Three tenors, one Roman ruin, and the night opera went pop

The idea belonged to Carreras, who had returned to the stage after leukaemia and wanted to raise money for his foundation, and to Domingo and Pavarotti, who were happy to welcome him back in public. The occasion was Italia 90. The BBC had already made Pavarotti's Nessun dorma its World Cup theme, and the aria was in the British top ten; the final between West Germany and Argentina was the next day at the Stadio Olimpico.

The concert was staged in the open air in the third-century ruins of the Baths of Caracalla, with Zubin Mehta conducting the orchestras of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. The three men sang arias in turn, then a medley of Neapolitan songs, musicals and O sole mio in which they traded lines and, in the encore, Nessun dorma together, each taking the final "Vincerò". Pavarotti's white handkerchief was in his hand throughout.

Decca released the recording within weeks. It sold more than ten million copies, the biggest classical record in history, and turned the Three Tenors into a touring brand that played stadiums for the next decade, including the 1994 final in Los Angeles. Purists complained. Football fans bought opera.