On January 1, 2023, historic music publication Rolling Stone published a ranking of the  ‘200 greatest singers of all time’, a list that has proved divisive among fans, performers and music industry professionals alike, from KISS rock icon Gene Simmons telling TMZ that “the whole thing is skewed”, to hoards of distraught fans having taken to Twitter to condemn the exclusion of Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion.

Rolling Stone’s Top 20 were: 1. Aretha Franklin, 2. Whitney Houston, 3. Sam Cooke, 4. Billie Holiday, 5. Mariah Carey, 6. Ray Charles, 7. Stevie Wonder, 8. Beyonce, 9. Otis Redding, 10. Al Green, 11. Little Richard, 12. John Lennon, 13. Patsy Cline, 14. Freddie Mercury, 15. Bob Dylan, 16. Prince, 17. Elvis Presley, 18. Celia Cruz, 19. Frank Sinatra, 20. Marvin Gaye.

While it comes as no surprise that Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Ariana Grande and Dion DiMucci have been acknowledged by the magazine, overall, their acknowledgement of the Bel Paese’s vocal talent is somewhat scant, leaving many members of the Italian community dumbfounded.

Here at Il Globo, we decided to compile a short list of some of the singers of Italian descent, who we would argue were wrongfully snubbed by this list.

Luciano Pavarotti

Perhaps the most surprising Italian omission is Three Tenors powerhouse Luciano Pavarotti. One of the best known and most highly respected operatic singers of all time, the Modena native performed to sold out opera houses worldwide for over fifty years before tragically losing his battle with cancer in 2007.

Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone, known better to the world as just ‘Madonna’, has irrevocably changed the pop music landscape over her decades spanning career, continuing to reinvent herself to this day. The Grammy award winning icon’s Italian ancestry traces back to Abbruzzo on her father’s side.

Andrea Bocelli

This opera sensation who hails from the Tuscan town of Lajatico has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, and recently, even made a cameo appearance on 'The Simpsons' with his daughter Viginia and son Matteo.

Mina

Swiss-Italian Mina Anna Maria Mazzini, known mononymously as ‘Mina’, dominated Italian pop music throughout the 60s and 70s with her lush, emotive voice before, retiring from the limelight in 1978. The beloved diva’s track ‘Città vuota’ even recently experienced a resurgence in popularity among younger generations after being featured on the soundtrack of the Sicily-set second season of HBO’s smash hit series ‘The White Lotus’.

Gianni Morandi

The Bolognese treasure has won hearts all over the world with his handsome swagger and feel-good hits. Morandi first shot to fame during the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970, and in addition to his tremendous musical success, has also appeared in a handful of popular Italian films.

Dean Martin

This legendary Rat Pack member, who was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, is behind tricolour anthem ‘That’s Amore”, “Everybody Loves Somebody” and countless other hits sung along to the world over to this very day.

Frankie Valli

The Italian-American crooner to out-croon them all, Frankie Valli was born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio in Newark, New Jersey. Valli founded the Four Seasons, who’s story served as the inspiration for the immensely popular 2005 jukebox musical ‘Jersey Boys’.

Laura Pausini

Ravenna-born 48-year-old songstress Pausini has sold out stadiums globally, performing songs in multiple languages. Pausini’s career first took off when she won the San Remo Music Festival in 1993 with her smash hit ‘La Solitudine’.

Zucchero

With one of the most idiosyncratic voices in contemporary Italian music, this Reggio-Emilia born performer has cemented himself as a global icon over the past four decades, having collaborated with international rock stars of the likes of Sting, Bono, Eric Clapton and Paul Young.

Jon Bon Jovi

Born John Francis Bongiovi in New Jersey to a Sicilian father, the ‘Livin’ On a Prayer’ rock god, who ushered in the 80s pop-metal craze, has sold out stadiums worldwide for the entirety of his career. Although snubbed by Rolling Stone for his vocal talents, he was names one of the ‘Sexiest Rock Stars Alive’ by People Magazine.

Be sure to let us know if you can think of any other examples of Italian excellence who were left off of Rolling Stone's list ― happy listening!