For number 79 on the Eurovision Top 100 list, we’re throwing it back – all the way back – to “Amami se vuoi” in 1956.
The very first Eurovision Song Contest featured just seven countries, but Italy was one of them. This was the only contest in which each country performed twice, and this particular song had the honor of being one of Italy’s inaugural representatives.
Aside from Italy’s other entry, which you will also see on this list, we had nothing to compare this to at the time. Tonina Torrielli and all the others were blazing the trail that future entries would follow. She did it with a great and notable performance.
Vital Information: “Amami se vuoi”
| Song | Amami se vuoi |
| English Translation | Love me if you want |
| Performed By | Tonina Torrielli |
| Written By | Vittorio Mascheroni & Mario Panzeri |
| Country | Italy |
| Year | 1956 |
| Language(s) Performed In | Italian |
| How It Fared | Nobody knows |
| Was It Fair? | Not applicable |
What I Liked
Torrielli’s voice was so beautiful and pure. Back in this era of Eurovision, there was very little staging and even fewer dance moves, so you had to sell it yourself with your voice. She showed off a ton of range.
The song had a nice arrangement as well. There were times a “big band” broke through and it gave the song another layer of interest.
Other Facts
- This was technically Italy’s second Eurovision entry ever. Torrielli performed last out of 14 entries. The running order of seven countries went once through, and then repeated in the same order eight through 14. Italy’s other entry, “Aprite le finestre,” went seventh.
- Since we cannot tell you how it did at Eurovision, we can tell you that this song finished second at Sanremo in 1956.
- The song’s lyricist, Mario Panzeri, also wrote both Eurovision entries sung by Gigliola Cinquetti. This includes her 1964 winner, “Non ho l’età.”
You Can Listen to “Amami se vuoi,” But…
You can’t watch it because there is no surviving video of Eurovision 1956.
