Top Keyboardists

[SuiteMadameBlue]

I was going to post this under the "DeYoung vs. Gowan" debate, but I thought to make it's own topic.

Just remember this list is someone's opinion. But, um, let's see, um, I can't find Gowan's name, maybe I just missed it. But, ah, I see see Mr. DeYoung's, wow #22, pretty impressive in my book. Thanks to one of my friends that finds everything on the internet

http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/b ... board.html




1. Keith Emerson (ELP)
2. Rick Wakeman (Yes)
3. Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
4. Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
5. Jerry Lee Lewis
6. Tony Banks (Genesis)
7. Ray Charles
8. Fats Domino
9. Billy Preston
10. Richard Wright (Pink Floyd)
11. Ian Underwood (The Mothers Of Invention)
12. Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, The Dregs)
13. Professor Longhair
14. Little Richard
15. Tony Hymas (Jeff Beck)
16. Steve Winwood (Traffic)
17. Nicky Hopkins (Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck)
18. Al Kooper (Blood Sweat & Tears)
19. Jan Hammer
20. Elton John
21. Billy Joel
22. Dennis De Young (Styx)
23. Kevin Moore (Dream Theater)
24. T. Lavitz (The Dregs)
25. Brian Eno
26. Jens Johansen (Yngwie Malmsteen)
27. Richard Tandy (ELO)
28. Stevie Wonder
29. Garth Hudson (The Band)
30. Gregg Allman (Allman Brothers Band)
31. Steve Walsh (Kansas)
32. Booker T Jones
33. Rod Argent (Zombies, Argent)
34. George Duke (Frank Zappa)
35. Don Airey (Rainbow, Ozzy, Deep Purple)
36. Allan Zavod (Frank Zappa)
37. David Sancious (Springsteen, Santana, Sting)
38. Ian Mclagan (Rolling Stones, Faces)
39. Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello)
40. Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater)
41. Max Middleton (Jeff Beck)
42. Johnnie Johnson (Chuck Berry)
43. Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
44. Huey "Piano" Smith (The Clowns)
45. Jimmy Greenspoon (Three Dog Night)
46. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (Grateful Dead)
47. Jon Carin (Pink Floyd, Roger Waters)
48. Jonathan Cain (Journey, Solo)
49. Gregg Rolie (Santana, Journey)
50. Benmont Tench (The Heartbreakers)
51. Klaus Schulze
52. Amos Milburn
53. Allen Ravenstine (Pere Ubu)
54. Geoff Downes (Yes, Asia)
55. Allen Toussaint (session man)
56. Randy Newman
57. Bob Mayo (Frampton)
58. Roy Bittan (E Street Band)
59. Bruce Hornsby (B. H. & the Range, Grateful Dead)
60. Matt Bellamy (Muse)
61. Spooner Oldham (Wilson Pickett)
62. Tony Macalpine
63. Alan Price (The Animals)
64. Leon Russell
65. Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep)
66. Claudio Simonetti (Goblin)
67. Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum, Solo)
68. Roddy Bottum (Faith No More)
69. Ivory Joe Hunter
70. Richard Tee
71. Dr. John
72. Bernie Worrell (Talking Heads, Funkadelic)
73. Bill Payne (Little Feat)
74. Michael Pinella (Symphony X)
75. David Rosenthal (Rainbow)
76. Vincent Crane - (Arthur Brown)
77. Robert Lamm (Chicago)
78. Burton Cummings (Guess Who)
79. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
80. Mike Pinder (Moody Blues)
81. Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones)
82. Peter Bardens
83. Jools Holland (Squeeze)
84. Tony Kaye (Yes)
85. Neal Doughty (REO Speedwagon)
86. Mike Garson (David Bowie)
87. Aretha Franklin
88. Bobby Whitlock (Derek & The Dominos)
89. Larry Knechtel (Bread, Smith)
90. Mike Stoller (session man)
91. Jeff Chimenti (Rat Dog, The Dead)
92. Mark Mancina (Yes)
93. Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart)
94. Edgar Winter
95. Issac Hayes
96. Janne Warman (Children of Bodom, Warmen)
97. Roger Powell (Todd Rundgren, David Bowie)
98. Gary Wright
99. Art Neville
100. Danny Federici (The E Street Band)


More Great Keyboardists:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny Ace
Alex Argento
Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree)
James Booker
Gary Brooker (Procol Harum)
David Bryan (Bon Jovi)
John "Rabbit" Bundrick (The Who)
John Cale (Velvet Underground)
Tony Carey - (Rainbow)
Steve Davidowski (The Dregs)
Matt Evidon (Under The Sun)
Ben Folds
Keith Godchaux (Grateful Dead)
Paul Griffin (Bob Dylan, Don Mclean)
Matt Guillory (Mullmuzzler)
Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads)
Greg Hawkes (Cars)
John "Jojo" Herman (Widespread Panic)
John Herndon (Tortoise)
Doug Ingle (Iron Butterfly)
Chris Ingles (Shadow Gallery)
Eddie Jobson (UK, Roxy Music)
Seth Justman (J Geils Band)
Lale Larson
Lafayette Leake (Bo Diddley)
Geddy Lee (Rush)
Kerry Livgren (Kansas)
Manfred Mann
Page McConnell (Phish)
Michael Mcdonald (Doobie Borothers)
Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
Freddie Mercury (Queen)
Lee Michaels
Patrick Moraz (Refugee, Yes, Moody Blues)
Neal Morse (Transatlantic, Spock's Beard)
Brent Mydland (Grateful Dead)
Ryo Okumoto (Spock's Beard)
David Palmer (Jethro Tull)
Mark Parrish (The Dregs)
Steve Porcaro (Toto)
Dizzy Reed (Guns N Roses)
Charlie Rich
Bill Rieflin (Ministry, NIN)
Mark Robertson (Cairo, Tony Macalpine)
Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge)
Ian Stewart (Rolling Stones)
Gene Taylor (Fabulous Thunderbirds)
Keith Tippett (King Crimson)
Pete Townshend (The Who)
Eric Troyer (ELO)
Harry "Piano Man" Van Walls (session man)
Rich Vogel (Galactic)
Scott Warren (Dio)
Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead)
Larry Williams
Ben Wilson (Blues Traveler)
Reese Wynans (Double Trouble)
Warren Zevon



1. Tarkus - Keith Emerson
2. Close to the Edge - Rick Wakeman
3. Karn Evil 9 - Keith Emerson
4. Lazy - Jon Lord
5. Light My Fire - Ray Manzarek
6. Rat Bat Blue - Jon Lord
7. Roundabout - Rick Wakeman
8. Toccata - Keith Emerson
9. Highway Star - Jon Lord
10. Fireball - Jon Lord
11. Call Me the Breeze - Billy Powell
12. South Side of the Sky - Rick Wakeman
13. Siberian Khatru - Rick Wakeman
14. Angry Young Man - Billy Joel
15. Riders on the Storm - Ray Manzarek

[classicstyxfan]

I gotta believe Gowan belongs on this list.....the problem is, he's just not well known outside of Canada....when you get towards the bottom of the list, some of those guys just arent all that impressive.

[Ash]

I ran the internet fanclub for Tony Carey a long time ago... even produced a couple of indie albums with him including a greatest hits. He's a remarkably talented artist, but his keyboard talent has been somewhat diluted by trying to also be a guitar player, percussionist all over midi kinda guy.

Dennis is a much better Piano player in terms of being able to actually play songs, melodies and music. A keyboard player has abilities to put together collections of sounds that may or may not necessarily be melodies. Deyoung is technically superior to Carey in terms of raw ability, but Carey is very good at using a diverse range of sounds and styles within the realm of keyboardism.

That likely makes no sense.

Goes back to his melancholy day.

[bugsymalone]

Wow, Suite, thanks for finding that one! I have been looking for such a list myself.

I agree with many of the placesments, especially Emerson as No. 1. No argument there. Wakeman at No. 2 is a good choice as well.

I was really surprise Kerry Livgren did not rank in the top tier. I would place him over Steve Walsh.

I personally think Dennis should rank a little higher, but it is good to see him on this list even if these people can never get it into their heads how to spell his last name.

When you see all those names on the list, the fact that Dennis is in the top 25 is quite impressive.

As to Gowan. Well, seems there were a number of more obscure names in the business listed, but not his.

And I am aware that this, like so many lists, is arbitrary, but I think they did a decent job of listing most of the famous keyboard/piano players out there.

As to top performances, I sure would throw in Dennis' work in "Foolin' Yourself" as one of the best. My opinion of course.

Bugsy

[classicstyxfan]

Hey !!!! this list is BOGUS ! I've looked up and down the list, and neither Liberace nor Barry Manilow nor Ralph the Dog are anywhere to be found ! How can you have a list of the worlds all time great painists without those 3 ????

[bugsymalone]

Liberace

Maybe candelabra and spinning keyboards fall into the same exclusion category??

Ralph the Dog

Sheer oversight. They need to redo the list and add Ralph. I think he belongs between Michael McDonald and Christie McVie.

Bugsy

[classicstyxfan]

Ralph either was himself, or had someone working for him that was a dynamite Lyricist !

One of my all time favorite Lyrics starts:

You can't live with 'em.......You can't live Without 'em
There's somethin irresistablish about 'em......

( I hope that somethin better comes along ! )

[kansas666]

I was really surprise Kerry Livgren did not rank in the top tier. I would place him over Steve Walsh.

Bugsy

Kerry Livgren played more guitar than keys in Kansas. And when Greg Robert left the band 7 years ago, Steve Walsh picked up both his and Kerry's keyboard parts.

Kerry may be a good writer. But I would list Steve as a much better keyboardist.

[bugsymalone]

Kerry Livgren played more guitar than keys in Kansas. And when Greg Robert left the band 7 years ago, Steve Walsh picked up both his and Kerry's keyboard parts.

I did not know that. Thanks for that info. I saw them live only once, in the 70's and I recall Livgren playing lots of keys (and guitar), but so did Steve.
This is probably why he is ranked so low.

Bugsy

[classicstyxfan]

NEWSFLASH......NEWSFLASH..........NEWSFLASH..........NEWSFLASH...........

This just in, LAWRENCE GOWAN has been found on the extended list of the all time greatest Keyboards performers...he is listed at #256, just after Lurch, of the Addams Family television show fame who came in at #255, and just ahead of Myron Floren, accordian wizard seen for many years on The Lawrence Welk syndicated television program.

Again, Lawrence Gowan, found after a lengthy search, at #256.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.