Explore some of Italy’s hottest artists of the past and present
Discovering new music has never been easier thanks to Spotify. With curated playlists like “Top Songs – Global” and “Top Songs – US”, we can easily plug into what everyone else is listening to. While American artists often dominate these charts, Italian artists enjoy competitive streaming on Spotify, too. Meanwhile, evergreen artists like Andrea Boccelli and Luciano Pavoratti attract millions of monthly listeners on the platform.
By looking at Spotify’s streaming counts, we can clue into rising hits and classic songs alike. That’s why we’ve rounded up an eclectic list of high-streaming Italian songs from both the past and present. We built a playlist that matches our list of these most streamed songs on Spotify.
Here are ten highly streamed Italian songs that you need to hear:
1. “Beggin” - Maneskin
In the past few years, Maneskin has become one of Italy’s (and America’s) favorite new rock bands. The band’s single, “Beggin,” which is a Four Season’s cover with a glam-rock twist, landed in the top 10 on the Billboard Global chart. On Spotify, the sensational track has been streamed over one billion times – 1,100,954,313 to be exact. Maneskin has acquired a devout following with 23,549,057 monthly listeners.
2. “Brividi” - Mahmood & BLANCO
Mahmood & BLANCO won this year’s Sanremo Music Festival with their emotional single, “Brividi.” The track was also Italy’s entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The song’s immense exposure led to record-breaking Spotify streams: the song broke the record for the most streams in one day on Spotify in Italy with 3,384,192 streams. It also peaked at number five on Spotify's Global chart. It's no surprise that the soulful track took the charts by storm.
3. “Time To Say Goodbye” – Andrea Bocelli
The Italian operatic singer Andrea Bocelli is one of the most popular vocalists around the world, let alone in Italy. His Spotify streaming data reflects this devout following. Bocelli’s beloved duet with Sarah Brightman, “Time To Say Goodbye,” has over 119,510,854 streams on Spotify. Meanwhile, the original version of the song has 101,717,133 streams. With over 4,688,567 monthly listeners, Bocelli is one of the most highly-streamed Italian musicians.
4. “En cambio no” - Laura Pausini
The Grammy-winning artist Laura Pausini is one of the most renowned female Italian singers. Her career took off in 1993 when she won the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival. Since then, she’s launched many successful albums and singles. Her 2008 track “En cambio no” is her most streamed song on Spotify, with 94,652,688 streams and soaring vocals. She has 6,872,333 monthly listeners, making her one of the most influential Italian artists in the world.
5. Turandot: “Nessun Dorma!” - Luciano Pavarotti
Like Bocelli, Pavoratti is an Italian voice recognized around the globe. The late operatic singer is considered to be one of the most acclaimed tenors to ever live. Fittingly, his Spotify stats reflect his popularity. Pavarotti has 2,646,434 monthly listeners. Pavortti’s rendition of the aria “Nessun Dorma!” is one of the greatest feats in the history of musical expression – and his most streamed song on Spotify, with 69,786,209 streams to date.
6. “Ti amo” – Umberto Tozzi
When one thinks of Italian songs, “Ti amo” probably comes to mind. Umberto Tozzi’s 1977 hit topped the charts all across Europe and became known around the world. Today, the track has stood the test of time and is regarded as an Italian classic. “Ti amo” has been streamed on Spotify 67,034,920 times. Tozzi released an alternate version of the song featuring Anastacia, which was also hugely popular.
7. “L’italiano” – Toto Cutugno
In 1990, Toto Cutugno won the Eurovision Song Contest for Italy for his song "Insieme: 1992.” However, before he claimed that victory, he had already had a hit pop song that reached worldwide popularity. That song was “L’italiano.” Today, it’s been streamed on Spotify 50,488,144 times and remains a fan favorite.
8. “Dove si Balla” - Dargen D’Amico
“Dove si Balla” is another major hit to emerge from this year’s Sanremo Music Festival. While Dargen D’Amico did not win the contest, the vibrant, dance-inducing track has risen in popularity, earning 45,285,539 streams so far.
9. “La Dolce Vita” – Fedez, Mara Sattei, Tananai
Italian rapper Fedez’s latest hit “La Dolce Vita” is taking the Italian streaming charts by storm. It’s been streamed 2,406,979 times on Spotify this week alone. Since its June 2022 release, the single has been streamed 35,384,122 times. Fedez has been releasing music since 2013, and is often featured on the “Hot Hits Italia” Spotify playlist.
10. “Giovanni Wannabe” – Pinguini Tattici Nucleari.
Pinguini Tattici Nucleari are one of today’s hottest Italian chart climbers. This week, the band’s single “Giovanni Wannabe” has been streamed 2,449,287 times on Spotify. The track was released earlier this summer and has already been streamed 27,022,635 times in counting. The indie rock outfit Pignuini Tattici Nucleari has been on the scene since 2012 and “Giovanni Wannabe” is a fun entry point to the band’s infectious catalog for new American listeners.
Make sure to check out the Spotify playlist we have in combination with this article.
Natalli Marie Amato
Natalli Amato is a music and lifestyle journalist from Sackets Harbor, New York. Her bylines include Rolling Stone, Vice, and The Boot. She is also the author of several collections of poetry.