Pooh: 60 year of the album that started an extraordinary Italian music story

On October 15, 1966, a young Italian band took an important first step with the release of “Per quelli come noi”.
And now, sixty years later, the Pooh are celebrating a milestone that few groups in popular music ever reach: six decades of history, countless concerts and a catalogue of songs that has become part of Italy’s musical identity.

The story began in Bologna, where the group developed during the explosion of beat music that was transforming the international scene.
The Beatles had changed the way young people listened to and experienced pop music, while British and American influences were inspiring a new generation of Italian musicians. The Pooh emerged from that atmosphere, gradually developing an identity of their own, with an emphasis on vocal harmonies, melodic arrangements and the ambition to build something that could last beyond the fashions of the moment.
Their debut album, released by Vedette, captured a band still searching for its definitive form.
The original lineup included Valerio Negrini on drums, Roby Facchinetti on keyboards, Riccardo Fogli on bass, Mauro Bertoli and Mario Goretti on guitars, Gilberto Fagioli on bass, and Bob Gillot on keyboards. It was a larger and very different formation from the four-piece lineup that would eventually become synonymous with the Pooh in the years of their greatest success.

“Per quelli come noi” brought together songs that reflected the musical language of the mid-1960s, combining original material with Italian adaptations of international compositions.
The title track, which had also appeared as the B-side of the single Brennero ’66, gave the album its name. The record also included Brennero ’66, a song that revealed a more socially conscious side to the young band, at a time when Italian pop music was beginning to move beyond straightforward love songs and dance-floor entertainment.
The story of Brennero ’66 deserves particular attention.
Inspired by the political violence surrounding the South Tyrol question, the song addressed the killing of a young soldier and proved controversial enough to encounter censorship. For a group still at the beginning of its career, it was a striking indication that music could also engage with difficult subjects and the tensions of contemporary Italian society. It was an early example of the ambition that would continue to shape the band’s development.

The Pooh’s first years were marked by changes in personnel and a process of artistic growth.
Mauro Bertoli left in 1967, and in 1968 Dodi Battaglia joined the group, replacing Mario Goretti. That same year, Piccola Katy became an important breakthrough, helping the band reach a much wider audience. The Pooh were moving towards the melodic identity that would eventually make them one of Italy’s most recognisable and successful musical acts.
Their greatest achievements were still ahead.
The arrival of Stefano D’Orazio in 1971 and the subsequent consolidation of the lineup with Facchinetti, Battaglia, Fogli and D’Orazio would establish the quartet that defined an extraordinary period in their history.
Songs such as Tanta voglia di lei, Pensiero, Noi due nel mondo e nell’anima, Parsifal and Uomini soli would help transform the group from a young beat band into a major presence in Italian music, capable of combining accessible melodies with ambitious arrangements and increasingly sophisticated songwriting.

The Pooh’s appeal would also rest on the different personalities and musical contributions of their members.
Roby Facchinetti’s keyboards and voice, Dodi Battaglia’s guitar work, Riccardo Fogli’s distinctive singing and Stefano D’Orazio’s rhythmic and creative contribution helped establish a sound that evolved over time without losing its recognisable character. Valerio Negrini, the group’s original drummer, became one of its most important lyricists, writing words that gave many of their songs an emotional depth extending well beyond their immediate melodies.
Their history was never entirely linear. Lineup changes, solo projects and the challenges of sustaining a long-running band all played their part, but the Pooh repeatedly found ways to reconnect with their audience.
Their success at the 1990 Sanremo Music Festival with Uomini soli added another landmark to their career, while later releases and tours demonstrated that their music could continue to attract listeners who had not even been born when the band first emerged.

The group officially brought its original run to a close in 2016, marking its 50th anniversary with a series of celebrations.
Subsequent reunions showed just how strong the bond between the musicians and their audience remained. The 60th anniversary now provides another opportunity to look back at a career that has crossed musical eras, technological revolutions and profound changes in Italian society.
What makes this anniversary particularly significant is the distance between the world of 1966 and the one in which the Pooh operate today.
When “Per quelli come noi” appeared, albums were physical objects, the music industry worked to very different rules, and the international beat movement was still reshaping the ambitions of young bands. Six decades later, their songs continue to circulate across generations, carried by radio, streaming platforms, live performances and the memories attached to them.

The album released on October 15, 1966, was not yet the work of the fully formed band that would later dominate Italian charts and fill major venues. It was something more fundamental: the beginning. The sound was still developing, the lineup would change, and the defining hits were yet to come. But the essential commitment was already there — the desire to make music together and to keep moving forward.
Sixty years on, “Per quelli come noi” stands as the starting point of a remarkable journey.
The Pooh’s story is not simply one of longevity or commercial success; it is also a reflection of how popular music can become woven into the lives of its listeners. For millions of people, their songs have accompanied first loves, friendships, family celebrations and the passing of time itself.
On October 15, 2026, the anniversary is therefore more than a celebration of a debut album. It marks sixty years since the first chapter of a story that grew far beyond the expectations of the young musicians who began it — a story that continues to resonate wherever the music of the Pooh is heard.