Piano Forum

The list doesn't look like a layman crowd pleaser to me. The general public would most likely sleep through a number of the selections. So what you define as "substance" is not a large factor in the general public, they much prefer hear something that doesn't take up their time and even more would like to hear something that is familiar to them, it is not that overly complicated for the vast majority of people.

This might interest you if you are focused on classical piano:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_100_Piano_(ABC) 
Sorry pianostreet doesn't seem to like URLs which end with a ). Just click the link next to: DID YOU MEAN when you follow the link. I've copy pasted the list below anyway, but there is more info in that link. This list was generated by votes cast by almost 10,000 listeners to the classical music station in Australia, so you are getting a crowd of classical music lovers here, not the general public.


100   Pärt   Für Alina
99   Schumann   Arabesque in C, Op. 18
98   Ravel   Sonatine (1905)
97   Schubert   Impromptu No. 2 in A-flat major, D. 935/Op. 142
96   Albéniz   Iberia
95   Liszt   Paraphrase on themes from Verdi's Rigoletto
94   Grainger   "Handel in the Strand"
93   Schubert   Moments Musicaux, Op. 94 D. 780
92   Chopin   Andante Spianato in G, Op. 22
91   Brahms   Waltz in A-Flat, Op. 39 No. 15
90   Schubert   Ständchen, No. 4 from Schwanengesang, D. 957 (transcribed by Liszt for piano)
89   Joplin   Solace
88   Brahms   Rhapsody in G minor, Op. 79 No. 2
87   Chopin   Prelude No. 4 in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4
86   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Les Adieux, Op. 81a
85   Beethoven   Diabelli Variations, Op. 120
84   Ravel   Le tombeau de Couperin
83   Mozart   Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman", K. 265
82   Chopin   Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 58
81   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat, Op. 110
80   Messiaen   Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus
79   Debussy   Arabesque No. 1
78   Chopin   Étude Op. 25 No. 1 in A-flat major
77   Chopin   Barcarolle in F sharp, Op. 60
76   Tchaikovsky   The Seasons
75   Schumann   Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17
74   Mozart   Fantasia in D minor, K. 397
73   Shostakovich   24 Preludes and Fugues
72   Chopin   Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor, Op. posth
71   Brahms   Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24
70   Schubert   Impromptu No. 2 in E-flat major, D. 899/Op. 90
69   Satie   Gymnopedie, No. 3
68   Chopin   Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No.1
67   Blake   "Walking in the Air"
66   Bach, JS   Italian Concerto, BWV 971
65   Sculthorpe   Left Bank Waltz
64   Liszt   Un sospiro, Concert Etude No. 3 in D-flat major
63   Granados   The Maiden and the Nightingale from Goyescas
62   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
61   Ravel   Gaspard de la nuit
60   Chopin   Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35
59   Chopin   Nocturne No. 8 in D-flat major, Op. 27 No. 2
58   Bach, JS   Chaconne in D minor from Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin, BWV 1004 (as arranged by Busoni)
57   Satie   Gnossienne, No.1
56   Chopin   Berceuse in D-flat major, Opus 57
55   Ravel   Pavane pour une infante défunte
54   Liszt   Consolation No. 3 in D-flat major (Lento placido)
53   Chopin   Nocturne No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1
52   Chopin   Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
51   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, "The Tempest", Op. 31 No. 2
50   Schubert   Impromptu No. 3 in B-flat major, D. 935/Op. 142
49   Joplin   "The Entertainer"
48   Rachmaninov   Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23 No. 5
47   Chopin   Prelude No. 15 in D-flat, "Raindrop"
46   Nyman   "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" from The Piano (soundtrack)
45   Chopin   Polonaise in A major, Op. 40 No. 1, "Military"
44   Schumann   Of foreign lands and people from Kinderszenen, Op. 15
43   Schumann   Carnaval, Op. 9
42   Mozart   Piano Sonata No. 16 in C, K 545, Sonata Facile
41   Debussy   Prelude No. 10, La cathédrale engloutie (The sunken cathedral)
40   Cage   4′33″
39   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat, Op. 106, Hammerklavier
38   Schumann   Widmung, Liebeslied, S. 566 (transcribed by Liszt)
37   Liszt   Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses
36   Liszt   Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat, S. 541 / III
35   Chopin   Etude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor, Revolutionary Étude
34   Rachmaninov   Prelude in C sharp Minor, Op. 3 No. 2
33   Liszt   Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C sharp Minor, S.244/2
32   Brahms   Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 in A major
31   Jarrett   The Köln Concert
30   Liszt   Grandes études de Paganini, No. 3 in G sharp minor, La Campanella
29   Chopin   Étude Op. 10 No. 3 in E
28   Liszt   Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178
27   Debussy   Prelude No. 8, La fille aux cheveux de lin ("The Girl with the Flaxen Hair")
26   Beethoven   Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
25   Schubert   Impromptu No. 4 in A-flat major, D. 899/Op. 90
24   Bach, JS   Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (piano transcription by Myra Hess)
23   Sinding   Rustle of Spring
22   Schubert   Fantasie in C major, Op. 15 (D. 760), Wanderer Fantasy
21   Mozart   Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331
20   Chopin   Ballade No. 1, Op. 23
19   Grieg   Bryllupsdag på Troldhaugen (Wedding Day at Troldhaugen)
18   Chopin   Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2
17   Schumann   Träumerei from Kinderszenen ("Scenes from Childhood"), Op. 15
16   Chopin   Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53, "Heroic"
15   Beethoven   "Für Elise"
14   Schubert   Fantasia in F minor for piano four hands, D. 940 Op. 103
13   Chopin   Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op. 66
12   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, Waldstein
11   Mussorgsky   Pictures at an Exhibition
10   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, Appassionata
9   Schubert   Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat major, D. 960
8   Bach, JS   The Well-Tempered Clavier
7   Allen   Chopsticks
6   Schubert   Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat major, D. 899/Op. 90
5   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, Pathétique
4   Satie   Gymnopédie No.1
3   Debussy   "Clair de lune" from Suite bergamasque
2   Bach, JS   Goldberg Variations
1   Beethoven   Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, Moonlight