Freddie Mercury Queen song tops Beatles, John Lennon and Elvis Presley in new UK poll

A new UK poll of 2000 Brits, has found that 53 per cent of us wish we’d learnt to play the piano.

Commissioned by music exam board Trinity College London, the new research also discovered the Top 35 songs we desire most to be able to play on the musical instrument.

Coming out on top with 32 per cent of the vote was Freddie Mercury’s Queen classic Bohemian Rhapsody.

Just behind in second place was Elton John’s Your Song on 24 per cent, followed by John Lennon’s Imagine on the same.

In fourth was The Beatles’ 1970 hit Let It Be with 19 per cent, while Adele’s Someone Like You and Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love followed.

Interestingly, the top classical piece of music in the poll was Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons, which was in 16th place on 12 per cent. Aside from the piano, 47 per cent of Brits wish they could play the guitar, followed by drums on 21 per cent, saxophone on 14 per cent, violin on 10 per cent and harp on 6 per cent.

Dr Francesca Christmas, Director of Music and Music Publishing at Trinity College London, said: "The range of pieces people have identified that they would like to play, spanning from Vivaldi's Spring to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, showcases the piano's extraordinary capacity to bridge different genres and historical periods. This collection – the majority of which are included in our books or syllabuses – highlights the instrument's versatility and its ability to produce captivating music that resonates with a diverse audience across various ages and backgrounds.

“The pieces people want to learn to play are more than just songs; they are narratives that evoke emotions and memories. This is why people are drawn to them. Playing them on the piano is a beautiful, immersive experience that transcends mere listening. Over half of the songs in the top 20 are performed by British artists.  And with the BRIT Awards taking place this weekend, perhaps we'll see even more British performers on our future lists in the years to come."

Check out the full Top 35 below.

BRITS BEST-LOVED PIANO PIECES (WE JUST WISH WE COULD PLAY THEM)

1. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen – 32%
2. Your Song, Elton John – 24%
3. Imagine, John Lennon – 24%
4. Let It Be, The Beatles – 19%
5. Someone Like You, Adele – 19%
6. Can’t Help Falling in Love, Elvis Presley – 16%
7. With or Without You, U2 – 15%
8. Don’t Look Back in Anger, Oasis – 15%
9. All of Me, John Legend – 15%
10. Wuthering Heights, Kate Bush – 14%
11. Thinking Of You, Ed Sheeran – 14%
12. My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion - 13%
13. Clocks, Coldplay – 13%
14. Piano Man, Billy Joel – 13%
15. Kiss From A Rose, Seal – 12%
16. Spring from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi – 12%
17. I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Marvin Gaye – 12%
18. Rule The World, Take That – 12%
19. Mad World, Tears For Fears – 11%
20. Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison – 11%
21. Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven – 11%
22. Dance of the Little Swans from Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky – 11%
23. With A Little Help From My Friends, Joe Cocker – 10%
24. Fallin’, Alicia Keys – 10%
25. I Don’t Like Mondays, The Boomtown Rats – 10%
26. Happy, Pharrell Williams – 9%
27. Clair de Lune, Debussy – 9%
28. Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin – 9%
29. Piano Concerto, Mozart – 8%
30. Allegro from Symphony No. 5, Beethoven – 8%
31. Nocturne in E Flat Major (Op.9, No.2), Chopin – 7%
32. Jupiter from The Planets, Holst – 7%
33. Still D.R.E, Dr Dre – 7%
34. Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, John Williams – 7%
35. Just The Two Of Us, Bill Withers – 6%