Aussievision's favourite Sanremo entries that didn't go to Eurovision

Today 2 June is Festa della Repubblica, Italy's Republic or national day. It commemorates the date a referendum passed in Italy where the monarchy was abolished, and the country became a republic in 1946.

To celebrate, we asked eleven Aussievision contributors to share their favourite entries from the Sanremo Festival (Italy's de facto Eurovision national selection) which didn't make it to the Eurovision stage.

Here are our picks in chronological order:

Alex Baroni - Sei tu o lei (1998)

English: It's you or her

"It is my favorite because the instrumentals and the lyrics are so catchy that I can't stop singing to it." ~ John Christian

Emma - Non è l'inferno (2012)

English: It's not hell

"An incredibly exquisite emotional entry from Emma. This song has such heart-wrenching lyrics that are surprisingly applicable in today's cost of living crisis - the struggles of the working class, particularly those who have fought and sacrificed themselves for Italy. You can feel the passion Emma has for this topic. Whilst Nina Zilli delivered a sensual and striking performance of L'amore è femmina, I would have loved to have seen this on the Baku stage. It would have challenged Euphoria as my favourite song of Eurovision 2012 - and that's coming from a huge Loreen stan. Finally, this is day to night better than the monstrosity Emma served up when she performed at Eurovision 2014." ~ Sam

Annalisa - Il mondo prima di te (2018)

English: The world before you

"Il Mondo Prima Di Te is literally the ultimate anthem because it captures that life-changing feeling of finding someone who makes your whole world brighter. Annalisa serves emotion, drama, and pure main-character energy in every note, and honestly, it's impossible not to be obsessed with it. Should have won but anyway." ~ Liv

Elodie - Andromeda (2020)

"This is by far my most favourite Sanremo song. The piano at the start makes you take notice and then the way it builds gets me every time. Elodie performed this brilliantly at Sanremo and I would like to think it would have done better at Eurovision- but a.) she didn't win and b.) it was 2020. So as a result Andromeda lives on in my Spotify. Still to this day listen to it regularly, I can never skip it. I love this song." ~ Fleur

Irama - La genesi del tuo colore (2021)

English: The genesis of your colour

"I just loved everything about this song the first time I heard it, the beat and melody are great and the lyrics really speak to me. I still listen to it regularly to this day." ~ Srdjan

La Rappresentante di Lista - Ciao Ciao (2022)

English: Bye bye

"This would have been the perfect Sanremo x Eurovision crossover. Catchy as hell, simple Italian that anyone can pick up by the end of the song and a cute performance with a little dance attached. This song had cut through as a massive hit (I heard it EVERYWHERE when in Turin for Eurovision) and even featured on the TV show The White Lotus. Yes Brividi brough a level of quality, but as a host entry, Ciao Ciao could have brought fun, accessible pop with a touch of camp that would have been brilliant at the contest." ~ Dale

"I love Ciao Ciao because it feels like the perfect blend of old and new — a genuinely contemporary song that still gives a huge nod to the classic 80s Italo disco sound. It manages to capture that nostalgic energy while still feeling modern and fresh. As an added bonus, it was great to hear the song featured in the soundtrack of an episode of Season 2 of The White Lotus, which felt like further proof of how internationally accessible it is." ~ Emma

Annalisa - Sinceramente (2024)

English translation: Sincerely

"Sinceramente is literal pop perfection and I don’t understand how this didn’t absolutely landslide Sanremo in 2024. It sounded fresh then, it sounds just as fresh in 2026, and it will probably still sound fresh in 2044. It is timeless. It is eternal. It is the pinnacle of pop music. I even went to Italy just to see Annalisa perform this song live, that’s how powerful and amazing this is. There’s a reason it tops the NFC100 every single year and long may it continue! If you somehow haven’t heard it, or even if you have, go and do yourself a favour, listen to it right now, and bless your ears with absolute magic. You’ll thank me later." ~ Laura

"This was the robbery of the 2024 season, and there is a reason why this song remains the undisputed favourite in Aussievision's National Final countdown. This song was clearly miles ahead of any and every one of the songs that were submitted in 2024 - and has definitely aged the best as well. The sass, the attitude, and the repetition of the "quando-quando-quando", and the hypnotic "nah-nah-nahs", behind a modern Italo-electronic-disco beat - and it's absolute catnip to any Eurovision fan. Would this have made a dent in Malmo - I doubt it would have - but this song remains to be a perennial favourite to any Eurovision night/party and will continue to do so for many years to come." ~ Paul

Elodie - Dimenticarsi alle 7 (2025)

English: Forgetting at 7

"For me, Dimenticarsi alle 7 is elegant pop perfection. There’s a sophistication to this song that makes it really stand out as a Sanremo highlight. Elodie’s vocals soaring over the stripped-bare chorus absolutely sings to my soul, I really hope she gets the chance to represent Italy in the near future." ~ Joel

Ditonellapiaga - Che fastidio! (2026)

English: How annoying!

"It could be recency bias, but this has been the strongest contender in my playlist in the last handful of years. This was a great highlight this year, and I’m glad a girly pop banger like this did as well as it did in Sanremo. Whether I’m just walking around or working out, this song is a definite play-through." ~ Justin

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So there you have it, our picks for Sanremo songs we wish had made the Eurovision stage. Special mention to Elodie and Annalisa, who have multiple entries on our list. And as Paul said, no surprise Annalisa's Sinceramente made the list, given it has won our National Final Countdown for the past two editions.

We wish all our Italian readers and followers a happy Festa della Repubblica!

What is your favourite Sanremo entry that didn't make it to Eurovision? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky or Instagram. All the links can be found at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet