Did You Know? This Piano Used by The Beatles, Elton John, David Bowie and More Holds the Record for Most-Heard Instrument

Though such a feat is hard to prove, this Bechstein grand piano holds the Guinness World Record for the most heard single instrument. Often referred to as the “Trident piano,” it was the house piano used at Trident Studios in London from 1968 to 1981. It was there that this grand piano was used on iconic rock tracks by artists such as The Beatles, Elton John, and David Bowie. Paul McCartney used the piano on The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” in 1968. “Hey Jude” was a massive hit, topping the charts in the US, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Australia, Austria, Rhodesia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, Japan, West Germany, and Yugoslavia. It was also used on various tracks on The Beatles’ White Album in 1968 as well.

The Trident piano was also used on David Bowie’s hit “Life On Mars?” in 1971. Lou Reed’s hit “Perfect Day” featured the piano in 1972. Elton John used the Trident piano on his self-titled album, 1970’s Tumbleweed Connection, and Madman Across The Water in 1971. Notably, the piano was used on John’s hits “Levon” and “Tiny Dancer”. In 1972, Carly Simon used the piano on her No. 1 hit “You’re So Vain,” also recorded at Trident Studios. “Hey Jude”, “Life On Mars?”, “Perfect Day”, “You’re So Vain”, and “Tiny Dancer” have over 2.6 billion streams combined on Spotify.

Albums That Feature the Trident Piano

The Trident piano was used on many iconic albums, including The Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed in 1969. Queen used the piano on their first three albums, Queen, Queen II, and Sheer Heart Attack. This includes their 1974 hit, “Killer Queen”. They recorded some of their fourth studio album, A Night At The Opera, at Trident Studios. It’s unclear which tracks feature the Trident piano, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”. It was used on all of David Bowie’s Hunky Dory in 1971. That includes his hit “Changes”, an early defining hit for the singer. Bowie continued using Trident Studios throughout the 1970s.

Sold at an auction, the piano now remains in a private collection. The Bechstein’s serial number dates the grand piano back to 1893. No other instrument has been heard as much as the Trident piano. Among other instruments considered to be heard the most is Ringo Starr’s Ludwig snare drum. Starr’s snare was first used on “She Loves You” in 1963 and was used on every Beatles album from then on.