#1 for week of August 18th And September 1, 8, 15, 22, 1958
The first foreign language #1 for the US Hot 100. The full title of this song is "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare),which is Italian for, "In The Sky Painted Blue (To Fly)". This is another song I have never heard before, although Domenico Modugno is reportedly considered a pioneering Italian pop singer. In fact, I imagine for many families, he is quite a beloved household name.
The song has a very lounge-jazz feel alternating between gentle and at times a bit operatic verses and an extremely melodic and catchy and upbeat swing-style chorus. On the other hand, the ending of each chorus and the song itself, where the title is sung, sounds a bit too sugary and easy-listening for my taste, but it's the chorus where the song won me over.
Musically it reminds me of Frank Sinatra, or Dean Martin. (In fact, both of them covered the song, not to mention countless other artists have over the years). Lyrically, the singer sings about being free, and flying high up in the sky, away from all the troubles of the world.
The song, in the context of how we view the 1950's in pop music is a bit of irrelevance. It's not quite a typical 50's ballad, but it's certainly not anywhere remotely rock and roll. The song's success was no doubt due to it winning the Eurovision song contest of that year over all the other competing international artists. Not only that, but this was voted the best song of the year by billboard.
While I can understand its cultural and historical significance there were so many other better and more lasting songs from that year. "Volare" certainly would not have hit #1 during any other subsequent decade. During the divided "Rock vs Ballads" 1950's, this song certainly owes its success to the latter group and must have been a very safe choice at the time to reach #1.
Final Verdict - Culturally and historically significant, with a nice upbeat and catchy jazzy chorus, but the song comes across as very dated, and sometimes too easy-listening for my taste. It's not by any stretch the best song of 1958, nor do I feel it should have been voted the top hit, but it is most certainly worth a listen.
Coming Up Next - "Little Star" By The Elegants.
Till Next Time - Dr. Rock-
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