Best of Piano Classics - 50 Famous Pieces - Solo Piano - (ED 9060)

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It is always a privilege to hear Krystian Zimerman on record, and this programme of Szymanowski’s music – recorded either side of a 15-year interval – is predictably stunning. The Well-Tempered Clavier was completely innovative for its day, and it paved the way for composers writing for keyboard instruments for the next few hundred years. Bach wrote the first of the two books that make up his workin 1722, making this one of the earliest pieces on our list. Each of the two books contain 24 Preludes and Fugues (the whole work is sometimes known as ‘The 48’), in each key of the Western scale – and each book opens with a preludein C major, closing with a fugue in B minor.

Klára Würtz’s Goldbergs explores Bach’s extraordinary and revered set of variations with selfless commitment and personality, bringing delicacy, drama and architectural splendour to this great music. By 1854, Liszt had put the finishing touches to his monumental Piano Sonata in B minor, and took the music to perform at a private soirée. Among the guests was another composer, Johannes Brahms. Liszt took his seat at the piano and began to play. When he reached a section of the piece of which he was particularly proud, so the story goes, he glanced over at Brahms to see what he thought… only to find his fellow composer snoozing. This modern classic from Billie Eilish brings us right up to the end of our sixty-year journey through pop. Among all the modern pop songs on flowkey we could've wrapped things up with, we've chosen "Everything I Wanted" because although it's modern, it feels timeless. With simple chords and soft melodies floating over a deep emotional undercurrent, it's pop music at its best. We might anger a few metalheads by including Metallica in a roundup of pop songs, but don't just take from us—others think it, too. "Metallica are a heavy-sounding band, but they write pop songs," said Dave Gahan of the legendary Depeche Mode.Beethoven Symphony No 3, ‘Eroica’ (transcr Liszt) Mozart Piano Concerto No 20, K466 (transcr Alkan) A fascinating and thought-provoking piece of programming – spanning the Baroque to the 21st century – that works wonderfully, thanks of course to Inon Barnatan’s hugely impressive pianism.

Really lovely playing from Stephen Hough, who offers us the most beautifully shaped sound, and a vision of Schubert’s music that feels as exploratory as it does rich in understanding of those wonderful works. This song is a staple for the first dance at weddings, which is why we have three versions of it available to learn through flowkey: one for weddings, a version with the melody, and a version without the melody specifically arranged for sing-alongs or other instrumental accompaniments. Whichever you choose, the sparks of romance should fly. 2. The Beatles – Yesterday (1965) No song screams "The '70s" louder than "Stayin' Alive" by the British-Australian trio the Bee Gees. Its catchy, unmistakable melody is usually enough to put a smile on the face of everyone who hears it—especially if you're the one bashing it out on the piano.

Following up his superb Stanchinsky album last year, Peter Jablonski turns his attention to Bacewicz, offering equally fine advocacy to a composer whose music is coming to be much more widely recognised. The sonata’s third movement Rondo alla Turca is so popular, it is often played as its own musical entity. The movement imitates the sound of Turkish military bands, which was in vogue with European composers at the time. Three masters of variation form – Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart – are explored, and very clearly enjoyed, by pianist Simon Trpčeski on this delightful album. Now that's settled, let's focus on what makes "Nothing Else Matters" one of the essential pop songs for piano. In both the intermediate and advanced versions available to learn with flowkey, the moody chords and melody have a subtle, hypnotizing charm—the kind of sounds that get listeners leaning closer to take in their full beauty. Who knew a piano cover of such a heavy, intense song could sound so gorgeous? (We did!) 10. Oasis – Wonderwall (1995)

A list of pop classics wouldn't be complete without a song from The Beatles. We could've chosen any of the eight Beatles songs available to learn on flowkey for this article, but something about the melancholy melody of "Yesterday" gives us goosebumps—probably the same thing that makes it the most covered song of all time (according to This Day In Music).Chopin composed his most well-known nocturne at the tender age of 20, which perhaps accounts for its youthful passion. The build-up from the main theme and waltz-like accompaniment to the dramatic trill-filled finale makes the Nocturne in E-flat Major a strong contender for the most beautiful piano work ever written. Schumann’s Kinderszenen are a bittersweet collection of piano miniatures covering themes like games of chase, night-time terrors, bedtime stories and sleep. The most famous, ‘Traumerei’ paints a peaceful musical picture of a child’s dreams. It’s tender and beautifully nostalgic. Even if you're not going through a breakup, it's the perfect tune for a quiet night indoors, alone with the piano—and your feelings—maybe with a bit of mood lighting, too. We have four arrangements for this song on flowkey, making it an excellent and accessible choice for players of all levels, from beginner to pro. 3. David Bowie – Space Oddity (1969)