On This Day in 1960, Brenda Lee Hit No. 1 With an English-Language Adaptation of a Song Originally Written for Italy’s Biggest Music Festival
Brenda Lee’s “I Want to Be Wanted” reached No. 1 on the US Hot 100 on 24 October 1960. The song began as an Italian entry for the Sanremo music festival, and Lee’s English-language recording brought its melody to a much wider audience.
Lee heard “Per Tutta la Vita” while touring Europe and sought out its writers, Pino Spotti and Alberto Testa, to obtain the lyrics. Kim Gordon wrote the English version; Lee recorded it in March 1960 and released it in July. It was her second No. 1 single that year and her last chart-topper until “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” reached No. 1 in 2023.
In short
- Brenda Lee’s “I Want to Be Wanted” topped the Hot 100 in 1960.
- The song was adapted from an Italian festival entry.
- It was Lee’s last No. 1 until 2023.
Explained simply
Brenda Lee was an American singer who became a star while still a teenager. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the US singles charts helped measure which recordings were reaching the widest audience.
Sanremo is an Italian song festival where performers compete with newly written songs. “Per Tutta la Vita” was written for the festival by Pino Spotti and Alberto Testa; Kim Gordon later wrote English lyrics for Lee’s version. Adapting songs across languages helped music travel beyond its original audience.
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