Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, also known as the Emperor Concerto, has been crowned the top piano piece in the 2025 ABC Classic 100 countdown.
The Emperor Concerto clinched the number one spot in this year’s poll, with Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata securing second place. Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturnes followed in third, while George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue placed fourth. Claude Debussy’s Suite bergamasque, featuring the iconic Clair de lune, earned the fifth spot. The poll saw an impressive 139,586 votes cast.
Beethoven and Chopin dominated the rankings, with both composers having nine works each in the top 100. Johann Sebastian Bach had six works featured, while Sergei Rachmaninov had five.
This is the sixth time Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto has been featured in the Classic 100 polls. It was initially voted fourth in 2001, topped the list in 2007, and placed second in 2010 and 2020. It also ranked fourth in 2024’s Feel Good poll. The Emperor was particularly popular with voters aged 55 and above.
In addition to classical works, several soundtracks made an appearance in the top 100. Michael Nyman’s The Piano ranked 19th, while Joe Hisaishi’s Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away placed 16th and 41st, respectively. Yann Tiersen’s Amélie was ranked 27th, and the soundtracks for the 1995 TV and 2005 film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice came in at 28th and 47th. The Minecraft video game soundtrack by C418 (Daniel Rosenfeld) also earned a spot in the rankings.
Australian Composers Shine in Classic 100
This year’s poll also highlighted a growing presence of female composers. Eleven works by women, including Sally Whitwell, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Nat Bartsch, Sally Greenaway, and Elena Kats-Chernin, were included in the top 100. Kats-Chernin was the most popular Australian composer, with three entries in the rankings. Her piece Eliza Aria placed 24th.
Eleven Australian composers were featured in the list, marking a significant representation of local talent.
Comparison with Previous Polls
ABC Classic held a similar piano-themed Classic 100 poll in 2004. In that year, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata took first place, while Goldberg Variations by Bach was second. Clair de lune by Debussy came third, and Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1 ranked fourth. This year, the Emperor Concerto was included due to the expanded focus on piano works.
The 2025 poll highlights both the enduring popularity of classical masterpieces and the rising diversity of modern composers.
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