Have you been hunting for the definitive version of ‘O Sole Mio? The original Volare? Or how about pop diva Mina covering The Beatles’ Hey Jude?
You’re in luck: Italy’s Ministry of Culture has just put a century of Italian most popular music online. And they are all for free..Go to canzoneitaliana.it and you’ll find some 200,000 tracks available to stream, courtesy of Italy’s Central Institute for Sound and Audiovisual Heritage, ICBSA.
The catalogue covers Italian music from 1900 to 2000 and is divided chronologically, geographically and thematically.
You can search for traditional songs from each of Italy’s regions, explore political songs from the first half of the 20th century, track down Italian hits used on movie soundtracks, or work your way through 49 years of Sanremo archives.Browse the specially curated playlists for an overview of everything from Enrico Caruso’s greatest hits to the women of Italian rock to cult TV theme songs.