Gorgeous landscapes, long beaches, picturesque seaside villages, rich culture, delicious food, and overall a dolce vita take on life: Italy has been the primary vacation paradise for Germans for a long time, at least before air travel became mainstream. No wonder Italian music was part of the regular radio program before commercial formats took over.
Neither Elke nor I have been to Italy for vacation as children, but together, we went to a camping site near Venice a couple of times. We have dear memories of this time: sitting in a seaside restaurant for spaghetti with clams or having a nightcap at the beach while listening to cassettes on a little boom box.
That is why Italian music never fails to lift our mood with memories of leisure and good times. And with one week of summer left, there is no time to lose to bring on those vibes. That’s why we created a playlist with classics and newer tracks to showcase that they have always had a pretty cool music scene over there.
Songs of our Italian Summer Dreams Playlist
Alice - Per Elisa (1981)
Alice Pisano - Celebrate Life (2018)
Lucio Dalla - Stella Di Mare (1979)
Pino Daniele - lo per lei (1995)
Umberto Tozzi - Tu (1978)
HÅN - The Children (I See No Home) (2017)
Toto Cotugno - L’italiano (1983)
Zucchero, Paul Young - Senza Una Donna (1990)
Matia Bazar - Ți Sento (1985)
Jovanotti - A Te (2008)
Umberto Tozzi - Gloria (1979)
Eros Ramazotti - L’aurora (1997)
Giungla, Jessica Winter - Little Problem (2021)
Zucchero - Nel Cosí Blu (2006)
Marti West - Nobody Knows Me (Like You) (2023)
Gianna Nannini - Bello a impossibile (1986)
Song Pick of the Day
Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube and Spotify for the 50 latest Song Picks of the Day. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.
“Midnight Show” is a beautiful, retro-pop song by the Dublin-based quartet Soda Blonde. Frontwoman Faye O’Rourke’s mission is changing the world with honesty: “Not to tell people what’s right or wrong, but just to be vulnerable and allow them to figure that out for themselves,” she says.
The singer/songwriter Loyal Lobos was born in Bogotá, Columbia, lives in LA, and her music draws from both locations. Her new song, “El Río,” is a restrained synth pop production with nods to Latin pop.
In her new song “Solar,” London-based singer/songwriter Lauren Dejey reminisces about the moon rising on a blissful early summer night in her hometown. “It felt like the universe had put it there just for us, so we wrote this song the next day,” she recalls.
Barbara is a character from P.O.P, the 2016 album by Montréal trio Le Couleur. Now they bring her back for a rise-and-fall story on their upcoming record Comme dans un penthouse. “À la rencontre de Barbara” is the atmospheric and cinematic second single featuring Standard Emmanuel on vocals.
Nymphlord tells you a summer memory in “Boardwalk Saturday Night,” one that she insists is of no consequence in her life anymore. The song is “a hazy impression of a sun-drenched memory that I hope can inspire little walks down memory lane for others too,” as she puts it.
You better pay attention to the music Brooklyn of artist Taja Cheek, aka L’Rain. A lot is going on in her songs, but it is a rewarding experience when you have spent some time with them. “Pet Rock” is the second single of her third album, I Killed Your Dog, out on October 13.
Astrid Cortes from Denmark may have a point: “I believe that if you surrender to reality, no matter how unfair or chaotic it may seem, you’ll find, that there’s an actual possibility to grow, play and live – and for dreams to come true.” If you are a dreamer, that may make you cringe, but you can still enjoy the upbeat synth-pop of “Surrender.”
Nine Photos from a Hot Saturday Live Show
Yesterday, we headed out to The Broadway to see the stellar line-up that Ofer Shouval (O. Wake) had put together: Helenor, O. Wake, Redbud, Di Ivories. Enjoy here some impressions of Redbud and O. Wake’s performances plus a little ‘hello’ from yours truly.