POP MUSIC

Similarly to the experiences from the first half of the century included in the “songs and ditties” category, so the “pop music” category encompasses all those mainstream songs of the Italian repertory that do not belong to political, dialectal, rock or children's music genres. The adjective pop used to qualify Italian songs connotes a product in line with international trends and therefore potentially appealing to the global market. Indeed in the late 1950s, the Italian song discarded its most old-fashioned traits and started a modernization process by assimilating new rhythms, timbers and interpretative styles without forgoing its distinctive features (that is, singable melodies). Domenico Modugno’s victory at the Festival of Sanremo in 1958 marked the turning point: the winning track, Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (popularly known as Volare) would become the most successful Italian song ever, giving rise to a dozens of versions in various languages. These would all reach the top of charts around the world beginning with the US, a notoriously difficult market for foreign artists. This section includes the most famous interpreters both in Italy and abroad, from Modugno to Claudio Villa, from Mina to Adriano Celentano, from Al Bano to Renato Zero, from Toto Cutugno to Umberto Tozzi. The core repertoire dates back to the 1960s, and would open up in the seventies and eighties to the many influences of international pop music – from disco to electronic sounds. Subsequently, a new generation appeared alongside the more mature one, continuing on a path that would lead to a further internationalization of a tradition to which stars of international pop would contribute through duets with Italian artists. Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, and Zucchero are among the leading singers of pop songs that speak Italian but sound global, at the threshold of the new millennium, when the song – with its history of over a hundred years – proves to be one of the most enduring products of the entertainment industry.