Marco Borsato

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Marco Borsato is a Dutch singer, born in Alkmaar in 1966 to an Italian father. After his parents' divorce he lived for a long time in Italy, and he speaks fluent Italian. He was working as a cook when he won Henny Huisman's Soundmixshow in 1990. He then made three Italian-language albums, including Emozioni (1990), which made little impression in the Netherlands.

Music and breakthrough

In 1994, on the advice of his regular songwriter John Ewbank, he began singing in Dutch. His first Dutch-language single, Dromen zijn bedrog, spent twelve weeks at number 1 in the Top 40, then a record, and is still the longest-charting Dutch-language number 1. One hit after another followed. Albums such as Als geen ander (1995), De waarheid (1997) and De bestemming (1998) entered at the top. Between 2003 and 2008 he had nine number 1 singles in a row, something nobody else in the Netherlands managed. In total he scored fifteen number 1 hits in the Top 40, one fewer than The Beatles. He gave series of concerts at De Kuip, the GelreDome and the Sportpaleis in Antwerp. Many of his songs were Dutch versions of Italian songs.

Influence

Borsato mainly sang big, emotional ballads about love, farewell and family, with full orchestral arrangements. He became the most successful Dutch artist in the history of the Top 40. From 2021 he was accused of sexual abuse of minors. Radio stations stopped playing his music and his career came to a halt. In December 2025 he was acquitted for lack of evidence.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1990Emozioni
• 1991Sento
• 1992Giorno per giorno
• 1994Marco
• 1995Als geen ander
• 1997De waarheid
• 1998De bestemming
• 2000Luid en duidelijk
• 2004Zien
• 2008Wit licht
• 2010Dromen durven delen
• 2013Duizend spiegels
• 2015Evenwicht
• 2017Thuis

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Mixtape 11: Nederpop^NL Reader

Mentioned in other articles

• Dutch-language song GenreIn the 1990s the Dutch-language song grew for a large audience: from 1994 Marco Borsato had one hit after another with ballads.
• Dromen zijn bedrog SongIn 1994 Marco Borsato had an enormous hit with Dromen zijn bedrog, a Dutch version of an Italian song.

See also

• Dutch-language song