"Un'emozione da poco", Oxa released her debut studio album Oxanna (1978). The album also became a chart-topping success in Italy. The second single off of Oxanna, "Fatelo con me", also written by Fossati, was selected to compete in the 1978 edition of Festivalbar and became a top twenty hit in Italy. Oxa later began to collaborate with Italian singers Lucio Dalla and Rino Gaetano. With them, she released the single "Il pagliaccio azzurro" in 1979, an Italian language cover of the song "Till it Shines" by American musician Bob Seger. The single was used as the lead single for Oxa's self-titled second studio album, released the same year. The album peaked within the top ten in Italy, and also included an Italian cover of the song "Because the Night" by Patti Smith. To promote the album, Oxa ventured into acting and appeared as the lead in the musical film Maschio, femmina, fiore, frutto (1979). In 1980, Oxa released the single "Controllo totale", an Italian cover of the song "Total Control" by The Motels; the single became a top forty hit in Italy, and served as the lead single for her debut extended play of the same name. After declining sales and a lack of promotion from her label, Oxa cut ties with RCA Italiana and signed a contract with CBS Records International in 1981. She returned to Sanremo the following year, competing in the Sanremo Music Festival 1982 with the song "Io no". Oxa's participation saw a great stylistic change in her image; she no longer sported her androgynous punk look that she had become known for, and instead grew her hair long and dyed it blonde, adopting a sexier appearance that went on to define her career for the following decades. "Io no" placed as a finalist in the competition, and went on to become a top forty hit. Despite this, CBS International did not believe it performed well enough to warrant an entire album. The following year, Oxa released the single "Navigando" to serve as the lead single to her third studio album, titled Per sognare, per cantare, per ballare (1983). Oxa continued to take part in Sanremo several times during the 1980s, competing in 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1988, placing within the top seven each time. Her 1986 entry, "È tutto un attimo", went on to become a massive success in Italy; while only placing fifth in