Francesco De Gregori's first three records, as brilliant as they often were, went largely unnoticed. Everything changed with Rimmel (released 50 years ago today), the 1975 release that made him into a pop superstar, and second only to Fabrizio De André as the greatest of Italian cantautori. With a little help from friends such as Lucio Dalla, De Gregori expanded his singer/songwriter compositions into full-blown pop songs.
- Mariano Prunes