Top piano song? A tune fit for Queen

WIDELY considered to be one of the greatest songs in history, it has been loved by generations since its release almost 50 years ago.

So it comes as no surprise that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is the track most Britons would love to be able to play on the piano.

The six-minute epic from 1975 topped the list on 32 per cent and was followed by Elton John’s Your Song and Imagine by John Lennon, both with 24 per cent.

The Beatles’ 1970 ballad Let It Be came fourth, with Adele’s break-up tune Someone Like You rounding off the top five.

According to the survey of 3,000 adults, some 53 per cent wished they had taken time to learn to tickle the ivories. Other songs that featured high in the list were Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin on 15 per cent and Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush on 14 per cent.

Many wished they could play classical pieces, with Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven; Spring from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons; and Dance of the Little Swans from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky all making the cut.

Dr Francesca Christmas, a director at music exam board Trinity College London which carried which carried out the study, said: ‘The range of pieces people have identified that they would like to play showcases the piano’s extraordinary capacity to bridge different genres and historical periods. This collection… highlights the instrument’s versatility and its ability to produce captivating music that resonates with a diverse audience across various ages and backgrounds.’

The survey also revealed that, on average, we spend as many as 15 hours a week listening to music.

However, it is estimated that only a fifth of adults play an instrument. Almost 40 per cent said they would love to learn, while a third did so when they were younger but gave up, for reasons such as changing priorities and not having the time or patience to practise.

Perhaps surprisingly, a quarter of parents did not want their children to take up an instrument – citing high costs and a desire for ‘peace and quiet’.