Italy. What can we say anymore? EBU wants it back. Fans want it back. Italian singers want it back but RAI doesn't. Actually the bosses of RAI have no glue what Eurovision is anymore as you can easily judge from the very few comments anyone has managed to squeeze out of them. On the other hand it is fair to say Italians care more for Sanremo and their own music but on the other hand if RAI doesn't show Eurovision not even on their secondary channels how can they get interested? None of the Eurovision winners has been a hit in Italy, and rarely even their own entry with the notable exception of 1984 when I treni di Tozeur was a #3 hit and one of the 20 most sold singles of the year. Non ho l'etá was a big hit, but before Eurovision win. Italy was one of the original countries and took part from 1956 to 1980 but dropped out 1981 and 1982, and again 1986, 1994-1996 and accidently returned in 1997 (they forgot to inform EBU they are NOT taking part, like it was those days). So many great singers and quality songs have been in Eurovision from Italy, and many of them have enjoyed great success in Europe after their appearance, something that RAI and Italian music industry should think about a bit more. Two winners only (1964 and 1990) but 13 top-5 placing over the years makes Italy one of the most succesful countries, and if it returns one day it will be one of the Big4 that then becomes Big5. The most covered Eurovision song ever comes from Italy (Volare) as well as several other woldhits like Ciao ciao bambina, Romantica, Se piangi se ridi, Dio come ti amo non forgetting Eurovision classics like Si, Era, beforementioned Non ho l'etá and I treni di Tozeur, Gente di mare, Rapsodia, Fiumi di parole.... My personal favourites include underrated Questo amore, Raggio di luna and Per Lucia. Recent years songs in (partly) Italian have been sent in from other countries like Romania 2006, Latvia 2007 and Switzerland 2008, while the national finals here and there regularly feature some more.
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