What rock and metal songs have been turned into piano ballads?
Do you know of any rock or metal song that eventually found its counterpart in an equally valid piano ballad version?
And we mean really reimagined, with vocals and all — not just a classical piano version of a brutal metal song. (Although there are plenty of those too, if you look around.)
We at Loudwire decided to collect some of the most enthralling piano ballad versions of rock and metal songs into a list for your viewing and listening pleasure. Are you ready?
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Because whether a rock or metal artist re-did their own song as a piano ballad, or some other artist re-envisioned a rock or metal band’s song as a piano ballad cover version, the results are almost always pretty interesting. I mean, have you ever heard a piano ballad version of “Break Stuff?”
So, without much further ado, get ready to tickle the ivories with some of your favorite rock and metal artists. Go ahead, keep scrolling down below to see the Loudwire list of rock and metal songs that have been turned into piano ballads.
It’ll have you ready to loudly belt out a reimagined rock or metal piano ballad. And don’t forget to sign up for Loudwire’s newsletter and get the Loudwire app when you’re all done reading through the list.
Falling in Reverse, ‘The Drug in Me Is Reimagined’
In 2020, Falling in Reverse entirely reimagined the title track of their 2011 album, The Drug in Me Is You. Fittingly titled “The Drug in Me Is Reimagined,” the revamped version completely eschews the pop-punk leanings of the original. Instead, it’s a dramatic piano ballad that erupts in a loud crescendo.
Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke said he “wanted to give the fans something special,” adding it was “not made with the hope of gaining new fans, this was made specifically for the fans that have been here from the beginning. I wanted to strip down the music to show you how raw the lyrics actually are.”
The Offspring, ‘Gone Away’ (Piano Version)
On 2021’s Let the Bad Times Roll, The Offspring included a stripped-down piano ballad version of their 1997 hit “Gone Away.” In a statement, the band said they “wanted to record ‘Gone Away’ in a completely different way for this record. We have been playing this version live, and we felt that this kind of arrangement makes the song feel more direct and more emotional.”
Shinedown, ‘Get Up’ (Piano Version)
Shinedown’s anthemic rock songs lend themselves to stripped-down versions as much as the originals can put the fire in your bones. In 2019, the band released their song “Get Up” in a piano ballad version. “That was pretty natural for us to do,” Shinedown’s Brent Smith told Forbes. “It shows a different side of the song. … For the piano version of ‘Get Up,’ the song was born from the piano part.”
Halestorm, ‘Heart of Novocaine’ (Acoustic Performance)
In 2019, Halestorm released a video of them acoustically performing their song “Heart of Novocaine” with lead singer and guitarist Lzzy Hale at the piano, giving the already personal anthem an even more intimate feeling. The original version appears on 2018’s Vicious; the acoustic take late emerged on Halestorm’s Vicious (Stripped) EP for Record Store Day 2020.
Tori Amos, ‘Raining Blood’ (Slayer Reinterpretation)
Singer-songwriter Tori Amos covered Slayer’s 1986 metal classic “Raining Blood” in a drastically reinterpreted version on her 2001 album Strange Little Girls. All 12 tracks on Strange Little Girls are covers of songs originally composed and performed by men, presented from a woman’s point of view.
Weezer, ‘Hero’ (Piano Version)
It wouldn’t be Weezer without some quirkiness. So after the Rivers Cuomo-led rock band released their pandemic anthem “Hero” in May 2020, they followed it a couple of months later with a capricious piano ballad version of the single. The piano-driven version of the tune only further highlights the uplifting lyrics about everyday heroes in life.
Falling in Reverse, ‘Last Resort (Reimagined)’ [Papa Roach Cover]
Falling in Reverse seem to have a knack for doing songs reinterpreted as piano ballads, whether with their own composition or someone else’s track. In June 2023, the group released a “reimagined” piano version of Papa Roach’s 2000 nu-metal hit “Last Resort.” Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix even responded to the overhauled cover song.
Just Joe, ‘Break Stuff’ (Limp Bizkit Cover)
We couldn’t leave the list without a piano version of a Limp Bizkit song. So here’s a captivating take on Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” performed by the talented singer and pianist Just Joe. His “Break Stuff” piano ballad version joins 15 other rock and metal covers on his album Vulgar Display of Piano.
Biffy Clyro, ‘Space’ (Orchestral Version)
In 2020, the Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro shared a beautiful ballad rendition of their song “Space” recorded with piano and orchestra at London’s hallowed Abbey Road Studios. The original version is from that year’s A Celebration of Endings album; the piano-driven version was recorded as an exclusive for Amazon Music, according to NME.
