The 40 Most Famous Italian Songs, from O Sole Mio to Måneskin

What is the most famous Italian song?

"Volare (Nel blu, dipinto di blu)" by Domenico Modugno and the Neapolitan classic "'O sole mio" are the most famous Italian songs in the world. "Con te partirò" by Andrea Bocelli, Puccini's "Nessun dorma", Toto Cutugno's "L'italiano" and the folk song "Bella ciao" are close behind.

Neapolitan songs and classics

1. "'O sole mio", 1898: the sunny Neapolitan song every tenor sings.
2. "Funiculì, funiculà", 1880: written to celebrate the funicular railway up Mount Vesuvius.
3. "Santa Lucia": a Neapolitan boat song about the harbor of Naples.
4. "Torna a Surriento", 1902: a longing song about the town of Sorrento.
5. "Tarantella napoletana": the whirling folk dance played at Italian weddings.
6. "Tu vuò fà l'americano", Renato Carosone, 1956: a swinging send-up of Italians copying American style.
7. "Bella ciao": a folk song of the Italian resistance, revived worldwide by the series Money Heist.

Italian opera favorites

8. "Nessun dorma", Giacomo Puccini, Turandot, 1926: made world famous by Luciano Pavarotti at the 1990 World Cup.
9. "La donna è mobile", Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto, 1851: the Duke's catchy aria.
10. "O mio babbino caro", Giacomo Puccini, Gianni Schicchi, 1918: a daughter's tender plea to her father.
11. "Libiamo ne' lieti calici", Giuseppe Verdi, La traviata, 1853: the famous drinking song toast.

Italian pop classics of the 50s, 60s and 70s

12. "Volare (Nel blu, dipinto di blu)", Domenico Modugno, 1958: a number one in America and the first Grammy Record of the Year.
13. "Quando, quando, quando", Tony Renis, 1962: a breezy song covered around the world.
14. "Il cielo in una stanza", Mina, 1960: Gino Paoli's dreamy love song.
15. "Tintarella di luna", Mina, 1959: a playful rock and roll hit.
16. "Sapore di sale", Gino Paoli, 1963: the sound of an Italian summer by the sea.
17. "Il mondo", Jimmy Fontana, 1965: a sweeping ballad.
18. "Azzurro", Adriano Celentano, 1968: a summer classic and a stadium favorite.
19. "Che sarà", Ricchi e Poveri and José Feliciano, 1971: a Sanremo song about leaving home.
20. "Parole parole", Mina and Alberto Lupo, 1972: a stylish duet about empty words.
21. "Piccolo grande amore", Claudio Baglioni, 1972: one of Italy's best-loved love songs.
22. "Ti amo", Umberto Tozzi, 1977: a huge romantic hit across Europe.
23. "Gloria", Umberto Tozzi, 1979: the song Laura Branigan turned into an English-language hit.

Italian hits of the 80s and 90s

24. "L'italiano", Toto Cutugno, 1983: a proud portrait of everyday Italian life.
25. "Sarà perché ti amo", Ricchi e Poveri, 1981: a joyful party favorite.
26. "Felicità", Al Bano and Romina Power, 1982: a sunny duet about happiness.
27. "Vita spericolata", Vasco Rossi, 1983: a rock anthem from Italy's biggest rock star.
28. "Caruso", Lucio Dalla, 1986: a moving tribute to the great tenor Enrico Caruso.
29. "Un'estate italiana", Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini, 1990: the anthem of the 1990 World Cup.
30. "Senza una donna", Zucchero with Paul Young, 1991: a bluesy hit across Europe.
31. "La solitudine", Laura Pausini, 1993: the Sanremo song that launched her career.
32. "Con te partirò", Andrea Bocelli, 1995: the song that became "Time to Say Goodbye" with Sarah Brightman.
33. "Vivo per lei", Andrea Bocelli and Giorgia, 1995: a duet about a love of music.

Modern Italian songs

34. "Grande amore", Il Volo, 2015: the trio's Sanremo-winning love song.
35. "Soldi", Mahmood, 2019: the Sanremo winner that came second at Eurovision.
36. "Zitti e buoni", Måneskin, 2021: the rock song that won Eurovision.

Italian-American favorites

37. "That's Amore", Dean Martin, 1953: the ultimate Italian-American dinner song.
38. "Mambo Italiano", Rosemary Clooney, 1954: a playful novelty hit.
39. "Arrivederci Roma", 1955: a fond farewell to Rome, sung by Dean Martin and many others.
40. "Return to Me", Dean Martin, 1958: a love song with an Italian verse.

The story behind Volare

Domenico Modugno's "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" took third place at the 1958 Sanremo festival and represented Italy at Eurovision, but it became a global phenomenon. Its chorus, "Volare", gave the song its popular name, it went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, a rare feat for a song in Italian, and it won the very first Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Sanremo, the home of Italian song

The Sanremo Music Festival, held every year since 1951 in the seaside town of Sanremo, is the biggest event in Italian music and is watched by millions on television. Many of the songs on this list were first heard there, from "Che sarà" and "La solitudine" to "Grande amore" and "Soldi", and the winner often goes on to represent Italy at Eurovision, as Måneskin did when they won in 2021.

Nessun dorma and the Three Tenors

Puccini's aria from Turandot was chosen as the theme of the BBC's coverage of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, and Luciano Pavarotti's recording became a hit in Britain. The night before the final in Rome, Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras sang together as the Three Tenors, and "Nessun dorma" became the most famous opera aria of modern times.

Andrea Bocelli and the classical crossover

Andrea Bocelli, a tenor from Tuscany who lost his sight as a child, became one of the best-selling classical singers in history by blending opera with pop. "Con te partirò" first appeared at Sanremo in 1995, and the following year his duet version with Sarah Brightman, "Time to Say Goodbye", became one of the best-selling singles ever in Europe. Il Volo, a trio of young singers, followed in his footsteps and won Sanremo in 2015.

Italian songs for a birthday or a family gathering

For a nonna's or nonno's birthday, play the songs they grew up with: "Volare", "Il mondo", "Azzurro", "Quando, quando, quando" and "Che sarà". Younger relatives will join in on "L'italiano" and "Sarà perché ti amo", which work just as well at a christening, a communion party or a big family reunion.

Italian songs for a wedding

For an Italian or Italian-American wedding, "That's Amore" and "Volare" are classics for the dinner hour, "Con te partirò" and "Il mondo" are moving choices for the ceremony, and "Ti amo" and "Piccolo grande amore" make romantic first dances. Every Italian reception needs a tarantella to get the whole family dancing, and "Sarà perché ti amo" and "Felicità" keep the party going. For more, see our first dance songs.

Italian songs for dinner or a party

For a long Sunday dinner, play Dean Martin, "Volare", "Quando, quando, quando", "Il cielo in una stanza" and "Azzurro". For a party, "L'italiano", "Sarà perché ti amo", "Tu vuò fà l'americano" and "Un'estate italiana" get everyone singing along, even those who do not speak a word of Italian.

More famous songs from around the world

For more international music, see our famous French songs and Spanish wedding songs.

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