THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,510) Lucio Battisti — “Anna”
Avvertimento! Warning! If you are from Italy, read no further! For this was a #1 hit and the sixth best selling single of the year! (https://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yends/hpe1970.htm) A monumental, emotionally gripping song, it is Italy’s “Eloise” (see #264). Barry and Paul Ryan . . . meet Lucio Battisti.
Wikipedia (courtesy of Google Translate) reports on “Anna”:
[“Anna” is] a screaming ballad of the protagonist longing for this great love . . . . The song features a sober background melody in addition to choruses that follow the singer’s voice, which gives voice to his unrealizable desires. Battisti’s voice is sad and dark in the verse, then flows into a cry of anger in the chorus that evokes his memories of the wonderful moments spent with Anna. The chorus became a hit among young people . . . .
Greg Prato tells us of Lucio Battisti:
Even before the early death of Italian singer/songwriter Lucio Battisti at the age of 55, he was considered among the most legendary and influential musicians and songwriters in Italian rock and pop. Battisti was born . . . in the small town of Poggio Bustone, in Rieti, Italy. His family relocated to Rome in 1950, and by the mid-’60s, Battisti was performing in local bands . . . . Interested in pursuing a career in music, Battisti relocated to Milan (Italy’s musical headquarters), where he sought the aid of a French talent scout, Christine Leroux. Leroux took Battisti under her wing, and he penned three sizeable hits in 1966 for other artists (“Per Una Lira” for Ribelli, “Dolce di Giorno” for Dik Dik, and “Uno in Più” for Riki Maiocchi. Battisti continued to write tunes for others in the late ’60s, as well as issuing his inaugural solo singles. During this time, the U.S. rock group the Grass Roots scored a hit stateside with one of Battisti’s compositions, “Balla Linda.” 1969 saw another one of Battisti’s compositions, “Il Paradiso (If Paradise Is Half as Nice),” become a hit in the U.K. when covered by the group Amen Corner, hitting the number one spot on the singles chart. Bolstered by his songwriting success, Battisti issued his 1969 self-titled debut album, which spawned the Italian hits “Acqua Azzurra, Acqua Chiara” and “Mi Ritorni in Mente.” Battisti continued to release solo albums on a regular basis throughout the ’70s.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lucio-battisti-mn0000252021#biography
“Live” ’70: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6MUT4xnEsY
Swiss Rapper Maxi B’s 2010 song “Cosa Voglio di Più” is heavily indebted to “Anna”:
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