Marco Borsato is the most successful pop musician in The Netherlands of the last 40 years. He has had the most number one singles in the Dutch Top 40 since The Beatles, and his domestic records sales have remained unrivalled for over a decade. All in all, his singles have spent over a year holding the number one position. SENA has calculated that Marco Borsato was the most visible Dutch entertainer on radio and television for four years in a row: from 1998 to 2001. He has sold multiple million records, won the Popprijs, The Exportprijs, several Edisons, and numerous TMF awards. However, because of his profession (Marco Borsato is a singer, not a songwriter), his career is more one of records and prizes than of artistic growth or reinvention.

Marco Borsato was born to an Italian father and Dutch mother in Alkmaar, Noord-Holland, on December 21, 1966. He spent his childhood years divided between Italy, where his father ran a restaurant, and The Netherlands, where he went to school. After the divorce of his parents, Marco Borsato settled with his mother in Alkmaar. After high school, Marco Borsato went to a chef's school. Then he went into military service. It was there that he got his first taste of music. After military service, Marco Borsato worked daytime jobs in his mother's shop and construction and evening shifts in restaurants and cafes. He also managed to take some singing lessons. After participating in a talent show, he set up a one-man show that attracted attention from vocal coaches Gerard Joling and Karin Bloemen, in addition to a manager.

With their help, Marco Borsato entered the preliminary rounds of the TV show circuit with a last-minute appearance on the Soundmixshow. Marco Borsato won and qualified for the live finale, which he also won. Consequently, he was offered a recording contract. His first single, "At This Moment," appeared in May 1990. The single managed to reach the top of the charts, and Marco Borsato's star was rising. In August of the same year, Marco Borsato's first record appeared, titled Emozioni, and consisted entirely of Italian material. In 1991, Marco Borsato's second single and album, Sesto Sento - Come Together, appeared. Again, both were recorded in Italian. Neither the album nor the single fared well. With 1992's Il Giorno Perfetto, written by Marco Borsato himself, record sales continued to drop even further.

Polydor decided it was time for a change and forced Marco Borsato to shave of his moustache, take dancing lessons, and re-style his clothing. His music, too, was re-styled: a team of Dutch songwriters collaborated with composer John Ewbank to translate Italian material and write some original Dutch compositions. In 1994, the single "Dromen Zijn Bedrog," was released. After a few months of silence, the single suddenly catapulted to the top of the charts, where it stayed for an amazing 13 weeks. Eventually, more than 350,000 copies were sold. The single's success had a direct spin-off: the new album, simply titled 200V, crossed the counter a half a million times. At the end of the year the second single, "Waarom Nou Jij?," also managed to reach the highest position. All of a sudden, Marco Borsato was one of the biggest names in pop music.

1995 saw the release of Als Geen Ander, another collaboration by text writers translating Italian texts and John Ewbank's music. Als Geen Ander also sold half a million copies and had two hit singles: "Je Hoeft Niet Naar Huis Vannacht" en "Kom Maar Bij Mij." Marco Borsato appealed to everyone, from college students to housewives; fans everywhere bought his records.

The following year, the single "Ik Leef Niet Meer Voor Jou" became a smash hit. At the closing of the year, "De Waarheid" -- the first single of the forthcoming album bearing the same name, almost entirely written by John Ewbank -- was released. On the day of the album's release almost 300,000 copies were sold. The benchmark of half a million -- now almost a Marco Borsato trademark -- was surpassed a few weeks later. Marco Borsato sold thousands of records and was the most talked about star of the country. During the spring and summer, he toured Holland extensively, closing his tour with 14 sold-out shows in Ahoy (with over excess of a 150,000 visitors). He also released the single "Wereld Zonder Jou," a collaboration with Trijntje Oosterhuis of Total Touch. The end of the year was a success, both professionally and personally, as he won the Popprijs in Groningen and announced that he was engaged to TV personality Leontine Ruiters and they would marry the next year.

In 1998, Marco won several TMF awards and two Edisons, one for best singer, and one for the best single, for "Wereld Zonder Jou." A new album was released: De Bestemming. It too sold around half a million copies. SENA announced that Marco Borsato was the most played artist on Dutch radio. In 1999, he was awarded the Gouden Harp and had another number one single with "Binnen." Again, he was celebrated as the most played artist on the radio.

In 2000, Marco Borsato released the studio album Luid En Duidelijk. It went platinum multiple times -- selling 400,000 copies -- and won him two TMF Awards. In October, he sold out nine shows in Ahoy'. In November the single "Wat Is Mijn Hart" was released. In 2001, Marco Borsato won another Edison and SENA announced that Marco Borsato, for the fourth consecutive year, was the most played artist on Dutch radio. In 2002, a compilation album, Onderweg, was released, along with a new single: "Lopen Op Het Water." The song reached the number one position and was performed live at the wedding of crown prince Willem Alexander. In June, closing out his touring season, Marco Borsato had three consecutive sold-out shows in De Kuip, with a total of more than a 150,000 people attending.

2003 was a prestigious year for Marco Borsato. He received the Exportprijs, an Edison, two TMF Awards, and an Academy Award for the DVD of Onderweg. The only distinction that he lost was that of most played artist. Marco Borsato announced that his new album, tot ziens, Justine Keller, would only be released in DVD format and that directors like Dick Maas and Theo van Gogh would make short movies to go with the music. DVD single "Afscheid Nemen Bestaat Niet" reached the number one position. Next single, "Voorbij," released in 2004, also reached the top of the charts, sending the sales of the DVD album tot ziens, Justine Keller above 325,000. For the ninth time in a row, Marco Borsato was crowned best Dutch singer at the TMF awards. In April, he was commanded Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau. And in June, he sold out the Kuip again, but six nights in a row this time (almost 300,000 people), being the first Dutch artist to ever do so, and breaking the old record of four sold-out nights, dating back to Dire Straits'

On Every Street tour. He recorded a live single with rapper Ali B that summer, which entered the charts in the number one position. To top it all off, he closed out the year by reclaiming his title as most played artist.

In 2005, Marco won three Edisons and his tenth TMF Award as best Dutch artist. In addition, he was crowned Artist of the Decade. He sold out three weeks' worth of shows in Belgium, and sung at the 25th anniversary of Queen Beatrix. In February 2006, "Because We Believe," a joint single with Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, was released. The single was written and produced by David Foster, the 14-time Grammy winner well-known for his work with Céline Dion, Lionel Richie, and Band from TV. The song marked Marco Borsato's ninth number one single. He also received his last TMF Award -- cementing this fact himself by saying that he wanted other bands or artists to win it in the coming years and would no longer be competing. Later that year, he released "Everytime I Think of You," a duet with Lucie Silvas. He closed out the year in style with ten Symphonica In Rosso performances in the Gelredome, with his own band and a 40-piece orchestra backing him. Accompanying single "Rood" was his tenth number one single. In 2007, "Rood" won a best single award from 3FM -- and was declared the highest-selling single of the year. ~ Philip D. Huff, Rovi