From beautiful piano rock to intense loud rock! Bands with cool keyboards and synths.
Keyboards and synthesizers—ranging from piano rock to synth-pop and techno-pop—can be incorporated regardless of whether the band is a traditional rock outfit.
Adding them to guitar, bass, and drums instantly broadens a song’s expressive range! Many of you probably love tracks that feature keyboards, but it can be surprisingly hard to think of bands that actually have a keyboardist, right? So in this article, we’ll introduce plenty of bands with cool keyboard work.
Some play with piano sounds, others with distinctive synth tones—each band is different—so be sure to check out the songs from the bands we’re about to feature.
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- The Allure of the Keyboard: A Collection of Piano Vocaloid Songs
- From rock numbers to dance tunes! Cool songs of the Reiwa era
- [2026] For Band Beginners! Recommended Songs from Popular Bands That Get the Crowd Going at Live Shows
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- From cute to cool: iconic and recommended songs from uniquely individual girl bands
- Nostalgic yet fresh!? Classic masterpieces of Japanese rock from the 1970s and 1980s
- [Beginner] Compilation of Keyboard Performance Training Videos
From beautiful piano rock to intense loud rock! Bands with awesome keyboards and synths (21–30)
366 daysHY
When it comes to bands where the keyboardist stands out, many people might think of HY! Izumi Nakasone, who’s even been called the queen of breakup songs, has written countless classic love ballads.
Her voice, with its deep resonance, and above all the relatable, heartfelt lyrics leave a strong impression.
In songs where piano is indispensable—like HY’s signature track “366 Days”—and even in rock ballads like “AM11:00,” her keyboard sound adds rich color to the music.
The Stronger, The Further You’ll BeFear, and Loathing in Las Vegas
Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas rose to popularity with a new sound that blends EDM and intense metal.
After making their major debut, their popularity surged through tie-ins with anime and other media, and they have now established a solid position in Japan’s metal scene.
The keyboards use what you might call techno-style synthesizers.
From beautiful piano rock to intense loud rock! Bands with awesome keyboards and synths (31–40)
Kiss DiamondWEAVER
WEAVER is a piano rock band distinguished by its guitar-less three-piece setup of keyboard, bass, and drums.
The keyboard is handled by vocalist Yuji Sugimoto.
Interestingly, they weren’t originally a piano rock band; they started out as a guitar rock band, but after a member left, they shifted to their current lineup.
I imagine that change was enormous for the band, yet thinking that it ended up defining their character and becoming the catalyst for their fresh, flowing songs is pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Charonnegoto
As a recommended girls’ band that plays rock, I’d suggest Negoto.
They had a classic Japanese rock sound and were popular with younger audiences.
Their synthesizer and keyboard lines intertwine with the guitar in a way that really sticks in your ears.
Unfortunately, they disbanded in July 2019, but the music they created continues to be loved.
GUNSHOTSSiM
SiM is a rock band that flies the flag of reggae-punk.
They’re so popular that they not only pack live houses across the country but also regularly appear on the main stages of major outdoor festivals! Speaking of them, their style that blends loud rock with reggae flavors is a fan favorite, so you might not associate them much with keyboards.
However, at recent shows, we often see guitarist SHOW-HATE playing a synthesizer! It adds color to memorable moments—especially in instrumental breaks—and has now become an indispensable part of the band’s sound.
threadBank Band
Alongside Mr.Children’s Kazutoshi Sakurai, the central figure of Bank Band is music producer Takeshi Kobayashi.
In the band he plays keyboards, and given his extensive work composing and arranging numerous hit songs and film scores, his performance that elevates the vocal melodies is impressively top-tier.
He’s truly a model example of backing performance in pop music.
hundreds of millions of light-yearsOmoinotake
Omoinotake is a three-piece band from Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, known for their distinctive sound strongly influenced by Black music such as soul, R&B, and hip-hop.
Featuring Reo Fujii’s soaring vocals and piano, Tomoaki Fukushima on bass, and Hironoshin Tomita on drums, they’ve drawn attention as a rare guitar-less band.
They made their major-label debut in November 2021 with their first EP, “EVERBLUE,” on Sony Music Labels, and in 2024 provided the theme song for the drama “Eye Love You,” starring Fumi Nikaido.
Even before their major debut, they showcased their abilities with street performances in Shibuya starting in 2017, drawing crowds of over 500 people at their peak.
Expressing Black music through a uniquely band-oriented approach, their sound is recommended not only for traditional rock fans but also for listeners who love R&B and soul.