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"Ma quale idea" ("But What Idea") is a song written and performed by Italian singer Pino D'Angiò from his debut studio album, ...Balla! (1981). The song was arranged by jazz musician Enrico Intra. The single was an international success, selling over 2 million copies. Despite the common belief that the bassline of the track was taken from "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead, D'Angiò claimed that he composed it independently along with the bassist Stefano Cerri. The song was later sampled in Madison Avenue's 1999 hit "Don't Call Me Baby".

Track listing and formats

• Italian 7-inch single

A. "Ma quale idea" – 4:20

B. "Lezione d'amore" – 2:58

Credits and personnel

• Pino D'Angiò – songwriter, vocals
• Enrico Intra – arranger
• Alfredo Di Muro – engineering

Credits and personnel adapted from the ...Balla! album and 7-inch single liner notes.

Charts

Francesco Napoli version

"Ma quale idea"
Single by Francesco Napoli
from the album Balla... The First Dance
B-side	"Bambina che sará"
Released	1987
Genre	Italo disco
Length	4:26
Label	BCM
Songwriter(s)	Pino D'Angiò
Producer(s)	Peter Columbus
Francesco Napoli singles chronology
"Stai con me" (1986) "Ma quale idea" (1987) "Piano, Piano" (1987)

In 1987, Italian singer Francesco Napoli recorded a cover of "Ma quale idea".

Track listing and formats

• European 7-inch single

A. "Ma quale idea" – 4:26

B. "Bambina che sará" – 3:20

• European 12-inch single

A. "Ma quale idea" (Strange Idea Mix) – 5:31

B1. "Bambina che sará" – 3:20

B2. "Balla Bonus Beats" – 3:58

• German / Austrian / Swiss CD maxi-single

1. "Ma quale idea" (Single Version) – 4:26
2. "Bambina che sará" – 3:20
3. "Balla Bonus Beats" – 3:58
4. "Ma quale idea" (Strange Idea Mix) – 5:31

Credits and personnel

• Francesco Napoli – vocals
• Peter Columbus – producer
• Hans Lampe – engineering
• Oliver Kels – arranger

Charts

Bnkr44 version

In 2024, Italian pop punk band Bnkr44 performed the song together with Pino D'Angiò at the cover night of the 74th Sanremo Music Festival. The band released the song as a single on 1 March 2024, with the title "Ma che idea".

Credits and personnel

• Pino D'Angiò – author and vocals
• Jacopo Adamo – lyricist, composer and vocals
• Andrea Locci – lyricist, composer and vocals
• Dario Lombardi – lyricist, composer and vocals
• Pietro Serafini – lyricist, composer and vocals
• Marco Vittiglio – lyricist, composer and vocals
• JxN – producer
• Erin – producer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

1. ^ Bassignano, Ernesto (1990). "D'Angiò, Pino". Castaldo, Gino (edited by). Dizionario della canzone italiana. Curcio Editore. pp. 478-9.
2. Deregibus, Enrico (2010). "Pino D'Angiò". Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana. Giunti Editore, 2010. p. 140. ISBN 8809756258.
3. Vacalebre, Federico (15 November 2020). "Pino D'Angiò dopo i tumori: "Jazz, donne e altre storie"". Il Mattino. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
4. Marzi, Mattia. "Nel vuoto pneumatico del pop, Pino D'Angiò è una boccata d'aria". Rockol (in Italian). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
5. Copsey, Rob (12 November 2019). "Madison Avenue's Don't Call Me Baby has been remixed for its 20th anniversary". The Official Charts. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
6. ^ Ma quale idea (Italian 7-inch single liner notes). Pino D'Angiò. Ri-Fi. 1980. RFN-NP 16806.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. ...Balla! (LP, Vinyl). Pino D'Angiò. Ri-Fi. 1981. RDZ-ST 14324.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. "Pino D'Angiò – Ma quale idea" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
9. "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 29 May 2023. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Ma quale idea".
10. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Pino D'Angiò" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
11. "Pino D'Angiò – Ma quale idea" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
12. "Pino D'Angiò – Ma quale idea". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
13. "Pino D'Angio' – Ma quale idea" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
14. "Jaaroverzichten 1981". Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
15. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
16. "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1981" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
17. Ma quale idea (European 7-inch single liner notes). Francesco Napoli. BCM Records. 1987. B.C. 7-2055-41.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
18. Ma quale idea (European 12-inch single liner notes). Francesco Napoli. BCM Records. 1987. B.C. 12-2055-40.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
19. Ma quale idea (German CD maxi-single liner notes). Francesco Napoli. BCM Records. 1987. B.C. 50-2055-44.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
20. "Francesco Napoli – Ma quale idea" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Francesco Napoli – Ma quale idea" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
22. "MA CHE IDEA - bnkr44, Pino D'Angiò (Radio Date: 01/03/2024)". EarOne. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
23. "Bnkr44 e Pino D'Angiò: da Sanremo a Radio Italia con "Ma che idea"". Radio Italia. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
24. "Bnkr44 & Pino D'Angiò – Ma che idea". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
25. "Ma che idea - Bnkr44, Pino D'Angiò". EarOne. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
26. "Classifica annuale 2024 (dal 29.12.2023 al 26.12.2024)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 7 January 2025.

• 1980 singles
• 1980 songs
• 1987 singles
• Songs in Italian
• Pino D'Angiò songs
• Ri-Fi singles
• Universal Music Group singles
• Songs written by Pino D'Angiò