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: Moving Piano Songs (11–20)
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.
Sakura (Solo)Moriyama Naotaro
Speaking of songs with memorable piano accompaniment, Naotaro Moriyama’s “Sakura” is indispensable.
The band version included on his 2002 mini-album “Kawaita Uta wa Sakana no Esa ni Chōdo Ii” was re-released the following year as a piano solo single and became a big hit.
The music video is different from the single’s performance—it captures a stage session with Moriyama and pianist Nobuo Kurata.
You can enjoy the characteristically warm tone of an upright piano, so be sure to give it a listen!
River Flows In YouYIRUMA
Yiruma, whose name in Korean means “to achieve one’s wish,” is known for his signature piece River Flows In You, whose performance, true to its title, flows like a river.
Its gentle, fragile melody helps reset feelings of sadness and heartache.
His music crosses borders, and he performs concerts around the world.
This piece is famous for being used as background music for figure skating programs.
When you want to calm your mind, his piano performances will soothe you.
Poem of SunlightLe Couple
Le Couple’s “Hidamari no Uta” became a massive hit as an insert song for the Fuji TV drama Under One Roof 2.
It reached No.
2 on the Oricon singles chart and even sold over a million copies—a true classic.
The piano accompaniment from the A section after the intro is very simple, and the Yamaha FM-synthesis electric piano that comes in partway through has a beautifully shimmering tone.
It was a big hit in 1997, so if you haven’t heard it yet, definitely give it a listen!
On the day of departure…Kawashima Ai
“Tabidachi no Hi ni…” is a single by singer-songwriter Ai Kawashima and is the original song that became “Ashita e no Tobira,” the theme for Fuji TV’s romance reality show Ainori.
While “Ashita e no Tobira” features a lavish arrangement with a band and strings, “Tabidachi no Hi ni…” has a slower tempo and an arrangement that lets you savor the piano accompanying Kawashima’s vocals.
The lyrics and the way the piano is showcased are also different, so be sure to listen to both and compare!
ImagineJohn Lennon
When people think of songs that feature the piano, many likely recall this intro first: John Lennon’s classic Imagine, a song that sings of world peace.
The delayed piano melody creates a dreamy, almost otherworldly atmosphere.
Beginning with that striking piano and joined by Lennon’s gentle vocals, the track quickly becomes dramatic.
It is a great work that stands out both musically and lyrically, and one that will remain in history.
[Beautiful Melodies] A Collection of Masterpieces and Moving Piano Songs (21–30)
Don’t Stop Believin’Journey’s
When it comes to American rock bands with a pianist, you can’t leave out Journey.
Their album Escape, which has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, opens with the classic “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Its piano-and-bass intro has been selected as one of the greatest keyboard intro phrases in rock.
Just listening to it is exciting—the sense of uplift is irresistible.
In 2009, it was featured in the American TV series Glee, bringing the song renewed attention.