There is now less than a month left until the Sanremo festival, “that great court ball” of Italian music, as that genius Renzo Arbore defines it, and the first rumors and some hot controversy are already swirling around. But at a certain point everything will magically turn off and they will remain: the songs. The ones from the roll of honour, the winners chosen by the public and the press room, the ones that have been blasted by the radio because they are easy catchphrases that get into your head and then the songs that will make history and become immortal but which have not been “crowned”. And «Sanremo and the chart of the time (100 songs not crowned by the Festival that have become immortal)» has arrived in bookstores. A precious and well-documented volume, signed by Marco Rettani and Nico Donvito and enriched with photos and covers that collects and celebrates 100 of these songs. From «Papaveri e Papere» in 1952 and «Musetto (La più bella sei tu)» in 1956 up to the powerful «Tango» by Tananai in 2023 and the marvel of «Volevo essere un duro» by Lucio Corsi in 2025. Accompanying this is a CD which collects 16 hits such as «Una lacrima sul viso», «Ma chefreddo fa», «Con te partirò» and «E dimmi che non voci die.”
«I have always thought that the true victory of a song is managing to stay. Stay in the memories, in the wounds, in the joys, in the departures, in the returns” explains Marco Rettani, writer, author, composer and record producer. Nico Donvito echoes him: «One hundred songs, one hundred stories. We went in search of the most popular and singable tunes, but also the most curious and special anecdotes.” In fact, in the book there are not only the songs, but also and above all the events that happened on stage and off and 100 comments from artists, authors and professionals.
