Here is a list of essential rock, pop, blues, and jazz-blues pianists/keyboardist together with one or two of their finer albums. This list is by no means exhaustive; it's more of a point of departure. Note: If the pianist or keyboardist is not the leader, the artist or band name will be listed in parentheses.

Rock, Pop, and Electric Keyboard

Elton John — Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Sleeping with the Past

Billy Joel — The Nylon Curtain and 12 Gardens Live

Donald Fagen — The Nightfly

Bruce Hornsby — Harbor Lights

Jon Lord — Machine Head (Deep Purple)

Rick Wakeman — Close to the Edge (Yes) and Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Tony Banks — Selling England by the Pound (Genesis)

Keith Emerson — Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Brain Salad Surgery (ELP)

Richard Wright — Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)

Kraftwerk — Autobahn and Minimum-Maximum

Gary Numan — Telekon

Brian Eno — Ambient 1: Music for Airports

Nicky Hopkins — Tin Man Was a Dreamer

Patrick Moraz — Relayer (Yes)

Joe Jackson — Night & Day and Afterlife

Kenny Kirkland — Dream of the Blue Turtles (Sting)

Ben Folds — Ben Folds Five

Tori Amos — Little Earthquakes

Randy Newman — Sail Away and Bad Love

R&B, Early Rock-n-Roll, and Soul

Fats Domino — Early Imperial Singles 1950–1952 and The Imperial Singles, Volumes 2 and 3

Ray Charles — Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952–1959) and Strong Love Affair

Little Richard — Here's Little Richard and The Fabulous Little Richard

Jerry Lee Lewis — Jerry Lee Lewis and The Return of Rock

Art Neville — Art Neville: His Specialty Recordings 1956–1958 and Yellow Moon (The Neville Brothers)

Johnnie Johnson — Johnnie B. Bad

Stevie Wonder — Innervisions and Original Musiquarium I

Jools Holland — Friends 3

Billy Preston — A Whole New Thing

Blues and Jazz

Charles Brown — Black Night

Jay McShann — Hootie Blues and Goin' to Kansas City

Nat King Cole — Hit That Jive: 1936–1946 (Nat King Cole Trio) and The Very Best of Nat King Cole

Pete Johnson — Pete's Blues

Jimmy Yancey and Pete Johnson — Jazz Piano Masters: Jimmy Yancey and Jazz Piano Masters: Pete Johnson

Meade “Lux” Lewis — The Blues Piano Artistry of Meade Lux Lewis

Albert Ammons — Boogie Woogie Stomp

Charles “Cow Cow” Davenport — Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 (1929–1945)

Fats Waller — Handful of Keys

James P. Johnson — Snowy Morning Blues

Willie “The Lion” Smith — Pork and Beans

Count Basie — For the Second Time (Count Basie and the Kansas City 3) and Straight Ahead

Duke Ellington — Piano Reflections and Three Suites

Thelonious Monk — Straight, No Chaser and Monk's Dream

Brother Jack McDuff — Moon Rappin'

Jimmy Smith — The Cat

Dorothy Donegan — The Explosive Dorothy Donegan

Marcia Ball — Gatorrhythms

Jelly Roll Morton — Birth of the Hot

Harry Connick Jr. — Occasion: Connick on Piano, Vol. 2

Dr. John — Goin' Back to New Orleans and Right Place, Right Time: Live at Tipitina's

Allan Toussaint — The Wild Sound of New Orleans: The Complete ‘Tousan’ Sessions

Professor Longhair — Crawfish Fiesta

Champion Jack Dupree — Blues from the Gutter

James Booker — New Orleans Piano Wizard: Live!

Otis Spann — Otis Spann Is the Blues and The Bottom of the Blues

Sunnyland Slim — Midnight Jump

Willie “Pinetop” Perkins — Down in Mississippi and Heritage of the Blues: The Complete Hightone Sessions

Roosevelt Sykes — Hard Drivin' Blues

Peetie Wheatstraw — The Last Straw

Blues Compilations

Various Artists — Essential Blues Piano

Various Artists — Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Piano Blues

Various Artists — A Celebration of Blues: Great Blues Piano