Sanremo: the most memorable super guests in the history of the festival

Dfrom 1981 to 2001 to Sanremo took place a parallel festival, that of international (or foreign) guests. Twenty unrepeatable years with the Big Italians competing, and outside the Ariston the barriers to contain the crowds for Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Queen, Madonna, David Bowie, i Take ThatRicky Martin, Lenny Kravitz.

And then? Then fewer were invited. First replaced by sweet & innocent interviews with table and chairs from the Bonolis and Panariello era – with John Travolta massaging Victoria Cabello’s feet. Later outclassed by the management’s super Italian guests Baglioni and Amadeus (Pausini, Tiziano Ferro, Massimo Ranieri, Al Bano).

However, they did rediscover a bit of national pride, almost a pre show to the show of Giorgia Meloni and sovereignist company. But who thought about it while all together, we sang from home and from the audience (hands in the air) Beautiful love sung by Baglioni himself and Gianna Nannini. Or Night before exams by Venditti paired, again, with Baglioni (his role at the festival has always been double).

Sanremo: the super guests in the history of the festival

Instead, starting from Kiss live from Studio 54 of New York in 1982, with a poor Rai correspondent swallowed up by the band, and throughout the 80s and even the 90s, Sanremo was an affair of great expectations. Waiting for Duran Duran in 1985, with the lucky one of Tiziana Baudo – the original nepo baby – who perhaps had brought them closer while the others had not.

Waiting for the strange young phenomena of England as Depeche Mode inserted between Flavia Fortunato and Fed Bongusto; or for already legendary groups, i Queen by Freddie Mercury who in 1984 – in controversy with playback – began to rotate the stand with the microphone. People who clash with the bureaucracy of the festival, the incomprehensible rules, and who apart from being a demonstration much seen by Italians who are not sure where it is located. And therefore he asks for important figures.

Whitney Houston Not we know what he asked for in 1987certainly less than what Whitney would have asked for I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Myself)but remains the only guest singer of the festival who was asked for an encore (loudly from the theater: «the laws of the show», says Pippo; «c’est la vie», she replies before singing again All at once).

In 1990 the orchestra returned, and with the return also of the Italian and foreign singer pairings (as in the seventies) we see Liza Minnelli, Nikka Costa, Latoya Jackson (Michael’s sister) and Grace Jones (paired with Renato Zero of Backs against the wall). It also appears Tina Turner with The Best And Rod Stewart with Downtown Train.

Take That, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen

But it is the 1996 edition that marks a true festival apart. Reading the names it seems like we see the Coachella line up. Pat Metheny, Cher, the Cranberries, Alanis Morrisette, Céline Dion, Take That, Bon Jovi, Simply Red. All in line and divided by evening. But not all the same. When the star, as well as being great, also has the cumbersome authority of the god, like Bruce Springsteenwhich they certainly cannot ask a few questions and liquidate with flowersthe mandatory requests are triggered.

That is, first to perform, no Pippo on stage, audience in the dark and only one spotlight to illuminate it, plus Italian subtitles of the song The Ghost of Tom Joad. David Bowie does the same thing the following year. Remove any heckler from the stage.

Instead Madonna, guest in 1995 and 1998, be a good girl, no diva requests. Meet the fans, it’s available. But it wouldn’t be Sanremo without some stumbles. And in fact in the year of Frozen, Raimondo Vianello (which she doesn’t recognise; like everyone else she is only used to Pippo Baudo’s face) she dismisses it at the end of the performance by searching the void for some signal from some author: there is a setlist looming, will this one go away or not?

The better luck they have Take That, who came to the festival several times, with and without Robbie Williams. Minus i Placebowho, since they were a little uncomfortable with the Ariston audience, in 2001 desecrated the theater and shook their bow ties, smashing a guitar on the amplifier (and we who complained about the Blanco roses).

For this Sanremo 2024, the “foreign guests” are “only” John Travolta and Russell Crowe and his band. Certainly welcome presences, correct, true Italians of Toto Cutugno. But if you think back to 30 years ago, a Elton John and RuPaul who sing Don’t go breaking my heart, the nostalgia for truly Martian grafts suddenly arises. You can’t always and only rely on Morgan at odds with Bugo.

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