What are RECENT popular songs that feature Yamaha DX7 e piano sound?

[Morrissey]

Upon listening recently to a few 80s power ballads, I got wondering -- what is the most recent pop culture (Top 40?) hit to feature that classic DX7 electric piano tone?  Have any recent artists used it as a "retro" tone?  Or is this an exercise in figuring out how far into the 90s bands got away with still using that sound?  Feel free to share obscure favorites but I'm most interested in identifying big hits.  And not required that the song used actual DX7; any facsimile of that classic E PIANO 1 sound counts.

 

Also, found this tidbit on Wikipedia.... 40%!!!   "In 1986, the [E PIANO 1] preset was used in 40% of the number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, 40% of country number ones, and 60% of RnB number ones."     

[Morrissey]

Is there any DX7 E piano on that new 80s inspired John Mayer album?

[ABECK]

54 minutes ago, Morrissey said:

Is there any DX7 E piano on that new 80s inspired John Mayer album?

I don't believe so.   There's some Rhodes on Wild Blue and some piano (that might be layered with EP) on a few other tunes.

[ProfD]

Since we are still in the middle of an analog synth renaissance, the DX7 EP sound is waiting in the retro tone du jour queue.😁 

 

I'd give it another 2-3 years before the electromechanical sounds fade away and the DX EP or some facsimile shows up on hit records.😎

[zephonic]

 

[Husker]

I know those sounds aren't that popular around here, but I love that sound.  I'm a kid of the 80's so it brings back memories of all those cheesy songs.  On second thought, it really reminds me on how bad I was with girls. 

[zephonic]

I never stopped loving that sound, but always was afraid to admit it for scorn of the brethren here.

 

There, I'm out of the closet. It feels so good to finally come out! I like the DX7 EP! I LOVE IT!

 

All these years I've been living a lie with ever more realistic Rhodes emulations. But ashamed no more, I'm digital all the way. DX7 and MKS-20 forever, yeah! JD-800 Crystal Rhodes, yeah!

 

[zephonic]

11 minutes ago, ProfD said:

Since we are still in the middle of an analog synth renaissance, the DX7 EP sound is waiting in the retro tone du jour queue.😁 

 

I'd give it another 2-3 years before the electromechanical sounds fade away and the DX EP or some facsimile shows up on hit records.😎

I think we're already there, D

[Morrissey]

That Bruno Mars tune is exactly what I was asking about.  Thanks, @zephonic!  A 2016 song using E PIANO 1 in a totally non-ironic way.  I guess "enough time has passed" for society to recover from the initial 80s overload of the sound.  

 

2 hours ago, Morrissey said:

is this an exercise in figuring out how far into the 90s bands got away with still using that sound?

 

Answering my own question, I put forth 1995's Brian McKnight - Still In Love as a candidate for the tail of the initial wave:

 

 

[conundrum]

[kaptainkeys]

51 minutes ago, zephonic said:

I never stopped loving that sound, but always was afraid to admit it for scorn of the brethren here.

 

There, I'm out of the closet. It feels so good to finally come out! I like the DX7 EP! I LOVE IT!

 

All these years I've been living a lie with ever more realistic Rhodes emulations. But ashamed no more, I'm digital all the way. DX7 and MKS-20 forever, yeah! JD-800 Crystal Rhodes, yeah!

 

I love bell-y EP sounds, they sit well in the mix but also cut through with a nice high end shimmer.

[sunspot]

1 hour ago, conundrum said:

 

🤣  😂

[Morrissey]

While deep in the rabbit hole, I found this gem, which I propose as the most unexpected act to use a DX7... Booker T!  And, as a 1994 release, was just a touch early to compete with Brian McKnight for final use in the first wave.

 

 

[ProfD]

2 hours ago, zephonic said:

I never stopped loving that sound, but always was afraid to admit it for scorn of the brethren here.

 

There, I'm out of the closet. It feels so good to finally come out! I like the DX7 EP! I LOVE IT!

 

All these years I've been living a lie with ever more realistic Rhodes emulations. But ashamed no more, I'm digital all the way. DX7 and MKS-20 forever, yeah! JD-800 Crystal Rhodes, yeah!

 

Brotha @zephonic it's all good.  Rhodes is my main thing but I've always been "out'" when it comes to the DX and various EP flavors.  Funky, groove based music allows for it. 😎

[ElmerJFudd]

I very much like the sound of FM EPs.   Just another sound in the color palette for keyboard players. They sound  great on the songs that were produced with them.  Just like so many 60s/70s songs just sound right on a Rhodes or Wurlitzer.   Modern production tends to use everything (more often than not sampled from the source instruments).   They just alter them with plugins so as not to sound dated (unless the objective is to sound like a throwback).  
 

I used the PLG-DX a lot in my S90ES with my club date band on 80s hits.  I’ve always wanted to throw a TX in my rack at home, but recently opted for Plogue’s OPS7 to curtail that inclination.  Not to say that it will keep me away from jonesing for hardware forever.  😂

[eric]

I don't do the best job of keeping up with current pop type music, so I can't answer the primary question all that well. I am one that has always been fine with the DX7 FM EP sounds. Back in the day, it was one of the most expressive sounds of the various slab keyboards, responding really nicely to velocity. I had a Roland JX-8P first and borrowed my friend's original DX7 right around 1985-1986 and found this to be a pretty viable pairing. I ultimately got the DX7IIFD when it was released.

 

These days, I still have the PLG-DX board in my Yamaha S90, though I don't use that keyboard very often. It's there if I need it. I do have the DX7 sounds loaded into my Nords and find them useful for '80s covers. Sometimes doing that super stack of a DX and CP or acoustic piano is really cool and provides some extra depth and expressiveness to the sound.

[ProfD]

6 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

I very much like the sound of FM EPs.   Just another sound in the color palette for keyboard players.

IMO, KB players get hung up on using sounds in the same way as they were popularized in recordings. 

 

It's almost as if they have been forbidden to alter sound(s) and/or use them in a radically different way. 

 

Thank goodness we have styles of music that allow maximum latitude in creativity. 😎

[ElmerJFudd]

9 minutes ago, ProfD said:

IMO, KB players get hung up on using sounds in the same way as they were popularized in recordings. 

 

It's almost as if they have been forbidden to alter sound(s) and/or use them in a radically different way. 

 

Thank goodness we have styles of music that allow maximum latitude in creativity. 😎

Depends on the gig and the music.  I mean, if the work is “sound alike”, it is what it is.  If the job is to capture vibe or impression of genre, style, era, same.  But if you’re producing, writing, covering and trying not to “sound like”… sure.  There’s no battle or turf war here, no right not wrong.  It’s just music and art. Do what you like.  🤷‍♂️

[ProfD]

3 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Depends on the gig and the music.  I mean, if the work is “sound alike”, it is what it is.  If the job is to capture vibe or impression of genre, style, era, same.  But if you’re producing, writing, covering and trying not to “sound like”… sure.  There’s no battle or turf war here, no right not wrong.  It’s just music and art. Do what you like.  🤷‍♂️

You're absolutely right.  It definitely makes sense to cover the requirements of the gig in terms of sounds. 

 

I'm thinking about the folks who walk up to a DX EP sound and feel compelled to play 80s ballads.🤣😎

[GovernorSilver]

 

[ElmerJFudd]

31 minutes ago, ProfD said:

You're absolutely right.  It definitely makes sense to cover the requirements of the gig in terms of sounds. 

 

I'm thinking about the folks who walk up to a DX EP sound and feel compelled to play 80s ballads.🤣😎

Oh! You mean like this…

 

and this…

 

 

and this…

 

 

and…

 

[MathOfInsects]

I love a nice swirly FM EP. There is something about that sound that has its own vocabulary, just like with Rhodes/Wurly, AP, and organ. You just have to be judicious about its deployment, or else people start thinking of Doogie Howser or Law & Order.

[Morrissey]

8 minutes ago, MathOfInsects said:

Doogie Howser

 

!!!!

[marczellm]

A favorite Hungarian artist of mine, simply called Charlie, I guess just never stopped using it. Here's two hit songs of his from 1998:

 

(This song was also Hungary's entry into Eurovision 1998).

 

And here's one from his 2020 album:

 

[ElmerJFudd]

This fellow is a true fan, and has tracked the “sounds of the decade” on his ancient yet fully functioning website.  

 

EPs specifically

http://bobbyblues.recup.ch/yamaha_dx7/dx7_examples_elpiano.html

 

DX7

http://bobbyblues.recup.ch/yamaha_dx7/dx7.html

 

Other popular synths 

http://bobbyblues.recup.ch/index.html

 

Bobby Blues, if you’re a forumite, thank you for keeping the faith! 👍

 

 

 

[ElmerJFudd]

 

 

[Cliffk]

On 4/20/2022 at 9:58 PM, MathOfInsects said:

I love a nice swirly FM EP. There is something about that sound that has its own vocabulary, just like with Rhodes/Wurly, AP, and organ. You just have to be judicious about its deployment, or else people start thinking of Doogie Howser or Law & Order.

Ah Doogie and L&O - serious feels for my college years right there. 

[ABECK]

A slight digression from the OP, but when I think of examples of the FM sound used really effectively, Patrick Leonard's score to At Close Range always comes to mind.  Beautiful work that serves the story and emotions of the film well.  There are several EP variations used throughout. Def worth a listen.  Also, it is IMHO, one of Christopher Walken's most underrated performances.

 

 

[Shamanzarek]

Yamaha After Touch Magazine published some DX7 patches in the 80s. One I liked and used a lot was VICSRHODES programmed by Victor Feldman who played on many Steely Dan recordings beginning with the first album. December 1985 issue.

 

From the January 1986 issue is WHIRLIEPNO. Very velocity-sensitive Wurly-like EP.

 

http://yates.ca/dx7/AfterTouch-Magazine/

 

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