People are always asking me to make a list of the most requested piano bar songs of all times. This blog post is going to clear that up for you once and for all! In this blog post, I will share the top 5 requested piano bar songs of all time, but I will even share video tutorials on each one. Let's go!
Years in the Piano Bar!
I have spent a LOT of hours singing and playing in piano bars across the US and around the world. My first "big" gig in my early twenties was doing Singalong Piano Bar gigs on cruise ships in the Caribbean. I document the whole wide-and-crazy experience in this blog post.
Over the years I have learned that the secret of piano bar playing is to choose songs that EVERYONE knows and to play them as authentically as possible. In the following list, I count down the top five most requested piano bar songs. Click on each video to check out a tutorial that teaches you the authentic arrangements - perfect for pianists of all levels. (I promise!)
#5: Stand By Me - Ben E. King
Stand By Me is a classic singalong standard recorded by R&B master Ben E. King. Most people know all of the words, but even if they don't the chorus is super easy to pick up on!
#4: Hey Jude - The Beatles
Hey Jude is one of the most requested easy pop piano songs by the Beatles and is really fun and easy to play on the piano. Firstly, there are only a handful of chords. Secondly it uses the often-played pop rock ballad groove. Finally, it has an out chorus of "NANANAs" that are super easy to jam out to in a singalong.
Watch the video below to check out the Hey Jude Sing and Play Piano tutorial.
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#3: Take Me Home Country Roads - John Denver
Take Me Home Country Roads is a classic singalong song written by the great John Denver. Everybody loves this song - young and old, from coast to coast. This song has a country free to it, but is truly an American folk song. Watch the video below and I'll show you how to sing and play this classic song. Super easy and satisfying!
#2: Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
It should come as no surprise that Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond is number two on this most requested piano bar songs list. Nothing is more fun than hearing a huge group of people scream-singing "SWEET CAROLINE -BUH BUH BUH!!"
Sweet Caroline is a really easy song to play - only a few chords! Plus, all you have to do is play that "duh duh duh, duh duh duh duh duh" intro and everyone will know exactly what's coming!
#1: Pianoman - Billy Joel
Are we surprised that Piano Man is number one on this list? Over the three years I performed on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, I played Pianoman hundreds--maybe thousands--of times. No matter who was in the crowd, or what time it was, or where people were from, THIS was the song they requested. Ironically, Billy Joel himself wrote this song after playing a million piano bar gigs. Now we all have to play it!
Enjoy the video tutorial on this fantastic song. You'll be glad you took the time to learn the most requested piano bar song of all time!
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Sweet Caroline Piano Tutorial