Released in 1983, Yamaha DX7 might now be considered a classic, but it’s had its share of detractors down the years. Not least because, thanks to its button and menu-based interface, it was notoriously difficult to program.
Musician and YouTuber Pierre Piscitelli, though, argues that “so many people hate this thing” for another reason - specifically, the DX7’s super-schmaltzy electric piano tone.
Originally intended to be an FM-generated replacement for the Fender Rhodes sound, this gained popularity among ‘80s and ‘90s balladeers precisely because it doesn’t sound like that, and offers something different.
In more recent years, the DX7 has been reappraised, and some of its other crystalline synth sounds have become electronic music staples, but Piscitelli argues that, for a lot of keyboard players and music listeners, it’ll always be synonymous with that EP.
And, let’s face it, said sound is a bit of a classic, and has actually undergone something of a renaissance itself as modern producers have mined the music of the ‘80s and ‘90s for musical inspiration (check out the piano in the The 1975’s Somebody Else, for example).
In celebration of the DX7 piano, Piscitelli has put together a list of the 10 greatest DX7 song intros, ranging from Whitney Houston to Beyonce. See if you agree with his choices by watching the video above.
