tempo changes. Of course, it was the greatest Rock and Progressive Metal keyboardist of all time; Jordan Rudess.
That's incredible you got to see him there! I remember hearing him talk about performing at airports in the past and always thought how cool it would be to see
Greatest of all time? Cmon man.. The dude can play, unfortunately he hasn't put out a decent record in quite a while
⅜
Awesome! Met him a few times, class act each and every time.
@@cuevable Mr. Vairo...id sure love to hear a quality record you put out?
What a nice young man. I'm sure his band will be a great success.
Hahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Well said 🙂
Fool. DT is one of the most successful bands of all time.
@@maximummatt73 oh my god, you don't know what a joke is? You're a joke
@@maximummatt73 Well Matt, what do you make of the metaphor "tongue in cheek"?
@@AndyHeimerl goes alongside "not even slightly humorous". *mic drop*
One of the greatest keyboardists of our time!
I'd like to honorably mention Tom Scholz on keyboards on Boston's Foreplay / Long Time. The first 90 seconds is pretty heavy and I must've listened to it hundreds of times.
+1, defo agree
Absolutely!
Yes, just thought the same one week ago when I was listening to the 1st Boston LP!
What makes that song so amazing is how popular it is for how progressive rocket is. Maybe one of the greatest rock openings of all time, next to funeral for a friend, which also deserves an honorable mention.
That organ section in Close to the Edge, I remember listening to the Yessongs version on mushrooms when I was 17 or so. I felt like those chords were ripping my body apart. Such an intense part juxtaposed to the soft moody vocals of Jon. I love Yes so much. So glad Jordan chose this particular section.
When it comes to Jon Lord, the opening to "Perfect Strangers" is heavy personified
Remember: D minor is the saddest key of them all
when he said "heaviest organ riff" I immediately thought about Perfect Strangers. also Dream Theater's own 6:00 intro
Todd...i was waiting to hear some Mach...Lick my Lovepump 🤣
There are at least 2 live versions which are better than the studio version.
Lick my Love Pump.
I'm so glad that he chose Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Bach.
chopin,beethoven,rach and liszt are IMO the big 4 of classic piano
@Sgrofolo and don’t forget the griegster
The influences of Miyako from LOVEBITES. 🤘🏻🐺🤘🏻
Mussorgsky pictures at a exhibition is my opinion the first metal
Although K141 Scarlatti might beat the punch
Grieg, Stravinski, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin. My mom was a concert pianist and had performed in Canada a number of times as she was considered comparable to Gould, so I listened to Chopin being played more than anyone and love his works to this day.
So glad he mentioned Grieg. Lots of people forget how genius he was!
I’m almost 40 years younger than him, and Tarkus blew my mind too.
I always wondered just how prodigious Rudess was as a child, and I didn't know he was in a commercial as a kid. I guess that's my answer - that's generational talent.
I read he went to Julliard at 9 and graduated at 19?
Two really pieces that come to my mind are Perfect Strangers and Mr. Crowley
Forgot about Mr Crowley
Yeah, good call on Crowley, fantastic open.
Chopin's 'Funeral March' = death metal, man is that some good irony right there - plus some great music too 🙂
Tarkus is constantly playing in my head, Keith Emerson was a genius !
Agree totally, Emerson was from another world it seems, well at certain times.
I’m shocked, when I looked at the title, only one song came to mind, Boston - Foreplay. I was surprised it wasn’t on the list. That song blew me away and was my inspiration to start playing.
that organ part is iconic. I learned it from RushYesKansas tutorial on youtube
I guess that’s a common issue with the ‘10 best ..’ videos there are probably thousands of keyboard cadenzas which are epic . So whenever a video is made on ‘10 best whatever…’ it is only the 10 preferred songs or songs’ parts , of the TH-cam publisher . A more appropriate title would be . my top 10 keyboards cadenzas .
Yeah Foreplay is killer...but if you start thinking of songs...theres always epic ones you missed or forgot about. I will name one which DT covered in fact...Elton Johns Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
The Boston band ( superbe ) is too recent wuth respect to the others , too recent to be a reference for him . Just my thought .
Tarkus is in 10/8 or5/4 !! Love that KE is up there with Beethoven- love your work Jordon. Keep the fires burning
Awesome picks. When it comes to heaviness in classical music I really dig the opening section in Tchaikovksy's piano concerto no 1.
But that's in major! Not enough heaviness for me. Try Prokofiev 2, that's heavy and proggy as hell
Which was adopted into their Illumination Theory main theme
@@victormontielpiano major keys are essential still in many famous metal songs, like in afraid to shoot strangers , megalomania , crazy train, etc. To not say that , if i-VI-VII is such a common progression, the majority of chords of Iron Maiden are in major, but the key is minor.
Galneryus has a song, angel of salvation it's called, and it's basically a rearrangement of Tchaikovsky's violin concerto (don't remember the exact concerto).
RIP Jon Lord - he was the GOAT 🐐
A lot if keyboard work by John Paul Jones in Led Zeppelin is amazing.
Such as the parts from the song Friends, Misty Mountain Top, Kashmir, etc
No Quarter :D
@@MisterMunkki indeed! electric piano played through phaser effect, sounds like underwater
I did not appreciate Led Zeppelin until I heard no quarter, because I was brought up, listening to all the overplayed classic rock songs and honestly the hits really aren’t even Zepplin‘s best music. thank you, and your time is gonna come! All great keyboard.
I have always loved the grinding B3 tones and textures of Steppenwolf. "The Pusher" and "Born to be Wild".
Video: A person's opinions on a thing.
The comment section: Why didn't you put in MY opinion?!
Need some Tommy Rogers in here. BTBAM has some truly heavy keyboard riffs.
Emerson Lake and Palmer, were great. when Powell came in and brought in Touch and Go, that blew me away!
Awesome picks! Like the mix of classical and prog, and also forgot about Frankenstein, THAT song is really awesome and heavy
Glad the mighty Jon Lord made an appearance on this list although I'm a tad surprised Hush was chosen rather than the intro to Lazy 🥰
I was expecting Space Truckin.
@@IowaJay Or the solo in Highway Star, maybe the dissonant, distorted notes in Hard Loving Man, and even the underrated Rat Bat Blue in Who Do We Think We Are. And should I mention Pictures Of Home?
Space Dimentia is the first one that comes to mind, one of the heaviest songs I’ve heard and it’s completely lead by the piano, incredible stuff
Great tune. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2 (which where Space Dementia's riff comes from) is really a masterpiece
Was so hoping he'd mention the outro riff for Camel's Nimrodel - Medley. I love that riff
Lady Fantasy has some crazy heavy keyboard riffs too
@@dac2007 agreed! That is pretty kick ass! The Nimrodel outro just gets my blood moving every time. Man! Camel are amazing, aren't they!
@@trigeminalnerve9496 yep, very underrated band
Atilla - Billy Joel's psychedelic metal band from 1969... Some of the craziest organ playing ever. They only made one album.
I was going to suggest that. California Flash has a great riff.
th-cam.com/video/L7s8PHnCTGI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for this great list Mr. Rudess, but you’re too humble. Dream Theater deserves one or two spots in here :-)
This was very enjoyable to watch, Particularly for his thoughts on the classical music choices. You rarely hear people like Bach, Beethoven, and others mentioned this way. In like, a "rock" context. It's always approached academically, or theoretically. It actually made it simpler to understand what's happening in the pieces Jordan selected.
My vote is always going to be for the keyboard intro riff for Loverboy's "Take Me to the Top." It's one of the best synth sounds I've ever heard outside of Isao Tomita, and it kicks ass.
As a Norwegian I particulary love The choice of Grieg☺️👍
Indeed, a classic choice that is!
As a clueless little American kid studying classical piano, I first learned of the existence of a country called Norway via Grieg lol. I remember thinking: this place sounds dark and mystical and cool, and full of trolls… 👍
Being roughly the same age as Jordan and having a similar musical background (but I didn't become a rock star LOL) I wasn't surprised by this excellent choices. IMHO #12 should be Modest Mussorgski. Think of Baba-Yaga's Hut (Pictures at an Exhibition), heavy as can be...
What about that slow menacing tritone riff from The Gnome? That gives off doom metal vibes and is really cool
The first part of Liszt's totentanz is arguably the first heavy metal song. Heavy banging on the lowest keys of the keyboard while the Dies Irae plays, also in the lowest register, followed by some piano flourishes that rival anything else I've heard.
The "storm" part of the Raindrop Prelude by Chopin is also quite heavy.
Alkan - Etude Op.27 "Le Chemin de fer" has some pretty heavy parts to represent trains
Jordan brought the wisdom of a scholar. Awesome 💯🤘
Patrik Moraz on Yes - Relayer
Jürgen Fritz on Triumvirat - Spartacus
Jon Lord on Deep Purple - Lazy
Awesome list. As a long-time Bach listener, if one has grown somewhat overly familiar with his T&F in D, might I recommend his Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C. Only Bach could start in C Major and take it to the end of the world.
LTE Live in LA was awesome.
Great list, so many favorites there -
My personal two would be The Barbarian from the 1st ELP album, and the big B major section in the Liszt B minor sonata, so much fun to play
Tarkus is in 10 but I'm sure Jordan knows that :)
This video made me nerd out so hard. To hear him articulate most of the things I just think in my head when I listen to this music that so many people don’t appreciate. And to hear him also articulated in the words that I can’t quite put it into, but just grab a hold of that emotion for several of these songs, and also educate me on the nuances of certain pieces I haven’t spent as much time with. Love it! Love dream theater.
I recommend the end of White Hammer at 6:23 by Van Der Graaf Generator, as heavy as early black sabbath imo
As heavy as heavy can be! And the section just keeps building the heaviness until everything explodes
Bartok's 1st and 3rd piano concertos definitely belong on a list of heavy keyboard riffs.
Italian prog is loaded with keyboard riffs easily as heavy as anything on this list.
Il Balletto di Bronzo - YS, is wall to wall keyboard heaviness.
Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra, also has some pretty heavy riffs.
Allegro barbaro by Bartok is simply a metal piece itself with its riff variation after riff structure.
fantastic list! Love the back and forth with Classical and Prog.
Hit the 3 I was looking for - Bach, Yes, Hush. Cannot disagree with any of the other choices - nicely done, completely agree
My favorite keyboard player is Don Airey. His keyboard solo on Rainbow's Spotlight Kid has some very heavy riffs. He's trading riffs with Mr. Blackmore during the solo... it's amazing. Also his playing on Colloseum II's Electric Savage album is AWESOME on every tune!
Saw that set live in London, killer!
Love you Jordan ❤️ I would add to the list the Wilde Jagd etude by Liszt and the cadenza of Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto. Classical piano music is full of metal moments 🤘
When Bach played the pipe organ, it was literally heavy metal.
Bach has invented Symphonic Black Metal.
@@christiandeuer2425 also, pipe organs are so heavy no one can lift them, and made of metal.
Great choice, can’t wait for the next #11 heaviest tunes! ☺️
Very interesting selection. I would have included Thijs van Leer of Focus and the main theme from The Hamburger Concerto.
Good choice!
Isn't the main theme lifted from a classical piece?
Beethoven Op. 111 Sonata opening riff - it ain't just heavy brother, it's doomsday!
Very clever to put a constantly heavy metal music on background while jordan talking about other songs and while we are listening to them. It helps a lot
The true successor of all those great keyboardists and pianists. They should've included some Dream Theater stuff, from Jordan era and pre-Jordan era as well.... There are plenty of them though, Lines In The Sand, Dance of Eternity, Erotomania, A Change of Seasons, and a lot of stuff from Train of Thought.
Some other picks for me are Foreplay (Long Time) by Boston (which was done by guitarist Tom Scholz), Pink Floyd’s In The Flesh (still one of the coolest intros to an album, Richard Wright kills it on that song) and I’ll also throw in I Want You (She’s So Heavy) by The Beatles. The stuff Billy Preston is doing is just awesome
Great Pics Sir, LOVE that commercial !
Subdivisions from Rush, for me, #12 :)
My fav Rush tune!
This is an excellent list! If I were to pick a next in line classical piece, I'd have to go with Prokofiev's Toccata op. 11, which - I looked it up to confirm, and yep - is also in D minor.
Good choices ! Hush is my favorite organ riff, Rachs Prelude in C# Min is sooo moving.
Absolutely epic list, thanks Jordan!
The hard organ opening to "Point Of Know Return" by Kansas sends shivers down my spine every time.
ELP's "Fanfare for the Common Man" (cover of Arron Copland)
of course is so iconic that it is instantly recognized -- Just three notes, followed by three more, and the rest is history.
just mentioning it makes it play in your head.
"Blue Collar Man" by Styx deserves honorable mention,
as does Jonathon Cain's Power keyboard riffs in "Separate Ways" by Journey.
Maybe it's a bit obscure, but "In Ancient Days" by Black Widow has just this wicked keyboard intro that starts out spooky and descends into demonic chaos before the
guitar part picks it up from floor of the dark pit and they start grooving and rocking out.
th-cam.com/video/qWO2G5kp3X0/w-d-xo.html
Ken Hensley recognized by Jordan Rudess! Awesome :)
I’m Shocked there was no Muse on here!space dementia, butterflies and hurricanes, and hoodoo are super heavy
I saw Keith on the Tarkus tour AND the ELP tour before that.
What shows they were.
Wot no "July Morning" ?
And I guess "Child In Time" was a little too obvious ... 😜
But still a great one.
Freaking great list.
Great video Jordan!
I remember seeing Yes at Radio City Music Hall some years back, and Rik Wakeman did an awesome keyboard solo, at one point he popped out of the side of the stage playing on the massive house organ! I can't remember specifically, but I'm sure it must have been that section from Closer to the Edge. It was an impressive moment!
Space-Dye Vest = Chopin's Funeral March
Lines in the Sand = Rach's Prelude in C#minor
The Dance of Eternity = Bach's Toccata and Fugue
That was surprising. Tarkus is in 10/8, or 5/4, not 11/8. It’s one of the most “5” rock pieces ever created.
Yes. Wondered about that - like what am I missing?
So glad that Jordan gave a shoutout to Uriah Heep, hella underrated band. RIP Ken Hensley ❤
Ken Hensley. Awesome organ player
HAHA. I remember the Band Aid commercial from childhood! I'm about the same age. Mind-blown to learn that was you!
Great selections! Jordan's such a class act 👍
When you mentioned Genesis, I was waiting for "Watcher of the Skies"... 😀
I was waiting for Firth of Fifth
I was waiting for The Knife
Great choices Jordan. I expected super complex stuff and was pleased to find memorable melody lines which I think are more important than complexity. I would have added some of the stuff Lyle Mays did.
Not sure whether this qualifies as "heavy", but i think the opening to Elton's "Funeral For A Friend" is absolutely fantastic - so "big" and dramatic.
A great selection of music ! Thanks for sharing the clip of the commercial... made my day (LOL)
First that came to my mind was Interstellar Overdrive.. Especially the mono version. Classic example of bring back the riff but slower and heavier.
Thank you for recognising Uriah Heep’s Easy Livin/Demons and Wizards. You might want to check out Morcambe and Wise’s Greig Piano concerto with help from Andre Previn.
Thanks Jordan, that was fun!
Thanx Champ, love your work. Had the pleasure of meeting n time with Keith E
Loved that! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
When I saw the title, my first thought was "Frankenstein" by the Edgar Winter Group. "Blue Collar Man" by Styx also comes to mind, but Styx always gets left out of lists like these. :(
As for Yes, picking "Close to the Edge" is curious, as I would think "Roundabout" or "Siberian Khatru" would have heavier keyboard riffs.
Still, a fun list to check out.
Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor was on my list, glad to see it made Jordan's. For all the rock fans, do yourself the favour and have a listen, you won't be disappointed.
Thanks for educating us Jordan, Here's a few other honorable mentions! Chopin Polonaise OP 53 , Procol Harum Whiter shade of pale, Walter Wanderley Summer Sanba, Zombies Time of the Season,
Great List, Great Mix between genres!! Uriah Heep! Back in the day I played Hammond with a beefed up Leslie that spit and screamed. Of course my band did Easy Livin' as well as alot of DP and Yes. I loved turning those rotors on and off! ha.
I loved the mention of Ken Hensley, bless him. Some of his heavy organ sounds remind me of those old horror films. eerie & dark & wonderful.
Thanks! I saw him once at a NAMM show in the 80's. He was a big dude; about 6"4" and man, was he wild! He was talking and his body was writhing around non-stop. He was wearing a very rock suede jacket and still had very long hair. I was literally right in front of him and wanted to talk to him, but he was really on another plane. LOL.
Bernie Worrell's organ on Seven Laws of Woo by Praxis. Doesn't hurt to have Buckethead doubling the line on guitar either.
Intro is super sweet too!
Rich the Ancient Metal Beast
🤘🧙♂️🤘
Dminor is the saddest of all keys. Makes you instantly weep - Nigel Tufnel
"Chest Fever" - The Band." "When the Music's Over" - The Doors."The Big Hush " - Shriekback & Traffic's cover of "Feelin Good"."Icky Thump" -White Stripes."The Iron Butterfly THEME" -Iron Butterfly. and last but not least The Mothers of Invention cover of "Louie Louie .
A couple honorable mentions: "Blue Collar Man" Styx and "The Show Must Go On" Queen
Damned refreshing for Jordan to mention the classical masters instead of simply sticking to rock like most do...
I’d have to put Steven Wilson’s Holy Drinker in this. That last section from 8:34 onwards is a purely evil keyboard sound
Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Tony Banks and Ken Hensley! Hell Yeah!!
He has good taste doesn't he Mr Rudess. Wonderful players & composers.
Merci for this. Jordan did a video about voicings and it's helped me since I'm at that stage in my musical journey.
Love this video! Thanks for sharing!
Since we're not including Jordan's own music (which ranks right up there in the pantheon of super bad keyboard riffs), let's give a shout out to Tom Scholz and his Bach(esq) intro Foreplay. Also, I love Steve Walsh of Kansas for his riffs on Point of No Return and Carry On My Wayward Son.
I’d like to mention Lucifer’s Friend, on their first couple of albums the great Peter Hecht plays all the keyboards along with the occasional French horn. Definitely check out their self-titled debut and their follow up “When The Groupies Killed The Blues”.
I remember seeing Uriah Heep live and I while I do really remember Easy Livin', I have some big memories of Gypsy Queen. That shit knocked my socks off
Adam Holzman's keys on Steven Wilson's 'The Holy Drinker' spring to mind, also Underworld's If Rah, Opeth's 'The Grand Conjuration' (Per Wiberg)...
Hey Jordan, here is my list
Lazy - Deep Purple (Jon Lord)
Look At Yourself - Uriah Heep (Ken Hensley)
Foreplay / Longtime - Boston (Tom Scholz)
Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf (Goldy McJohn)
Mr. Crowley - Ozzy Osbourne (Don Airey)
Frankenstein - The Edgar Winter Group (Edgar)
Autumn '68 - Pink Floyd (Richard Wright)
In The Dead Of Night - U.K. (Eddie Jobson)
Funeral For A Friend - Elton John (Sir Elton)
1984 - Van Halen (Eddie VH)
Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who (Pete Townshend)
JR has great taste in music. Similar to mine :-0. Forgot Perfect Strangers intro - one of the heaviest rock organ riffs
Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! for this list, I totally agree with you!
Bach was a metal guy
Jordan Rudess
Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1 would've been one of my top picks