Rock 'n' Roll Robot
| "Rock 'n' Roll Robot" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Alberto Camerini | ||||
| from the album Rudy e Rita | ||||
| B-side | "Miele" | |||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Length | 3:24 | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Songwriter | Alberto Camerini | |||
| Producer | 776440 | |||
| Alberto Camerini singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Rock 'n' Roll Robot" on YouTube | ||||
"Rock 'n' Roll Robot" is a 1981 Italian song by Alberto Camerini from her album Rudy e Rita.
Overview
The song marked the commercial breakout of Camerini, and his transition from alternative rocker to easy-listening synthpop singer.[1] To promote the song, he created the character of "Arlecchino elettronico" ('Electronic Harlequin'), performing it dressed as Harlequin and incorporating movements inspired by puppets and robots.[1]
The song has been described as having "a vibrant, sharp, and crowd-pleasing sound, with delightfully nonsensical lyrics, accompanied by performances that are as memorable as they are improbable".[2] Renzo Stefanel from Rockit described the song as "easy melodies and harmonic progressions that recall the simplicity of doo-wop, showcasing a '50s progression combined with technological sounds that exude both attraction and existential angst toward what was considered the emerging robotic and computerized era".[3] He also highlighted the song's success among younger audiences, stating that "Camerini brought together a generation of pre-teens like no one had ever done before in Italy".[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rock 'n' Roll Robot" | Camerini | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Miele" | Camerini | 2:47 |
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[4] | 3 |
References
- ^ a b Castaldo, Gino (2003). "Rock 'n' Roll Robot". Il dizionario della canzone italiana. Le canzoni. Curcio. p. 365. ISBN 978-88-97508-31-1.
- ^ Papa, Vittorio (10 October 2006). "La più grande hit di Alberto Camerini". Orrore a 33 Giri (in Italian). Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ a b Stefanel, Renzo (16 May 2016). "Fame di informazione e sentimenti: l'arlecchino di Alberto Camerini in "Rock'n'roll robot"". Rockit (in Italian). Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 3 January 2026. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". In the "Titolo" field, search "Roll Robot".
External links
- Rock 'n' Roll Robot at Discogs (list of releases)