‘O sole mio” is a well-known Neapolitan song written in 1898. Its Neapolitan language lyrics were written by Giovanni Capurro and the music was composed by Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi. The title translates literally as “my sun” or “my sunshine”.
The song found fame among a wider audience in the UK and US when Elvis Presley used the melody to create his worldwide hit, ‘It’s Now or Never’ (1960).
Two decades later, a series of TV commercials were broadcast for Cornetto ice cream in the 1980s, which set the words ‘Just One Cornetto…’ to the tune of ‘O sole mio’.
In 2012, it was named the catchiest jingle of all time, with 45 per cent of British adults claiming it pops into their heads against their will.