Aram Quartet are a pop vocal quartet from Italy who rose to fame by winning the reality show X Factor in 2008. Founded in Lecce, Italy, the quartet is comprised of four young men: Antonio Maggio, Raffaele Simone, Antonio Ancora, and Michele Cortese. They auditioned for the first season of X Factor and not only were selected to compete but ultimately finished in first place, defeating runner-up Giusy after 12 weeks of television shows. In the wake of their first-place finish,
Aram Quartet signed a recording contract with Sony BMG and made their full-length album debut, Chiaramente (2008). Featuring covers of well-known songs including "Pinball Wizard" (
the Who), "Bohemian Rhapsody" (
Queen), and "Walk on the Wild Side" (
Lou Reed), the album was a Top Ten success in Italy and spawned a couple smash hits: "Chi (Who)" and "Per Elisa." ~ Jason Birchmeier