Adriano Celentano (born 6 January 1938 in Milan) is an Italian singer-songwriter, actor, filmmaker, and television presenter who has shaped Italian pop culture for over six decades. Nicknamed Il Molleggiato - 'the springy one' - for his electrifying stage moves, he is credited with bringing rock and roll to Italy and has sold around 150 million records worldwide. His hits range from the early rock of '24.000 baci' to the ecological ballad 'Il ragazzo della via Gluck' and the proto-rap experiment 'Prisencolinensinainciusol'. Alongside music, he appeared in 39 films - mostly comedies - and dominated the Italian box office through the 1970s and 1980s.
At age 88, Celentano re-emerged on social media with a video mixing archive footage and a current photo, drawing an emotional response from fans.
His 1973 track 'Prisencolinensinainciusol' was featured at the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, when actress Sabrina Impacciatore danced to it.
RAI responded to a letter from Celentano's wife Claudia Mori, saying it would be 'a dream' to see him back on the public broadcaster.
Italian music press noted a Gen Z rediscovery of Celentano's catalogue, placing him alongside Mina and Raffaella Carrà as a legacy artist newly popular with younger listeners.
Six of Celentano's classic albums were reissued on vinyl in the eco-friendly Greenyl format.
