"Gli ostacoli del cuore" (en: The Obstacles of Heart) is a song by the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

singers

Elisa The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay is a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presence of ...

and Ligabue, released as single on October 20, 2006. The single is included in Elisa's first

greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

album ''

Soundtrack '96-'06 A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of music as feature ...

''. Released as the album's

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

, the song was written by Ligabue and produced by Corrado Rustici. The song also appears on the album ''

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

'', released in September 2007. In the ''Caterpillar'' version, the song is sung without Ligabue. The song debuted at number one on the

Italian Singles Chart The Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) or the Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy. It was established in 1992, when ...

, spending seven consecutive weeks at number one. It became Elisa's second song to peak at number one in 2006 after " Teach Me Again", as well as the fourth of her career, and Ligabue's eighth.

Background and composition

"Gli ostacoli del cuore" is the first original song featured on an Elisa album of which the artist is the only interpreter. Indeed, the song was written by

Luciano Ligabue Luciano Riccardo Ligabue (born 13 March 1960), commonly known as Ligabue or Liga, is an Italian singer-songwriter, film director, and writer. Biography Ligabue was born in Correggio, in the province of Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna in norther ...

, with arrangements by Elisa and

Corrado Rustici Corrado Rustici (born 1957) is an Italian musician, songwriter and producer. Recording career Rustici was a founder member of the Naples-based progressive rock group Cervello. The band recorded the album ''Melos'' in 1973, with Rustici on guitar ...

, who also produced the song. During the same recording session the two artists recorded the song "Volente o nolente", published only in 2020. Ligabue told about the meaning of the song and the creative process that led to its creation:In an interview with ''

TV Sorrisi e Canzoni ''TV Sorrisi e Canzoni'' () is an Italian weekly listings magazine published in Segrate, Italy. History and profile The magazine was established in 1952 in Foligno by Casa Editrice Campi, with the name ''Sorrisi e Canzoni'' and Agostino Campi ...

'' in 2020, Ligabue said that the collaboration with Elisa was the only one that took place at the artist's direct request during his career:

Critics reviews

"Gli ostacoli del cuore" was received positively by specialized critics, being considered among the best records of the singers' careers. ''Panorama'' placed the song at number one on its list of the "100 Most Beautiful Italian Songs of the 21st Century", making the two singers the only ones to have two songs among the top 10, thanks to Elisa's "

Luce (Tramonti a nord est) "Luce (Tramonti a nord est)" (translating to 'Light (Sunsets in the North-East)') is a song by Italian singer Elisa released on March 6, 2001 as the fourth and final single from the second studio album '' Asile's World''. The English version of ...

" at tenth position and Ligabue's "Le donne lo sanno" at eighth one.

Commercial performance

The song debuted at number one of the

, becoming Elisa's second song to peak at number one in 2006 after " Teach Me Again", as well as the fourth of her career, and Ligabue eighth. It spent sixth consecutive weeks at number one between November 23, 2006 to January 5, 2007. The song was the eighth-best-selling song in Italy in 2006. In 2018 it was certified platinum by

Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana The Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) or the Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy. It was established in 1992, when ...

, counting sales since 2009.

Music video

The "Gli ostacoli del cuore" music video was directed by Ligabue.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ostacoli del cuore, Gli 2006 singles Elisa (Italian singer) songs 2006 songs Sugar Music singles Songs in Italian