Volare (song)
Encyclopedia
"Nel blu dipinto di blu" ("In the blue, painted blue"), popularly known as "Volare" (Italian
for the infinitive form of the verb "to fly"), is Domenico Modugno
's signature song
.
Modugno's recording became the first Grammy
winner for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
and Grammy Award for Song of the Year
in 1958. It is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honor. It spent five non-consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 in August and September 1958 and was Billboards number-one single for the year. It is one of only three USA one-hit wonder
s to become single of the year in the history of the Hot 100 (followed by "Stranger on the Shore
" by Acker Bilk in 1962 and "Bad Day
" by Daniel Powter
in 2006). (Note: Domenico Modugno was a prolific singer/songwriter in Italy).
(lyrics), "Nel blu dipinto di blu" was presented by Domenico Modugno and Johnny Dorelli
at the 1958
Sanremo Music Festival, winning the contest and achieving instant popularity. It was then chosen to represent Italy at the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest
, where it came third.
The song is a ballad
in a dramatic chanson
style, in which Modugno describes the feeling he has, which resembles flying when with his lover. The song opens with a surreal prelude
which the cover versions often left out: "Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più. Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu; poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito, e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito." ("I think that a dream like that will never return; I painted my hands and my face blue, then was suddenly swept up by the wind and started to fly in the infinite sky.")
Ildebrando Pizzetti
made a bid to accuse Modugno of plagarism for copying Nicola Festa's song Anguilella in twelve places but withdrew his charges.
The English
lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish
. Alternative English lyrics were written in 1958 by Dame Gracie Fields
, and they were used in most concerts she performed in from then until her death in 1979. She often changed the words to suit her performance and age.
' Corry Brokken
with "Heel De Wereld
"). At the end of the voting, it had received 13 points, placing 3rd in a field of 10.
Due to a transmission fault, the song was not heard in all countries transmitting the event, so it was performed at the end as well, before the voting took place.
It was succeeded as Italian entry
at the 1959 contest
by "Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)
," also performed by Modugno.
and Record of the Year
. Billboard awarded Modugno a prize for best song of the year, and he received three gold records from the recording industry: best singer, best song, best-selling album.
The song's popularity endures, and it was voted as the second favourite entry in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest at the 50th anniversary concert in Copenhagen
, Denmark
, 2005.
’s "Waterloo" was voted as the "all time favourite song of the Eurovision Song Contest" ("Volare" came second), the creators Benny Andersson
and Björn Ulvaeus
, said when they received the prize
at least 100 times over the years. Versions were quickly recorded after the initial success - partly in English, partly in Italian - by The McGuire Sisters
and Dean Martin
. Bobby Rydell
had a hit with his version, reaching #4 on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1960
(this version was later played over the end credits of the 1986 movie Vamp
). An up-tempo Spanish version (partly in Italian) was recorded by the Gipsy Kings
in 1989, and an English/Spanish salsa
version is also sung by Son Boricua of Jimmy Sabater and Jose Mangual Jr. in 2000.
Later, English
lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish
. A Spanish version (partly in Italian) is sung by the Gipsy Kings
. An English/Spanish salsa
version is also sung by Son Boricua of Jimmy Sabater, Sr. and Jose Mangual Jr. The British pop-singer singer Russell Watson
covered the song in 2002.
Sergio Franchi
recorded two RCA Victor compilation albums featuring this song: 1.) Sergio Franchi Sings Volare, a 1976 Chrysler Corporation Promotional album, and 2.)Sergio Franchi/Volare, a 1977 tribute to Sergio Franchi by RCA on their 15th Anniversary of association.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for the infinitive form of the verb "to fly"), is Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu "...
's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
.
Modugno's recording became the first Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winner for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
and Grammy Award for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
in 1958. It is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honor. It spent five non-consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 in August and September 1958 and was Billboards number-one single for the year. It is one of only three USA one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
s to become single of the year in the history of the Hot 100 (followed by "Stranger on the Shore
Stranger on the Shore
"Stranger on the Shore" is a piece for clarinet written by Acker Bilk for his young daughter and originally named Jenny after her. It was subsequently used as the theme tune of a BBC TV drama serial for young people that was also called Stranger on the Shore.The track, performed by Bilk "Stranger...
" by Acker Bilk in 1962 and "Bad Day
Bad Day (Daniel Powter song)
"Bad Day" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Powter. It was released as the first single from his second album Daniel Powter and achieved the #1 spot in the U.S. and Ireland. In the U.S...
" by Daniel Powter
Daniel Powter
Daniel Richard Powter is a Canadian recording artist. He is known for his hit "Bad Day", which spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Powter became the only act to register the #1 hit of the year but chart no other Hot 100 hit.- Life and career :Powter grew up in Vernon, in the...
in 2006). (Note: Domenico Modugno was a prolific singer/songwriter in Italy).
Composition
Written by Domenico Modugno (music and lyrics) and Franco MigliacciFranco Migliacci
Franco Migliacci is a lyricist, producer, and actor. He is also known as Francesco Migliacci.- Biography :...
(lyrics), "Nel blu dipinto di blu" was presented by Domenico Modugno and Johnny Dorelli
Johnny Dorelli
Johnny Dorelli is an Italian actor, singer and showman.Born as Giorgio Guidi in Meda, he debuted as singer in the late 1950s for CGD label. In 1958 he won the Sanremo Festival in duo with Domenico Modugno, with the songs "Nel blu dipinto di blu" and "Piove "...
at the 1958
1958 in music
-Events:*February - 45,000 peoplein one week watch performances of "rokabirī" music by Japanese singers at the first Nichigeki Western Carnival....
Sanremo Music Festival, winning the contest and achieving instant popularity. It was then chosen to represent Italy at the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1958
The Eurovision Song Contest 1958 was the third Eurovision Song Contest. The convention that the winning country from a year hosted the following year's contest was introduced in this year. France's win was their first. It was the last time to date that the United Kingdom did not enter the contest...
, where it came third.
The song is a ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
in a dramatic chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
style, in which Modugno describes the feeling he has, which resembles flying when with his lover. The song opens with a surreal prelude
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
which the cover versions often left out: "Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più. Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu; poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito, e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito." ("I think that a dream like that will never return; I painted my hands and my face blue, then was suddenly swept up by the wind and started to fly in the infinite sky.")
Ildebrando Pizzetti
Ildebrando Pizzetti
Ildebrando Pizzetti was an Italian composer of classical music.- Biography :Pizzetti was born in Parma in 1880. He was part of the "Generation of 1880" along with Ottorino Respighi and Gian Francesco Malipiero. They were among the first Italian composers in some time whose primary contributions...
made a bid to accuse Modugno of plagarism for copying Nicola Festa's song Anguilella in twelve places but withdrew his charges.
The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish was an American lyricist.-Early life:Parish was born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky to a Jewish family in Lithuania. His family emigrated to the United States, arriving on February 3, 1901 on the SS Dresden when he was less than a year old...
. Alternative English lyrics were written in 1958 by Dame Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
, and they were used in most concerts she performed in from then until her death in 1979. She often changed the words to suit her performance and age.
At Eurovision
The song was performed first on the night (preceding the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' Corry Brokken
Corry Brokken
Corry Brokken is a former Dutch singer.Brokken won the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest, representing the Netherlands singing "Net als toen"...
with "Heel De Wereld
Heel De Wereld
"Heel de wereld" was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1958, performed in Dutch by Corry Brokken. This was Brokken's third consecutive appearance on the Eurovision stage and it would be her last as a performer....
"). At the end of the voting, it had received 13 points, placing 3rd in a field of 10.
Due to a transmission fault, the song was not heard in all countries transmitting the event, so it was performed at the end as well, before the voting took place.
It was succeeded as Italian entry
Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
Italy participated in the Eurovision Song Contest frequently from 1956 to 1997. It was one of only seven countries that competed at the very first contest...
at the 1959 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1959
The Eurovision Song Contest 1959 was the fourth Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in Cannes, following the French victory the previous year....
by "Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)
Piove (Ciao, Ciao Bambina)
"Piove " is an Italian song written by Domenico Modugno and Eduardo Verde. It won first prize at the 1959 Sanremo Music Festival, where it was performed twice, once by Modugno and once by Johnny Dorelli...
," also performed by Modugno.
Popularity
A recording of the song was brought to America by Irving Lorber. His brother, Murray Lorber, an executive at Decca Records, gave the recording to Decca's A&R Director, Milt Gabler. Volare became an instant hit and a year after the Eurovision, the 1st Grammy Awards ceremony was held, and Modugno received awards for both Song of the YearGrammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
and Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
. Billboard awarded Modugno a prize for best song of the year, and he received three gold records from the recording industry: best singer, best song, best-selling album.
The song's popularity endures, and it was voted as the second favourite entry in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest at the 50th anniversary concert in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, 2005.
- Sports: A version was used by fans of ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
to serenade the midfielderMidfielderA midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
Patrick VieiraPatrick VieiraPatrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
, and Manchester United fans have created versions for cult heroes Diego ForlanDiego ForlánDiego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
and Nemanja VidićNemanja VidicNemanja Vidić is a Serbian footballer who captains English Premier League club Manchester United. He was part of the Serbia national football team from 2002 to 2011....
, as well as a parody of Arsenal's song for Vieira, mocking the midfielder's error in the 1999 FA Cup Semi-Final replay which led to Ryan GiggsRyan GiggsRyan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
' famous extra-time winner.
- Samba Adaptation: The sixth season of the American version of Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars (U.S. season 6)The sixth season of Dancing with the Stars premiered on March 17, 2008; the first results show was a double-elimination episode airing on March 25, 2008. The show followed the format of previous seasons, with 12 couples....
featured Kristi YamaguchiKristi YamaguchiKristine Tsuya "Kristi" Yamaguchi-Hedican is an American figure skater. She is the 1992 Olympic Champion in ladies' singles. Yamaguchi also won two World Figure Skating Championships in 1991 and 1992 and a U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1992. She won one junior world title in 1988 and two...
and Mark BallasMark BallasMark Alexander Ballas Jr. is an American dancer.Ballas is a professional ballroom dancer on the ABC program Dancing with the Stars. He began competing on the show in the fall of 2007. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography in 2011...
dancing Samba to the Gipsy KingsGipsy KingsThe Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, who perform in Spanish with an Andalucían accent. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. Chico Bouchikhi is of...
version of the song.
- In Film: The 1980 comedy film The Hollywood KnightsThe Hollywood KnightsThe Hollywood Knights is an American motion picture comedy written and directed by Floyd Mutrux depicting the crass and mischievous antics and practical jokes of the remaining members of a 1950s-era car club turned social fraternity in and around Beverly Hills and Hollywood in 1965...
uses the song in a witty version performed by Newbomb Turk (Robert Wuhl) to the delight of a High School Pep Rally audience, albeit with adverse reactions from the sponsoring adults in the scene due to Newbomb's use of flatulenceFlatulenceFlatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
to punctuate between verses. In the movie Absolute BeginnersAbsolute BeginnersAbsolute Beginners is a novel by Colin MacInnes, written and set in 1958 London, England. It was published in 1959. The novel is the second of MacInnes' London Trilogy, coming after City Of Spades and before Mr. Love and Justice...
(1986) a radio bradcast a cover of the song performed, in Italian, by David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
(who also appeared in the film), though the cover was not included on the soundtrack. The song was recorded by singer Vitamin CVitamin C (artist)Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick is an American pop music singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress better known by her stage name, Vitamin C. Her singles include "Graduation ", "As Long As You're Loving Me", "The Itch", and her most successful hit the Top 20 Gold certified "Smile"...
for The Lizzie McGuire Movie Soundtrack and can also be heard in the film while Lizzie and Paolo are roaming Rome, as well as in I cento passi while the family is arriving to a celebration. Kevin KlineKevin KlineKevin Delaney Kline is an American theatre, voice, film actor and comedian. He has won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards, and has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and an Emmy Award.- Early life :...
sings an excerpt from this song in the movie A Fish Called WandaA Fish Called WandaA Fish Called Wanda is a 1988 crime-comedy film written by John Cleese and Charles Crichton. It was directed by Crichton and an uncredited Cleese, and stars Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin. The film is about a jewel heist and its aftermath...
- TV: The TV series ColumboColumboColumbo is an American crime fiction television film series, which starred Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. It was created by William Link and Richard Levinson. The show popularized the inverted detective story format...
featured the Volare as the theme to a murder in the episode "Troubled Waters". Air Date February 9, 1975 (1975-02-09).
- TV Commercial: Italian-American tenor Sergio FranchiSergio FranchiSergio Franchi was an Italian tenor.Franchi was born in Cremona, Italy. His father wanted him to become an electrical engineer, so he studied both music and engineering simultaneously. The family moved to South Africa in 1952, where Sergio worked part-time as a draftsman, while continuing to study...
sang the song, with modified lyrics, while appearing as the television spokesman for the Plymouth Volaré in the 1970s.
Quotations
When ABBAABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
’s "Waterloo" was voted as the "all time favourite song of the Eurovision Song Contest" ("Volare" came second), the creators Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
, said when they received the prize
I myself voted for "Volare" but I am pleased that so many people voted for us.
- ― Benny Andersson
Recordings
The song has been coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
at least 100 times over the years. Versions were quickly recorded after the initial success - partly in English, partly in Italian - by The McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: Christine McGuire , Dorothy McGuire , and Phyllis McGuire...
and Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
. Bobby Rydell
Bobby Rydell
Bobby Rydell is an American professional singer, mainly of rock and roll music. In the early 1960s he was considered a so-called "teen idol"...
had a hit with his version, reaching #4 on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1960
1960 in music
-Events:*January 14 – Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army*February 6 – Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles...
(this version was later played over the end credits of the 1986 movie Vamp
Vamp (film)
-Plot:Two college students, Keith and AJ, want to hire a stripper for their college initiation party, so they go to a dark, seedy part of town to look for a good candidate. They visit a nightclub in a barren, desolate, no-mans land section where the police rarely patrol...
). An up-tempo Spanish version (partly in Italian) was recorded by the Gipsy Kings
Gipsy Kings
The Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, who perform in Spanish with an Andalucían accent. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. Chico Bouchikhi is of...
in 1989, and an English/Spanish salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
version is also sung by Son Boricua of Jimmy Sabater and Jose Mangual Jr. in 2000.
Later, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish was an American lyricist.-Early life:Parish was born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky to a Jewish family in Lithuania. His family emigrated to the United States, arriving on February 3, 1901 on the SS Dresden when he was less than a year old...
. A Spanish version (partly in Italian) is sung by the Gipsy Kings
Gipsy Kings
The Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, who perform in Spanish with an Andalucían accent. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. Chico Bouchikhi is of...
. An English/Spanish salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
version is also sung by Son Boricua of Jimmy Sabater, Sr. and Jose Mangual Jr. The British pop-singer singer Russell Watson
Russell Watson
Russell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. The self-styled "People's Tenor" had been singing since he was a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club...
covered the song in 2002.
Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi was an Italian tenor.Franchi was born in Cremona, Italy. His father wanted him to become an electrical engineer, so he studied both music and engineering simultaneously. The family moved to South Africa in 1952, where Sergio worked part-time as a draftsman, while continuing to study...
recorded two RCA Victor compilation albums featuring this song: 1.) Sergio Franchi Sings Volare, a 1976 Chrysler Corporation Promotional album, and 2.)Sergio Franchi/Volare, a 1977 tribute to Sergio Franchi by RCA on their 15th Anniversary of association.
- 101 Strings Orchestra
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- Cortijo y su comboRafael CortijoRafael Cortijo , was a Puerto Rican musician, orchestra leader, and composer.As a child, Cortijo became interested in Caribbean music and enjoyed the works of some of the era's most successful Plena music musicians...
- Cyril StapletonCyril StapletonCyril Stapleton was an English violinist and jazz bandleader.Born in Mapperley, Nottingham, Stapleton began playing violin at age 7, and played on local radio at the age of 12. He performed on the BBC Radio often in his teenage years, and played in film orchestras accompanying silent films...
- DalidaDalidaDalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult...
(as "Dans le bleu du ciel bleu") - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
- Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
- Dolores DuranDolores DuranDolores Duran was a Brazilian singer and composer.Adiléia Silva da Rocha debuted at age 10 on the radio. Two years later, when her father died, she started to work on the television, too...
- Domenico ModugnoDomenico ModugnoDomenico Modugno was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu "...
- Earl GrantEarl GrantEarl Grant was an American easy listening pianist, Hammond organist, and vocalist popular in the 1950s and 1960s.-Career:...
- Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
- Emilio PericoliEmilio PericoliEmilio Pericoli is an Italian singer. He was born in Cesenatico, Romagna.Pericoli's success was closely tied to the Sanremo Festival. He recorded a cover version of the song, "Al di là", by festival winner Betty Curtis. The song was an international success, hitting the charts in the U.S. and #30...
- Engelbert HumperdinckEngelbert Humperdinck (singer)Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
- Fariborz LachiniFariborz LachiniFariborz Lachini is a film score composer originally from Iran based in Canada.-Career:He started his career in Iran writing music for children, creating "Avaz Faslha va Rangha" at the age of 18 which caught the attention of royal family of the time. The title of national Iranian TV's children...
- Ferrante & TeicherFerrante & TeicherFerrante & Teicher were a duo of American piano players, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes.-Career:...
- Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
- Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
- G4G4 (band)G4 were a four-piece British vocal troupe who first came to prominence when they finished second in ITV's talent show The X Factor in 2004. The members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives.-The X Factor:G4 auditioned for the...
- Gianna NanniniGianna NanniniGianna Nannini is an Italian female singer-songwriter and pop musician. She may be best known for her 1986 song "Bello e Impossibile".-Personal life:...
- Gigi D'AgostinoGigi D'AgostinoLuigino Celestino Di Agostino , better known by his stage name Gigi D'Agostino, is an Italian DJ, remixer and record producer...
- Gipsy KingsGipsy KingsThe Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, who perform in Spanish with an Andalucían accent. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. Chico Bouchikhi is of...
- Gracie FieldsGracie FieldsDame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
- Herman FosterHerman FosterHerman Foster was an American bebop jazz pianist.He began his musical career early playing the violin, clarinet, saxophone, and piano. He became a self-taught pianist. His family moved to New York City in 1947 where he began to attend jam sessions and then played with Eric Dixon, Dick Carter and...
- Hugo MontenegroHugo MontenegroHugo Montenegro was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best known work is derived from interpretations of the music from Spaghetti westerns, especially his cover version of the main theme from the 1966 film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
- Ismael RiveraIsmael RiveraIsmael "Maelo" Rivera , was a renowned Puerto Rican composer and singer of salsa music.-Early life:Ismael Rivera was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, on October 5, 1931. He was the first of five children born to Luis and Margarita Rivera. His father, Luis, was a carpenter and his mother a housewife...
- Jerry ValeJerry ValeJerry Vale is an American singer.-Career:In high school, in order to make some money, he took a job shining shoes in a barbershop in New York City. He sang while he shined shoes, and his boss liked the sound so well that he paid for music lessons for the boy...
- John ArpinJohn ArpinJohn Francis Oscar Arpin was a Canadian composer, recording artist and entertainer, best known for his work as a virtuoso ragtime pianist....
- Joni JamesJoni JamesJoni James is an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards.-Biography:...
- Johnny Branchizio
- Julius LaRosa
- Kirby Stone
- Laura PausiniLaura PausiniLaura Pausini, is a Grammy Award-winning Italian soul singer-songwriter. She debuted in 1993, winning the newcomer artists' section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with the song "La solitudine", which became an Italian standard and an international hit, reaching the top spot on the Italian...
with Eros Ramazotti (Duet) - Lionel HamptonLionel HamptonLionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
- Lisa OnoLisa OnoLisa Ono is a popular Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova singer.- Biography :Lisa Ono was born in São Paulo, Brazil in 1962 but moved with her family to Tokyo at the age of 10...
- Lost Amigos with Ray Costello
- Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
- Lucho GaticaLucho GaticaLuis Enrique Gatica Silva, better known as Lucho Gatica, is a Chilean bolero singer, film actor, and television host. It is estimated that Gatica has released more than 90 recordings. He has toured a vast portion of the world, having made concerts in Europe, the Middle East and Asia...
- Luciano PavarottiLuciano Pavarottiright|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
- Marino MariniMarino Marini (musician)Marino Marini was an Italian popular musician who achieved international success in the 1950s and 1960s.He was born into a family of musicians in Seggiano in the Grosetto region of Italy. After briefly studying electronics, he studied piano, violin and composition at the Conservatorio Rossini at...
- Marvin SantiagoMarvin SantiagoMarvin Santiago was a Puerto Rican salsa singer who became famous all across Latin America during the 1970s. He was also a part-time comedian on Puerto Rican television. His brother, Billiván Santiago, had some success in Puerto Rico as a plena singer.- Early life :Santiago was born in San Juan...
- Masafumi AkikawaMasafumi Akikawais a Japanese tenor singer. He has released a number of CDs, in which he has sung a broad range of genres, from classical to pop. He appeared on the 57th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen broadcast....
- MinaMina (singer)Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...
- Nelson RiddleNelson RiddleNelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
- Oleksandr PonomaryovOleksandr PonomaryovOleksandr Ponomaryov born, August 9, 1973, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine) is one of the most famous singers of Ukraine. He has been awarded the country’s "Singer of the Year" seven times.One of Oleksandr's early passions was boxing...
- Oscar PetersonOscar PetersonOscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
- Patrizio BuannePatrizio BuannePatrizio is an Italian singer baritone, songwriter, producer. He was previously signed with Globe Records, a division of Universal Music, but has recently signed a global record deal with Warner Music Entertainment.-Biography:Early lifePatrizio Buanne spent his childhood living and traveling from...
- Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
- Petty BookaPetty BookaPetty Booka is a Japanese musical group that consists of two women, Petty and Booka, who sing and play ukulele. Most of the band's early output consisted of cover versions of Hawaiian ukulele classics. The two also do many covers of well-known rock songs. Petty Booka is part of Sister Benten...
- Petula ClarkPetula ClarkPetula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
- Ray ConniffRay ConniffJoseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
- Richard ClaydermanRichard ClaydermanRichard Clayderman is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of most popular works of...
- Rita PavoneRita PavoneRita Pavone is an Italian ballad and rock singer who enjoyed success through the 1960s. Pavone is also an actress.-Singing career:...
- Roger WilliamsRoger Williams (pianist)Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:...
- Russell WatsonRussell WatsonRussell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. The self-styled "People's Tenor" had been singing since he was a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club...
- Sergio FranchiSergio FranchiSergio Franchi was an Italian tenor.Franchi was born in Cremona, Italy. His father wanted him to become an electrical engineer, so he studied both music and engineering simultaneously. The family moved to South Africa in 1952, where Sergio worked part-time as a draftsman, while continuing to study...
- Sofia RotaruSofia RotaruSofia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru known as Sofia Rotaru is a Soviet and Ukrainian pop singer of Romanian/Moldavian heritage....
- Son Boricua
- Stefano BollaniStefano BollaniStefano Bollani is an Italian jazz pianist from Milan.He made his professional debut at fifteen and received his diploma in piano from the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence. He performs classical music, smooth jazz, avant-garde jazz, Brazilian jazz, and pop rock...
- The Ames Brothers
- The Jive AcesThe Jive AcesThe Jive Aces, winners of BBC TV's Opportunity Knocks, formed in 1989. They are a six-piece UK based, high energy, jive and swing band, who have many albums and singles to their name, and have performed at many music festivals. They received an award from the Variety Club of Great Britain for their...
- The McGuire SistersThe McGuire SistersThe McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: Christine McGuire , Dorothy McGuire , and Phyllis McGuire...
- The PlattersThe PlattersThe Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
- Thomas AndersThomas AndersThomas Anders is a German singer, composer and record producer. Anders was the lead singer of Germany's popular pop-duo Modern Talking in 1984–1987 and in 1998–2003.-Early years:...
- Trini LopezTrini LopezTrini Lopez is an American singer, guitarist and actor.-Career:Lopez was born in Dallas, Texas, on Ashland Street in the Little Mexico neighborhood. He began his entertainment career in Dallas playing at the Vegas Club, a nightclub owned by Jack Ruby...
- Vitamin CVitamin C (artist)Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick is an American pop music singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress better known by her stage name, Vitamin C. Her singles include "Graduation ", "As Long As You're Loving Me", "The Itch", and her most successful hit the Top 20 Gold certified "Smile"...
- Wayne NewtonWayne NewtonWayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
- Willy AlbertiWilly AlbertiWilly Alberti , born Carel Verbrugge, was a Dutch singer, who sang in Dutch and Italian. He was also an actor and a radio and TV personality....
- Ximena SariñanaXimena SariñanaXimena Sariñana Rivera is a Mexican singer-songwriter and actress. Sariñana's musical career was launched in 2008 with the release of her first studio album Mediocre, an adult contemporary pop-rock/vocal jazz album that has been critically acclaimed and nominated for various awards, including two...
- Youth BrigadeYouth Brigade (band)Youth Brigade is a Southern California punk music trio formed in 1980 by brothers Mark Stern, Adam Stern, and Shawn Stern. The band subsequently founded BYO , which served both as their record label and as a statement of their attitude toward the young people involved in the punk subculture, which...
- Yukihiro TakahashiYukihiro TakahashiYukihiro Takahashi is a Japanese musician, who is best known as the drummer and lead vocalist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band.-Biography:...
- Yvonne CatterfeldYvonne CatterfeldYvonne Catterfeld is a German singer, actress and TV host.-Biography:Catterfeld was born in Erfurt, Thuringia, then in East Germany, in 1979. At the age of 15 she started playing the piano and the flute, simultaneously taking first dance and vocal lessons...
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1950s
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1958 (U.S.)
- List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 1990