Rolling Stone recently published a ranking of the Top 200 greatest singers of all time. Italians were represented in small numbers on the list, with only six of the 200 singers being of clear and noticeable Italian origin.
It is no surprise that Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, and Bruce Springsteen earned rightful places on the rankings. Ariana Grande and legendary Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts also represented the Italian community on the list.
However, many Italian singers were omitted from the list, leaving the Italian community scratching their heads. We polled our staff at America Domani and ranked the Top 10 Italian singers who were left off Rolling Stones’ list. To compile this list, we reviewed all singers of Italian descent regardless of their birthplace and the primary language in which they sang.
Madonna
Born Madonna Louise Ciccone, “Madonna” has become one of the most transcendent singers of all time, let alone the Italian community. Madonna’s Italian ancestry goes back to Abruzzo on her father’s side.
Andrea Bocelli
The iconic opera singer and pop sensation has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. Bocelli was born and raised in the Tuscan town of Lajatico.
Jon Bon Jovi
Born John Francis Bongiovi, “Bon Jovi” has sold out stadiums across the world and been named one of the “Sexiest Rockstars Alive” by People Magazine. Born and raised in New Jersey, Bon Jovi is Sicilian on his father’s side.
Zucchero
Hailing from the province of Reggio-Emilia, Zucchero’s voice has become one of the most recognizable of all Italian singers over the past four decades. His duets with famous global rockstars such as Paul Young, Eric Clapton, Sting, Bono, and Ray Charles, have made him a fixture across the world.
Laura Pausini
Born just outside of Ravenna, the 48-year-old pop sensation became a true crossover rockstar, selling out stadiums across the world and singing in multiple languages. Pausini emerged onto the Italian pop scene in 1993 when she won the San Remo Music Festival with her hit “La Solitudine”.
Frankie Valli
The legendary crooner from New Jersey founded the Four Seasons in 1960 and has become an Italian American icon over the past seven decades. Born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio, Frankie Valli was raised in Newark, New Jersey.
Luciano Pavarotti
Before there was Bocelli, there were the Three Tenors. Nobody was more famous and respected than the late Luciano Pavarotti. The pride of Modena sold out opera houses and concert halls across the world for over 50 years before succumbing to cancer in 2007.
Dean Martin
“Memories Are Made of This”, “That’s Amore”, “Everybody Loves Somebody”, and countless other classics are still sung in homes across the world today thanks to the legendary Rat Pack member. Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio.
Eros Ramazzotti
The Roman pop sensation has been churning out hits since his debut at the San Remo Music Festival in the early 1980s. He is one of the few Italian-language pop stars to successfully make the leap into global rock star status.
Gianni Morandi
The Bolognese singer is well-known for his heartwarming hits and his good looks. Morandi burst onto the scene in 1970 during the Eurovision Song Contest and hasn’t looked back since. He has also appeared in several popular Italian films.