Integrating music into your Italian study routine can make it an enjoyable and effective process. Songs provide a rich resource of vocabulary, grammar, and cultural context, making them an excellent tool for language learners. With that in mind, we prepared this article with some of the best songs to learn Italian!
So, grab your headphones, turn up the volume and get ready to listen to some amazing tunes!
1. Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina) – Domenico Modugno, 1959
Being able to use your favourite songs to learn a new language is amazing, isn’t it? The first tune to make the list of best songs to learn Italian is by a very important figure in Italian music.
Originally from Puglia in Southern Italy, Domenico Modugno is often considered the first Italian cantautore (singer-songwriter). Later in his life, he suffered a severe stroke and was forced to abandon his musical career.
He devoted himself to politics and became a member of the Italian Parliament before returning to the music scene for the final few years of his life. Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina) won first prize in the 1959 Festival della Canzone Italiana di Sanremo (Italy’s most popular song contest) and was chosen as Italy’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in the same year.
Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina) is a love ballad in which he is saying goodbye to his lover as their relationship comes to an end. After listening to the song a few times without reading the lyrics, we recommend checking the lyrics and finally looking for the English translation.
In this song, there are many interesting language points to listen out for within the lyrics. For example, there are many different tenses used throughout the song, including one phrase which uses c’è, both in the imperfect and the present: “c’era una volta poi non c’è più”. Why not read through the lyrics and try to spot all the tenses you know?
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
2. Ma il cielo è sempre più blu – Rino Gaetano, 1975
The next piece of music on the best songs to learn Italian list is by another well-known cantautore, Rino Gaetano, who is often remembered for his satirical songs and ironic humour. Ma il cielo è sempre più blu was one of his most successful songs.
In this one, Gaetano satirically describes Italian society, concluding that despite the diverse ways of life of different social groups and the inequality which exists between them, the sky is always the same for everyone. The lyrics follow the same structure throughout the whole song: chi + verb in the third-person singular (lui/lei) form.
We’d recommend trying to figure out the infinitive of each of these verbs and looking up those you don’t know. To learn more about how to use the word chi, listen to Coffee Break Italian Season 2 Episode 25.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
3. L’isola che non c’è – Edoardo Bennato, 1980
L’isola che non c’è translates literally into English as ‘the island that isn’t there’, but is known amongst Italian speakers as the name of the home of Peter Pan – known by English speakers as Neverland. Edoardo Bennato’s song of this name comes from his very successful 1980 concept album, Sono solo canzonette, based on the world of J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.
Bennato is a very popular and influential Italian singer-songwriter whose music is often considered a creative fusion of various genres – including folk, rock, blues and sometimes even opera elements. While Bennato is well known for his songs with satirical, ironic lyrics, he has also written several concept albums, including one based on the world of Pinocchio and another based on the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
L’isola che non c’è is about believing in a better world without wars or violence. This tune has interesting lyrics, which makes it a perfect addition to the list of Italian songs for beginners, as it has many language points to listen out for. There are a couple of examples of the use of the pronoun ci with the verbs pensare and credere: “E a pensarci” would translate as “And thinking about it” and “Se ci credi” would translate as “If you believe it”.
If you’d like to learn more about the pronoun ci you can listen to Coffee Break Italian Season 2 Episode 36, where it is discussed in more detail.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
4. La cura – Franco Battiato, 1996
La cura is another song which is a great addition to the list of best songs to learn Italian, as the lyrics are sung very clearly. The song was a collaboration between Sicilian philosopher Manlio Sgalambro, who wrote the lyrics, and Sicilian musician, filmmaker and painter, Franco Battiato.
Battiato’s experimental musical style – a fusion of various genres – and his collaboration with Sgalambro on numerous albums made him one of Italy’s most popular artists from the 1970s until today. In 1984, he represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest, performing with Italian singer, Alice.
La cura is one of Coffee Break Italian Francesca’s favourite songs because of the beautiful poetry of the lyrics. They also contain many different examples to help you remember how to use the verb proteggere with the structure proteggere qualcuno di qualcosa.
Also note how di is combined with each definite article: for example, in the first line, Battiato sings “Ti proteggerò dalle paure delle ipocondrie”. If you’d like to revise this language point, listen to Coffee Break Italian Season 2 Episode 14.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
5. A me piace lei – Dente, 2009
Fifth on the list of best songs to learn Italian is A me piace lei. It is great music for any Italian learners who find the verb piacere a bit tricky to use, as it contains some great examples to help you.
A me piace lei is a song by the ‘Italian king of indie rock’, as he is sometimes called. Giuseppe Peveri, known by his stage name, Dente (Italian for ‘tooth’) started his solo career in 2006 and has since become one of Italy’s most popular independent artists.
Why not use some of Dente’s lyrics to help you remember how to use the verb piacere? Notice how the verb changes depending on whether what he likes is singular (eg. “mi piace anche la pausa pranzo”) or plural (eg. “mi piacciono le risate e le stelle filanti”), or whether he’s talking about what the girl he’s singing about likes (eg. “le piace cucinare”).
For help with the verb piacere, listen to Coffee Break Italian Season 1 Episode 13.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
6. E più ti penso – Andrea Bocelli and Ariana Grande, 2015
Next on our list of best songs to learn Italian is E più ti penso, a beautiful duet by the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and pop sensation Ariana Grande. Released in 2015, this song combines the talents of both artists to create a powerful and emotional piece.
The tune was originally written by Ennio Morricone for the movie ‘Once Upon a Time in America’. The song’s lyrics speak of longing and love, making it a perfect choice for language learners who want to dive deep into Italian expressions of emotion.
For example, the line E più ti penso e più mi manchi The more I think of you, the more I miss you showcases the use of comparative structures and reflexive verbs. Another beautiful line to note is In questo cuore non c’è niente di nuovo In this heart, there is nothing new, which helps learners understand negation and simple sentence structure in Italian.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
7. Sinceramente – Annalisa, 2023
Sinceramente by Annalisa is a perfect addition to the list of best songs to learn Italian, especially for those looking to grasp contemporary Italian expressions. Annalisa, a well-known figure in the Italian music scene, brings pop lyrics to her music, making it accessible and relatable for learners.
Listening to Sinceramente multiple times and reading along with the lyrics will help reinforce your understanding and pronunciation of many key expressions.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
8. Domenica – Coez, 2019
This song is another excellent choice for learners wanting to know more about modern Italian music. The duo is known for their unique blend of hip-hop and pop, delivering relatable and engaging lyrics that are perfect for expanding your Italian vocabulary.
Domenica, which translates to Sunday, is a song that captures the essence of a lazy day. Pay special attention to the colloquial phrases and everyday vocabulary used throughout the song. For example, listen for phrases like Vorrei fosse domenica I wish it were Sunday where the structure can be used for expressing wishes.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
9. La prima cosa bella – Malika Ayane, 2010
The title of this song translates to The First Beautiful Thing and the lyrics are filled with sentimental reflections. You can pay attention to the use of adjectives and phrases that describe emotions and memories.
For instance, phrases like La prima cosa bella che ho avuto dalla vita The first good thing I had in life provide excellent examples of how to structure sentences with a more descriptive language.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
10. Soldi – Mahmood, 2019
This tune deserves a place on the list of best songs to learn Italian as it was part of the 2019 finals at the Eurovision Song Contest. In this song, Mahmood addresses complex themes such as family dynamics and the influence of money on relationships, providing an interesting context for learners to explore new vocabulary.
Mahmood’s unique blend of pop and urban music, combined with his distinct vocal style, makes Soldi an engaging track. The song is filled with colloquialisms and idiomatic expressions that are essential for understanding contemporary Italian.
LINKS: Lyrics | English translation
We hope this article has given you a useful introduction to the best songs to learn Italian. Two of the songs we have chosen, La cura and A me piace lei, are already included in our Spotify.
What songs in Italian do you already know and love? Feel free to share some of your favourites with us in the comments to help other Italian learners discover them! And if you would like to get access to more content like this, subscribe to our Coffee Break Italian newsletter!
