Best Italo Disco songs

I absolutely love italo disco – futuristic 80s pop with crisp synthesizers, vocoders and sometimes daft lyrics. Italo disco is basically a term that describes the pop music which filled the nightclubs across Italy in the early 80s.

Italo disco is a style of music that mostly came out of Italy, in the late 70s and early 80s. Sometimes sad, sometimes happy. In fact, it’s a bit of a fuzzy genre. The biggest thing that the tracks have in common is that they are from Italy.

You’ll love italo disco if you love music from the likes of Giorgio Moroder or Patrick Cowley. It then heavily influenced the likes of Stock Aitken and Waterman in the late 80s.

In this pile are some absolute gems of italo disco. Maybe you already know these, maybe you don’t.

But either way, here are the best songs you should add to your next playlist.

Best Italo Disco songs: The list

Sabrina — Boys (Summertime Love) (1987)

Boys, boys boys.
I’m looking for a good time…

Ryan Paris — Dolce Vita (1983)

We’re walking like in a dolce vita,
This time we got it right

Happy, carefree electronic disco! You probably know this song but never heard its name. Ryan Paris (real name Fabio Roscioli) hit the charts with this tune in 1983.

Picture yourself strolling down the Seine in 1980s Paris in the sunshine, drinking coffee at a pavement cafe, and you’re only halfway towards the feeling you’ll get when you hear this song.

Laura Branigan — Self Control (1984)

You take my self-, you take my self-control,
You got me livin’ only for the night.

This song is a cover of an original Italo disco song by an artist called Raf. Laura Branigan covered it in the same year and it was a huge hit internationally.

10/10 for the video depicting some sort of masked mind-control magician trying to gain control of Ms Branigan.

Mr Flagio — Take a Chance (1983)

Oh, what you’re gonna be!

Ken Laszlo — Hey Hey Guy (1984)

Let me try your love
Yes babe, I’m waiting, please don’t stop
Hey guy, all your love forever

Beep beep. Lots of phones ringing. You could imagine yourself driving around the city at night to this one.

This was the first big hit in Europe for Ken Laszlo (born as Gianni Coraini).

Doctor's Cat — Feel the Drive (1983)

Can’t you feel it’s comin’ strong
You’ve waited for it all along
Make your way don’t step aside
You must feel the drive

This song was a big hit throughout Europe and even across the pond in Chicago. Not surprising - it sounds pretty much like early house music! Synthesizers, drum machines and voices all came together in this futuristic mash-up.

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