Pandemic Playlist: Our Top 5 songs that will mesmerize you with their melancholic piano melodies
In a list of near-endless piano tracks, this ain't your average top five piano songs playlist. These songs are for those moments where you suddenly perked your ears to those few bars of pure ivory-enchanted wonder. That special place of escapism that gets you emerged in melancholia but lit up by the genius of the piano playing.
Gary Jules ft Michael Andrews – ‘Mad World’
It's probably fitting to say right about now during the coronavirus quarantine that we are indeed living in a mad world. The track, made famous by the 2001 film 'Donnie Darko' (which features Jake Gyllenhaal and gained its own cult following) features piano-playing that seems to mix both your "happy" and "sad" chord structures in a way that seems to send you drifting, rather than sinking in sadness. The result is trippy in its own right and is best paired with an equally trippy music video.
Watch the music video for 'Mad World' here.
Radiohead - 'Pyramid Song'
If 'Mad World' is your drifting track, then Radiohead's 'Pyramid Song' is your sinking song. Radiohead fans will know that the band aren't new to the tones of sadness and are geniuses of the emotion in their own right. The 'Pyramid Song' comes as one of those hot numbers, or rather, cold numbers. The song feels as if the piano has a voice of its own, crying out for motivation, crying out its last breath in a traipsing sort of rhythm. In fact, the song's time signature has been a mystery to many, some calling it an extended 4/4 or a 4/4/ with triplet subdivisions. As confusing as that can all sound, the whole 'Pyramid Song' unraveling just shows the next-level creativity of Thom Yorke and Radiohead.
Coldplay - 'Trouble'
Who can forget Coldplay's 'Trouble'? Along with 'Yellow', it was one of the songs that sent the band's fame soaring at the time of its release in 2000. Its musical arrangement is built around the acoustic piano and has two different music video releases: the US and UK versions. The UK version shows frontman Chris Martin tied to a chair at night as traffic passes him by. Although minimalistic in its changes, the subtle usage of lights and the chill of Martin's breath evaporations don't detract away from the soul of the music, as if the band wanted you listening to every note. And it works.
Watch the UK version here.
Robert Miles - 'Children'
When you think of dance music and piano playing, many will recall Robert Miles' 'Children'. 'Children' goes on this list as having both a catchy and dreamy piano tune that is hard to forget. Its piano melody is a loop rather than a score of music, but making your electric dance music bank mainly on a piano melody is not an easy task to pull off.
Coldplay - 'Clocks'
Coldplay comes in again on this list because the band simply put out numerous piano-themed hits. Let's face it. Chris Martin is a master behind the ivories and 'Clocks' is one of them. Again, there isn't much of a change in the melody and plays out like a loop, but what a divine journey-sending melody it is.
Pandemic Playlist is a daily list of songs that will keep you entertained instead of feeling drained while you're isolated at home. Look out for a fresh selection of great tunes from MEAWW to refresh your mood every day!