41 Famous Italian Songs

 22. Musica è by Eros Ramazzotti

Song Year: 1988

“Musica è” is another of the best Italian songs. It was so successful that it turned Eros Ramazzotti into one of the most famous Italian artists of the 1990s.

The pop song was also popular in Switzerland and Germany. It’s the title song on an album by the same name. It wasn’t Ramazzotti’s first album but it was the first to make him a household name for pop music lovers everywhere.

23. Perdere L’Amore by Massimo Ranieri

Song Year: 1988

When Massimo Ranieri sang ‘Perdere L’Amore” at the 1988 San Remo Music Festival, he immediately captivated audiences.

The song then sat at the top of Italian music charts for the next five weeks and reinvigorated Ranieri’s career. His interpretation of this musical gem remains a staple of Italian music and history.

24. La Bambola by Patty Pravo

Song Year: 1968

Several things combined to make “La Bambola” one of the best Italian songs ever written. Patty Pravo was an excellent singer. That was part of it.

But the other reason for the song’s success was that it challenged conventional romantic expectations of the time. In the song, the female speaker demands better treatment from her partner. He treats her like a doll or a plaything, and it’s not good enough.

The song was a spectacular success, not only in Italy but in:

• Argentina
•  Spain
•  Austria

 25. Buonasera Signorina by Fred Buscaliogne

Song Year: 1958

One of the best-known versions of “Buona Serra Signorina” is by Dean Martin. But Fred Buscaliogne’s version with Italian lyrics is also popular.

Typically Italian, it’s also significantly faster and jazzier than Martin’s version. Buscaliogne sings with verve and rapid-fire diction designed to impress. And it does. The impressive artistry creates a catchy, upbeat melody you can’t help snapping your fingers to.

26. Un Bacio a Mezzanotte Quartetto Cetra

Song Year:  1945

The title of this famous Italian song translates as “A Kiss at Midnight.”

To reflect that, its melody is appropriately playful and flirtatious. The refrain is snappy, but the verses use harmony to contrast the men’s shorter phrases with the female lead’s long, sustained melodic line.

It’s a musical flirtation, and it’s contagious. You cannot listen to “Un Bascio a Mezzenotte” and not be charmed.

27. La Solitudine by Laura Pausini

Song Year: 1993

The title of this Italian song means “Loneliness.”

That comes through in the music, with its slow sustained background beat. Pausini’s melodic line is faster and captures the panicked feeling many people experience when completely alone.

It quickly topped Italian music charts and spread across Europe. It was also highly successful in Spanish.

28. Se Vuol Ballare by Bryn Terfel

Song Year: 1998

Despite being the Austrian court composer, Mozart wrote many famous Italian songs because, for years, Italian was the language of high culture.

“Se Vuol Ballare” is an aria from The Marriage of Figaro. The opera was highly controversial because it poked fun at the aristocracy. This aria is the perfect example of how. Its title means “If You Want to Dance,” and the rhythm is appropriately dance-like.

Figaro says he will play the dance tune for his employer, and as he sings, you can practically see him puppeteering his upper-class master. It’s hard to blame him too much: The Count wants to sleep with Figaro’s bride.

 29. Vivo Per Lei by Andrea Bocelli

Song Year: 2007

Originally, “Vivo Per Lei” was a famous Italian love song. The speaker talked about living for an anonymous young woman.

But Bocelli wanted to celebrate a successful career, so he reworked the lyrics, making the lyrics about music instead. It was an apt tribute since by then Bocelli’s work had been translated into many languages including:

• English
•  Spanish
• Greek

 30. Marina by Rococo Granate

Song Year: 1959

 One of the best Italian songs of the 1950s, “Marina” was so popular that it saw an uptick in babies named Marina.

That was true even outside Italy. The Netherlands and Belgium were inundated with Marinas as a result of Granate’s hit song.

It also became the basis of a musical with the same title. It prominently featured Granate’s hit, ensuring it reached an even wider audience.

 31. Pui Bella Cosa Che C’È by Eros Ramazzotti

Song Year: 1996

Ramazzotti wrote this song in collaboration with Claudi Guidetti.

Ramazzotti dedicated the song to his then-girlfriend. She was pregnant with their daughter at the time, and Ramazzotti wrote a subsequent song for his child.

The relationship didn’t last, but the popularity of “Pui Bella Cosa” did. It’s still a favorite with Italian music lovers.