The festival della canzone Italiana commonly known as the Sanremo Music Festival is one of the oldest singing competitions in Europe. The song contest began in 1951 and has been held in Sanremo, a beautiful resort town on the Ligurian coast, every year since. Now a major television event in Italy, the festival showcases established artists and new performers, and champions Italian music of all genres.
Well beloved in Italy and beyond, the Sanremo Music Festival even served as the inspiration for the Eurovision Song Contest. The festival has launched the careers of incredibly famous Italian singers, including Andrea Bocelli, Zucchero, Eros Ramazzotti, Laura Pausini, Elisa and Massimo Ranieri.
We selected 10 of the most famous songs that won the Festival during these incredible 63 years of Italian music celebration.
1951 Grazie dei Fiori Nilla Pizzi
1958 Nel blu dipinto di blu Domenico Modugno
1970 Chi non Lavora non fa l’Amore Adriano Celentano
1986 Adesso Tu Eros Ramazzotti
1988 Perdere l’Amore Massimo Ranieri
1995 Come saprei Giorgia
2001 Luce (Tramonti a nord est) Elisa
Winners of the Newcomers Contest
1984 Terra promessa Eros Ramazzotti
1993 La solitudine Laura Pausini
1994 Il mare calmo della sera Andrea Bocelli
