I want to like Elton John. I appreciate him — I think he’s immensely talented and his longevity and originality in the music world are unparalleled. But I was listening to yet another Elton John song on “The Bridge” Sirius XM station (they LOVE Elton John) and I started to wonder what it is about his music that doesn’t quite appeal to me.

I think it’s the piano. Which is weird, because I generally love the piano. I took piano lessons for seven years and still play. But for me to enjoy listening to someone else play the piano, it has to be one of two things:

1) Classical. I could listen to classical piano all day. My favorite sounds by which to work are those of Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, and Gershwin.

2) If a piano is going to be in rock music, then I want it to be truly rockin’ (Billy Joel, Jerry Lee Lewis) or with a ragtime/traditional jazz vibe (Minnesota’s own The New Standards).

I think it’s Elton John’s “soft rock” vibe that doesn’t appeal to me. It may also explain why I generally haven’t been a big fan of other piano-playing musicians like Tori Amos or Ben Folds.

Any recommendations for the types of piano music I do enjoy are appreciated!