DX7 Famous Examples (ElPianos)

F A M O U S E X A M P L E S

Yamaha DX7 was one of the most used synth during the mid 80's. Trying to make a complete list would be fastidious and nearly impossible.
So, here are only a few examples. Keep in mind that thousands of others are ignored here...

ELECTRIC PIANOS
One of the certainly most known DX7 sound is the Rhodes electric piano simulation, with this so typical FM synthesis touch... You can find it in almost all of the pop/jazz ballads from the 80's.

Artists (alphabetical order):

Gregory Abbott	Paula Abdul	Rick Astley	Daniel Balavoine	Barclay James Harvest
Robin Beck	Booker T & The MG's	Chicago	Phil Collins	Duran Duran
Serge Gainsbourg	Genesis	Al Jarreau	The Jets	Mory Kante
Brian Mc Knight	Glenn Medeiros	Art Mengo	Alexander O'Neal	Billy Ocean
Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson	Eros Ramazzotti	Sade	Simply Red	Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram
Véronique Sanson	Starship	Amii Stewart	Tanya Tucker	Tina Turner
TOTO	Luther Vandross	Steve Winwood

Al Jarreau "High Crime" (WEA ©1984 / 250 807-1)

"After All" (Track 5) first verse:

"Hard Habit To Break" (Track 3)/Introduction + first verse:

"Stay The Night" (Track 1) with a more rythmic playing style/First verse:

Luther Vandross "The Best Of Luther Vandross... The Best Of Love" (Epic ©1989 - 465801 2)

"Here And Now" (Track 20)/Introduction + first verse:

"There'll Be Sad Songs" (Track 4)/Introduction + first verse:

"It's Never Too Late To Try" (Track 6)/Introduction (0'10'') - also contains other additional FM sounds (belltree, xylophone) and a Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer:

"Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You"/Introduction + first verse:

Phil Collins "No Jacket Required" (WEA ©1985 / 2 51699-2)

"One More Night" (Track 5)/Introduction + first verse (with a Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer):

A similar sound as the one just above (DX7 electric piano+Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer) used by this american family band on their single "Make It Real":

Many thanks to the internaute who kindly mentioned it to me!

"Jericho" (Track 5)/Whole song chords comping:

"Holding Back The Years" (Track 7)/Introduction + chorus chords comping:

"Never Knew Love Like This" (Track 12)/Introduction:

"The Finer Things" (Track 5)/Introduction uses the ROM#1A 11 "E.PIANO 1" patch (begins at 0'03''):

Many thanks to the internaute who kindly mentioned it to me!

Art Mengo "Un 15 Août en Février" (CBS ©1990 - 466293 2)

Another typical DX7 electric piano sound is a sort of warm Wurlitzer piano emulation. It has been used for example during the introduction from french singer Art Mengo's top hit "Les Parfums de sa Vie" (Track 9):

Genesis "Invisible Touch" (Virgin ©1986 - GENCD 2, 0777 7 86360 2 1)
Genesis

Tony Banks used a DX7 on this Genesis album. For example, he doubled the Phil Collins voice with an FM electric piano sound during the chorus of "In Too Deep" (Track 1):

American singer Amii Stewart recorded in 1984 a single produced by italian artist Mike Francis. At the end of this pop/soul ballad, you can hear the melodic line played by a DX7 electric piano:

Sade "Diamond Life" (Epic ©1984 - EPC 26044)
Sade

Sade's keyboardist used a DX7 during the mid-80's. Here is an example with the middle part from "Hang On To Your Love" (Track 3). He used an electric piano sound as comping background chords, but you can hear the typical velocity response of these FM patches at 0'09'' and 0'18'':

Sade "Promise" (Epic ©1985 - CDEPC 86318)
Sade

Sade's keyboardist kept his DX7 for this Sade's second album. Here is an example with the introduction from "Tar Baby" (Track 8):

Another example with the famous top hit "The Sweetest Taboo" (Track 2):

Many thanks to the internaute who kindly mentioned it to me!

This song has been written and produced by both ABBA masculine members. And as most of the '80s romantic ballads, this one uses a DX7 electric piano as principal comping instrument for intro & verses:

Here is a DX7 electric piano not used for a slow or ballad comping but as a rythmic riff at the end of "Notorious" (Track 1) song:

The "First Time" Coca-Cola song (Track 10) is another example of a great pop ballad using a DX7 electric piano:

Early '90s Paula's top hit ballad "Rush Rush" (Track 3) combines two '80s typical sounds - a DX7 electric piano and a Roland TR-808 drum machine:

Many thanks to the internaute who kindly mentioned it to me!

This '60s Soul/Blues group used a DX7 on this album (jointly with a Hammond B3 electric organ). You can hear both during the "Let's Wait Awhile" (Track 4) title:

ROM#3A 08 "E.PIANO 1" was still used during the 1990's productions... Here is an example with this Brian Mc Knight's ballad named "Still In Love" (Track 6):

Many thanks to the internaute who kindly mentioned it to me!

This famous american Pop/Rock group used the DX7 a lot during the 80's. They even commercialized a ROM cartridge via AViC Soft japanese company with the sounds used on this album. You can clearly recognize an FM electric piano during the whole "I'll Be Over You" song (Track 5):

This famous french singer used a DX7 jointly with a Fairlight CMI on the last album of his career. You can for example hear a twinkly DX7 electric piano as a verse comping sound on the "Tous les Cris les S.O.S." (Track 2) song (rhytmic background was created on the Fairlight with ethnic samples):

I'm nearly sure that the sound used as an electric piano during the first verse from "Una Storia Importante" (Track 6) song from italian artist Eros Ramazzotti is a DX7 patch - even if it sometimes sounds really close to an original Fender Rhodes (please, correct me if I'm wrong):

"Girls Like Me" (Track 5)/Introduction:

Many thanks to the internaute who kindly mentioned it to me!

"Somewhere Out There" (Track 9)/Introduction:

Top hit from this french singer album "Allah" (Track 1) contains a DX7 Wurlitzer type sound during almost the whole song. It is doubled with another rythmic keyboard during the chorus which is certainly a DX7 patch too, just like the bass sound you can hear at the end of the 1st chorus:

AND THERE ARE STILL DOZENS OF OTHER EXAMPLES...!

DX7 Synthesis Description

DX7 Soundbanks Listing

DX7 All The Web Patches

DX7 Video Demos