This Is Italy
There has been a lot of great stuff coming out of Italy, including some really great music. Today, however, we're going to talk about some of the weirdest and most bizarre music videos from Italy that we could find on YouTube. All of them ranked high on the 'WTF' list. Good for a laugh at any time of the day.
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Adriano Celentano – Prisencolinensinainciusol (1972)
This is an absolute legend. Adriano Celentano, an Italian superstar, made a song that sounds like English, but is complete nonsense.
The nonsensical lyrics of Prizencolinensinainciusol was meant as a kind of parody, to mimic what American English sounds like to non-English speakers. Especially at that time.
The video (or rather live performances, since official music videos weren't a thing back then) features Adriano in a tight suit, with weird dance moves and a confidence that seems absurd given the lyrics.
WTF factor: your brain trying to make sense of the lyrics while Adriano looks like a funky linguistic alien. This song miraculously reached the top of the charts in Italy, Germany, France and Belgium.
Pippo Franco – Chì chì chì, cò cò cò (1983)
The WTF factor is even greater, if possible, Chi Chi Chi Co Co Co by Pippo Franco! A hilarious and absurd song from 1983.
Pippo Franco, an Italian comedian, actor and singer, released this as a kind of novelty rap, inspired by early American rap influences, but completely over-the-top with animal sounds and onomatopoeias like 'chì chì chì' (rooster crowing) and 'cò cò cò' (chicken strumming). We're not making this up, are we?
He performed it as a guest at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1983, and it became – probably to his own surprise – a hit, reaching number two in the Italian singles charts that year!
The video (or live performances, like the one on Superclassifica Show) is pure chaos: Pippo with his trademark wide grin, bad 80s outfits, and a chorus that becomes a real earworm with its 'curucurucurucurucu quaqua'.
It's one of those songs you can't take seriously. The lyrics are about life that doesn't go well, with foxes, thieves and mosquitoes, but then wrapped in a nursery rhyme-like absurdity with a farm full of cackling animals.
We warned you: there's life before and after you see the number.
Righiera – Vamos a la Playa (1983)
Eighties galore! Righeira was a duo consisting of Stefano Righi (stage name Johnson Righeira) and Stefano Rota (Michael Righeira), 2 guys from Turin who wanted to conquer the Italo-disco scene in the early 80s.
Let's go to the beach was written by the duo together with producers Carmelo and Michelangelo La Bionda (also known as the La Bionda brothers), who were pioneers in Italian disco.
The song was released in June 1983 by the label CGD and became an instant summer hit, peaking at number 1 in the Italian charts and achieving success throughout Europe (for example number 2 in Switzerland and number 3 in Germany).
At first hearing it sounds like a cheerful beach song: a catchy synth beat, a sunny melody and a chorus that you immediately sing along to ('Vamos a la playa, oh oh oh oh oh').
But the lyrics have a dark twist. It's actually about a post-apocalyptic world after a nuclear disaster: 'Vamos a la playa, la bomba estalló / Las radiaciones tuestan y matizan de azul' ('Let's go to the beach, the bomb has exploded / The radiation is roasting and turning everything blue').
It's a satirical commentary on the Cold War fears of the 80s, wrapped in an upbeat disco tune. A bizarre combination that immediately sets it apart. The video clip does the rest.
It’s set on a beach with a cheap, fake tropical vibe: plastic palm trees and a blue sky that looks like a studio backdrop. But there are also sci-fi elements: weird lighting effects and an atmosphere that hints at something ominous.
Johnson and Michael wear bad sunglasses, tight shorts and colorful shirts that scream '80s vacation'. They look like two guys who just came out of a disco and accidentally ended up on a movie set.
The choreography is wooden and overly cheerful: they swing their arms and hips as if they were teaching an aerobics class. There are also dancers in bikinis who add little but extra camp.
The video hints at the apocalypse with weird blue filters and flashing images, but it remains so vague that you don't know if it's meant seriously or as a joke.
Baltimora – Tarzan Boy (1985)
Tarzan boy was written by Maurizio Bassi (keyboardist and arranger) and Naimy Hackett (lyricist), and performed by Baltimora, a project that emerged from the Italian music scene in Milan.
Frontman Jimmy McShane, a Northern Irish singer with a flamboyant appearance, became the face of the band, although there is debate as to how much of the vocals he actually sang. Much of the vocals are said to be by session singer Maurizio Bassi himself, with McShane as the charismatic performer.
The song was released by EMI Italiana and exploded internationally, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It's a typical product of 80s Italo-disco: a catchy synth beat, a jungle-inspired chorus ('Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh'), and a vibe that exudes pure escapism.
Tarzan boy became a worldwide hit, thanks in part to its irresistible hook and campy video that suited the MTV generation perfectly. The song later appeared in films (such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III) and commercials (for example for Listerine in the US), which gave it a cult status.
But the video remains most memorable for its sheer nonsense. It's as if the creators said, 'Let's throw everything cool about the '80s into a blender: jungle, disco, monkeys, and neon!'
The WTF factor comes mainly from that clash of elements: a seriously intended pop hit with a video that is so absurd and incoherent that it almost seems avant-garde.
Jimmy's tragic death in 1995 (from AIDS-related complications) adds a bittersweet note, but at the time he was a symbol of unabashed '80s joy.
Looking for more Italian music from the 80s? Check out this ultimate list of the best Italo disco.
Young Signorino – Mmh ha ha ha (2018)
Young Signorino, real name Paolo Caputo, is an Italian rapper from Cesena known for his eccentric and controversial style. This song is a prime example of that.
The track itself is a kind of experimental trap-rap with a beat based on 'Bells' by Dutch producer Low5. What makes it so bizarre is the lyrics - or rather, the lack thereof. It starts with 'Alfa-Alfa-Alfabeto' followed by a series of onomatopoeias such as 'ha-hu', 'ra-pa-pa', 'hi-ha' and of course 'mmh ha ha ha'.
The verses aren't much more coherent: he sings about smoking, laughing, his mother thinking he's crazy, and random catchphrases like "rawr rawr" and "gnam gnam." It's as if he's invented a personal alphabet that only he understands. The official translation to english doesn't make it much clearer – it remains a flood of nonsense.
The video is just as strange. Young Signorino appears with tattoos all over his body (including a cigarette on his face), wears jeans with an extra leg (yes, really), and moves in a way that is both mesmerizing and uncomfortable.
The rapid flashing images even prompted warnings for people with epilepsy. The whole thing feels like a mix of SoundCloud rap aesthetics and a surreal fever dream.
The song went viral, with over 28 million views before the official video disappeared from YouTube (now all you can find are re-uploads). But it was also polarizing, with some seeing it as a brilliant deconstruction of rap music, others as an insult to the music industry.
In Italy, he became a meme, but also a symbol of anarchist rebellion. His background helps explain this: he chose the name 'Signorino' after a drug-induced coma in 2016, which reinforced his image as a 'crazy outsider'.
Luckily, the video is short, let's just say.
Fiky Fiky – Gianni Drudi (1988)
Gianni Drudi, a singer from Rimini, is known for his novelty songs with a good dose of humor and often a spicy undertone. Fiky Fiky (you get the idea) is the ultimate example of this. The song is an upbeat, tropical-tinged tune with a chorus that immediately sticks in your head: 'Fiky fiky, fiky fiky, oh oh oh!'
The lyrics are deliberately simple and ambiguous. They are about flirting and physical attraction, but wrapped in a childishly simple melody that contrasts with the naughty suggestion. It is not profound poetry; it is purely meant to entertain.
The video (found on YouTube, often in early 90s versions) is a parade of cheap production and bad vibes. Gianni, sporting his typical 80s/90s look (think a mix of sunglasses, unbuttoned shirt and a confident grin), sings and dances on a beach-like set.
Around him are dancers in skimpy outfits, busting out moves that are more comical than sexy: think uncoordinated hip-swaying and exaggerated hand gestures. The setting screams low-budget vacation video: fake palm trees, bright colors, and a vibe that feels like a parody of a tropical love ballad.
Fiky Fiky became a kind of guilty pleasure hit in Italy, especially popular at parties and in discos on the Adriatic coast, such as in Rimini and Riccione, where Drudi comes from. It is typical of the beach music (beach music) played during the summer months to entertain tourists and locals.
The song has no deep artistic pretensions, but that's exactly what makes it so hilarious: it fully embraces its own wrong character. It also became a kind of meme before la lettre, with people who could still sing along to the chorus years later without knowing exactly why.
You can find the original 80s video yourself on YouTube. Here's a later take:
Pulcino Pio – Il Pulcino Pio (2012)
The Pulcino Pio is actually an Italian adaptation of an old Brazilian nursery rhyme called The Little Pintinho (written by Erisvaldo Correia da Silva). It was popularized in Italy by the radio program Lo Zoo di 105 on Radio 105, where presenter Marco Mazzoli and his team rearranged it and released it under the pseudonym Pulcino Pio.
The production was by Bruno Benvenuti and Max Moroldo, and it was released by Do It Yourself Music Group on July 18, 2012. The song is simple: a cute little chick ('pio pio') sings and is gradually joined by other farm animals, each with their own sound, until it takes an unexpected turn.
The text builds like a cumulative song: the chick starts solo, then comes a hen, a rooster, a turkey, and so on with a pigeon, cat, dog, goat, sheep, and cow. Each stanza adds an animal, and the chorus becomes a cacophony of animal sounds.
But then, at the end, a tractor appears and runs over the chick, complete with a dramatic “OH NO!” from a child's voice. It's absurd, unexpected and exactly that which makes it so hilarious.
It was later also released in many different languages and distributed all over Europe.
Bruno Lauzi – Il Vecchiaccio (1981)
Bruno Lauzi, an iconic singer-songwriter from the Genoese school, released The Vecchiaccio released as a single on the Numero Uno label. The lyrics are a funny, self-conscious lament from an older man who admits that he is a vegetarian (old fart) is, but still has charm:
'Sì, va bene, d'accordo, lo so che io / Sono un vecchiaccio / Ma il fatto è che in fondo ancora piaccio'.
(Yeah, okay, okay, I know I'm / An old fart / But the fact is, deep down I still love myself.)
It's upbeat, with a catchy chorus and a cheerful melody that contrasts with the semi-serious tone about old age, cholesterol and the increased risk of a heart attack.
The most famous performance of this song comes from the 'Ric & Gian Show' from June 11, 1981. Bruno is there in a typical 80s outfit (think baggy pants and a shirt that screams 'I'm an artist'), with his trademark charisma and a kind of ironic flair.
He sings and moves with a lot of self-mockery and dry humor, while the background is very static. The combination of the serious appearance of the singer with the absurd text and that typical 80s production standard makes it look so dated now that it becomes extremely funny.
That's it for now, but there are definitely more hilarious music videos we could add to this list.
If you have any video clips in mind that would not look out of place here, please let us know.
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