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.
Playlists (18)
Omaggio a Milva
Omaggio a Milva Maria Ilva Biolcati, al secolo Milva (1939-2021) è sta...
Caterina Valente playlist
Caterina Valente Dubbed “the greatest Italian artist in the world&rdq...
Festa della musica 2021 playlist
Music day 2020 The Fête de la Musique (or Music Day) originated in Fran...
Quanto sei bella Roma playlist
How lovely you are, Rome On 3 February, 1871, the law which formally approv...
Ricchi e Poveri playlist
Ricchi e Poveri With their breezy singable melodies, Ricchi e Poveri represen...
Inglesi in italia playlist
The english in Italy Compared with emigration to the United States of America...
Americani in Italia playlist
Americans in Italy During the 1960s, thanks to the Sanremo Festival but not o...
Morricone Pop playlist
Morricone Pop After the playlist titled "Se telefonando", dedicated to Ennio ...
Francesi in Italia 2 playlist
The french in Italy 2 After a first playlist dedicated to French singers who ...
Mariano Detto playlist
Mariano Detto Mariano Detto (1937-2020) è stato uno dei più imp...
Festa della musica 2020 playlist
Music day 2020 The Fête de la Musique (or Music Day) originated in Fran...
Francesi in Italia 1 playlist
The French in Italy 1 In the 1960s, French songs enjoyed great popularity in ...
Tornerà l’estate playlist
Summer will be back Obscured by the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, this sum...
Vito Pallavicini playlist
Vito Pallavicini There is a lot of talk about the fact that Azzurro is one of...
Le canzoni della Mamma
Songs about the mother “Mamma, I’m so happy because I’m ret...
Mina International playlist
International Mina  In her long career, Mina has had the opportunity to ...
Canzoni contro la paura playlist
Songs to fight the fear In these times of forced isolation, with thousands of...
Auguri, Iva! playlist
And happy birthday Iva! Iva Zanicchi just turned 80 (on 18 January 2020): bes...