Beautiful Melodies: A Collection of Masterpieces and Moving Piano Songs
If you love the sound of the piano, this is for you!
In this article, we’ll introduce moving songs featuring the piano.
The piano is said to be the most versatile instrument, capable of covering everything from low to high registers all on its own.
Because producing sound on the piano is simpler compared to other instruments, its range of expression is very broad—you could say it’s an instrument that clearly reveals the performer’s unique world.
We’ll showcase wonderful masterpieces in rock and pop that make use of the piano!
We’ve carefully curated these selections, so please enjoy!
- Poignant and beautiful! A collection of recommended piano pieces
- [Intermediate Level] Cool Piano Pieces You Can Play [Great for Recitals Too]
- [Classical Piano Masterpieces] A carefully selected collection of moving pieces that will bring you to tears
- A gentle song. A classic that calms the heart. A song that makes you feel kind.
- Today's Piano: Masterpieces and Popular Pieces Woven with Delicate Tones
- [Classical] Introducing Recommended Moving/Touching Pieces
- [Piano × J-POP] Tearjerker! A Selection of Moving/Touching Songs
- [For Adults] Recommended for Piano Recitals! A Curated Selection of Impressively Sounding Masterpieces
- Songs that play during moving scenes. A collection of classic tracks that evoke deep emotion.
- [Classic and Contemporary Hits] Emotionally Stirring, Heart-Touching Songs
- J-POP to Play on Piano | A Curated Selection of Beautiful, Soul-Cleansing Ballads
- [Intermediate Level] A curated selection of piano masterpieces featuring strikingly brilliant melodies!
- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
[Beautiful Melodies] A Collection of Masterpieces and Moving Piano Songs (1–10)
Snow BlossomNakajima Mika
Mika Nakashima’s “Yuki no Hana” is a beautiful, mature ballad with piano accompaniment.
Released in 2003, it won a Gold Prize at the Japan Record Awards, and since then it has been selected every year for rankings like “Great Winter Songs.” The opening piano features slightly jazzy chord voicings, characterized by a deep resonance with rich low tones.
In November 2021, she also performed “Yuki no Hana” on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE, so be sure to check it out!
SummerHisaishi Joe
When it comes to piano pieces to listen to in summer, Joe Hisaishi’s “Summer” surely comes to mind.
It was composed as the main theme for director Takeshi Kitano’s 1999 film “Kikujiro.” The light, charming main theme is so striking that you can’t forget it after a single listen.
In contrast, the secondary theme is lyrical, evoking scenes of summertime.
Whether performed by an orchestra or as a piano solo, it’s a masterpiece that resonates with the heart—definitely a track I recommend listening to while setting out on a summer journey.
wedgeOku Hanako
When you think of singer-songwriters who play the piano, who comes to mind? Here, I’d like to introduce a song by Hanako Oku, a Chiba-born artist who made her major debut after performing street live shows on keyboard.
Known for her trademark red glasses, her 2015 ballad KUSABI features beautiful piano work.
It’s a richly emotional piece that showcases her strengths, with a moving ensemble of piano and strings that ebbs and flows.
[Beautiful Melodies] A Collection of Masterpieces: Moving Piano Songs (11–20)
Moon River-JazzBeegie Adair
“Moon River” is a song featured in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and a classic that won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, as well as the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Arrangement.
It’s also famous for being sung in the film by the lead actress, Audrey Hepburn.
In addition, “Moon River” is beloved as a jazz standard and has been covered by numerous jazz pianists.
Its beautiful, tranquil melody is perfect for solo piano or a piano trio.
It’s a song I highly recommend listening to at night, taking your time to savor it.
At ZanarkandUematsu Nobuo
One piano piece from a game that I absolutely have to talk about is “To Zanarkand.” It’s the signature track of Final Fantasy X, composed by Nobuo Uematsu.
This moving melody made the story feel even more dramatic.
Having played the game once myself, just hearing this piece brings back those days of adventure.
It’s a magnificent masterpiece that lets you sink comfortably into its world, even if you don’t know the game.
moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro
Chihiro Onitsuka’s songs all have a distinctive worldview and are truly wonderful, don’t they? Her 2000 release “Gekkou” (Moonlight) is famous as the theme song for the TV drama TRICK, and it accentuated the show’s peculiar, comical, and off-kilter aftertaste and lingering mood.
Even so, what truly made her vocals all the more soulful was, I think, the calm piano melody.
Because the arrangement is simple—just strings, piano, and percussion—her voice gains a compelling persuasiveness.
Let It GoFROZEN
The theme song “Let It Go” from Disney’s animated film Frozen, which was a massive hit in 2013, is a memorable piece with an unforgettable piano intro.
Its wide expressive range—featuring techniques like arpeggios and staccato—is part of its appeal.
The song won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and has become a beloved classic around the world.
In the Japanese version, Takako Matsu, who voices Elsa in the film, performs the song, showcasing her soaring high notes.