The piano is one of the most versatile instruments available and is commonly found in pop music hits.
In addition, it is the perfect instrument to simply play and sing without needing the accompaniment of other instruments or a full band.
Sitting down at a grand piano and singing a song that everyone in the room knows is a wonderful feeling and is something that will create long-lasting memories.
The piano covers a wide range of styles but there is something special about playing a pop hit song that everyone can hum or sing along with.
This list covers some easy pop songs that you can learn on the piano that will, without a doubt, impress your friends and family.
1. Hey Jude – The Beatles (1968)
Released in 1968, Hey Jude is a classic sing-along that should be in every musician’s pocket. Written by Paul McCartney, it was released without an album when it first surfaced.
It quickly became the #1 hit in multiple countries around the world and will forever be an iconic sing-along for all generations.
The final part of the song (which has the recognizable Na-na-na melody) lasts over 4 minutes long.
2. Lean on Me – Bill Withers (1972)
Released in 1972, Lean on Me is a heartfelt song that was featured as a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and Soul Singles.
The classic song is the perfect popular song that can be relatable to all different generations since most people are familiar with it.
The melody and piano backing chords are quite simple and hold the same general pattern throughout the song – making it easy to learn quickly for beginner piano players.
3. Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi (2018)
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi recorded and released this song in 2018 and it quickly became one of the most streamed songs on Spotify – topping the UK singles chart and becoming the best-selling UK single of 2019.
It makes perfect sense considering the song is beautifully crafted about a passing family member and is one of the most elegant songs we have heard to be created in this decade.
4. Let it Be – The Beatles (1970)
Released about a month after the public break up of the band, Let it Be is a beautifully crafted piano song that Paul McCartney wrote after a dream of his deceased mother – who passed when he was fourteen years old.
It has a simple chord structure that remains the same throughout the song which makes it an excellent choice for beginner aspiring pianists who want an easy song that everyone knows and can sing along with.
5. The Scientist – Coldplay (2002)
The British rock band Coldplay is one of the first bands that should come to mind when it comes to piano pop songs as they have so many hits that feature the piano as the main instrumental drive of the music.
The song is a piano love ballad that features a man and his desire to love and his ability to receive an apology.
While it did not make the very top of the charts (coming in at #10 in the UK and #18 in the US), the main riff of the song has been remixed and reused on so many other tracks and has become an iconic piano pop song of this decade.
6. Another Love – Tom Odell (2012)
Released in 2012 by English artist Tom Odell, this Indie pop debut single became a hit in Europe – most notably the Netherlands, Belgium, and Austria. It reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart and is a mournful and beautifully touching song.
By 2022, the song had reached over 1 billion listens on the Spotify platform and continues to grow after finding rebounded success on TikTok.
7. A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton (2002)
Everyone has heard this iconic piano riff and it is one of those tunes that will quickly get stuck in your head. Pop artist Vanessa Carlton released this lead single for her album titled “Be Not Nobody” and it peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
It also found popularity in Australia and across Europe, gaining spots on pop charts around the world.
The song is a mix of reality and fantasy – feeling a love for somebody that you would do anything to pursue if only one had the courage to speak up.
This song will surely bring some quirky smiles with its incredibly catchy piano melody that can be learned by beginner/intermediate piano players.
8. Imagine – John Lennon (1971)
If there is one song that can bring everyone together then it is the song Imagine, which inspires a world to live in peace, without borders, materialism, or religions getting in the way.
Easily the most popular single from Lennon’s solo career, it reached the number position on the US Top Singles, number three on the US Billboard Top 100, and gained internationally recognized attention throughout the years.
It is one of the most widely-covered songs – with recordings featured from over 200 additional artists. In addition, it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This beautiful song is known by everyone from all different cultures and is the perfect song to inspire your friends and family.
9. 7 Years – Lukas Graham (2015)
Danish pop artist Lukas Graham topped the Singles Chart in Denmark with this beautifully crafted song about what one hopes to achieve as one grows older. The piano-ballad style of the song incorporates mixes of hip-hop and soul which add more depth to the tune.
While it may not be as popular as some of the other choices on the list, it is a more recent pop song that can be easy to learn and play with a simple melody and a constant chord structure.
10. Boston – Augustana (2005)
Another piano hit from the 2000s is the song Boston, by the American Rock band Augustana. It was released as a single from their debut album titled “Stars and Boulevards”.
It peaked at position 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and position 10 on the US Adult Top 40. While it did not gain as much momentum in the international music scene, it remained a popular song in the United States.
It is one of those songs that is about getting away from everything you know and starting over in a new place.
It is based in the key of C major – making it an excellent choice for beginners to work on a singing tune backed by the piano without the accompaniment of other instruments.
11. The Show – Lenka (2008)
This bouncy and fun song was composed by Australian singer-songwriter Lenka in 2008. The piano riff has a happy and playful feel – the perfect song to bring up the energy in a room.
It gained the 25th peak position on the US Billboard Top 40 and 65th position in Australia (ARIA).
It also gained international recognition – topping charts in the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland.
12. Yesterday – The Beatles (1965)
There is no debate as to why so many songs from The Beatles make it on this piano-pop song list.
Yesterday is one of their most popular songs released on their album Help! In 1965. It reached the number one position on the US charts and is still as iconic as the day it was released – being one of the most covered songs in history.
The song came to Paul McCartney in a dream and he hurried over to the piano to play the tune upon waking up. He was even convinced that he had accidentally copied the melody from another song and spread the word around the music community to see if it had been mistakenly plagiarized from another artist before releasing the song.
When he received enough feedback that the melody was an original idea, he and Lennon created substitute lyrics titled “Scrambled Eggs” until a more fitting version was crafted.
Thankfully, they did not stick with the scrambled eggs lyrics!
13. Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn (1991)
This pop-rock song is the debut tune from American singer-songwriter Marc Cohn – who in 1992 won a Grammy for Best New Artist and received a nomination for Song of the Year with Walking in Memphis.
The lyrical heavy song talks about his personal trip as a struggling artist to Memphis to escape a case of writer’s block and to visit iconic locations frequented by famous musicians.
It peaked at position 13 on the US Billboard Top 100 Chart and reached recognition in Canada, Ireland, and Australia.
14. Champagne Problems – Taylor Swift (2020)
Of course, we could not leave out the iconic American singer-songwriter pop artist Taylor Swift. As one of the latest released songs on our list, it is featured on Swift’s ninth studio album, Evermore.
The song is about a girlfriend who takes responsibility for turning down a lover’s marriage proposal because she was struggling with her own mental health.
It reached position 21 on the Billboard Top 100 and number 3 on the Billboard Hot Rock chart – in addition to making it on the Rolling Stone Top 100 list.
15. Mad World – Michael Andrews, Gary Jules (2001)
The original song was written and released by the British band Tears for Fears and made popular by Michael Andres and Gary Jules who recorded a version to be featured on the soundtrack to the popular movie, Donnie Darko.
This version reached the number one position on the UK Singles Chart and is a widely known song across the US and Europe.
Not to mention that it is the feature song on one of the best and most complex movies to be released in the 2000s.
16. Easy on Me – Adele (2021)
While we are a roll with the latest and greatest pop artists of our generation, we also must include a song from English singer-songwriter, Adele.
This is a somber song that makes beautiful use of minimal production as it simply features the piano along with a bass line. The complexity comes from the amazing lyrics that express regret and forgiveness as she pleads to her son to go easy on her for the marriage struggles she went through.
It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at the #1 position and received international praise, being nominated for multiple Grammys and topping charts all around the world.
In a time where so many people can relate to the struggles of marriage and divorce, this song really touched the heartstrings of many people around the globe – even breaking records for the most streams on Spotify and Amazon music after it was released.
17. Single Girls – Laura Jansen (2009)
Dutch-American singer Laura Jansen released Single Girls in 2009 – which became prominent on the Top 25 list of Dutch Singles. The song is featured on the piano-driven album Bells, which reached #1 position on iTunes and #6 position in the Top 100 Dutch Album list.
The piano ballad features a simple melody that is a perfect fit for beginner/intermediate piano players looking for a beautifully-crafted song to sing and play.
18. Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) – Train (2001)
Tell me, did you fall from a shooting star?
This classic song is an iconic hit from the early 2000s and is widely recognized by all generations.
This is one of those pop songs that you can get the whole crowd singing along with the catch Na-Na-Na sing-along section.
Released in 2001 by American Rock band Train, it reached the number four position on the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as topped charts across Europe.
This song came to lead singer Pat Monahan after a dream of his late mother, who passed away after a struggle with cancer.
It is a beautiful song that is great for beginner piano players as it is recorded in the key of C major and has a consistent chord structure throughout the song.
19. Fix You – Coldplay (2005)
Another incredible piano ballad from the British band Coldplay, this song has another piano melody that is recognized by many people around the world.
It reached the fourth position on the UK Singles Chart and made it to the US Billboard Hot 100 list.
This magnificent song was created by the lead pianist and vocalist, Chris Martin, to comfort his wife after her father passed away.
It reached enough praise to even make it on the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” by Rolling Stone magazine.
20. My Immortal – Evanescence (2003)
Released in 2003, this song was released on the debut studio album, Fallen, by American rock band Evanescence.
It hit the number seven position on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also received international recognition topping charts across Europe.
Believe it or not, the song was written by guitarist, Ben Moody, and pianist Amy Lee when they were only 16 and 15.
21. Clocks – Coldplay (2002)
The piano-driven songs released by Coldplay seem to top charts worldwide – hit after hit. The song Clocks is no exception and was released on their second album titled, A Rush of Blood to the Head.
It reached position twenty-nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the UK Singles Chart.
It is known as one of the first hits and one of the signature songs from the band – making its way on Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list.
This tune features an iconic piano riff that is constant throughout the whole song, and it’s recognized by many – making it the perfect song to impress everyone in the room.
22. When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars (2012)
American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars released this pop piano ballad on his second album titled, Unorthodox Jukebox.
This is a song that many people can relate to as the emotional tune describes the regret and heartbreak associated with letting go of a lover. The song goes on to express the hope that the lover will find another man that will provide her with the attention and love she deserves.
It topped the number one position on the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as many other charts across the US and Europe.
23. Take Me to Church – Hozier (2013)
This Indie-pop emotional soul ballad was written and released by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier.
A song that is so widely recognized was actually recorded in the attic of his parent’s home when he was a struggling artist.
The tune expressed a romantic relationship that is shadowed by Church discrimination and is a powerful gospel-soul song that really tugs at those heartstrings.
Other Honorable Mentions for Easy Pop Songs on the Piano
The following songs can also provide you with some inspiration for easy pop songs to play on the piano.
- Dancing Queen – ABBA
- Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
- Hello – Adele
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- All of Me – John Legend
- Piano Man – Billy Joel
- Fallin’ – Alicia Keys
Do you know of a song that you think belongs on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
