Andrea Bocelli’s greatest songs of all time

18 July 2023, 13:51

By Classic FM

Andrea Bocelli is a world-famous tenor who’s just as happy performing Verdi as Ed Sheeran. Here are the songs that we think are his finest.

Andrea Bocelli is one of today’s greatest classical stars. He’s sold millions of records and sells out concert halls and arenas around the world.

Here are just some of his wonderful songs.

Time to Say Goodbye / Con te partirò

This beautiful song was originally written in Italian for Bocelli, who first sang it at the 1995 Sanremo Festival. A year later, an Italian-English version was released as a duet with soprano Sarah Brightman, which gained the duo enormous success.

Andrea Bocelli sings ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ (live at The Global Awards 2018)
Perfect Symphony – with Ed Sheeran

In December 2017, Bocelli collaborated with Ed Sheeran on ‘Perfect Symphony’, in which the pair sang together in English and Italian. The music video was the No. 1 Trending video on YouTube that day.
Bocelli called the collaboration a “beautiful experience”, saying: “My sons especially love Ed Sheeran very much. When he came to my house, all my family were very happy.”

Ed Sheeran - Perfect Symphony (with Andrea Bocelli)
Because We Believe

‘Because We Believe’ is a Bocelli original, composed for the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. The beautiful operatic pop song was co-written by the tenor, with multiple Grammy Award winner David Foster and his daughter Amy Foster.

Andrea Bocelli - Because We Believe
The Prayer

Bocelli has duetted with a number of female artists on ‘The Prayer’, but none so famously (or beautifully) as Céline Dion. The classical crossover song won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000.

Andrea Bocelli, Céline Dion - The Prayer
Somos Novios

‘Somos Novios (It’s Impossible)’ was originally written and recorded by Mexican songwriter Armando Manzanero in 1968, and was later recorded with its English title by Perry Como and Elvis Presley. But is there a version more stunning than Andrea Bocelli and Christina Aguilera’s 2006 recording?

Christina Aguilera & Andrea Bocelli
E Più Ti Penso

Originally written by Ennio Morricone for the epic crime movie Once Upon a Time in America, ‘E Più Ti Penso’ (which translates as ‘The More I Think of You’) was recently re-released by Bocelli and American pop singer Ariana Grande. The spellbinding duet debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Digital Songs chart.

Andrea Bocelli, Ariana Grande - E Più Ti Penso
Canto Della Terra

This Italian song was written in 1999 by the same composers of Bocelli’s smash-hit ‘Con te partirò’. It’s one of the tenor’s most popular songs, perhaps thanks to the gorgeous long ‘B’ that shows off the bright, upper part of Bocelli’s range.

Andrea Bocelli - "Canto della terra" (official video)
Vivo Per Lei

‘I Live for Her’ was a song recorded with Giorgia Todrani for the tenor’s self-titled album Bocelli. Here’s a gorgeous live recording with Heather Headley, in which Bocelli proves himself as the true King of Italian classical crossover.

Andrea Bocelli - Vivo per lei
Fall On Me – feat. Matteo Bocelli

In 2018, father and son came together for a new duet, ‘Fall On Me’, which featured as the end credits song of Disney movie The Nutcracker and The Four Realms (2018).
On blending his voice with his son, Matteo’s vocals, Bocelli said: “Technically they are very different, but there is one thing that makes them most similar: the attitude. That characteristic way of expressing yourself through your voice.
“This makes Matteo and I very similar. But that is something that you cannot learn, that cannot be taught. That is something you are born with.”

Andrea & Matteo Bocelli- Fall On Me